The Montpelier Parks and Rec Board meeting was held on Wednesday, September 1, 2021. The August 4, 2021 Minutes were approved and the August 31, 2021 Financial Statement was approved. Information shared with the Board included:
-Storrer Park – the basketball court project has started. Montpelier Rotary is the lead agency on the project and the materials for the project have been purchased with donations.
However, the Montpelier Water Sewer Distribution Department is helping with the site preparation (moving dirt) and installation of the sidewalks and concrete blocks used to help terrace the site.
-Founders Park – the site amenities are ordered (bollard, bike racks & fixit station, drinking fountain, trash receptacles, trees, & shrubs). The benches are being made in-house by the Village.
A mason has been contacted about installing the concrete curbing and sidewalks. Still working on trying to get everything lined up for the installation of the stage. Funds for this project have come from a state grant. Nick also plans to over seed the grass at the park
-The splash pad will remain open through Labor Day and then will shut down for the season. It has been popular.
-Taking under consideration asking patrons to pay for pool parties in full no later than 1 week before their scheduled party due to the number of cancellations this year at the last minute.
-Due to declining numbers for the lunch program, discussed cutting back on the number of days per week they would be offered or offering weekly lunch packs. Will discuss again in the spring before the Program Guide goes to press.
-Had a preliminary discussion about rehabilitating some of the pool amenities such as the bath house and waterslide and also replacing some parts in the pool filtration system. The Board will work on a list to prioritize needs vs. wants for the pool complex and also what work can be done in phases to help control costs.
Sandy noted that financially the pool had a decent year this year, but it didn’t set any records. She hasn’t had a chance to tabulate all the attendance statistics for this year yet.
-Park Supervisor Nick Ramos gave his park report – The pool is closed. He exercised the valves and continued backwashing. Is currently running the last of the chlorine tablets out of the chlorinator and will then shut the pump off for the winter.
Aside from the initial problems they had with the pump, the pool ran well for the summer. He plans to replace hosing and look into filter sand l levels. He and Sandy Gordon met with a representative about the pool renovation, as well as a meeting was held with Sandy, Rich Stoy and himself for the same reason.
For the Parks – he has kept up with the regular mowing and weed eating. With the rain this summer everything is growing well. They are not looking to hire any fall help this year. He has done the regular upkeep of the three soccer fields and trimmed branches that were hanging to the ground in Grove and at Main St. Park.
After a couple issues with two different excavators, Rich Stoy and his crew have broken ground and started the placement of the terrace blocks at Storrer Park. That project should take a month or so.
The Electric department is going to take down the willow tree in the grove on the southeast side of the pond as the tree has extensive damage that keeps getting worse with each windstorm.
-Recreation Director Sandy Gordon gave her recreation report also:
-Updated website and FaceBook page as needed
-Took one personal day off in August
-National Night Out was held on Tuesday, August 3 at the Police and Fire Stations. The painted lines in the streets were dedicated with 68 children and their parents present.
-Held an outdoor movie on August 6 with 38 participants
-Held End of Summer Party on August 12 with the pool free for that day. Distributed prizes purchased with donations given to the Friends of the Montpelier Parks, Inc. Forty two Passports came back at the party, which was down from 62 in 2019. Fifty eight children attended.
-Fertilizing, weeding, and watering gardens and sprayed weeds at Main St. Park and alleys downtown
-Took pavilion reservations as needed with many of those being pool reservations largely due to the availability of the Splash Pad for parties
-Finished Free Lunch program on August 13. Served 611 lunches over 49 days in 2021 for an average of 12.47 lunches per day. (Averaged 13.2 per day in 2020 and 39.57 in 2019). Stored leftover supplies in Recreation office for 2022. Took leftover food that will expire to Food Bank.
-Concession Stand closed for season. Cleaned out large equipment that can be picked up and moved to Rec. office. Packed things up for winter storage, inventoried supplies, emptied out refrigerators, coolers and freezers for winter and emptied out pool concession stand.
-Worked to sort through and organize storage room and stairwell storage in Rec Office to accommodate everything that needs to be stored until 2022. Also cleaned and reorganized the storage shed.
-There were thirty two Making Waves Swim lessons in 2021 (48 in 2019; 71 in 2018). Nick and Sandy met with a pool design representative from Peterman from Findlay, Ohio to get an idea what the steps should be to figure out the process of moving forward with a pool rehabilitation.
Also requested information from pool engineers/architects at Six but have not heard anything back yet. Also requested info from Brandstetter Carroll who said they will give us a list of their fees to do any work, and might do a site visit. Both companies are out of Cleveland, Ohio
-Soccer: Collected and entered late registration forms, contacted parents to be coaches, set up teams, typed up rosters, ordered and distributed shirts and socks, created schedule, handed out rules and schedules, complied coach notebooks for meetings that included copies of emergency medical forms, rules, picture packets, team rosters and practice drills.
Held coaches’ meeting and coaches completed necessary concussion and sudden cardiac arrest training. Scheduled field practices, contacted soccer regs and scheduled them for games as well as sending them their employment paperwork. Compiled equipment.
There are 14 soccer teams this year with 144 children register (140 decided to play). Held Picture and Field Practice Day on August 21. Rescheduled first week of U6 games due to hot weather. Soccer started on August 23 and is scheduled to be done on October 11.
-Attended Wabash Trail Connector dedication on August 26
-Working with Library to figure out handing out cookie decorating and craft kits during the Olde Tyme Holiday Gathering on November 20
-Attend Supervisor and Park Board meeting, take and type minutes for Park Board and print reports for Park Board meeting.
With no further business, the meeting adjourned.
