June 8th, 6:20 is I just got here and we are in the Barsville room at Norton Town Hall. June 8th. >> What did I say? >> It's July 8th. >> July 8th, right? >> It's my fault. My fault. >> Yeah, I totally read that. Thinking it was July. >> What am I saying in July?
>> My fault. I know they're very thorough. >> Perfect. >> I'll make a motion to I actually I have to abstain. I wasn't at the meeting. Apologize. You guys can vote on it. >> I'll make a motion to approve. >> Second.
In favor? I >> I think you still vote though, right? >> No, I can't abstain cuz I wasn't at the meeting. I didn't have that discussion. We need two more votes. Then I motion off till the next meeting. >> Okay. Can we? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Put it off to the next meeting
then. New business director update. Oh, no, that's less. So, I'm sorry. So, we'll wait for the approval until next week. >> Uh, committee housekeeping. You got anything for us, sir? >> Uh, as far as the committee goes, no,
there's five members still. Uh, we have a couple openings. So, if anybody's out there listening, there's a couple openings on the parks committee. >> Yep. And if I could add, Mr. Chair, like any other committee, if we have to have a quorum based on how
many people are um members of the committee. So if there are seven members and three show up, we can't have a meeting. So if you want to join, try to attend every meeting, I guess, is my message. Otherwise, it puts everyone behind the eight-ball, right? Because
you need more people and you have more people. So thanks. Yep. How does that work with alternates because they know we're allowed alternates? >> I don't know. I don't know what the alternates do that I saw that. I don't I've never seen alternates on a committee before. Yeah.
>> I don't know what their purpose is. Do you know? >> No. I would assume that they'd step in if somebody knows that they're not going to be there. So that that would be that you know that would mean that we wouldn't need 40 to set or you know whatever. >> Are they on the email distribution or >> we don't have >> we don't have any alternates but we have the slots for them. That's what I'm
saying. >> Okay. So the one, to your point, the ones on the website are not accurate either. >> Correct. Nothing on the website. >> And the new website is going live next week. >> Oh, okay. >> So it'll be uh it'll be straight, >> right? >> Old business. Uh
our sponsorship program. We got anything any updates on that? >> Uh no. We have um I would say a total of off top of my head 20 or so sponsors um at the different levels that was established. So uh uh you know Yale Appliance just reached out and they're
willing to um to become a member. So that's the the newest possibility. >> Awesome. So but we're looking for 2027 at this point, right? >> Yeah. >> And how how do they sponsor? Is their name posted somewhere or they signs or how >> you mean what do they get for sponsoring? Yeah,
>> there's there's different levels. Um, don't quote me on the top of my head, but like one, you know, the lowest tier you get a sign at the swimming pool all summer long. Got >> um and a shout out on Facebook. The next tier, which I think is $250. Um, you get
a sign at one of our events like the parade or the uh one of the major events plus a sign plus and so on and so forth. So, >> and they're annual. So, to get the sign to stay up the next year, they have to renew there and correct. So when we started the uh pool up this year, we put
up the new signs and the signs we had from reoccurring people and I if I remember right, we have 20 22 signs up over there. So >> yeah, it's a pretty good source of revenue. We just reviewed it probably prior to you joining. We went through the different levels of sponsorship and stuff like that. >> It's good. It's one of the great things
that helps us to um you know draw passive income off of our free events, you know, because we market, you know, the the parade, you know, we have the the all the sponsors on the flag uh on the banner. Uh same thing as the cleanup day, the sponsors go in the
t-shirt, so you know, it's all passive. >> Gotcha. I don't know if passive income's the right word, but >> Yeah. >> You know, washes kind of, >> right? >> It's a way to pay for the community events, >> right? >> Yeah. and and and then some there's >> we use that fund to to pay for the
lifeguards. Um it's all in a revolving fund but a lifeguard for the summer along with the pool fees and stuff like that. So >> no. So yeah, no expected changes on that. >> No, not at this time. >> Do good be good. >> I'm being totally honest. It's on hold.
Y >> just because I don't have the time in my schedule to to do the monthly things. >> That's right. >> Um we go a little further. I'll talk about the the potential for a new coordinator, but >> um Geocache, anybody heard from Emily? >> No. >> All right. So, we'll just
>> She responded last meeting, but not at this time. So, >> uh I know that she went to um park and Rex with me. I'm sorry. Open spaces talked about it, but >> three meetings ago. That's right. There were three meetings ago. She didn't she wasn't there reason when we haven't talked about it. We talk about
>> the rail trail did reach out to me wanting to talk to her cuz they think they would like to incorporate it somewhere on the trail. >> Yeah. >> So, I gave Sandy Emily's contact information. I just don't know if anything came of it. >> I was watching one of those YouTubes of
like the police audits and the guy got arrested for geocaching cuz everybody they thought he was suspicious. You know, he's walking around this tree looking up and down. Everybody's like, "What's this guy doing?" They called the that's what he was doing was geocaching. But anyways, sorry that just I get distracted. Um, all right. Uh, new
business. Anybody? >> Um, I know pickle ball got approved at town meeting. >> Yeah. >> Any >> Is that through us? >> Yeah. >> Oh, >> it was on our budget. >> It was to redo the courts at the middle school.
>> It's a port I think it was the portable court. >> Putting portables. Yeah, like the roller hockey tiles over it, right? >> Basically like they're up in Foxboro. They have the outdoor uh so I'm in touch with three companies right now. Um I've
got one quote in that I think is going to be the company we go with. Um >> but I'm waiting for the other two for procurement reasons. So hopefully um by the fall we'll have some quartz in there. >> Nice. Do they come up in the winter? >> Nope. >> What do they do for weed control
underneath it so weeds don't pop up? Just curious. No. I couldn't tell you at this point. >> Are the reads on the court now? >> Yeah, >> I know. We got to do a seal before we put them down. But >> yeah, maybe that's it. >> The point to going with that was because of the way the court is in the the gaps, we didn't want to spend the money on
resurfacing and having it happen again with the gaps. I guess it has happened. Y >> um so with these portable tiles, if we ever decide to pour a pad somewhere, we can reuse them there or >> um if we need to resurface there, we can >> pick them up, put them back down.
So stay tuned for that because we'll be looking for volunteers to help install. >> We always have volunteers when it comes to stuff like that. >> Yeah, I'm sure we can make a Saturday of it. >> Yeah, always have kids looking and help with one project or another. >> Um,
>> cool. So that brings it to director update. >> Um, so program coordinator, I've interviewed six people. Um, we have one of very much interest. I'm waiting for the uh town manager to approve his his
uh um >> application. >> Yeah, I'm trying to think of the word that he used. >> What does he do? He uh doesn't matter. Waiting for his approval to hire him. >> That's great. >> Um he's a a young man that um very much
involved in youth sports. uh runs uh refereeing for towns and and um rec centers around the area. >> Um has a background in event and and in athletics and uh hopefully he's going to
be a a good fit for the town. >> Great. Uh the other news, pool's running uh running well. Uh we have a a young lady over there, Olivia, that uh is a a college senior that I guess had been running it for a couple of years for
Melissa or is the lead lifeguard if you will. Um I've been relying on her quite a bit. She's doing a great job. Um we have rentals is right after that. We have every weekend rented Saturday and Sunday um through the end of August. So
>> we didn't keep anything open like any open. >> We did we did the one open uh >> Okay. We did one open Sunday for the public July 5th. Um, and the rest of the weekends are all gone. Um,
yeah. So, I don't we haven't had any issues. We did some upgrades over there. We DPW uh improved the the kitchen. Um, redid some walls out there. We're we're getting ready to do some walls around the pool uh building itself where the
the pump is. Uh we reseeded the basketball I mean not basketball, we reseeded the volleyball, filled it in and and reseeded the grass over there. If you haven't been over there, it looks awesome. Um with the help of the high school kids there on volunteer day, we weeded everything and we're getting
ready to do uh um some work on the pavilion. One side needs gutters and uh DPW's been doing a lot of that work in in house. So >> nice. Good. >> That's like about it for my new stuff or
my uh my announcements. >> Other business not reasonably anticipated. >> I think we're good until we start talking about the parade, right? What's next? Um, yeah, de I guess before you adjourn, you had mentioned wanting to maybe have another townwide cleanup.
>> Uh, if I'm being honest, somebody else brought that up. I not sure if I am on board with that idea. I like the idea of having one a year and it being a special thing that people, you know, my concern would be that with two a year, people start saying, I went to the spring one,
I'm not going to go to the fall one just to the falls. But that again the group wants to do two. I would >> I watched the the video of your last meeting and I was this is my thought. I was involved with the one in in April. Yeah. >> I did up and down plain street. Took me seven seven eight hours. I mean I missed
the barbecue. I think I came over there to see meet your family actually. >> Oh yeah. Yeah. We were picking up the trash. >> Um but anyway the bags. >> One of the advantages of doing it when we do it in the spring is is nothing has grown yet. >> All of the ground cover, no leaves. So
you can get at all of the trash easily, >> right? Um this time of year in the fall, you're not going to be able to do a very good job at accessing. Uh >> and it is a lot of trash that happens over the winter from snow plowing and pushing stuff out of the streets. And u
I think you're better off keeping it >> fall weather is more unpredictable than spring weather. >> True. It's it'll be a feud feudal effort because you won't be able to access probably 80% of what you can in April because like I said, all the growth is covering up all of the the bottles, the
cans, the nip bottles, the trash. You just won't be able to get in there. Plus, do we really want people stepping into poison ivy and such? You know, things like that. Uh you don't have that problem. >> No, I think it's a good idea to keep it till once a year. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> Right. Um,
>> and then yeah, the next big event would be the uh the parade, right? Which I'm looking forward to >> being involved in. >> Yeah, that's always a big event. >> I've always pushed it, try to make it bigger and bigger. >> Yeah. Just an idea that run by you guys.
Um the the um there's no staging area for the parade. Those flows people put a lot of effort. I mean, except for the >> I know where you're going with it and I totally agree with you. Totally agree with you. I mean when they get before the the parade starts people can wander around up at the other end near Oasis
there and check but that's not really for the general public that's for everybody who is in the parade itself and at the end they kind of go down um power street and they kind of disperse from there so we can kick this around but one thought that I had was to kind of um cons coincide this with what we do
on um the open space committee trying to promote Edith Reed or somewhere else but if you had floats. We volunteer basis. If you have a float, you want to park somewhere and have the general public come and you know um see
what you've done in in in, you know, outside of a moving parade. You know, maybe we can find a spot where there's somebody you mentioned the middle school. >> I was going to say a school parking lot. >> School or the high school parking lot. >> Parade's not really meant for a lot of cars to be parked. >> It isn't. And we can't change the route of the parade.
>> That's right. So it would be something where after the parade they would kind of disperse and they would go to that staging area when then people if they want if they want they can come and walk around and see all the full up front >> you know the other thing that and I'm drawing out the Go ahead.
>> I was going to say the middle school's going to have soccer Sunday so you could use the middle school >> cuz people park there anyway. >> Yeah it right. And >> it's right there. And then cuz last year we started putting food trucks at
tsentennial. >> Yeah. >> So do the kids actually parade or it's the parade of floats? >> The kids a lot of kids are on the floats. >> The kids line and then the kids line the street >> cuz then the other thought was to have a trunket treat.
>> Yeah. >> They they get so much candy. >> They do parade anyway. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> I I Yeah. I don't know. So Frank's idea, >> I mean, they could if you put them in the middle school, they could go go do the staging and then they could vote for
their favorite floats and you could do like a gift card or something to like scariest float, funnest float, something like that, too. If there was a voting thing, >> I don't think we could stage them in the in the middle school parking lot.
>> Yeah, cuz there's not going to be enough friends. >> High school's got a lot more >> that many people. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. high school has a lot more pavement um combined with the L school. >> Why couldn't you use that? >> You could use that. >> Comes comes back to the route.
>> But once they're done the route, can't they just Oh, yeah. >> drive to the school. >> Yeah. Instead of going down Power Street, just head all the way down. >> Yeah. >> So, you're not changing a parade route. Parade route ends where it ends, right? >> And then if anybody wants to go back, like you mentioned or somebody mentioned,
>> good idea. And to your point, to your point, the the little kiddos um that are in the parade um Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, if they happen to be on with a sponsorship or whatever, they don't they don't get to see the whole parade, right? Cuz they're in it, >> right?
>> So, unless they see the the floats, you know, before the parade starts, so they happen to they have no some of the the floats people put a lot of work and effort into. >> So, then they could go there and walk around and view it and whatever. >> Yeah. Exactly. So, let's talk more more.
>> Yeah. See if there's >> I love the idea of voting on floats and giving awards trying to >> I mean, >> I mean, even non-monetary just >> make it a little a little afterwards. >> Most original, funniest, >> have some music playing. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. A short award
ceremony right afterwards. >> Yeah. So when we're out and about it, I mean we can try to figure out individually and then we can get together how what the best way to stage them would be. >> Does anybody have the route you take?
>> We go from Oasis at the town line at Pleasant Street and and go straight down um 123 to the middle school. >> So whatever that road is a lot of times we have to block not not block off really is like South Worester. >> Yeah. And then
>> um someone at the end of Oak. >> Yep. >> You know when you take a left on Southwest to get to the the DBW that that's like halfway through or a third of the way through. Then they keep going in this direction and then they stop at the uh church the the P St. Mary's
Church >> across from the middle school. >> That's Rock. >> So >> So that middle school would be >> it would be good if it was we can entertain it. I know there's a lot more parking in the back of the middle school >> cuz not every every not everyone is going to go, >> right? >> But at least if you keep it there,
>> you don't have to worry about you'll still have the people there. >> Yeah. >> They're not driving off to another location cuz the other cuz usually the other people the other people just line the street. >> Yeah. They just line the street. People walk there. A lot of people walk.
>> Some of the some of the houses along the route have parties. >> Yeah. Yeah, they just it's >> especially the weather's nice. A lot of people. Yeah. >> All right. >> So, let's try to see if we can get the middle school to work. >> I'll figure out how many people we could park there or what what it looks like for a parking lot.
>> Yeah. How many trailers? >> We have to build more parking lots. We'll build more. >> So, when we send out So, when we do the registration form then check have a check box to say, would you be interested in participating in our viewing area after the parade?
>> After after parade. That way they will have an idea of how many and can appropriately space it. >> Yeah. Cool. >> That's great. And um maybe talk to the St. Mary's uh church as well because a lot of people park there for the parade itself, right?
>> So if they could stay parked there and just cross the street, >> that would be convenient. >> Yeah. Yeah, I think it might have been one of those like strategic ambiguity things, you know, like like they don't tell us no, but they don't tell us yes, >> you know, they kind of
>> they said you can go there, but after church has started. >> Yes, that is what it is. That's one of the reasons we have the the parade at the time that we have. >> Right. >> That's right. I forgot about that fact. >> Cool. >> Yeah, that's great. I'm glad we had this
discussion. I feel some of these you look at these floats and you know they spend weeks and weeks and weeks and then an hour and a half parade's done and then they go back >> put it away till next year. >> But even us who are working the parade at the staging area and getting them all lined up, we don't see it. We don't see
the parade, >> right? >> Y >> by the time we're done it, the first track is ending. And maybe we could combine into some kind of a, you know, I don't bite off too much the first year, but some kind of a fall festival where maybe there are, you know, a couple of
vendors selling uh, you know, um, uh, what do you call >> things that aren't candy? >> Yeah. Fall type things like popcorn. >> We had apple cider. >> Apple cider. I was trying to think. >> And it was like that poutine peddler, I think, or something. >> Oh, yeah. Yeah. >> That that food truck. I I didn't make it
cuz I was doing cleanup. So, I watched the parade and then or dispatched and then >> Yeah. I didn't I didn't get done either. >> All right. All right. Great. Awesome. Yeah. Oh, so motion to adjurnn.
>> Second. All those in favor? Die.