===PAGE 1=== Town of Lunenburg Park Commission Chris Sullivan, Chair Dan Burns, Vice Chair Tanya Dall, Member Marianne Mascari, Member Karin Menard, Member 960 Mass Ave. Lunenburg, MA 01462 978.582.4146 Parks@LunenburgMA.gov Town of Lunenburg Park Commission Meeting Minutes Lower Ritter Conference Room, 960 Massachusetts Ave., Lunenburg Hybrid via Zoom Wednesday, May 27, 2026 – 7:00 p.m. Members Present: Chair Karin Menard, Vice-Chair Chris Sullivan, Member Tanya O’Dall, Member Dan Burns Members Absent: Member Marianne Mascari OPEN MEETING Chair K. Menard called the meeting to order at 7:02 P.M. Chair K. Menard informed attendees that the meeting was being recorded and would be uploaded to YouTube after the meeting. She explained that the agenda listed topics that may be discussed, but not all items may be addressed, and other items not listed could be brought up as permitted by open meeting law. BOARD & PUBLIC COMMENT K. Menard stated that the Vendor Fair has been moved the Vendor/Spring Fair has been rescheduled to Sunday due to inclement weather. MEMBER INTRODUCTIONS K. Menard stated that she was a write-in candidate and will be on the Park Commission for just a couple of months to get through certain topics. C. Sullivan stated that he is currently the Vice-Chair and has been on the Commission since the COVID-19 pandemic. T. O’Dall stated that she is serving the Commission on a two-year term, where she managed the Town of Arlington’s recreation and children’s programming. T. O’Dall stated that she is currently on the Finance Committee. D. Burns stated that he is serving the Commission on a three-year term. D. Burns stated that he is looking forward to understanding the nuances of Town business. MARSHALL PARK 90’ DIAMOND SCORE BOARD PROPOSAL AND DISCUSSION (VOTE ANTICIPATED) K. Menard stated that the current scoreboard at Marshall Park 90’ Diamond was installed at least 25 years ago. K. Menard stated that the scoreboard is a memorial for Dave Rogers and Karen Rogers’ son Jason, who passed away in 2010. ===PAGE 2=== Edward Goss stated the replacement scoreboard will be installed in the same location but will be a bit taller. E. Goss that there will be a new plaque on it for the memorial. K. Menard asked who the group is involved with organizing this. E. Goss that the Lunenburg High School Baseball Boosters are organizing this initiative. E. Goss stated that the Lunenburg High School Baseball Boosters are comprised of parents of students in Lunenburg who play Varsity and Junior Varsity teams. K. Menard stated that she spoke directly to Dave Rogers and Karen Rogers. K. Menard stated that Dave Rogers and Karen Rogers are pleased with the proposal; however, they are concerned with the placement of the plaque. K. Menard stated that currently, the brace that is holding the plaque is smaller than the plaque, making it more easily removed or vandalized. K. Menard stated that Dave and Karen Rogers would like the brace to be the same size as the plaque, which would make it more difficult to remove. K. Menard stated that a double brace could be better, too. C. Sullivan stated that he is pleased with the proposal. K. Menard stated that the scoreboard will not be a physical scoreboard but an electronic one powered by an extension cord, since there is no outlet at the scoreboard. C. Sulivan moved to approve the Marshall Park 90’ Diamond Score Board proposal and replacement with the agreement that the score board brace encompasses the length and height of the memorial plaque. Seconded by T. O’Dall. Call for the vote: C. Sullivan-aye, K. Menard-aye, D. Burns-aye, T. O’Dall-aye. The motion passed unanimously (4-0-0). FACILITIES DIRECTOR UPDATE K. Menard stated that C. Ruth removed three trees at Marshall Park due to safety concerns. RECREATION DIRECTOR UPDATE K. Deveau stated that the Commission received a field request form from the Central Massachusetts Baseball 13-16 League for the Marshall Park 90’ Diamond for less than a month. K. Deveau stated that the requester asked for a discount since it is a short season and they only have 11 players. K. Menard stated that they applied for the seasonal residential rate, which is $20 per player for 11 players. K. Menard called C. Ruth to ask for clarification as to what group the request came from. K. Menard stated that it is a Babe Ruth League that begins tomorrow, May 28, 2026. C. Sullivan stated that it is a slippery slope to discount the rate. T. O’Dall agreed with C. Sullivan. T. O’Dall stated that the fee schedule is very reasonable. K. Menard stated that K. Deveau will reach out to the requester to deny the request for a discounted seasonal rate. K. Deveau stated that she drafted a sponsorship rate program. K. Menard stated that K. Deveau will send over the rate schedule for the Commission to review individually before the next meeting. K. Deveau stated that she reformatted the Town Beach Rules and Regulations. K. Deveau stated that she reformatted the Incident Accident Report and Contract Program Agreement for Vendors. K. Menard stated that she wants to make sure that the Contract Program Agreement for Vendors includes mid-program camper and programmer cancellation regulations. K. Menard requested that the contract be sent to T. O’Dall. K. Deveau stated that she put together policies for Credit Refunds, Cancellations, Inclusion Philosophy, Inclement Weather, Resident versus Non-Resident, and Program Behavior Policy. K. Menard stated that if C. Ruth has reviewed these policies, they fall under the day-to-day business of the Recreation Director, which does not have to be reviewed by the Commission. K. Menard stated that there should be language regarding the differences between a School IEP and the Town’s policies regarding one-on-one aides. K. Menard stated that the ADA grievance process and public records request are important to understand, and that it involves the Town Manager. K. Deveau stated that she has not heard back from the School District regarding the use of their fields for the Soccer Camp and Multi-Sport Camp. K. Deveau stated that she talked to the Library regarding using their space for the Kids Test Kitchen program. ===PAGE 3=== K. Deveau stated that she is drafting a volunteer handbook. K. Deveau stated that she has summer event ideas, primarily at the Town Beach and the Ritter Field, but that is dependent on volunteers. D. Burns stated that he is a professional pirate on the weekends and is happy to assist. RECREATION DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENT (VOTE ANTICIPATED) K. Deveau stated that she drafted three different mission statements for the Recreation Department. First Option: To provide recreational opportunities through programs and events that are fun, safe, and affordable while bringing families and neighbors together, creating lasting memories. Second Option: Create a welcoming environment by providing recreational opportunities where individuals connect, learn, play, and grow. Third Option: To enrich the quality of life for our community by providing a variety of programs, events, and services to promote healthy wellness, learning, and having fun. C. Sullivan stated that the first option, with the term “affordable,” could be perceived differently by everyone. C. Sullivan stated that he likes option three. T. O’Dall stated that she drafted a policy for Arlington Recreation. T. O’Dall stated that she drafted a different mission statement: The Lunenburg Recreation Department offers safe, high-quality, and affordable programs for community members of all ages and abilities. D. Burns stated that for the first option, he would remove “affordable” with “accessible”. D. Burns stated that he would remove the last three words, “creation lasting memories,” because it is too superfluous. K. Menard stated that she re-wrote option two: To foster a welcoming and inclusive community providing recreational opportunities that encourage connection, learning, play, and personal growth for individuals of all ages. K. Deveau stated that she is concerned with the terms “all ages” and “all abilities,” and she focused on the community aspects of the mission of the Recreation Department. T. O’Dall stated that other municipalities have recreation departments that focus on other ages. T. O’Dall stated that the Lunenburg Recreation Department has an emphasis on youth programs. K. Menard stated that the mission statement should include language that signals that programming is for everyone. T. O’Dall likes the term events. C. Sullivan likes the terms “health” and/or “wellness”. D. Burns stated he likes the term “accessible”. K. Menard stated that K. Deveau can take the Commission’s comments and redraft a mission statement for the next meeting. DISCUSSION ON FUNDING RECREATION DIRECTOR THROUGH REVOLVING ACCOUNT (VOTE ANTICIPATED) K. Menard stated that the part-time Recreation Director position came into existence in 2019 and has had multiple directors K. Menard stated that this would assist in making the Town Beach self-sustaining and self-funded. K. Menard noted that there are enough funds available for FY27, but presently, since an override did not pass, there are no funds allocated for FY28. K. Menard stated that after speaking with the Town Manager, K. Menard drafted the following for a one-year trial recreation director funding model: The Recreation Director position would be funded on a one-year trial basis through the Parks Revolving Account. The primary objective during this trial period is to expand and strengthen revenue-generating recreation programming with the long-term goal of moving the Recreation Department toward a more self-sustaining operating model. We’d request that ===PAGE 4=== the Recreation Director develop, implement, and oversee an income-generating recreation program for youth, adults, families, and seniors. Identify new recreation opportunities that can operate at a net positive and expand marketing and communication efforts to increase registration and public awareness. Then come the Spring of 2027, the Parks Commission would review the financial performance of the programming, progress towards self-sustaining operations, and the net financial impact to the revolving account. K. Menard stated that this is a significant gamble for the Commission to self-fund the Recreation Director position. K. Menard stated that it should be made clear to the School Committee, School Administration, and Town staff that they need to be responsive to the Commission’s requests, because of the need to reserve space quickly and efficiently to make sure this plan works. D. Burns asked how much money would be needed to self-fund the part-time position. K. Menard stated that it would be roughly $31,000. K. Menard stated that there was roughly $20,000 generated this past year, based on the Town Beach passes, swimming lessons, and some recreation camps. T. O’Dall stated that there needs to be a strategic business plan to be included in the funding model, which would include listing examples of activities and some new opportunities to generate positive revenue. T. O’Dall stated that there shouldn’t be a bottleneck for reserving space for programming. T. O’Dall stated that there should be an effort to utilize the free space that the Park Commission oversees. T. O’Dall stated that a meeting with the School District needs to occur so that there is a workflow for approving the use of space promptly. T. O’Dall supports this funding model. K. Deveau stated that she can come up with financial reports to estimate the amount of net positive revenue that was and is generated. D. Burns stated that he is in support of this proposed funding model, but he recognizes that it is a significant uphill battle. D. Burns stated that he would recommend parameters to measure the success of this model. K. Menard stated that we can request C. Ruth to get the financial numbers. T. O’Dall stated that the strategic business plan can include the Recreation Director providing a financial report at every Park Commission meeting throughout the fiscal year. K. Menard stated that she recognizes that this is a gamble and could fail. K. Menard stated that there are enough funds in the revolving account to take the risk. K. Menard moved to appropriate up to $31,000 from the Park Commission Revolving Account to fully fund the salary of the part-time recreation director position for the FY2027 on a one-time trial basis. The purpose of this trial is to evaluate whether the position can become self-supporting through recreation programming revenue under its current operational structure. The recreation director will provide a one-year detailed strategic plan with periodic financial reporting. Seconded by D. Burns. Call for the vote: C. Sullivan-aye, K. Menard-aye, D. Burns- aye, T. O’Dall-aye. The motion passed unanimously (4-0-0). SKATE PARK UPDATE K. Menard stated that she is awaiting a response from Town Counsel. BEACH HOUSE RENAMING UPDATE DISCUSSION CHAIR UPDATES K. Menard reiterated that the Vendor Fair has been rescheduled for Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. K. Deveau stated that there is a chance of rain on Sunday. K. Menard stated that K. Deveau thought a Recreation Department table at the Vendor Fair would be good to promote the Town Beach and other programming. K. Deveau stated that she is available from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and C. Sullivan is available. K. Menard stated that she will talk to Josie Gilchrist about having a Recreation Department table at the Vendor Fair. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES ===PAGE 5=== C. Sulivan moved to approve the April 22, 2026, meeting minutes. Seconded by K. Menard. Call for the vote: C. Sullivan-aye, K. Menard-aye, D. Burns-abstain, T O’Dall-abstain. The motion passed (2-0-2). BOARD REORGANIZATION AND COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS C. Sullivan stated that he is interested in being the Chair. D. Burns stated that he is interested in being the Vice-Chair. K. Menard moved to appoint C. Sullivan as Chair and D. Burns as Vice-Chair of the Commission for the FY27 term. Seconded by T. O’Dall. Call for the vote: C. Sullivan-aye, K. Menard-aye, D. Burns-aye, T. O’Dall-aye. The motion passed unanimously (4-0-0). UPCOMING MEETING DATES Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. OTHER BUSINESS OTHER BUSINESS MATTERS THAT MAY LEGALLY COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION NOT KNOWN AT THE TIME OF POSTING T. O’Dall stated that she will send K. Deveau no-cost programming options for her to review and potentially implement. T. O’Dall asked how the Commission goes about applying for grant opportunities. K. Menard stated that she sees a possibility of getting a grant to bring back band concerts. K. Deveau asked how donations were accepted and approved. K. Menard stated that she can investigate the process. K. Deveau stated that if fundraising and donations are possible, this could help supplement revenue for the fiscal year. CORRESPONDENCE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS None. BOARD AND PUBLIC COMMENTS None ADJOURNMENT C. Sullivan moved to adjourn. Seconded by T. O’Dall. Call for the vote: C. Sullivan-aye, K. Menard-aye, D. Burns- aye, T. O’Dall-aye. The motion passed unanimously (4-0-0). Meeting adjourned at 8:41 P.M.