CITY PARKS, RECREATION & CONSERVATION COMMISSION
Meeting held Tuesday, November 6, 2018
PROCEEDINGS BY AUTHORITY
State of New York, City of Jamestown
The regular meeting of the Parks, Recreation and Conservation Commission of the City of Jamestown, New York, was held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018 at 5:00 in Jamestown New York.
Those present representing the Commission were:
Commissioner John Bauer
Commissioner Cindy DiNapoli
Commissioner Kim Ecklund
Commissioner Chris Prinzi
Others Present:
John Williams, Parks Manager
Dan Stone, Arborist
Julia Ciesla-Hanley, Recreation Coordinator
Absent:
Commissioner Dave Anderson
Commissioner Russ Diethrick
Commissioner Dave Reinhardt
Commissioner Aubrey Russell
Commissioner Jason Stronz
Commissioner James Ventura
Commissioner Jim Walsh
Commissioner Vanessa Weinert
The meeting was called to order by Cindy DiNapoli.
Approval of Minutes of Previous Meeting.
No quorum.
Opportunity for Persons to Address Commission.
None.
Reports of Committees and Projects.
Report from the Riverfront Management Council/Riverwalk Project Update: Kim Ecklund said it was a short meeting and the group went to the Gateway Center public hearing.
Halloween Fun Fest: Julia said it was a great turn out. She said there were a lot of adults with the kids this year and that it was steady all night. John W. said there was a big line for the haunted house the entire event. Kim said the women from the Warrin’ Wrecking Dolls loved being there.
Ash Trees: Dan Stone said crews started taking down the Ash trees two weeks ago. He distributed a letter to homeowners about the tree cutting. 176 of the 196 Ash trees are coming down this Fall. 50 have been cut down already. Cindy DiNapoli asked if we’re taking the trees down during the winter too. Dan said we will be and that we’re giving away the wood for the trees being cut down. Dan said there was some misinformation that the city was selling the wood, but that’s not true. There isn’t a concern with moving the wood because we’re in the quarantine area and the Emerald Ash Borer leaves the wood once the tree is dead. Dan said he received a lot of phone calls initially but things have quieted down some. He said he’s lucky that not a lot of big trees were affected. He added crews will be doing their regular tree take down for the season. Some streets will be nearly clear cut, due to the borer, like Euclid Avenue. However, he said the BPU was supposed to do water line work on that street so the tree take down should help them.
Dan said 219 trees will be delivered next week. Kim asked if we had received any donations for trees after the news of the Ash trees being cut down came out. Dan said he wasn’t aware of any new donations. Kim said she wants to work with Dan on pushing for donations. Dan said once some streets are clear cut, we might see donations come in. He’s already had people tell him they want to help. He only received a handful of letters back as non-deliverable. Kim said the word got out on social media too. Dan said the DEC website explains what happens with the wood and wood ships for Ash trees as well.
Budget: John said it’s not an easy budget and that City Council will have to see what they can do. He needs more people but the money isn’t there. He also put in for more equipment but that budget line wasn’t looking good. He said it’s a tough situation.
Jamestown Jammers Update: John said the Mayor is working with a group to get a team back for next year. We’re still working on scheduling out the stadium for 2019 because we have to maintain the field whether there’s a league in there or not. Summer help has already been reduced in the budget for next year. We can’t not maintain the field because weeds would come back. Julia said if anyone hears of teams or leagues that might be interested in using the stadium to have them send their contact information to her so she can include them in the stadium tenant’s meeting that’s held in late January.
Historic Marker: The dedication of this year’s historic marker will be on November 14th at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute. The marker is about the Hundred Acre Lot but is being held indoors so we don’t have to worry about the weather. This is possibly City Historian Dolores Thompson’s last marker dedication. She will still be on the marker committee but not necessarily as the Historian.
Christmas Tree: Dan said he looked today at the tree we’re using this year. It’s located at 200 Sampson Street and is being donated by Paul and Jennifer Liuzzo. He said the tree is on the corner, so the removal will help improve visibility. The tree is a Blue Spruce and is in great shape. The planned take down date is Tuesday, November 13th. Lake Shore Paving is donating the trailer to transport it again. Dan said there’s snow in the forecast but that won’t be a problem. We’re hoping Tracy Plaza will be cleared off in time for the tree delivery. Crews started putting up Christmas decorations downtown on Sunday. John said he shifted a crew to night time to get it done. The tree lighting will be Friday, November 30th.
Good of the Order:
Cindy said the Allen Park Women’s Club annual Carol Sing event will be December 14th from 6-8pm in Allen Park. It’ll feature caroling by the Madrigals, cocoa and cookies.
Adjournment
The next meeting is Tuesday, January 8, 2018 at 5:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Julia Ciesla-Hanley
