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Palmer Township Recreation Board

PALMER TOWNSHIP RECREATION BOARD

NOVEMBER 21, 2006

The regular monthly meeting of the Palmer Township Recreation Board was held on Tuesday, November 21, 2006 with the following in attendance: Walker, Young, Nielsen and Knox. Also in attendance was Supervisor/Liaison Bob Smith.

MINUTES FOR THE OCTOBER MEETING – On motion by Nielsen, seconded by Knox, and agreed by all, the minutes for the October meeting were approved.

Young stated there was to be a change made in the softball/baseball budgets. There was an incorrect budget number placed on the purchase order. This was going to be corrected and will show on the next budget report from the township.

TREASURER’S REPORT – On motion by Nielsen, seconded by Young, and agreed by all, the treasurer’s report was approved with the change in the softball/baseball budgets.

PUBLIC COMMENT – Lindsey from the MS Society was present requesting permission to hold their annual walk at Fairview Park on Sunday, April 22, 2007. They will need access on Friday to set up their tents which they have done last year. They used this park this past summer and went everything well. They will provide a dumpster for the garbage and portable toilets. The event will be over and they will be cleaned up and out of the park by 2:30 p.m. Young asked about the tents being up for the couple of days before the event. And Lindsey stated it is their responsibility for tents being there overnight in case of damage. Walker noted that baseball will have to arrange their schedule around this event if there is a conflict. On motion by Knox, seconded by Nielsen and agreed by all, the Board voted to approved the 2007 MS Walk at Fairview Park and waive any fees. Young reminded Lindsey that all insurance certificates need to be submitted to the township before the event.

REPORTS –

Bob Smith – talked about the community center. He stated he met with Bob Anckaitis and Kemie Heckman in regards to the wrestling program. He stated there was a little conflict with who was using which room and that the wrestling was in only a quarter of the gym. This was all straightened out and now the wrestling program is being conducted in the multi-purpose room. Smith informed the Athletic Association that they need to get their basketball and wrestling schedule together now and submit it to Jim Worley, Liaison to the community center and he will meet with Heckman so the schedule can be made up.

Todd Doerner a Palmer resident was present to ask the Recreation Board for their support in getting LaCrosse into the Palmer Sport program. He stated he had approached the Athletic Association to see what it would take to get a team going and they informed him to that he should go before the Recreation Board for a budget. He distributed a budget that would cover what expenses they would need for the 2007 season. He stated there are a good number of players for the sport as it is very popular. Smith stated the ages and that they now have two teams. Doerner stated it is a spring sport and need a field about the size of a soccer field. Smith also stated that at the Athletic Association meeting this request was welcomed and they are interested in this. There are some Palmer players on the Forks teams at this time and Walker asked if the league has rules for jurisdiction of which municipality the players are allowed to be on. This will have to be looked at. Doerner stated they have an interested party to contribute money towards this new sport. Smith stated Bellis agreed that they could use the football field if necessary. Since it is a spring sport then the fields have to be put back in shape before the next sport season. Smith stated he knew of the interested party and that this person is very interested in helping out getting this new sport started in Palmer. This Board needs to figure out the sport season. Walker stated he knows the difficulty to get a new sport started and the main difficulties are the finances and fields to play on. Doerner stated he will be going to the next league meeting in January and get more information. Board members noted he would need approval from the township before he can get into the league. Board feels they need more information and need to check the finances and fields and get the sports dates. The recreation budget does have some money in for a new sport and there are some items that soccer uses that can be used for LaCrosse. This request would have to be approved by the Board of Supervisors. Walker asked LaValva if the Athletic Association would be willing to pay for some of these expenses. There is no budget for this through the township. She will talk to the Board of Directors. The consensus of this Board is that they want to see this sport in Palmer. Young stated he knew it was very early but if there is every a change for the ages and/or number of teams for this sport this needs to come back to the Recreation Board. Just something for the representatives to put in the back of their mind for future. Young stated his big concern is the fields; he feels the Mill Race field will not be able to handle this as it is such a new field. Doerner asked about Penn Pump as a practice field or the field near the bus garage. Walker suggested getting a sub-committee together to discuss this. We will have to have a special meeting in December to go over everything and have this information forwarded to the Supervisors so they can make their decision so Doerner can go to his league meeting in January with the outcome of these meetings. Walker appointed the sub-committee – Young, Knox and Nielsen. Walker also asked LaValva to have some Athletic Association members available to discuss this with the sub-committee. Smith will also be at this meeting.

REPORTS -

ADULT RECREATION – Walker asked that the Baseball rosters be given to Knox so he can review them and see how many players using township fields are from outside municipalities. Since we charge other organizations outside of Palmer to use our fields, we should consider this for outside players. Young noted he feels as a recreation board we need to provide adult recreation, not discourage it. Board agreed but added that there should be a fee for each player since so many of them are outside of Palmer.

Basketball – uniforms were handed out.

Budget – Walker stated he and Knox met with Anckaitis and they reviewed the budgets that were submitted to them. They were changed slightly and then were given to the Board of Supervisors. Smith reviewed what was given to them and noted there was no change from what was submitted from the meeting with Walker, Knox and Anckaitis.

Smith noted the township will be blacktopping a loop for access to refreshment stand and take out the backstop on field 4 and get a portable one. Young stated he would like to see this Board receive drawings or plans for anything that is happening in the township parks or fields. The Board would like to be kept informed of things.

Smith noted the Bushkill Stream Conservancy asked the township for a donation to help with the restoration of the creek beds. He noted the Township agreed to do this.

EGG HUNT – Nielsen stated it will be held on Good Friday, April 6, 2007 at Palmer School. If it is raining it will be held at the community center.

Smith also noted that the furnace and phone system is being fixed at the Palmer Complex.

It was stated that the Supervisors and Manager should be made aware that there are 4 people that are interested in the equipment manager position.

SOCCER – LaBarre Park needs to be aero rated and fixed up before softball season. There are neighborhood kids playing football every weekend, which is great, but the fields will need to be fixed.

DEVELOPMENT – Young went over the plans for the Palmer Business Park. On motion by Young, seconded by Knox, and agreed by all, the Board agreed to recommend recreation fees be paid in lieu of land for this proposed plan.

Young then reviewed the Villages at Wolf’s Run plan that was reviewed at the last meeting. This Board recommended some open space from this development and he explained how the supervisors want this project to progress. The money that would be paid for by the developer for recreation fees will be used towards the bridge over the Schoeneck Creek. They would also like to use a bulk of the recreation fee money towards the fields in the Fox Run Estates. Board noted when this plan, Fox Run Estates came to this Board they recommended the fields be installed and what was to be done. They now realize that their recommendation has not been followed through. Where is the “slip”? Why wasn’t this done the way it was recommended? Why do we have to spend township recreation fee money to finish fields that a developer was to put in. Board feels this is done too many times and something has to be done about it. We are just getting a grass field.

On motion by Knox, seconded by Nielsen, and agreed by all, the board changed their recommendation that fees are to be collected for Villages at Wolf’s Run instead of the dedication of open space other than the small sliver of space for the walk through as previously recommended.

Board would like to see the plans for soccer fields in Fox Run Estates and the tot lot stating this should be put in near the parking lot

Board discussed the township parks and fields and feels it is time to review them. It was agreed that on Saturday December 2 the Board would get together and travel through the township to look at parks. Anyone interested should meet in the back parking lot of the municipal building at 9:00 a.m.

On motion by Knox, seconded by Nielsen, and agreed by all, the meeting was adjourned at 10:20 p.m.

Diane Grube, Corr. Sec.