2021-08-12
2021-08-12 Parks & Recreation Meeting
TOWN OF BERLIN
Parks and Recreation Commission
Berlin Community Center / ZOOM
230 Kensington Road • Berlin, CT 06037
Thursday, August 12, 2021
6:00 p.m.
ATTENDANCE:
Commissioners Present: Donna Bovee - Chairwoman, Tony Butrimas, Don Dellaquila, Joe
Pulcini, Greg Starr
Commissioners Absent: Andrew Legnani, Dinesh Patel
Staff Present:
Jen Ochoa, Director of Community, Recreation and Park Services
Debbie Dennis, Superintendent of Recreation
Chairwoman Bovee called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
1. Audience of Citizens
a. Master Sergeant Jon Grady and Staff Sergeant Thomas Greene – (Did not appear.)
b. Bill Petit, Berlin Little League- Mr. Petit stated that Little League has been hanging
sponsor banner signs for 45 years – several older banners are made of wood and the
newer banners are vinyl. He agreed to take down the wood signs at Petit and Baretta
fields by November 2021. Any new banners going forward will be made of vinyl and
removed at the end of each season.
c. Billy Petit, Berlin Little League Softball – Mr. Petit Jr. agreed to remove any wooden
signs at Centurelli Field by November 2021. Moving forward new banners will be
vinyl and removed at the end of each season. Mr. Petit, Jr. will submit diagram
documents for all Little League fields consistent with other groups / leagues prior to
the start of the fall season.
2. Approval of Minutes July 8, 2021
Commissioner Dellaquila moved to approve the June 10, 2021 meeting minutes.
Seconded by Commissioner Starr.
Those voting in favor: Commissioner Bovee, Commissioner Butrimas, Commissioner
Dellaquila, Commissioner Starr
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2021-08-12 Parks & Recreation Meeting
Vote being (4-0-1). MOTION CARRIED (Commissioner Pulcini abstained, as he was
not at the July 8, 2021 meeting.)
3. Consent Agenda
th
a. Request by Master Sergeant Jon Grady and the 439 Quartermaster Company
U.S. Army Reserves to have Pistol Creek deck fee of $100 waived for Company
Organizational Day, Saturday, September 18, 2021.
b. Request by Berlin Little League to hang presented banners at named locations
for the 2021 Fall and 2022 Spring Season.
c. Request by Berlin Little League Softball to hang presented banners at named
locations for the 2021 Fall and 2022 Spring Season.
Commissioner Dellaquila moved to approve Consent Agenda item a.
Seconded by Commissioner Starr.
Those voting in favor: Commissioner Bovee, Commissioner Butrimas, Commissioner
Dellaquila, Commissioner Pulcini, Commissioner Starr
Vote being (5-0). MOTION CARRIED
Commissioner Dellaquila moved to approve Consent Agenda item b with the
understanding that Bill Petit, Jr. will submit a written document summarizing the sign
layouts consistent with other organizations, and all wooden banners will be taken down
by November 2021 and only vinyl signs will be displayed in 2022 and going forward.
Seconded by Commissioner Starr.
Those voting in favor: Commissioner Bovee, Commissioner Butrimas, Commissioner
Dellaquila, Commissioner Pulcini, Commissioner Starr
Vote being (5-0). MOTION CARRIED
Commissioner Starr moved to approve Consent Agenda item c with the understanding
that Bill Petit, Jr. will submit a written document summarizing the sign layouts consistent
with other organizations, and all wooden signs will be taken down by November 2021
and only vinyl signs will be displayed in 2022 and going forward.
Seconded by Commissioner Dellaquila.
Those voting in favor: Commissioner Bovee, Commissioner Butrimas, Commissioner
Dellaquila, Commissioner Pulcini, Commissioner Starr
Vote being (5-0). MOTION CARRIED
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2021-08-12 Parks & Recreation Meeting
4. Parks & Grounds
a. Monthly Report – see attached.
b. State of CT Grant Update – No new information, the grant is still being reviewed
by the State.
5. Parks and Recreation
a. Monthly Report – see attached.
b. Community/Senior Center Update – Chairwoman Bovee reported that the first
meeting originally scheduled for 8/2/21 was rescheduled to 9/2/21. It will be an
organizational meeting to review the subcommittee members’ roles. She also noted
that the subcommittee is meant to gather facts and make a recommendation to Town
Council. It is up to Town Council whether the project is sent to referendum.
Meeting guest Tim Thurston noted that he sent a letter to the editor of the Berlin
Citizen but it was not published in the 8/12/21 newspaper. He inquired to the
newspaper why his letter was not published but another letter regarding the proposed
Community / Senior Center was published.
6. Adjournment
Commissioner Starr moved to adjourn at 6:42 p.m.
Seconded by Commissioner Dellaquila.
Those voting in favor: Commirssioner Bovee, Commissioner Butrimas, Commissioner
Dellaquila, Commissioner Pulcini, Commissioner Starr
Vote being (5-0). MOTION CARRIED
Submitted by,
Dana Borges
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2021-08-12 Parks & Recreation Meeting
Parks and Grounds July report
News:
o Replanted hill front of BHS
o Nutmeg Games
Daily
o Mowing
o Ballfields
o Pools
o flowers
Weekly
o Garbage
o Paint athletic fields
Miscellaneous
o Clean and service equipment
o Started back to school preparation
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2021-08-12 Parks & Recreation Meeting
Parks and Recreation monthly report for August
1. Percival Pool is scheduled to close on Saturday, August 14. Demore, Dinda Bittner Jr.
Memorial Pool closed August 7.
2. We offered four sessions of swim lessons. Each session was one week and the
classes were 40 minutes long. We filled 81 out of 96 spots. We did have one issue
st
with COVID exposure, two siblings who attended the 1 session tested positive for
COVID. We cancelled the remaining classes that week and notified all participants in
the two classes and the 4 swim instructors, who were all potentially exposed.
Thankfully, there were no further cases from this.
3. We did have a few cases over the summer where we were notified that either a
program participant tested positive for COVID or that they might have been exposed
to someone who tested positive. We required negative test results, where warranted
and notified participants, as needed.
4. Overall, the pools were successful, despite the weather. The new staff got some
experience but not as much as I would have liked.
5. The Summer Fun program went well. The Creek ended up filled almost every week
and Clover Hill had solid numbers. Everyone is hoping to get back to some type of
normalcy next summer, hoping to bring back swimming and field trips.
6. Skyhawks and tennis lessons had solid numbers this summer. Attached is the
breakdown. Unfortunately, we had to cancel Modeling & Fashion camp because we
did not get enough participants.
7. We plan to fully open the Community Center after Labor Day, re-opening the
exercise room and activity room. As previously mentioned, we will follow the
State/CDC guidelines as far as mask wearing goes. The Town has recently
implemented a new mask policy where everyone using Town buildings are being
asked to wear a mask. I have notified groups that have booked with us, for the fall.
We will still require groups to sign in so we have a way to contract trace, if needed.
8. I have started to look at programming for the fall. We will be offering yoga, in
person, other classes from Personal Euphoria virtually, and dog classes. I am waiting
to hear back from other staff to see if they want to offer in person classes. I have
spoken to Sheila King, BHS Girl’s basketball coach, about running a basketball clinic
this fall.
I do not plan on having the Monster Bash again and probably having the Trunk or
Treat again but on a Saturday night because there is a football game at Sage on
October 22, when we would normally hold our Halloween event. That is still TBD.
9. I will begin to submit paperwork to the Board of Education for winter basketball,
adult basketball and adult volleyball, even though I think there may be uncertainty if
we will be able to get into the schools this winter.
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