Pittsfield Recreation Commission-Tuesday July 9, 2024

Meeting Date:
7/9/2024

I. Administration
II. Active Projects
III. Improvement Ideas
Resources
Copy/Paste Email Addresses:
Table of Action Items



I. Administration

1. Introductions
2. Chair Assignments
   Board members voted on chair elections, naming the following assignments:
   1. Executive Chair: Jacob Hunt
   2. Secretary: Mariah Katz
3. Email Listserv
   Established contact directory for internal communications to collaborate on drafts and proposals.

Jacob Hunt: [email protected] 
Mariah Katz: [email protected]
Dave Fenity:  [email protected]
Anna Rayner: [email protected]
Matt Kopicki: [email protected]
Aj Ruben [email protected]
Eric Huss: [email protected]
Katrina Hotchkiss: 

1. Meeting duration
   Voted to be one hour length on every other Tuesday at 6pm
2. Grants
   Discussion was held about reviewing the Communities Grant Application and adding the basketball court to it. Start planning and hire a grant writer later when we have specific needs. TROC can help find grants, but private donations might be easier for funding.
   1. Action items:
      1. Brainstorm then discuss fundraising initiatives
      2. Schedule time to review Communities Grant Application at an upcoming meeting
3. Community Outreach
   In order to gather community input, we can start by creating a post on facebook page informing the town of the committee initiatives and request ideas
   1. Action item: Anna Rayner to compose statement for digital post, circulate via email and collectively edit and use link to Herald article to explain who and  what the board is

II. Active Projects

1. Basketball & Pickleball Court
   The court is being laid early August, sunken to allow for ice rinks in the winter. Suggestions were raised to add a drain and plastic topping to protect the court. Dave Fenity volunteered to become involved in supervising construction if needed since he has relevant and valuable experience.
   1. Action item: Jacob Hunt to follow up with Joyce Stevens about adding drain to court
2. Pump track
   Rehabilitation tasks can be preformed by board and community volunteers. Two immediate improvements that can be made is to clear out brush which would add a line of sight to the pump track and also expose areas that can be incorporated and added to the MTB area.
   1. Action items:
      1. Plan pump track specific event during the town bazaar

1. Clean up day planned for Tuesday 7/16 @6pm

III. Improvement Ideas

1. Nature Path
   A nature path could wind around the field connecting the pump track, playground and the other park features. The path could wind in and out of the woods.

1. Dog park
   Board members have heard from town neighbors about the appeal of having a dog park. Suggestion was made to have half of the dog park in the open field and half in the woods.
   1. Action items:
      1. Determine the ideal size of a dog park
      2. Solidify property boundaries
2. Sports field with multi-sport nets
   A shed could be erected to house different types of nets to use for sports on the field. A nod to the Pittsfield Pirates could be a fun incorporation.
   1. Questions: Do we need a shed to lock up equipment? Who would be doing that?
3. Pittsfield colors
   With creating a community oriented space, it could be nice to establish Pittsfield colors that could be represented in the recreation facilities
4. Pavillion
   A covered area to provide shade and congregation areas with picnic tables and barbeques
5. Signage
   Add signs to inform residents and visitors about available amenities. The sign could have individual linked pieces of wood below it so features can be added and removed depending on things like seasonal activities.
   1. Action item: A.J. Ruben to talk to Otel Ortel about making a sign
   2. Action item: Mariah to draw up sign design, circulate to rec committee then propose to select board
6. Playground
   The current placement and footprint of the playground are considered ideal as-is. The design can be kept simple with four new swings, a play structure with a slide, and add sit-spinneys. Sand is not ideal for cleanliness and safety, so we should consider alternatives like wood chips or recycled tires with proper framing as part of a sustainability initiative. Adding a climbing structure with holds is a great idea, but we should remove the see-saw from the design. Although kids love diggers, we could use rocks instead of sand. We need to focus on short-term and long-term planning by generating ideas now, then consulting with people online and at the Bazaar. Additionally, we should capitalize on volunteers for installation and logistics.
7. Community Garden
   Location for community garden on Lower Michigan featuring low raised beds does not conflict with FEMA funding
   1. Action Items:
      1. Decide perimeter
      2. Decide what will grow
      3. Set up time for volunteering in construction

ResourcesCopy/Paste Email Addresses:[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

Jacob Hunt: [email protected] 
Mariah Katz: [email protected]
Dave Fenity:  [email protected]
Anna Rayner: [email protected]
Matt Kopicki: [email protected]
Aj Ruben [email protected]
Eric Huss: [email protected]
Katrina Hotchkiss: 


Table of Action ItemsPittsfield Rec Commitee Action Items
Category
Action Item
Assignee
Notes

Grants
Brainstorm and discuss fundraising initiatives.
Board


Grants
Schedule a meeting to review the Communities Grant Application.
Board


Community Outreach
Compose a statement for a digital post on Facebook.
Anna Rayner


Basketball & Pickleball Court
Follow up with Joyce Stevens about adding a drain to the court.
Jacob Hunt


Pump Track
Plan a pump track event during the town bazaar.
Board


Pump Track
Clean-up day for the pump track.
Board
Tuesday, 7/23 at 6 PM

Dog Park
Determine the ideal size for a dog park.
Board


Signage
Talk to Otel Ortel about creating the sign.
A.J.


Signage
Design draft for sign, circulate for feedback, and propose to the Select Board.
Mariah Katz


Playground
Generate ideas for short-term and long-term planning for the playground.
Board


Playground
Consult with people online and at the Bazaar for playground feedback.
Board


Playground
Seek volunteers for playground installation and logistics.
Board


Community Garden
Decide on the community garden perimeter and what will be grown.
Board


Community Garden
Set up volunteering times for community garden construction.
Board


Community Garden
Solidify property boundaries for the community garden.
Board


​