Community Center Facilities Committee Meeting

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Meeting date: 
Friday, August 12, 2016

HARWICH COMMUNITY CENTER

FACILITIES COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES

August 12, 2016

10:00 AM

 

Members present: Lee Culver, Brian Power, Ralph Smith, Sean Libby

 

Also present: Carolyn Carey, Community Center Director, Selectman Angelo LaMantia, and Officer Jonathan Mitchell

 

  1. The meeting was called to order at 10:01 AM.

 

  1. Brian Power made a motion to approve the Facilities Committee meeting minutes from the July 8, 2016 meeting. The motion was seconded by Ralph Smith and passed unanimously.

 

  1. Ralph Smith gave the report from the Council on Aging. He reported that the COA had hosted a picnic in the field behind the Community Center on August 5, 2016 for their volunteers and that the event was a great success. He also wanted to acknowledge and thank the Harwich Police and Fire Departments for the help in putting on such a successful and positive event. He further thanked the custodial staff members for setting up and preparing for this event. Mr. Smith also provided an update on the upcoming housing seminar that is being organized by the COA and indicated that the date has been moved to October.

 

  1. Lee Culver gave the report from the Recreation Department. He indicated that the Department is busy with running the Town beaches and that the Recreation Summer camp programs are in full swing. Further, Recreation is ready for Phase 3 at Brooks Park.

 

  1. Old Business

 

  1. There was discussion regarding updating the outside irrigation system at the Community Center. Lincoln Hooper, Director of Highways and Maintenance, was invited to the meeting to discuss this matter, but he did not attend. The Department of Highways and Maintenance has had Brian working at the Center to both change out the current drip system and to get a cost estimate for replacing the irrigation system in its entirety. The current system is inadequate and unable to meet the landscaping needs of the Community Center.

 

  1. Harwich Police Officer Jonathan Mitchell attended the meeting to review the Community Center Emergency/Disaster Plan and to make recommendations about any necessary changes. He indicated that the best plan to respond to emergencies is the “run-hide-fight” method. He further suggested the need to develop language to be used to alert staff and patrons in the event of an emergency. Officer Mitchell will compile his notes on the plan and get them to Ms. Carey as soon as he returns from his scheduled vacation. After Ms. Carey receives the notes, the Plan will be updated and then reviewed and discussed by the Facilities Committee. When the Plan is fully updated, all Community Center staff will be trained in the emergency/disaster protocols contained within the Plan. Then instructors who regularly teach classes or hold meetings in the Center will be trained. Finally, people who use the Center on a regular basis will be trained in the protocols.

 

  1. Ms. Carey was asked at the previous Facilities Committee meeting to bring the Elder Service Contract to this meeting. The contract currently in place was provided by Ms. Carey to all Committee members. All members are to look over the current contract so that it may be reviewed and discussed at the September Facilities Committee meeting.

 

  1. There was no new business.

 

  1. Sean Libby gave the building updates. He indicated that the generator is now running fine. He also indicated that he still has concerns regarding the air conditioning in the building. Further, there was a building inspection conducted on August 11, 2016. The inspection of the building went well.

 

  1. Director’s Update

 

  1. Ms. Carey provided an update on the seventh annual Community Yard Sale which took place on August 6 at Brooks Park from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The yard sale went exceptionally well. The Community Center had to cap table sales at 32 tables to ensure that, in the event of rain, all parties would be able to fit in the Community Center gymnasium. So many parties signed up that we hit the 32 table limit more than a week prior to the event and had to create a waiting list for interested individuals in the event of any cancellations. Ms. Carey is evaluating how best to do the Community Yard Sale next year and would like to consider making certain changes, particularly with regards to tables. She would like to consider the option of selling spaces rather than tables or to charge an additional fee for use of Center tables. This would reduce the need to use Highway Department staff on the day of the Yard Sale to transport and set up tables for the event.

 

  1. The Community Center was evaluated as a passport acceptance facility, as were acceptance agents Carolyn Carey and Samantha Estabrook on June 23, 2016. Since the last Facilities Committee meeting, Ms. Carey received the report containing the results of the evaluation. Ms. Carey read the letter included in the report to the Committee. The Community Center and both agents did extremely well in the evaluation.

 

  1. Other

 

  1. The Community Center will not be open on Friday, November 11, 2016 in observance of Veteran’s Day. This would be the date of the November Facilities Committee meeting. The Committee members felt that it would not be necessary to have a November meeting.

 

  1. A Committee member asked about the policy regarding weapons at the Community Center. Ms. Carey is going to check if the Center can adopt the weapons policy that is in place within school zones. She will provide an update on this matter at the next meeting.

 

  1. Ms. Carey was informed that there is a camera grant available to install additional security cameras at the Center. She is working with Deputy Police Chief Thomas Gagnon on this matter. She will be meeting with Deputy Chief Gagnon and Dax from Seaside Alarms to get a quote for the camera installation.

 

  1. The mid-year report from the Facilities Committee to the Board of Selectmen is due on September 19, 2016.

 

  1. Ms. Carey informed the Facilities Committee that the Community Center has received a gift from the Ora Gaylord Arooth Trust in the amount of $10,852.00. The gift has been accepted by the Board of Selectmen. Ms. Carey provided the Committee with a copy of that thank you letter written to the Trustee of the Ora Gaylord Arooth Trust for their generous donation.

 

  1. The next Facilities Committee meeting is scheduled for September 9, 2016 at 10:00 AM at the Harwich Community Center.

 

  1. The meeting was adjourned at 10:43 A.M.