Recreation Commission: September, 25 & October 14, 2014

9/25/14 – 7:00 p.m.  In attendance B. Arrowood, T. O’Brien, Carol Mylander, Milford Murray

10/14/14 – 6:30 p.m.  In attendance B. Arrowood, T. O’Brien, J. Hicks, MB Troup, Milford Murray

• Update on current programming
  • Movie night season was a success, 7 movies total (expense for each file listed).  No shows were cancelled due to rain and attendance varied from 50-100 for each show
    • June 13 – Princess Bride (n/a) – Approximately 100 in attendance;
    • June 27 – Goonies ($275) – Approximately 80 in attendance;
    • July 11 – Karate Kid original ($175) – Approximately 100 in attendance (pre show demos from East-West martial arts school)
    • July 25 – Muppet Movie original ($325) – Approximately 60 in attendance
    • August 8 – Space Jam ($255) – Approximately 50 in attendance
    • August 22 – Bolt ($275) – Approximately 60 in attendance (with Kent County SPCA)
    • September 5 – Lego Movie ($350) – Approximately 75 in attendance
    • Final movie night will be October 26 – following Fall Fest – Charlie Brown and Ghostbusters ($275)
  • Equipment was purchased by the Town this year and included a new screen, sound system and projector and DVD player.  Total cost for new equipment was                  . (movie nights were supported through the season by Women in Need donating and frequently operating the popcorn machine.
  • Additionally, CRC supported Harry Potter Festival (9/26) with a screening in the park of the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter 3) as a late added complement for overflowing ticketed events.  The showing at Fountain Park had approximately 30-40 in attendance.
• Block Parties:
  • Upper Calvert Street – CRC hosted a block party on August 16 in conjunction with the Heritage Celebration on upper Calvert Street   The CRC solicited neighbors to help promote the event.  Milford Murray distributed fliers to the neighborhood.  The event was a great play event for neighborhood children and included an inflatable bounce castle and an inflatable slip and slide rented from JBK.  The event was attended by approximately 30 neighborhood children and some parent and ran for 5 hours leading up to the massive Heritage Day celebration on High Street which was supported by the Town’s Music in the Park Program.
  • Plans for a second neighborhood party in Coventry Farms were planned but have not yet materialized.
• Bocce Fall Season
  • Over 90 participants – 15 teams (ages from 27 to 87)
  • Regular season ended on 10/14
  • Tim O’Brien’s team DeBoccery wins the championship.  Fall league did not charge as majority of players were returning and funds raised in the Spring covered costs for trophies.
  • Ongoing search for a permanent court
  • Funds in reserve are approximately $900 raised by Bocce program toward building facility
  • Option of building at KRM property at end of Cross Street was declined by the owner
  • Presenting option of building in the grove at Wilmer Park near entrance
  • CRC remains open to entertaining option s form the Town and residents
  • Ideal location is somewhere visible and accessible to downtown residents so that it draws people together.
• Wiffleball and Kickball league
  • Wiffleball – Brandt Troup reports that the Wiffle Ball league was a moderate success.  Teams met weekly on Monday nights in August and early September averaging about 20-30 participants.  Program was run as a  drop in without registration or fees.  Cost of the program was under $30, including equipment.
  • Kickball – Brandt Troup reports that while there was interest in the kickball league, there were no participants or sign ups and the program was ended after 3 weeks of no none showing up.  CRC has purchased 2 kickballs at an expense of $30
  • Advertising for both leagues was approximately  $70 including a banner and posters.
• Grants applications
  • KCMS Grant – mayor Cerino notified the CRC that the Town submitted the State CP&P grant for the Middle School project on August 19.  The Town will be notified if this grant has been awarded in the spring.  There was a public meeting for support of this process on July 29.  B. Arrowood attended and spoke on behalf of the CRC and was otherwise lightly attended by residents.  Minutes of the meeting can be found here: http://www.chestertown.com/go/minutes.php?ID=438.  After the public meeting the application was finalized and subject to revision before submitted.
  • There was discussion at both meetings that no member of the CRC was asked to be involved in the his process and no copy of the design or final plan as submitted had been forwarded to the CRC prior to its submission.
  • HHGES – Caren Saunders reports that after the CRC received information for a matching grant available through Cunningham Recreation of Grasonville, that she took that information to HHGES and the school has applied for the grant to add new equipment to the playground at the school.  No dates were available for the results of that grant
• Programming planning
  • Fall Pumpkin Fest
    • Date is Saturday, October 25.  The week prior to Halloween, similar programs to last year are planned, but on a smaller scale due to lack of time and volunteer available.  Plans are for pumpkin putt putt, painting and carving and associated games.
    • T. O’Brien will help with pumpkin pick up from Redman Farms and carving.
    • C. Mylander will contact Lands End farms for hay bales.
    • Movies will be shown in Fountain Park to include Charlie Brown and Ghostbusters.
• Other ideas
  • M. Troup proposed an indoor dodgeball league and will make arrangements with Kent Athletic Center for the use of the gym.
  • Program would run for about 5 weeks beginning mid-October.  Thus far (10/14) there has been some interest, but no sign-ups.  Advertising on the SPY and FB and with fliers.  Cost would be $50 per night to KAC.  We will pay $100 for the 2 nights we have reserved, even if no one has shown up.
• Gateway Park
  • M&C held a public meeting for this project on August 21, shortly after the CRC posted an online petition for a meeting (the online poll had only 11 signatures, but even then, members of Town Staff as well as M&C asked for the poll to be taken down).  The meeting was held on August 21 and was meagerly attended.  B. Arrowood was unable to attend but sent a person letter (that was not approved by the CRC0.  The letter stated several of the general concerns with the project.  Minutes that meeting can be found here http://www.chestertown.com/gov/minutes.php?ID=442
  • No new reports on Gateway have been received by the CRC from the Town
  • Side note – Councilperson Shoge has posted photo that  basketball court at Washington Park has been recently painted a new net hung so it is no longer rusting.
• Status of Commission in regards to M&C
  • M&C voted to approve the amendment to the Town Charter changing the status of the CRC on September 15.
  • Based on discussion among members, the consensus was tha the M&C have removed the CRC from any functionality for planning any facility or long term project and relegated the CRC to event planning and submission of an annual budget to those ends.
  • B. Arrowood discussed at both meetings that he believes that he may no longer be effective in the role of Chair of the CRC as he feels at odds with the status of the CRC in regards to M&C and that the purpose of his involvement was to help build projects for the Town, not just run programs.  He has met with Mayor Cerino and asked his advice on how best to move forward and awaits a response
  • Generally, the members of the CRC agreed that they were also disappointed that they were not a part of the process and that they came to volunteer to be more than a programming committee, at one point it was suggested to dissolve this commission, not vote was taken as there was not a quorum present.
• Other business
  • There was no meeting of the CRC in August
  • Members voted via email in August to support the Kent Massive concert at the Garfield Center with $1000 donation for advertising.  Kent Massive is in its 3rd year of promoting local young musicians in an all day concern event held annually on Labor Day weekend.
  • After the CRC request to acquire them, the Town now has 2 portable basketball rims located in the Town Yard available for use at events and neighborhoods to use on a temporary basis.  Both were donated.
  • Carol Mylander has suggested that as municipally owned public spaces, Town Parks should be required to be smoke free areas.  This motion will be taken up at the next meeting.
  • Consequent to the discussion of the status of the CRC, J. Hicks restated the need for a town wide comprehensive plan for recreation facilities.  The lack of process in planning for what has already been done by the Town was noted and when that while under the new administration opportunity for public input has rarely been taken into account into any change in the process
  • Among the main parts of this discussion was an overall plan for Bailey Park so that it is not done piecemeal.
  • There is still much animosity among residents that the Town owns a $150K park for dogs and none for children.
  • J. Hicks has drafted an outline and will bring it to the next meeting for discussion and work.
  • T. O’Brien suggested a draft to M&C suggesting the repeal or at very least revision of Town Ordinance 140 – 12/88 which bans all skateboard, roller skating, scooters in Town limits as it is shortsighted and unenforceable.  Consensus agree that we could submit this as a request and draft will be voted on that the next meeting
  • Members spent time looking at available Town properties and were asked at the next meeting to look around the Town and find locations for small projects (under $100K) that could be developed by the CRC and presented to the Town
  • Each member was charged to come up with up to 4 concepts including location, approximate cost and impact

Next meeting was scheduled for November 10 – 7 p.m. at Town Hall

• as meeting have not included a quorum of 4 voting members, it is noted where there was general consensus among those in attendance rather than a yea/nea vote on matters.