November 18, 2020 | All Minutes
Rosendale Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes
November 18, 2020
Present: Commissioners Kristina Carr, Dave Hattenbrun, Lisa Jerkowski, Kieran Liggan-Casey, Reta Sorge; Recreation Clerk Dorene Whitaker.
Excused: Town Board Liason Enest Klepeis.
Absent: Commissioners Fre Atlast, Frank Klepeis.
The meeting was called to order at 7:20 pm.
OLD BUSINESS:
Old Meeting Minutes: R. Sorge moved to approve the minutes from the October 21, 2020 meeting. Seconded by K. Liggan-Casey. All in favor.
Fencing: D. Whitaker reported that the fence replacement involving the playground and the Route 32 edge of the baseball field has been completed, and that Supervisor Walsh has requested an estimate for replacement of fencing of the tennis court and the baseball field third base line in 2021.
Pool Repair: D. Whitaker reports that she has requested an estimate for pool repair from the contractor who is now completing the renovation of the Kingston YMCA pool.
NEW BUSINESS:
Rec Center heating and ventilation system: D. Whitaker reports that the present system is a recycling system with regular air exchanges and 12 air filters which get changed quarterly. More information was requested, including frequency of air exchanges and MERV category, as MERV of 13 or greater is considered adequate for Covid-19 filtration. This data is necessary to ascertain that the building is safe for group gatherings (numbers may be dependent on number of participants). D. Whitaker also reports that Supervisor Walsh has tabled rental of the facility for now due to recent rise in Covid cases. She will procure the requested information now, though, so we will be prepared for future rentals.
Revision of Rental Fees: D. Whitaker requests the addition of a Covid cleaning fee to the existing rental fees. She estimates that proper cleaning after a gathering of 50 people would take one hour. The major cleaning of the facility performed after the recent election, a high-volume event, took 3 hours. The hourly fee charged in other departments in the Town is $32 per hour.
- Carr moved that a Covid cleaning surcharge of $35 be added to rental fees, to be applied for gatherings of 50 or less people. This is to be re-evaluated for gatherings of over 50 people, or if Public Health guidelines change. Seconded by R. Sorge. All in favor.
- Request for December Blood Drive: D. Whitaker reports that use of the Rec Center has been requested by the New York Blood Center for their December Blood Drive. The organization is currently combining blood drives in the Kingston facility. R. Sorge recently donated there, and has concerns about proper social distancing, especially in the recovery area where masks are removed to eat and drink. However, the Commission wishes to support the blood drive as an essential health program. K. Carr moved that approval for the December 2020 Blood Drive be given, pending submission of a plan outlining number of people expected, the air filtration system is determined to be adequate, and social distancing can be guaranteed. D.Whitaker, as the Town Safety Officer, is to be granted authority to make these determinations. Seconded by L. Jerkowski. All in favor.
- Request for Pavilion use for winter soccer: D. Whitaker reports that Rondout Soccer Club has requested use of the Pavilion for an outdoor soccer program this winter. Last year they used the outdoor fields with the assistance of Matt McCloskey, Youth Director. Most of the tables can be stored in the pool house, but 4 tables could be left outdoors for other community use. As this is a program to benefit youth, rental fee can be waived per Rec Commission protocols. K. Carr moved to approve this use, pending proof of liability insurance and agreement from the Soccer Club to protect the tables. Seconded by R. Sorge. All in favor.
- Signage: D. Whitaker showed prototypes of replacement signs for the Pavilion and ballfield. She also reported that the ballfield scoreboard will be repainted by Town staff.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:10 pm. As in past years, there will be no December meeting of the Rec Commission. The next meeting will be January 20, 2021.
Respectfully submitted,
Kristina Carr, Chair