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Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=T1RYC-PBJCg

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Okay, seeing it as it is 8:30, I will call to order the Wednesday, May 27th, 2026 economic and community development committee meeting. The clerk will please call the role. >> President >> present >> present. >> We have a quorum present. Um we'll begin

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with the review and approval of the meeting minutes of the March 20 5th, 2026 meeting. Um and I will entertain a motion Oh, I just want to make a motion to um accept the mer presented.

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>> Uh second. So, a motion made by councelor heat, second by councelor Kazinskus to um accept the minutes as presented and wave the reading of them. Is there discussion? All those in favor say I. I. Those say no. Motion passes.

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Next item is the monthly Waterford Community Center update. Mr. Mayor, >> thank you, Madam Chair. Uh to begin with the update, the uh roof repair and solar installation uh the city council when they reappropriated the bond funds uh last year did appropriate some funding

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for roof repairs for leaks that are there. So there have been some leaks that have been uh temporarily patched. However, if you can remember uh two to two or three years ago, the city council voted to uh approve the roof of the building as surplus for the purpose of installing solar panels on the building

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to help power the building. That project is now finally moving forward. National Grid has allowed that to move forward in a pilot program and a behind the meter type situation. So what that means rather than having the electricity go out to the grid, the electricity will go directly into the building to power the building itself. Uh and then pull from

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the grid exterior what's needed on top of that um energy that's produced there too. And if there's any ever a hot summer day where there's an over excess of energy, that would go back into the grid that way. Uh that way there's not a concern of the grid itself being flooded with energy up first uh up front while

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National Grid is working on their transmission main that they're doing. So it's a behind the metered system. We anticipate that to be started within the next 12 months. Now that timeline is on national grid permitting as well as uh the solar panels have already been

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purchased. Uh so those are just waiting to arrive now. We pre- purchased those because we wanted to make sure that we had one pricing in uh and um also supply issues that were all alleviated because if we knew we were waiting at the time six more months for National Grid to give us the uh heads up on that one uh

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and the approval on that one. We did a six-month ahead of time order. That way we could get whirling on the timeline for the any supply chain concerns that are there. As part of that project, a lease holder agreement's been uh talked through with Select Energy of them replacing the roof in lie of paying a

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couple years of their lease payment. Uh that way the city would still receive the pilot, we'd still receive the energy and electricity for it. So there'd be a saving and we're not purchasing electricity from the grid for that, but we're also receiving the benefit of having the new roof um installed on the community center as well. So that's

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moving forward. >> Any questions on that section, Madam Chair? So the um with the roof repair and the solar installation that means that the building the whole building is getting a brand new roof. >> Yes. >> And that means that all of the electric

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once that happens and again there's a timeline here which is it's a longer projected out timeline. So this isn't happening tomorrow. So we're still going to have to pay for things in in terms of the um the uh electricity in between. We

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still have to do that for the building. Uh, and if there's tenants in there, they they will do that as well, depending on the the lease. Um, but once everything is complete, which again, this could be 12 to what? 36 months. Yes. >> Um,

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>> or I mean, well, actually, no, a 36-month wait period for approval from National. Okay. So, >> yeah. So, 36 months ago, the >> that's over. Yes. Okay. So moving forward, this could be 12 months or more at this point, but once the new roof is installed, once the solar panels are on the roof,

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>> that will pay for all of the electricity in the building. Is that correct? >> That is correct. >> So we won't have city will not have an electric bill. >> We may have minor ones here depending on snowfall over the panels in the winter time. Okay. >> But nowhere near what we're paying right now. >> Okay. just to kind of sum it up as to

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what the point of all that was because again it was like you said the this happened a while ago and now we're finally here. So just to moving forward the goal has always been that we will have a new roof that the city is not paying for >> and we will have solar panels where the

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city is not paying for electricity >> you know yeah >> given there could be some snowfall issues on the panels that could make that happen here and there. Okay. Thank you. Uh, councelor Heath, any questions or comments? >> No, I um I guess comments. I I definitely love that. Um I I'm starting

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to realize that there's a lot of uh municipalities and schools that are doing solar roofs because I um with the rise in electric costs, I think it's the smart way to go. So, um I love it. >> Thank you,

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>> Mr. Mayor. >> Thank you very much, Madam Chair. So, the next uh section is the bathroom upgrades and the HVAC work. Uh you may remember this as the conclusion of trade week. Uh so the work to install the new bathroom partitions to make them ADA compliant uh and AAB compliant as well

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has been completed. Uh that work is uh done. The work on the HVAC units has also uh been preliminary completed. I say preliminarily because there is one of them that is leaking uh fluid. So the contractor has been made aware and we're working on scheduling a time for them to make that repair. Uh but that work has

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since been completed. The condensers are installed. The fences around the condensers are installed and locked. The head units are in. Uh so what we're in right now is a phase of the various necessary inspections of that work that need to take place. Obviously while the equipment was being installed, they had

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the rough inspections that are done. But now that we're at this point of the construction, various um inspection requirements are, you know, put in place for the different building requirements, the health code requirements for all the uh materials in

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the building, the um electrical, plumbing, all those things there, too. So, we're still waiting for the final inspection reports on everything before anything gets closed out in that matter. Um, so while those are still pending, we'll keep, you know, I'll be sure to keep this uh as a rolling item on the uh

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updates that are submitted until we have the actual results of those variance infection reports, which we're still waiting on a couple of those uh so far before we have any final results on that one. So, it's uh you know, things are going through to make sure that everything's done the right way, all the eyes are dotted and te's are crossed, and if there's any issues along the way, we'll note those two to be as

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transparent as possible. >> Thank you. Any questions on that? >> Okay. I don't have any questions on any of that. That's complete for me. Um, Gardener Farmers Market. >> Yeah, they're back at the front lawn of the community center. Uh, they are going

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to be there on the third Saturday of every month from 9 to 1. Uh, so that is something that is moving forward. Uh, they u had a really good crowd so far uh this year at the first couple of those. They've actually started a new thing this year where each month has its new theme. Uh so so last month it was um I

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believe it was just different herbs and things like that. Before that it was more um you know farm supplies getting ready for the year. Uh so each month we'll have a different one. Pollinators is going to be another one. So, they've got a different theme now to try to help uh farmers get there because one of the things that they were seeing was at the

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beginning of the season and at the end of the season would be the least amount of interest from the farming community in the markets because there's not that much that's already grown in April. And by the end of September, a lot of the stuff's already been sold. So, by adding these themes to the market too, they're

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hoping that people are like, "Oh, well, actually, I might actually be able to fit into that." You know, people think farmers market, a lot of them assume it's your typical fruits and vegetables and not flowers or goods or a market in general with it, too. Um, there was a dog treat vendor at the last farmers market that was there. So, it's great to

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see that they're actually growing and expanding uh and continuing the work that they're doing over there. >> Thank you. And so, is this the only farmers market in Gardener >> currently? Yes. >> Okay. um because there was one that was held in Monument Park kind of see even though there was this farmers market but

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I just wanted for the public watching um and for our information. So that is no longer and that's >> as far as we've been made aware this year they haven't gone back out to they moved over to Park Street Park last year um but they haven't reached out to us though. They're both two private organizations that put them on uh that

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have just notified us that they'd be there. Um the other group that would normally meet on Thursdays over at Park Street Park hasn't notified us that they're going to be back out this year. So as far as we're aware, they're not doing that this year. >> Okay. Thank you. Uh and would they normally reach out to you by now? >> Yes.

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>> Okay. Thank you. And then um when you in the update you had said that during the weeks in between the Gardener Farmers Market is storing their signage in one of the vacant classrooms. Yes. >> In the singlestory ring of the Waterford Community Center. Um,

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so meaning that would be from October to May. So the weeks that they're not or is that in between? >> That's in between. >> Okay. And how do they get into the building? >> Uh, so Growing Places is one of the vendors. >> Um, so they're uh letting them into the building so that they can get those. It's it's really just a couple of signs that say don't block the driveways.

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>> Either way, I don't know how they get into. >> Oh, yeah. No, I know. >> So, so there if if Growing Place is going to be there, then they have access because it is on a Saturday. >> Uh, and the lawn is going to be mowed. >> Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. we ran into that and I'll never forget it cuz I was there and I was like what is going on here? Um so

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good as long as that is not going to be an issue for them cuz we're really lucky to have those vendors come out and use that space. We want to make sure it's ready for them to put our best foot forward for the city. So thank you. Any questions on that council? >> Yeah, I just had a question as far as the farmers market goes. Is that is that

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limited um as far as how many I guess tables >> uh again that's run by the private organization uh that uh Shelby Renard and Cat Deal oversee. Um so any questions from anybody the public who wants to attend is certainly happy to reach out to them and we're happy to provide the contact information for

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them. Uh as far as I'm aware no though there's still plenty of space out there. The only thing that may limit it is they try not to have too many of the same type of thing at the same market. So if you've got eight different apple vendors but one muffin vendor, then the muffin vendor is going to do a lot better than the eight different apple vendors

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because you're watering that down at that point in time. So they do try to have some um limits on just trying to add to the diversity of product uh that they serve at those farmers market. But as far as I'm aware, at least in the space that we have, there's still plenty of space to grow. I was just wondering

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just cuz if it got too large if it could go on the other side of the building, you know, on the concrete obviously right there and everything else. Just take it outside the box. That's all. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. Uh senior center 90-day transition plan. >> Thank you very much. We have the initial 90-day plan. uh the director and I met

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to talk about some uh ways that it can be tweaked to just make things a little more refined and concrete and more uh I guess verbally visual is not the right word to word but that's where my brain's going with it right now that you can see the path uh moving forward in a very clear defined manner that this is happening

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first and this is we're talking more in the actual concrete than the abstract and that's what we're trying to refine with this um this is something that once we do have the fully refined draft I'll be sending that to the council and the council on aging the council president and I have sent a request to the chair of the council on aging to attend one of their upcoming meetings as well uh to

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provide them with an update on the space. Uh so we're working on scheduling that uh so with the with chair DECA uh to see when that'll be too so that that this gets presented in the fullest most transparent manner possible so everyone's on the same page. >> Thank you. And I did send an email to um

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Chair Dar Mecca on I believe it was Friday after uh this was posted um to draw his attention to it for the Council on Aging and to say you know we do have these updates monthly. um it's posted in writing and that you know

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if you'd like to attend one of our meetings to get the update to make sure all the information is you know clear and uh consistent and um so just to say if he or any of the council on aging members were interested in coming to our meetings or watching them on on YouTube

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taking a look at our packet with your written update um just so they had the information uh because you know you your office is the office that should be giving all of the updates for this. It shouldn't be coming from the senior center director on his own. It shouldn't it's really your office is in charge of

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this. >> Um so I think it's again we've just we just there's been a lot of different information about Waterford. And so one of the reasons that you and I had chatted about having these updates at these meetings was so that there was a

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consistent update for the community to view if they wanted to know what was going on. And um obviously council on aging is a huge part of that because there's the pending senior center move over there. Uh so I just really you know I can't emphasize enough that that was

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one of the purposes of having these updates. Um never mind it's a great avenue for you to be able to uh share all of the things that are going on there because I it shouldn't be a mystery to anybody. Um, so I did reach out to Chair Damecha as

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well just to make him aware of what was going on at our meetings as well. Any questions, comments? Um, update. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Um, I do have a couple questions. I just and I just want to clear some things up too

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um because we've gotten, you know, some conflicting information. Um, and one of the top priorities for me again is to improve communication um, with the city council on this project, clear up things as they arise um, and as well as for the public who may watch our meetings as

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well. Um, so just who as far as like city employees >> um, has been delegated with like any responsibilities for this project? So I know there's contractors and that but like who is a city employee and like who

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is in charge of this project or has any direction on the project? >> Yeah. So the executive aid has been given the point uh direction assignment for this project. So Ryan in my office is the point person for the tenants in the city if they have any issues that come up and vice versa. Um as well as if

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there's any work that's being done and you know a meeting needs to be held between say the building commissioner and one of the tenants because there's work that being done or one of the contractors or things of that nature that is all being communicated uh through that direct um pipeline there too. So if someone needs access to the building the keys are held in the

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mayor's office. Um and if you know Ryan's only parttime if he's not there that's something that I would handle. Um and it's one of those but all points and all communications and things of that nature are running through my office. Okay. And has the senior center director been delegated by you to let anybody into the building?

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>> No. >> Okay. And have you delegated any authority with regards to this project to the senior center director? >> The only time that that happened was when the senior sector center director was told that he could move some of the furniture that was stored in the one-story wing into the twotory wing. Uh

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aside from that three-hour period, no. >> Thank you. Okay. And then the other piece of it was the the Senate recently voted to allocate $50,000. Yes. >> Um for capital improvements at the senior center. Quite frankly, this came

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as a surprise. Um because we didn't even know that any request was made and we learned about it from Facebook from anyone that I had chatted with. Um and again, the reason for these meetings and um the work that this community is doing is to improve communication. So, when

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can we expect to find out more information about what that request was and what the plan is for that money? >> Uh, the director and I are going to be meeting on that shortly because I also found out about this $50,000 earmark uh from the Senate budget from the Facebook post as well. >> Okay. >> Um, so that did not come to my office,

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nor was my office aware of that before that post was made. Uh, so the director and I will be meeting to discuss those items further. >> Okay. And so did the senior center director request that to from the senator? I haven't had a chance to ask that of the senior center director, but there I I was never in contact with the

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senator about this request. So, my office didn't put that forward, which would be the normal process for this. >> Okay. Thank you. We we I just like again, I just didn't know where it just seems to be a mystery as to where this request even came from. Um and also the earmark being for the senior center, us

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talking about Waterford. Um, right now the senior center is on Pleasant Street, but um, I would guess this is for the move to Waterford. Um, but I'm kind of worried that that could cause a problem because of

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the wording of the actual earmark. I mean, I just have experience working for a state representative and we do budget um, language and I mean, it's it could have to be very specific or you want to be very broad depending what you want the earark to go to, as you know. Um, so I know we've been, you know, we've

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talking about this plan and I I wouldn't expect there to be any issue on our side of things. Um, as you said, because you weren't even been aware of it, but we haven't like we haven't voted on anything as to where any money might go if we get a near mark or or whatever.

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Um, so there's no real hard and set timeline also as to really when we're getting in the building. they have the transition and we're hoping for the 90-day and um you know you've been working with a senior center director and you just explained the plan to go with the council on aging and to the council. So that to me is a great plan.

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Um but what do we think the plan is here or or maybe you have to speak to the senior center? >> Yeah, I'd have to speak this is like I said this is all new to me so I'd really have to speak to the senior center director on that. Anything I'd conjecture at this point because I haven't had a chance to talk to him. >> Okay. Um because and I'm and I I if you

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could um and it sounds like you have been on you know the meeting with the council president as well but just from the council side of things I would expect to include the council president in on any of that information as well because again this was a surprise to everyone and um we kind of want to get

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any confusion cleared up sooner than later would be my request. So >> absolutely. >> Okay. Thank you. Any other questions, comments? >> No, I had no idea about the 50,000. I've been out of Facebook world. So I've been So I'm just learning about this right now as just speaking. >> I actually got a screenshot. I don't

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even really look at that. So I was just >> I had no idea. I mean it's always good but yeah it's weird where it came from and who requested that. So >> and you know obviously it's it's wonderful to get you know any type of funding. It's there's no there's nothing negative about that. It's just when you

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get something that you typically have a plan for those things as you said and for you not to be informed on it. Um, glad to know you're looking into it and, you know, you're going to be in chat about it. Um, and looking forward to getting some more info on it. >> Yeah, absolutely. >> Okay. Concrete ramps. >> Uh, the city's been in contact with Tyen

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Bond since the new bond uh reappropriation has been voted on uh to get the bid package ready because the dollar amount is over uh $50,000. It does require a full bid formal process. Uh so we're working right now on getting the uh notice to proceed with tying bond to move forward with the bidding package

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and then getting the uh actual bid released. Uh it's a twoe bid period. We normally like to go 30 days to allow increased interest in the project. But uh depending on our meetings with Ty Bond, we'll determine if that bid goes out for a twoe time frame or a 30-day

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time frame. And then it's usually about a month turnaround time for mobilization after that. >> Okay. Questions or comments? Um just for the uh public um watching, can you just explain what the uh concrete ramps are? I I don't know what they are, but >> yeah, it'll be a full redo of the front

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entrance concrete work uh leading up from the driveway to the front door of the uh community center. It will also include a new sidewalk that connects the front door to the side door over at the singlestory wing and a new concrete ramp at the single story wing and then

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creating a ramp instead of a step at all of the uh entryways into the single story wing that are on the field side of the um of the building. >> I'm sorry. >> No, so all of that work is included in that. >> And will that um will that move any parking spaces or No. Okay.

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>> And this is all part of the ADA compliance, >> correct? Yes. And has the disability commission been included on that part? I think we talked about this at our last meeting. >> Yeah, they they've been sent the plans for it. Um so they'll be in part of uh everything going forward with the big package too.

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>> Okay. So they have seen that um just because we don't want to get any feedback later on. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Any anything further, counselor? Okay. Uh playground equipment removal for extended parking lot. >> So the playground equipment has been removed. All of the rubber mulch has also been removed. So, the area that's

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extended uh planned for the extension of the parking lot uh is ready. Unfortunately, what was planned to be moved to Bitford Playground, the footings were rusted out and when the screws and anchoring it down were removed. Uh the playground equipment wasn't really salvageable to be able to be moved. So, we're looking at other

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ways to fund new playground equipment over at Bigford Park, uh excuse me, Bigford Playground. Uh but the expansion of the parking lot is still moving forward. Uh Rob Oliver, our city engineer, is working on a full design plan. We're not going to be paving until after this concrete work is done that we talked about with the ramps uh because

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that is going to require some excavation of the site and we don't want to pave something just to go back and dig up the asphalt that we just put down for the parking lot. Uh so all of those things are being put basically into the timeline of everything that's going forward right there now. But the equipment is being moved and you can now see where the parking lot will be

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extended to uh from where the rubber mulch was removed. >> And so just for clarification, so that equipment just isn't salvageable at all. >> Correct. >> Okay. And so what happens to it? Uh we'll um you know any if there's parts to it that can be like if the actual chain and swing are good, we'll move

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that to somewhere else. >> Uh if not, we'll um declare it surplus and dispose of it. It was perfect. Yeah. >> Thank you. Any questions, comments on that? It's too bad that that didn't work out cuz that was a that was a really great >> I was really looking forward to that. >> Have fun there.

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>> Yeah, it's too bad. Um and so when it's paved >> Yes. Um, so basically we're waiting for the ramps before we're painting that, which I think we had talked about before because we don't want to rip up things twice like you said. >> Um, but that will be in like succession like we we we can just do that. And so

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is that in addition to the $90,000 for the rest of the parking lot? >> No, that that would be part of we could probably fit that into the $90,000. >> Okay. So because I thought we were looking for funding for the 90,000 >> the So we can take a uh some of Yeah, we

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are looking at the funding plan for it. Uh right now it looks like we have some side in the city money that was appropriated for a paving last year that was unused at the end of the year. Uh that can go into paying the majority of that and then uh either a portion of that funding this year or maybe $5,000

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or so of the chapter 90 funds that we received this year cuz we're expecting the increase about that. Uh we've got around 70 >> set aside from last year. >> Okay. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Just add any further questions, comments, counselor. Um, yeah. My only

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question is that do you know about and I I think we went over this before about how many extra parking spots that we're going to >> that I don't know off the top of my head. I know the city engineer is working on that with the parking layout design of it. >> Um cuz if we add so many spots then it triggers uh site plan approval review by

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the planning board which will require a vote. I mean we've got the time to do it because the ramps are being installed and if we're going to do it we might as well do it the right way. But we don't have to go through that process if we're not triggering that number at the same time. So, first we have to see how many we can fit first. >> Okay, >> that's fine. >> Thank you. Disability commission.

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>> Uh we're still meeting with the disability commission. There's no really new update on this, but whereas I gave the update at the last meeting, uh the council, uh excuse me, the uh chair and I uh spoke almost slipped there. I apologize. Uh the chair and I spoke about, you know, kind of keeping the same titles as a consistent format until

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something is closed out. So, this is really just to say that, you know, there really is nothing new there, but we're continuing the conversations of getting them some type of space over in uh the community center so that they can have a home base of operations. >> Thank you. Thanks, Charlie. Would be great to be able to have them have a space as we talked about the last

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meeting as well. uh Gardener Educational Television. >> Now that the uh again the bond approp reappropriation has been approved too, we're working right now with the director uh to coordinate the move uh to the site. In terms of what uh you know, Comcast has been notified of running

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their new uh cable. You know, most people's Comcast cable goes into it. They also need a secondary cable to go from the station out into um the cable world. And that's where my vocabulary on cable taught really has its limits. Uh but uh we're working on fitting out the

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space for what it needs. We know they're going to need at least three desks for the three employees that they have there. We know that the larger room is going to be the studio and the smaller room is going to be the um the office space and the the technical equipment of the um of the studio itself. So we're

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just working on the finalized plan there so that we can get them moved. They need to be out of the high school by July 1st in order to fit out the space that they're currently in into new classrooms for Gardener Academy. Uh so it really is on a uh expedited timeline right now. So, we're working through uh they're they're trying to get through graduation

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week first because of all the events that they're going to be filming uh this week for uh related to graduation. Uh get a little bit done before the relay for life, get through the Relay for Life, and then just go through uh with the move over to the uh community center. The uh station may have to be

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down a couple days. We can run certain pre-run programming through the station that's here at city hall, but the bulk of the newer programming uh might have to halt for a little bit while that move happens, but we expect that to last no longer than, you know, a couple days for a full shutdown and maybe a week or two where it's pre-planned pre excuse me,

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pre-planned programming rather than new programming. >> Thank you. Uh so where in where are they going in the community center? Um, so if you walk into the front door of the community center and you go by the principal's

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office, the former principal's office around the gym by the one story wing bathrooms, at the end of that hallway next to the boiler room is an old um art room, and that is where the uh the TV. So it it out the windows is Wilderfield.

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>> Okay, thank you. So we gave them a space that they could run cables in and out like we tried to accommodate them. Okay. Any questions, comments? >> Yeah, if I remember right, the uh location of that is right there's out doors right there, right?

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>> Yeah, it's right next to the the double-sided doors leading out to Wilderfield. >> Okay. And is there any has nothing to do with that. What about the gym? Is that going to if people were to use the gym the same access? >> I mean, if you people were to use the gym, I'd have them use the front door. >> Yeah.

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>> Um because that's going to be open to the public anyway. I'd really keep the side doors as employee only access or emergency exits. Um, so I mean if GETV wants to, you know, park a truck out there and take the cameras out there, that's certainly able for them to be used, but for general public use, I we'd like to really control that to the front

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doors. >> Just having flashbacks of baby basketball days. >> Thank you. Um, Growing Places and Gardener Community Action Committee. >> Uh, we're continuing to meet with Growing Places and the Gardener CAC about their lease spaces that they have.

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uh you know, Growing Places is looking at moving out of their location in Lemonster and uh so it's really working through what space uh spatial needs they have in the building. Same thing with the gardener CAC now that they've been there for a year and they've had a couple spaces added to their lease such as you know the additional two office

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spaces along the basically the principal's office uh where the council voted last July to add the kitchen uh the bumpout space. Not sure if they're going to need that anymore because of the kitchen that was approved by the council. Uh so working through those discussions right now to come up with the final proposal. Uh and then if any

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adjustments are needed to be made to those leases based off of that, those will be submitted to the council. My very shortly depending on uh when those discussions complete with those two groups. >> Thank you. And the CAC, is there a plan for them to move there like physically? >> Yeah, physically. They're waiting for

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the kitchen to be done working. The kitchens uh the uh space has been fully gutted. So now they just have to run, you know, install the grease trap, run the plumbing. the the equipment's already all there, too. Um, so once all of that work is done with the construction of their kitchen space, that's when they'll be able to go back. Uh,

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>> and who's managing that construction? Is that also >> That is the CAC. >> The CAC is >> Yeah. Yeah. Cuz it's a privately space. So, they're doing that in their own. >> So, and they have their own access to the building like growing places has their own access to the building. >> Correct. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Any questions, comments? >> No.

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>> Great. Thank you. Uh, I just to because we had talked about this at the last meeting as well, but for historical commission. >> Yes. We have the chair here and I wanted to provide an update. Was there any I know there was an issue with a leak possibly in one of the rooms. >> Yeah, the um the historical commission

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did let us know about the leak that was in one of the two rooms there too. Uh the money that I referenced earlier to help patch leaks in the roof is something that we're going to be utilizing to fix that leak. >> Okay. Um any questions? >> No, actually just one question on the clerk of the commission, not the chair. >> Oh, I'm sorry. >> I just want to comment that the mayor

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staying on top of these issues. Um with respect to the whole project, but also the historical commission has been uh informing the mayor as we go along of any concerns that we may have and the mayor has been very responsive to that. So, I just want to acknowledge the council support and the mayor support as

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well. >> Thank you. Um okay. Anything further on our first center community update? Uh, I'll just say that the as a preview to next month's update, um, one of the new things that's

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happening is the, uh, new Pentecostal church that purchased the old St. Joseph's Church on Pleasant Street is beginning their own church soccer league. Um, so they're going to be playing soccer on Wilder Field on Saturday mornings, uh, beginning within the next couple weeks. Um, they're maintaining the nets. They're they

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offered to help if there's anything that needs to be done with the site. I mean, the DPW is mowing it, so it's already been mowed. Uh, but they'd like to start soccer nights on Saturdays and Wednesdays. So you'll see some activity happening on Wilder Field, too. >> That's great. And how did they get access to the field? Like, so they probably saw the field and they wanted

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to use it or did they come to the city? How did that happen? >> They came to my office and asked where there was a place that was suitable to play soccer. Uh, I let them know that Wilder Field hadn't been used in a couple years, but it's a space that's open there. Just I also let them know that if it rains, it might be a little moist. Uh, but it's something that's

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>> that is a very generous way to say. >> Thank you very much. >> They would be underwater if it rains over there. Um, >> so we played a lot of field hockey on those fields in in the mid >> 90s. It was >> I think after last week's rainstorm that we had a couple weeks ago we had that big rainstorm on Thursday. I think I got

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a text saying I think we're going to take canoes to play soccer on uh on Saturday. Um but um you know they they took a look at the field then too. They they really did like it uh for their needs. Um so they they said they were more than happy uh with that spot. Uh so I we sent them down to the DPW. They

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filled out the uh park playground use form >> uh to reserve the park for those days that they want to have their soccer games and it's moved forward from there. >> Great. Great. So that is and for the public watching too that to me that is something that is there is a process when you want to use one of our public

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park or municipal grounds type spaces like if you want to use Monument Park or Park Street Park or whatever it is there is it is um managed by the DVW um as part of their municipal grounds piece of of their department. Um so there is and there is an actual >> process for it and I think it's

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important for for people to know. Um great well thank you for that. >> Thank you. Um, anything further on this item from anyone? Okay, thank you. Uh, and then I did, uh,

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Director Stevens is not here today. Um, we do have the next item 11746, upcoming community development projects. Um, I don't know if there's anything that you wanted to add. Not that I you were expected to be here to do that, but anything. Uh I will say that uh director Stevens and his actually his whole team

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have been doing a ton of work lately. Um the uh grant works we should be hearing from at least uh some of the EA based grants very shortly. Uh some paving work is going to be done on remain also within the next month. Uh so you'll be

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be able to see a lot of different changes over to that site over there too. The South Gardener uh infrastructure improvement project that's moving forward too as well. Uh the work that was done previously, Unatil uh was under a federal order to replace all of their cast iron joints in their uh pipes underground. So the work

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that was done over there too was uh Unatil going through and replacing those to meet their federal requirements before we went in and dug up the road and paved it. Uh that way everything was done all at once. So now that that's done, we're beginning our preliminary site work on the South Gardener project. >> Okay. So that unit piece is part of the South Garden infrastructure improvement.

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>> Yes. >> So Unil piece is complete. >> Yes. Great. Thank you. Um, anything else on any of the upcoming projects? I know this is an ongoing item that we will always have on there. There may be significant updates depending on what when the meeting follows and what's been

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done. So, um, I like to leave this open and have the information he's included for us in the packet. Um, I did just want to touch on the Greenwood Pool Pavilion. >> Yes. >> So, uh, we met yesterday in the CDBG meeting, which is always conveniently the Tuesday before one of these meetings

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usually, so I have it fresh fresh. Um, but when it comes to the pavilion, we had talked about, uh, I don't think it could be said enough that the access to the pavilion side of Greenwood Pool has it's going to have a fence and it has a

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swing gate. That's the term, correct? Um, that will makes it so that the public will be able to access the pavilion side even when the pool is not open and they will not have access to the pool. The only access to the pool is from the entrance on Park Street and

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that will remain for safety reasons and all of the things. Um, we did touch upon the maintenance of it because again I've got questions about that. I know there was a counselor that was particularly interested in that piece of it is what's going to happen once the pavilion is, you know, constructed. We want to make sure that it's maintained, you know, and

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that it um is open and and ready to go. Uh, so we had talked about the DBW already mows the lawn for the Greenwood pool and just for, you know, clarification purposes, they also had mowed the lawn around the

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um, Greenwood pool, the indoor pool that had been there. >> Um, and so we had talked yesterday and I, again, it's not I know the director Stevens is talking to people about this, but to me it just makes sense that the DPW continues to mow on. They're going to have a little bit more lawn to mow

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probably over near where the pavilion is, but I just want to make sure that that is is set because it's important and people have had those questions. And then we also talked about um removing, you know, um the waste baskets from the area as well to where they need to go. As long as that's continued, you know,

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there's going to be a really new beautiful site for people to use over there and just anything that opens in the city. >> There there needs to be plans in place when it opens it is ready to go and it is clear to the public on what they can use and what access they have and we need it to be maintained nicely. So I think that was just part of the kind of

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plan um that's kind of recently come up and I just like I said to me if any unless anything changes I think it should be really clear and um you know in your conversations or director sequences with the DPW that hey this is when this is going to be ready to go and you're continuing to maintain it you

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know y >> thank you for the work that you already do there. Um besides that I don't have any other questions about any of the upcoming projects. I did speak with um Director Stevens uh briefly last week just kind of about this piece of it knowing that you probably wasn't going to be able to be at the meeting today. Do you have any questions about anything or anything you wanted to add?

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>> No, this is that one. So, >> okay. If there's no objection, it'll remain as a staple on our agenda. Um and I do there's like you said there's so much work coming out of the um community development planning department right now on a there has been anyways but

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there just seems to be this kind of culmination right now of deadlines due dates work moving forward all kinds of things. So um really appreciate getting these these updates and keeping that transparency line open. Um if there's nothing further on the topics of the meeting I'll entertain a motion to

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adjurnn. >> So move >> second. All those in favor say I. >> I post say no. Motion passes. meeting is adjourned. Thank you.