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2008-11-05 . -j'~: . Recreation Commission Minutes November 5, 2008 RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, November 5, 2008 NEXT MEETING, DECEMBER 10,2008 The regular meeting of the Town of Wappinger Recreation Commission was held November 1, 2008 at Schlathaus Park, 126 All Angels Hill Road, Town of Wappinger, Dutchess County, New York. The meeting was called to order at 7:05 by Chairman Ralph J. Holt with the following persons present: Kay Von Reyn, Senior Director and Commission Members Bruce Lustig, Gary Trudell and Meera Dave(arrived at 7:30 and left at 8:00pm) and Uma Satyendra. The minutes of the October 2008 meeting were approved with no corrections. INCOMING CORRRESPONDENCE: 1. Three (3) estimates were received from C.J. Masonry, Inc. for the repair of the block wall at Spook Hill for $2,625, the repair of the steps at Schlathaus Park for $1,850 and repair of the loose comer blocks on the building at Airport Park for $1,175. The wall at Spook Hill is the one in right-center field. Because the top blocks are loose the top three rows can be removed or replaced to make it safe. The estimate given was for the replacement of the three rows of blocks. The cause of the problem at Airport Park is that the building is settling and throwing the alignment of the blocks off. 2. Notarized letters were received from the members of the Klassics music group authorizing a check for their performance in the Summer Concert Series to be made out to Joe Vaccarino. The check was originally made out to the Klassics and could not be cashed as such. 3. An e-mail was received from Tom Calahan of TruGreen Lawn Care advertising their Goose Repellant. Mr. Holt would like to understand a little more about this process and would like Bob Sheridan to look into this. 4. Two (2) letters were received from Bob Gray of Morris Associates outlining proposals for the roof at Camwath and his suggestions for the heating of the dormitory and Chapel at Camwath. These topics will be discussed at the November 10th, 2008 Town Board meeting. Mr. Holt stated that Bob Gray is going to resubmit his proposals of two months ago to do the two small roofs on the mansion and something on the upper roof where we would be re-tarring spots at a cost of about $8000.00. This repair would buy us two or three years on the main roof and complete the smaller roofs giving us 20 to 25 years on them. Mr. Lustig asked if there was any grant money available for use on the roofs. Mr. Holt stated that $15,000 in grant money is available for the completion of the trails but can't be used on the buildings. 1 ." , f Recreation Commission Minutes November 5, 2008 The other part of the submittal to the Town Board would be the heating of the buildings. Mr. Holt said that last year approximately $48,000 was spent to heat Camwath. It is hoped that something can be done to make this years heating bill considerably lower. Bob Gray of Morris Associates toured the property with Mr. Holt and Bob Sheridan to determine where energy could be saved. 5. An e-mail was received with the column to appear in the Poughkeepsie Journal in the Hiking column about Gary Trudell's hiking path at Camwath. A copy has been included in each member's packet. 6. A memo was received from Marshall & Sterling indicating that the property insurance for Camwath Farms does not cover the fence. It is suggested that we get an estimate and speak to the State Troopers for restitution. A stolen truck was driven through the left wing ofthe gate by a the man who stole the vehicle. An estimate will be secured from Mid-Hudson Fence Co. for the repair ofthe fence as they were the firm that installed the fence originally. It was suggested by Mr. Lustig that a street light be put up because of the sharp turn in front of the entrance gate. 7. A report was received from Doug Haan, Town Safety Officer, outlining the need for repairs to be done at various playgrounds. Some have already been corrected by maintenance. Copies given to Ralph Holt and Bob Sheridan. 8. A fax and e-mail were received from Maureen Kerwin of Middlepath FC announcing a clinic/scrimmage for female soccer players at Vassar College on Sat. Nov. 15th. A copy was forwarded to Bruce Lustig. 9. An e-mail was received from Supervisor Colsey asking Recreation to contact the WUSC and Pop Wamer with regard to sending in vouchers for the annual payments to these organizations. Copy to Ralph Holt. 10. An e-mail was received from Mindy Smith asking for permission to use the fields at Rockingham Park for several teams in 2009. Insurance for these groups are available. No specific schedule has been requested. Mrs. Manning informed her that the WUSC has not yet made their schedule for next year and also about the shortage of fields available for our own use. Copy to Bruce Lustig. 11. A letter was received from Dawn Turpin-Orgetas, our gymnastics instructor, announcing a blood drive being held at the Oak Grove Elementary School on Thurs. Nov. 20th. If you wish to donate blood please mail in the form enclosed in your packet. 12. A request for a refund for Adult Volleyball was received from Kim Kuchinsky. She attended two (2) classes but was hurt in an automobile accident and cannot continue with the program. The commission agreed to refund the program fee, but Mr. Lustig suggests that in the future a cancellation fee should be imposed because of the effort involved in refunds. Mr. Holt agreed that this would be a good practice to be instituted in the future but could not be done until approval is received and the public has been informed. 13. A letter was received from Bob Gray outlining the result of the walkthrough of Camwath on Oct. 27th with observations relative to energy efficiency. Copy to Ralph Holt. Mr. Holt said that as a result of the tour George Kolb said that the chain and padlock on the museum door was in violation and it should be removed immediately. The problem is being taken care of. 2 Recreation Commission Minutes November 5, 2008 OUTGOING CORRESPONDENCE 1. Per a request from Frederick Awino, Recreation put together a listing of all income for Robinson Lane, including field usage and income from light usage and sign rentals. This was sent to him on 10/16/08. One last check is still pending from the Dutchess County MSBL. Mr. Holt stated that previously, we had put together a listing of expenses for the lights at Robinson Lane. The outlay for the lights minus the income for the fields leave approximately an $8,000 outlay by the Town. He suggests that the light usage be looked at more critically to see where money may be saved and/or income increased. When the lights were put in at the fields, it was agreed that Little League would not have to pay for the use of the lights. Supervisor Colsey agrees with this plan. 2. A letter was sent from Florence Graffto Supervisor Colsey in regard to her concerns for the future of Carnwath. Supervisor Colsey sent a copy of that letter to Ralph Holt asking him to be prepared to discuss these options as part of his budget hearing. 3. Three (3) press releases were sent to the Southern Dutchess News from the Recreation Office with information on two ofthe planned Town Trips, Radio City Music Hall and the NYC Shopping Spree Trip and the announcement of the sign- up for the Senior Elks Christmas Party. Ernie Bruno of Hudson River Valley Tours will be escorting the Shop~ing Spree Trip. The Elks parties will be held on Wed. Dec.3Td and Thurs. Dec 11 t . Sign-up for the Elks Parties will be on Nov. 6th at the Town Hall. Mr. Holt will be speaking to the Exultant Ruler to negotiate the price that the Elks will be charging us for the dinners. 4. A memo was sent to Supervisor Colsey from Little League requesting the use of the Town Hall for their sign-ups to be held in January and February of2009. 5. A letter was sent to Wappinger Junior High School concerning the bill for summer usage by our Theater Program led by Joanne Fenton. Mrs. Fenton questioned some of the charges and asked if we would intercede as she is responsible for the bill, not the Town. SENIOR DIRECTOR'S REPORT Mrs. V onReyn began by stating that the Senior Center was very busy in October. An AARP Defensive Driving Course was held. The Center's Annual Craft Fair, which raises money to be used for events at the Center, took place. More extensive advertising was done this year and resulted in making more money than last year. We finished the month with our annual Halloween Party. The last bus trip for the Seniors also went well with 53 seniors attending an "Oktoberfest". Tomorrow, November 6t\ we are holding the sign- up for the two Elks' Christmas Parties. No special events have been planned for November as there are four days that the Town Hall will be closed. Only a Birthday lunch will be held on the 19th. Forty of the Seniors also attended "Bingo Bango" at the Fishkill Senior Center. Ms. V onReyn stated that October was the busiest month they have had in a long time. 3 Recreation Commission Minutes November 5,2008 MEERA DAVE'S REPORT Mrs. Dave was pleased with the outcome of the Halloween Parade. She would like to see those who donated raffle prizes be recognized in an editorial to the Southern Dutchess News and also possibly with a certificate of recognition that they would be able to display in their stores. Mr. Holt asked Mrs. Dave to design a certificate and bring it into the office so that any corrections could be made before distributions. BRUCE LUSTIG'S REPORT Mr. Lustig attended the last WUSC meeting and it was decided that Rockingham would not be used unless it was absolutely necessary. After the damage earlier in the year it was agreed that the fields needed a full year to grow new grass and become sturdy enough to withstand regular use. Most extra practices will take place at Bowdoin Park. At Airport Park the front field is the biggest problem because of the way it collects water. Hopefully, ifRockinham can be used in the Spring, that front field at Airport park will be taken out of commission and built up properly to minimize flooding problems. The goose situation at Rockinham is again becoming an unsanitary safety hazard to the children. There are several ways of eliminating the goose population and this is the time to investigate those possibilities. Mr. Holt suggests getting quotes from several businesses so that we have an idea of how much money is involved in this process. UMA SATYENDRA'S REPORT Ms. Satyendra was happy to help try and get donations for our Halloween Parade but was not very successful. Merchants were not very forthcoming, or able to help, with donations this year. Her request at the last meeting, to put up a sign at Schlathaus wishing "Happy Diwali" to those in the area that celebrate it, has not yet happened. The sign will be put up just before Thanksgiving. Mrs. Satyendra indicated that it is a festival of lights in her country. Mr. Holt stated that Bob Sheridan has set up Schlathaus Park with sleeves set into the ground so that when we put up all of our holiday decorations they can simply slide into these sleeves and eliminates the necessity to dig new holes each year, sometimes in already frozen ground. The maintenance crew has also constructed a new creche to hold the Nativity scene. Mr. Holt also asked for a short write-up outlining the significance of the "OM" symbol that is placed out each year. Mrs. Satyendra said that she would supply us with that information. GARY TRUDELL'S REPORT Mr. Trudell has stated that Robinson Lane is officially closed for the season. The article about the new Camwath Hiking Trail (mentioned above) did appear in the October 23 addition of the Poughkeepsie Journal. He stated that the columnist did a nice job of tying in the history of the site with his positive praises of the trail. The historical information was supplied by Florence Graff. 4 0" f Recreation Commission Minutes November 5, 2008 Mr. Trudell was contacted by a woman from the Oakwood Friends School. She stated that once each year the children go out into the community and volunteer their services to public projects. Five students signed up to do trail work and were assigned to work at Carnwath. They did a beautiful job of clearing the portion of the trail that runs through a wooded area. Mr. Trudell has sent each student a personal letter of thanks. An article of thanks will also be sent to the Southern Dutchess News. Three members of the Adirondack Mountain Club met with Mr. Trudell at Camwath to discuss any suggestions that they may have to improve our trail. They mentioned that they have an annual meeting in October and were wondering if it could be held at Carnwath this year. They said they have a lot of older members who can no longer navigate rugged terrain and that our trails would be perfect for them. Mr. Trudell will investigate the options for their October meeting. At the October Recreation meeting Mr. Trudell was informed that a Boy Scout was looking for a project to complete his Eagle badge. He was contacted and offered to either clean up the cemetery or put in two benches alone the new trail at Camwath. He chose to set up the benches but stated that putting in two benches would not allow him to put in enough time, so asked if he could bring down a group of scouts to do further work on the trail. Mr. Holt stated that he would like to see us use some of the $15,000 grant to put in Item #4 at the top ofthe hill and then down further on the trail where the benches would be placed. Mr. Holt asked that the area be measured to determine how much Item #4 we would need. Mr. Trudell encouraged the scouts to consider holding a function on the grounds such as their Klondike Derby or a winter event. Mr. Holt mentioned an upcoming meeting that he will have with representatives ofthe Bardavon to discuss the possibility of their sponsoring an event at Carnwath. Mr. Trudell questioned whether any repair work would be done to the porch ofthe Administration Building. Mr. Holt said that nothing is being done at this time. Mr. Trudell also questioned the status of the expansion of Robinson Lane. Mr. Holt stated that our ownership of that property is almost completed but it is not, as yet, ours to use. Once the property can be developed, Mr. Holt is hoping for a right-of-way to gain access to the property without going through the main complex. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT Mr. Holt started by indicating that the budget review was held and Ms. V onReyn did an excellent job. He said that a great many things were discussed but the biggest concerns were smaller items versus some of our larger expenditures. Mr. Beale questioned the janitorial staff that we have for Robinson Lane, Castle Point and, particularly, Reese Park. Mr. Holt explained to Mr. Beale that at Reese we do not unlock the gate because we do not want vehicles on the property but the park is accessible by foot. Al Ford's job there is to unlock the restroom and make sure that the facility is presentable. 5 ,or ~' Recreation Commission Minutes November 5, 2008 Mr. Holt questioned the status ofthe purchase of the two smaller trucks, versus the one larger one, that Recreation has been waiting for. Supervisor Colsey said that the resolution for the larger truck had to be rescinded and a new one approved for the two smaller trucks. Mr. Holt met with an associate from the Morris Agency at Robinson Lane about the water situation. He does not agree with the plan presented to him. What Mr. Holt would like to see is a second well dug out beyond the fence in center field of Memorial Field and run a line from the well up the right side of the road toward Robinson Lane and at each field put a small juncture that Little League or Recreation could use to run a water line to each field. Eventually that would have to be extended to cross the road to give water service to the fields on that side of the road. He would like to see one well for irrigation and one well for drinkable water. All that Morris Associates were prepared to do was clean up and repair the existing well. A new plan is being developed around Mr. Holt's suggestions. Tomorrow, November 61\ will be the sign-up for our two Elks parties that will be held on December 3rd and December 11 lh. On November 11 lh, at 1 :00 pm we will hold our Veteran's Day Ceremony. Mr. Holt informed the commission that effective immediately there would be no overtime or comp time paid for the rest ofthe year. Comp time can be used under some circumstances, but with staffing that is already shorthanded, it is difficult to find time to take additional time off and still get the job done. Subsequently, it became obvious that the Building Dept. and Highway were receiving overtime pay. It isn't clear to me how this situation can be resolved. The children's Christmas Tree Lighting will be held, this year, on Saturday, Dec. 61h at 5 pm with a rain date of Sunday, December 7th. The Hudson Valley Council Band has been secured for the music and Mrs. Manning will take care of ordering the cider, apples and donuts for the event. Soccer with provide Hot chocolate and Little League will supply candy for the children's goody bags, which will also include an apple, a candy cane and an ornament. The tent has been ordered from Aladdin No progress has been made on securing a Recreation Director. Richard Bishop is still interested but it is not certain whether Civil Service will accept him in that position. Our one other option at this point is J aclyn Smith, the former Summer Director for the Playground Program. If a Director is not in place soon I have permission to bring Scott Cheney back in to help work on the Recreation Guide. Mr. Lustig asked if the Board would consider raising the price of the Summer Camp to defray more of the camp costs and allowing us to use the money for other things. Mr. Holt told the Board that all of our programs with the exception of the Summer Camps pay for themselves. The Board is willing to make that concession and still wants to maintain the $100 price. 6 .... ., Recreation Commission Minutes November 5,2008 The Tennis Court renovations will be on at the next Town Board meeting. The cost for the four courts being completely re-done will be between $90,000 and $100,000 dollars. The Parkland fund received $250,000 three weeks ago bringing the total close to $600,000. Mr. Lustig asked about the status of our portion of the Rail Trail. Mr. Holt said that our portion will not be worked on until next September or October. Supervisor Colsey is talking to an independent landscaper who appears to be able to maintain the trail for less than we would be able to do it ourselves. It would cost us about $20,000 in needed equipment and manpower where the landscaper will do it for $5,000. Interviews have been done by Ms. V onReyn, Eileen Manning and my self for the position of full-time Recreation Asst., 50% of her time would be with the Senior Center and 50% assisting Mrs. Manning in Administration. A suitable candidate has been selected and must now be presented to the Town Board. The position was previously approved by the Town Board. Eileen Manning Recreation Secretary 7