Minutes: FNH Advisory Board Meeting 3/12/2018

Meeting date and time: March 12th, 7 PM           

Location: Phelan Center at Blessed Sacrament Parish, 551 Pleasant St Worcester, MA 01602     

Attendance: Phil Bolduc, Moira Coakley, Sharon Ducsik, Stacey Hill, Steve Hopkins, Brittany Legasey, Kevin McCormack, Rick Miller, Paul Popinchalk, Luke Robert, and Andrew Serrato with Mayor Joe Petty and staff Dan Raciot

1. Welcome - Mayor joining meeting at 8 PM
2. Updates
   1. Earth Day - 4/7/18, Stacey will check in on DHS participation
   2. Working 4 Worcester - 4/14/2018
   3. WPI Helping Herd 4/21/2018
   4. Flagpole dedication Thursday 6/14/2018
      1. Need to replace flag and install plaque
      2. Andy only needs 14 working days to turn plaque around
3. Sponsorship Committee
   1. Need to raise money from local businesses to sponsor to holes - in a formalized agreement
   2. Group will reevaluate disc golf sponsorship levels
   3. Group discussion about demographics of disc golf players and creating engagement between players and FNH
4. Hill Maintenance
   1. Need for wood chips and water bars to improve trail quality
   2. Recommendation for the development of a forestry plan/advice
5. Doherty
   1. Mayor outlines city’s bid and briefly describes the process - city currently in preliminary stages
   2. “Start thinking about what you want.”
   3. Group in unanimous agreement on topic:
      1. Existing DHS footprint to be maintained
      2. No additional grading/paved areas
      3. Access to trail head via DHS parking lot
      4. Maintenance/preservation of park resources and current park land
         1. Retaining wall on highland St could be improved
   4. FNH will work on a solid, written statement that the group can rely on going forward in the DHS rebuild process
6. Summer Concerts
   1. 7 shows: 6/26, 7/10, 7/17, 7/24, 7/31, 8/7, 8/14
   2. Luke requests assistance from other members in procuring gift certificates for use in raffle
   3. Staffing needed for concerts: vending pizza/drinks and staffing an FNH dedicated table/setup
   4. Steve considering buying a hot dog cart, need to know if it can be staffed
7. Membership
   1. Time to submit 2018 annual membership dues - friendly reminder.

Next meeting, Monday, April 30th, 2018 at 7 PM

Minutes: FNH Advisory Board Meeting 2/12/2018

Meeting date and time: February 12th, 2018 – 7 PM          

Location: Blue Jeans Pizza/2 Chalmers Rd.          

Attendance: Phil Bolduc, Stacey Hill, Brittany Legasey, Conor McCormack, Kevin McCormack, Rick Miller

1. Welcome
2. Flag pole dedication ceremony
   1. June 14th, 2018 (Thursday), time and logistics TBD
   2. Working with city to select a time to facilitate City Manager, Mayor, and Parks Commissioner attendance
   3. FNH needs to start strategizing/planning to create formal invitation and promote event
   4. Summit needs to be in pristine condition
      1. Rick will get in touch with Paula Bushey to ask for assistance planting a perennial bed around the flag pole base
      2. Rick will get in touch with FNH Advisory Board Member Andy Serrato about plaques for the base of the pole
      3. Plans to paint the old pole/base
   5. FNH needs to prepare/order informational literature about the group prior to this event. General interest brochure, as well as a hand out about the many monuments at Elm Park.
      1. Brittany Legasey will create drafts of both for the Advisory Board to review.
3. Working for Worcester 2018
   1. ‘Build Day’ April 14th, 2018
   2. Pre-build day, volunteer effort to prepare scrub growth around the summit for removal by volunteers.
      1. Earth Day is April 7th
   3. Logistics
      1. Park Spirit will be assisting with ‘Build Day’ sites at both Salisbury Park and Newton Hill at Elm Park
         1. City will provide a chipper at Salisbury Park.
4. Brittany Legasey, acting as Park Spirit President, gave the group an update on Park Spirit’s efforts to establish a conservancy to institutionalize FNH’s parks maintenance activities at Newton Hill
   1. The ‘Elm Park Conservancy’ will be set up as a member organization under Park Spirit. Park Spirit’s Board of Directors will have directional control of the organization (macro decisions), day-to-day decisions will be made by the ‘Conservancy Operations Committee’, of which Legasey suggested that FNH act as, until a more formal committee can be established.
   2. Park Spirit’s new bylaws to facilitate the conservancy and eventual staff
      1. FNH will receive one voting position on Park Spirit’s board.
      2. Member organizations cannot make physical changes to park land without presentation/approval by Park Spirit’s board (and the appropriate city permissions). 
         1. Disc golf expansion cannot proceed until the proposed work is presented to Park Spirit’s board. Park Spirit’s last Board of Directors meeting prior to summer/fall is Monday, April 16th at 7 PM.
5. Disc Golf Course Expansion
   1. Disc Golf World Championship in Worcester 2019 – September
      1. Need to raise $10,000 for new mats, new baskets to expand course to championship level, and new tee signage.
6. Other business discussed
   1. Phil’s application to Recreation Trails Grant Program for Cross-Country ski circuit at Newton Hill/Elm Park

Next meeting, Monday, April 30th, 2017 at 7 PM

Minutes: FNH Advisory Board Meeting 04/30/2018

Meeting date and time: April 30thth, 2018 – 7 PM

Location: Blessed Sacrament Phelen Center                                 

Attendance: Rob Antonelli, Phil Bolduc, Stacey Hill, Brittany Legasey, Charlie Markonian, Conor McCormack, Kevin McCormack, Rick Miller, Paul Popinchalk, Nicolas Ouellette, Andy Serrato, City Councilor Matt Wally

1. Welcome
2. April Volunteer efforts recarp
   1. ~600 volunteer man hours
   2. Stacey Hill’s efforts resulted in 50 attendees at the Earth Day clean up
   3. Working for Worcester clean up had over 100 volunteers, Conor McCormack did a great job coordinating.
3. Updates and Upcoming Events
   1. State Rep. John Mahoney included an amendment in the budget for $100,000 for improvements for Elm Park.
   2. May 12th 9AM-12 Blessed Sacrament Cares Day, volunteers will plant flowers in Newton Square and at the summit
   3. Summer Concerts
      1. Steve Hopkins will not work the table this year, other volunteers will have to help staff
      2. Rick Miller will put together a list of dates and volunteer roles for member and volunteer sign up
      3. FNH will need a coordinated plan volunteer schedule for cleaning/maintaining the new bathrooms.
4. Doherty Rebuild
   1. Meeting in March was largely procedural
   2. Brittany Legasey presented a draft of the FNH position about Doherty & the park. Amendments were made and Rick Miller will update the position and format it for advisory board member signature for the next meeting.
   3. Issue discussed about lack of parking during school hours and parking that blocked access to the trailhead – to be brought to the attention of Assistant Commissioner of Public Works and Parks Rob Antonelli.
   4. A number of parties have been held at the summit of the Hill that damaged park amenities and created litter.
5. Disc Golf Course Expansion
   1. Kevin McCormack presented his plan to add an additional 18-baskets to the existing course in anticipation and preparation of the PGDG World Championship which will be held in central Massachusetts in September 2019
   2. Paul Popinchalk advocated for a landscaping and management plan for the Hill, as a follow up to a discussion about how the proposed new amenities will be decided upon and installed
6. Special guest: Rob Antonelli
   1. Storage building is nearing completion, will be given access date soon – end of May – Mid June
   2. Bathrooms in the building will only be open for park use, not left permanently accessible. DHS and Tenacity will also have access.
   3. Rob Antonelli will check with the city about funding for the disc golf course expansion
   4. Date/time set for presentation of disc golf expansion to the Parks Commission
   5. Discussion about parking situation at DHS – a ‘no parking’ sign will be installed to maintain access to trailhead.

Next meeting: Monday, June 4th, 2018