4.1.2026 Park Board

call this regular meeting of the park board of commissioners to order. Today's Wednesday, April 1st. We're in the council hearing room. It's 5:30. Um we'll start with the open meeting law.

Pursuant to the open meeting law, any any person may make an audio or video recording of this public meeting or may transmit the meeting through any medium.

Attendees are therefore advised that such recordings or transmissions are being made, whether perceived or unpersceived, by those present, and are deemed acknowledged and permissible.

Roll call.

Vicarious.

Amber Burns.

Helen Rego.

BJ McDonald.

Um, number two, uh, any citizens input? I don't think anybody signed up for citizens input.

We have two months worth of meetings.

Um, minutes to approve.

Uh, to approve.

Motion to approve has been made for both the January 6th meeting and the February 4th meeting.

Yes.

Second.

Motion made and seconded by Commissioner Burns. All in favor?

I. Motion carries.

You want to make a motion for um I'll make a motion that we move we go to um I motion has been made to take uh the agenda out of order. Start with item I.

Do you want to just do say all of them in a row or just do one at a time? Okay.

So motion's been made. Do I have a second?

Second.

All in favor?

I.

Motion carries. So item I is a request from Natalie Hackett representing the scholarship city softball for the use of Father Kelly softball field from April April until the end of November. Week nights from 6:00 to 10, Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00. That should probably say PM, right?

Yes. You play all night on the weekends.

Doesn't go it doesn't end at just the morning.

Just the morning.

Just the morning. Okay. So that's right.

9 to 11.

Um I make a motion to approve.

Second.

Motion to approve has been made. Second.

All in favor?

Motion carries.

I don't know if you guys have anything you need or just just a question, Darren. Thank you.

You've been very helpful. The only thing we owe you now is just rosters and schedules when we have them.

We have a meeting on the 16th. Okay.

So we'll have that all.

When's opening day? the first name first Monday in Maine.

Monday and just keep in contact with me for um you need any clay.

Y and then um I still I talked with you about the grass. I got to do some lumen seed on the grass and that loom and seed on the grass.

Yeah.

Where the grass is not growing. I told you last. Yeah, I was going to work on that. And just a heads up, we went there this weekend just to kind of look at the field to see what we needed.

The water was on and it's leaking.

Where is it leaking?

In the cage.

Oh, it's leaking in the cage.

Okay. So, somebody came and and put the valve. They opened the the curb stop for that water. That water works, right?

Can I just interrupt? Sorry. Just cuz for so we don't get dinged with any open meeting. Could you just speak into the mic so this conversation if you don't mind? Yeah. Just to have it so that it's all on record.

Sorry.

That's all right. Absolutely.

We have people that watch us and make sure we follow all the rules. So, if you could just identify yourself and name and address.

William Santos, 9 Willow Street, Tip, Rhode Island. Thank you. So, sorry to interrupt Darren, but Darren, what were you saying you're going to fix the grass?

Yeah. So, the I talked with Natalie Hackett last year because because of the installation of the electrical lines, uh the restoration of the grass didn't come out so well. So, in conversation with her, I told her over the springtime, which is right around now, we're going to luminate that area, try to bring it back. Um, but what's new to me today is that you're having a leak on that water line.

Yes, it's at the faucet. It's at this.

It's at the where where the valve is just just after the vets the spet where we hook up the gun hose.

Cory did that installation.

Remember Mike Cory?

I'm sorry.

Mike Cory did that installation.

Mike Cory. So I'm going to reach out to Mike Cory cuz it's only been since a year and that was part of when they did the lights, right? Was that the line?

So what happened is they broke the they broke that line. We they re uh situated in a different spot and put a new line in.

That's correct. So, yes. So, I'll reach out to him and I'll I have your contact schedule.

Okay.

Thank you. Anything else?

Uh, anything else? We're good.

Thank you very much.

Guys, good luck. Have a good season.

Thank you.

I make a motion to take item N out of order.

Motion has been made to take item N out of order in a second. All in favor?

I.

Motion carries.

Item N is um from Adah Madaras representing Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association to host a math mass youth soccer event on June 17th, 2026 from 12 from noon time to 6:00 p.m. Event starts at 10:00 a.m. and breakdown ends at 7:00 estimating somewhere between 800 and 1,000 people throughout the field uh during the day. So Darren, no um conflicts on that day?

No. So the only close conflict would be um I think on the 20th there is a Junth Junth Junth but that won't conflict. That's the the weekend. Uh this is on a Wednesday.

Okay.

Um as long as you guys communicate he gets too, right? This is um I make a motion to approve and then you just work with Darren for the logistics of everything that um we need to get the permit um to you.

Motion to approve made by Commissioner Baron. Second by what's your last name? Rigo.

Commissioner Rio. All in favor?

I.

Motion carries.

Um Eden. Thank you.

Thank you.

I make a motion.

Okay. I'll get that permit out to you.

Yep.

And with I'll I'll be a deal with you and Sam.

Yeah. Perfect. Thank you. And let's connect about many pitches.

Yes.

Um I make a motion to take B, E, and O out of order.

B, E, and O.

Motion was made to take items B, E, and O out of order. They're all from uh Gloria Sadler and heard U stuff that's going on down the Flint. Do I have a second to take those out of order and together?

Second.

All in favor?

I.

Motion carries. So item B is a request from Gloria Sadler on behalf of Tamed Property Solutions for the use of Travasos Park on Saturday, April 4th from 10:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. for an Easter egg hunt.

I'll make a motion to approve.

Second it.

Motion to approve by Commissioner Burns.

Second second.

Second by Commissioner Rigo. All in favor?

I.

I.

Can you say I?

I.

Motion carries.

Thank you. Um, item B is also a request from Gloria Sadler representing Love Your Block for April 12th at Travasos Park. It's a community celebration with the garden kickoff in the Quicoan Rail Trail Extension ribbon cutting begins at 1:00.

I'll make a motion.

Second.

Motion to approve by Commissioner Faras.

Second.

Second by Commissioner Burns. All in favor?

I.

Motion carries.

All good.

And then the third one from Miss Sadler is for Travasos Park by uh Creative Community Vision on June 14th from 11 to 4 for its annual art festival. Setup begins at 8 and goes on till 4:00.

Hi. Uh my name is Nelson Rigo, 103 Profit Street. I'm with Creative Community Vision. Um so we are planning to do um the Flint Art Festival at Favasos Park. Um, we will be setting up around 8 o'clock in the morning and the event is from 11 to 4 and we'll break down by five o'clock. Uh, the only thing I want to add is we're looking to also include a rain date of June 28th

just in case um there's rain uh 20 so the 28th.

Yep. Because the event is uh we're planning for June 14th which is Sunday and I'm working with Samantha Bars on all the other stuff we have to do.

Okay.

Um, I don't have an issue with the rain date as long as there's Darren might just have to cross check the calendar and make sure that there's not another Can we just also double check because the email from her says June 21st 14th the No, no, the rain day.

Oh, yeah. Okay. Okay. The 21st is Father's Day. So, we changed.

So, you move it to the next. Okay.

Yeah.

Anybody else have any questions?

Thank you for coming down.

I make a motion to approve. Motion to approve by Commissioner Burns, second by Commissioner Farri. All in favor? I.

Motion carries. Thank you.

Thank you.

All right, we'll go back to the top.

Item A is a request by Mandy Cusk representing uh the city of Refuge Church. She wants to host an Easter egg hunt at Chup Park Saturday, April 4th from 11 to 1. Rain date for the following Saturday, April 11th.

Motion to approve.

Second. Motion to approve and seconded.

All in favor?

I.

Motion carries. We did item B. And we can go to item C, which is a request from Robert Barcelos on behalf of Boom Squad Radio to use Kennedy Park for an Easter egg hunt on April 4th from 12:00 noon to 4 p.m.

I can make a motion approve.

Second.

Motion to approve was made by Commissioner Rigo, seconded by Commissioner Burns. All in favor?

I.

Motion carries.

Um, item D is from the mayor's office, City of Fall River, requesting approval for their summer.

Make a motion.

Motion to approve.

Second. He didn't even finish reading.

Second by Commissioner Burns. All in favor?

Uh, uh, I.

Motion carries. So, the dates of those um summer evenings of the park are July 8th at Rugles, July 15th at Father Kelly, July 22nd at Griffin Park, July 29th at Pleski Park, August 5th at Lafayette Park, August 12th at North Park, August 19th at Kennedy Park, and August 26th at Maplewood Park.

I took my kids to them last year. They do a nice job.

Yeah, they do.

Um Rowi F item F is a request from David Canazales representing the trustees for the city of Fall River Nature Challenge. They have events and requested dates of April 24th through the 27th and to be added to monthly nature walks on the Quickan Rail Trail.

Make a motion to approve.

Second.

Motion to approve by Commissioner Rigo, second by Commissioner Paris. All in favor? I I I motion carries.

That was correct.

Item G is a request from Clifford Medeiros representing Federal Little League for the use of Kennedy Park, Abbott Court, and Koopo baseball fields for the 2026 league season play. Dates are from 31 through 11:11 every day requested for games and practices.

Make a motion to approve.

Second. Motion to approve by Commissioner Burns, second by Commissioner Rigo. All in favor?

I.

Motion carries.

Item H is a request by Sean Travis on behalf of Maplewood Baseball League for ages 4 to 12 for the use of the Maplewood Ballfields. In addition to that request, a request also for Abbott Court, Columbus Park, North Park, Pleski Park, and Hudnerfield. Ages 13 to 19 also uses Maplewood Field. In addition to that are requesting Chu Chew Park North Park, and Lafayette Park. Times are as follows. Monday through Friday

from 3:00 till curfew. Saturday and Sunday 8:00 a.m. to curfew.

So I have one question on this. So are there set times for C? So basically they have it all day Saturday and Sunday.

Yeah. Yeah.

So that's the only like for practice.

Well, I think I think it's more so like they're going to play games on the weekends. So I think the permit is probably for Maplewood for the weekends.

Yeah. So the the secondary fields are mostly for practices.

Mhm.

Um just so that it's a thing where they play on their field, right?

If they're doing practice on the field, just more pre like repair. So do the practices like on my secondary fields.

Yeah. No, that's fine. I was just more of on Saturdays and Sundays, do they need those other fields, too, or are they only using Maplewood? Because this makes it seem like they have all of the fields all the time.

Yeah. So, if they don't if they're not going to practice on the weekends because they're going to be playing games, can we free up the other parks basically and not permit them out if they're going to be playing games Saturday between um Clifford Medeiros and him? Those are the two. Diamond is another one that's requested like North Park. So between those two leagues in the city, I've split up those fields.

Okay.

So those are the only two that are in question.

And I think the other thing is too if we give them a permit and they don't use it, there's if somebody else it doesn't matter. You can still go.

No, I I know that it's just more of if people want to use the park like on a weekend.

So what's happening this year? I know last year cuz I wasn't here, permits weren't handed out. So the the thing is this year I'm signing permits and handing them out and I'm telling them to keep them on them their persons when they go to these fields to have the permit to show hey I have usage of this field only for that for when they're there. Yeah. Now when they're not there the public can use them.

Yeah.

That's what you're asking right?

No. So what I'm saying is we're giving them a permit for all of these fields all weekend.

Yes.

If they are only using the fields where they play games on weekends. We shouldn't give them permits to these fields on the weekends so that other people can use them.

Yeah, they're not.

So that so that it's like so it's known that on the weekends those fields are all free for the public to use. Yeah, they are. So So they have if they want to say practice at North Park, the upper field, which is the T-ball field, they can go there or they can go Hudner, which is the near the fire station. Now at both those times, those fields won't be used. It'll be one or the other, but

it gives them the option to keep the fields active. See, like the thing on my end is if I don't keep the fields active, Yeah. then they can't even go practice if they don't cut the grass and keep No, I I know that. It's just more of if if somebody wants to go play ball, like a bunch of neighborhood kids want to go play up North Park on a Saturday.

Yeah, they could go. They There's no like schedule say, "Hey, you can't play." They can go play. The only thing that would pull them off the field like it does with Britain is that if they come with the permit and say, "Hey, we got to practice at 2."

Yeah. We're going to use a field for an hour for practice. You're going to come back in an hour.

Yeah. And then we can come back to use.

I just leave it open because like I don't The topic has come up and I've had this conversation with BJ is fields that are not used. The talk becomes let's repurpose them for something else.

Yeah. No, I think that they should be used. It was more just like the weekends like Yeah. Because a lot of these feels like not giving people a monopoly.

Yeah. I mean last year I don't think they and I think the other thing is too I mean unless things have changed but I drive by North Park on my way home every day it it's not used all that often even No it is it's used every single day that's why I was thinking yeah cuz even on weekends so like you'll get so there was a day that I was there with my

nephews this is why I'm bringing up I was there with my nephews they were playing we were just practicing playing and it was a weekend and then a few kids and a parent came and they're like oh we have a permit for this cuz we belong to Maplewood. So then we ended up just leaving. So I'm like, "All right, cool."

But at the same time, when was that?

This was last summer, but I think it was Maplewood. Um, but at the same time, so we left, but if they have games and they decide they want to go practice thereafter, they're the public isn't allowed to use it because someone has a permit for it.

Only if they have the permit. So this is the thing is a lot of people will use fields or they'll do events and they'll say, "I have a permit." And they don't have a permit. Yeah. So, I'm telling them if they go to use these fields, have that permit on you because if there somebody has an argument that you took the field from them, I want to be able

to see that they had a permit with my signature on it because I've had this issue with soccer fields. They say, "Oh, yeah, I have a permit." And I've looked through records. I'm having this issue at uh Travassos. There was a there's somebody there that says they had a permit for the last five years. I've gone through the records the last month.

I cannot find one permit issued to this person. And they use that as a thing to throw other people off that field.

Yeah.

They've never shown the actual permit.

So now I'm showing I'm telling them here's the permit. Keep it on your persons at all times. Pick keep it with your game equipment and you have when if there's somebody on you, show it, but don't go to a field and say I have a permit and don't have it.

Yeah.

Because then you don't have any teeth to to remove anybody off the field. Yeah.

But usually the soccer is not an issue.

I haven't had an issue with baseball.

Yeah. I I live right in that area. So, they do use it like almost every day, which cuz my my nephews belong to Maplewood. So, um they have their practices there. I think it's like twice a week.

So, it's not like we have a schedule ahead of time to say like, you know, Hudner, Columbus, North Park, every weekend is going to be used. There's the public won't see like a schedule say this is practice here. You can't use it.

Yeah.

It'll be that through those three fields, they have the option to practice on say it will take those three fields.

Oh, so they can just choose whatever field they can choose whatever field. So the thing is on my end is to keep the fields dragged, they're upkeep, they're cut, you know, everything, which is also good for everybody that's not playing because so that, you know, we don't let the fields go to waste, whether it's weeds and stuff in the infield. It doesn't look presentable. So I'm getting my guys to drag all the

fields, take care of all the fields. So at any one time they can go practice, but in addition to that, the public can use them. They're presentable to use.

They're not full of divots, not full of weeds, you know, they don't got holes in them, you know, stuff like that. If that's, you know, that's okay with the board.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, no, no. That's I, like I said, I just had that question, but that makes complete sense.

So, what I brought up too, like I didn't say with the Clifford Medeiros thing was Koopo field. That field's been dead five, six, seven years. Nobody's ever played on that field. They've requested that field this year and I've dumped a ton of material and money into and time.

You have that in the budget to I do. We brought that field back, but that field was just a field. The guys went there, they dragged it, nobody did anything with it. But because they're in federal, instead of them going to Hudner, which is way up the north end, now they have those three fields in Kennedy that they can all keep it all in one. So that's what we did this year.

Yeah. Okay.

Sorry. I make a motion to approve.

Motion to approve by Commissioner Burns.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Second by Commissioner Rigo. All in favor?

Motion carries.

Uh that was each we did I item J is a request uh by the city of Fall River for the use of Britain Park for the Fall River Tree Tree and Trail Arbor Day event. The event takes place on Saturday, April 24th.

I have to interrupt. The date is wrong.

I noticed this today. It's supposed to be the 25th, which is a Saturday.

Saturday.

Yes. So, Saturday, April 25th from 10:30 to 12, the event features a community cleanup, tree planting demonstrations, sapling giveaway, floor of a bookmobile, and trustee mobile adventure van.

Make a motion to approve.

Motion to approve by Commissioner Burns, a second by Commissioner Fus. All in favor? I I. Motion carries.

Item K is a request by John Ferrer representing the faller of a girls softball league for uses of the Dumont softball field complex uh Monday through Sunday April through November for games and practices.

Make a motion to approve.

Motion to approve by Commissioner Burns, second by Commissioner Ferris. All in favor?

Motion carries.

Item L is a request by Amy Raposa representing the Highland Pediatrics to host their fifth annual resource fair on June 10th, 2026 from 5 to 8:00 p.m. with a rain date of June 17th, 2026 at Highland Park.

Motion to approve.

Second it.

Motion to approve by Commissioner Erigo.

Second by Commissioner Fus. All in favor?

I.

Motion carries.

Item M is a request by Susan Belmore representing Holy Name Church to host an outside rosary on May 9th at Ruggles Park from 10:30 to 11:45 in the morning.

Make a move.

Motion to approve by Commissioner Rigo.

Second.

Second by Commissioner Burns. All in favor?

I.

Motion carries. Item P is a request by the Polish American Citizens Club. I I'm going to butcher this name. Anybody know how to say it?

Kuskosco.

They're going to have a wreath laying ceremony at the monument in the square on May 3rd, 2026 at 1 p.m.

Motion to approve.

Second it.

Motion to approve by Commissioner Riggo and second by Commissioner Fry. All in favor?

I.

I. Motion carries.

Item Q is a request by Amber Burns representing the Burns organization requesting the use of Kennedy Park on August 8th from 10 to 3 for their 6th annual back to school block party.

Your motion to approve.

I'm going to abstain from this vote.

Motion to approve by Commissioner Faras.

Second.

Second by Commissioner Rigo. All in favor? I.

Commissioner Burns abstained from the vote.

I have a question.

Item R is a request from Dan Aguiar for the removal of existing trees in the planting of 40 trees due to the reconstruction of Columbia Street from Milickin Boulevard to Broadway to start in April.

Make a motion to approve.

Motion to approve by Commissioner Burns, second by Commissioner Ferris. All in favor?

I.

Motion carries.

Item S is a request by the tree warden Chris Martin working in conjunction with Davies and the park director Darren Medeiros to plant uh 3 to 400 trees throughout the city in the coming months.

Motion to approve.

Motion to approve. Second by I do have a question on that.

Where are they where are you going to plant these trees?

I haven't got the plan yet but I'm but was it in front of people's houses that they want like they did years ago?

That's how I got one I got one in front of my house. We got a few on my street that way.

There's a So some of them is parks, some of them are going to be sidewalk side and then like islands, you know, like say like down Eastern Avenue.

Yeah.

Things that broke and replace. I haven't seen that, but I am going to be involved with the plantings and if you want to be involved too, I can involve.

You can take some trees from my yard and replant them if you want.

Yeah. It'll be But I wanted to know if I'd like to have another one in front of my house. Lower it down.

Put it on the list. Yeah. I mean, I have I guess they're still finalizing areas.

I know a lot of them as parks, you know, I'll get there.

Yeah. Like North Park, for example, I took seven down there. They're going to put some back.

Well, the in the Columbia Street um probably I don't know if anybody saw like the CPC. So, they they did approve um Darren stuff to resurface the courts um and Dan's projects. So, the parklet that was down on Columbia Street and then the other one for the cutout um at Father Kelly with a parking lot.

So, those got approved. So, this just seems to kind of fit in with the stuff that engineering is doing and making sure that as they dig stuff up, they're going to plant more trees.

Mhm. Okay.

Do I have a motion to approve?

Oh, I thought someone did.

Second.

I make a motion to approve.

Motion to approve by Commissioner Burns, second by Commissioner Rigo. All in favor? I motion carries. Um, yeah. So, that was the only other Does anybody have any inquiries? I was just figured everyone should be up to date. We did get the CPC stuff. So, Dan Aguier should be down here to talk about his project as that's gets finalized.

I think as of right now, I don't think the city council voted on those. The CPC, I think. Yeah, I don't think so. I I think they invited the CPC down to a meeting this month. So, I think that they want to talk about whatever they want to talk about with that, but the the the CPC board made their recommendations as far as the projects that they they want to see move

forward. Um, Darren's was included to or the parks department was included to resurface. I don't know, it was like a dozen courts or so. So basically all the courts that are cracked and stuff should be done probably pretty soon. If they I like I think the meeting is this month once the city council officially approves it then it's all out to bid.

Yeah. I think he can put it out to bid and the quicker you can get the bids back and get it done the quicker they can cut the check and keep it moving.

Um and then Dan's two projects as far as Cho Park and the the parking off of Broadway. So, that one also got approved by the CPC as did the one, you know, for the parklet and fixing that area at um on Columbia Street over by the church.

Oh, the little that little parklet area. So, they're going to clean all that up and nice.

So, just on the record, I know uh Federal and Maplewood is they invited the park board to opening day. They just wanted me to relay the message.

Thank you.

Helen and I will be there.

Anybody else have anything?

I said Helen and I will be there.

Where is this?

Uh Maplewood opening day.

Open day.

Home. I go every year.

Yep.

I always forget.

Get some pizza from the concession stand.

Anybody else have anything going on that they need or and how are things in your department? All good.

What's going on here? I got a new clerk.

So, she's just started.

Welcome aboard. I hope you stay here now.

Don't scare her.

No, I said I hope she stays.

We're easy to get along with, I think.

Yeah.

Yeah, we're all right.

Oh, sometimes get scared.

Sometimes.

No, no questions or concerns from residents reached out to anybody. No, no. I feel like it hasn't really I feel like soon we'll it'll pick back up and no pickle ball in here.

No, not yet.

I know. Oh, I have a question.

Now that you just said pickle ball, I do have a question.

I had someone reach out to me that owns a business in Fall River.

They wanted to know if they can advertise their business at the pickle ball court. I I had said I didn't think that we did that that you would have to like have an event and then have like signage up at the event, but it would have to be taken down.

I don't to pick a baseball league. Go to go to Maplewood Park.

Yeah, Maplewood does it. Okay.

Maplewood. They can advertise their business on the outside fence.

Okay.

How does that get what's the I guess is that because that goes through the league.

It's like a solicitation uh license or something that Yeah. So they'll advertise and they'll pay the league to put a banner on the fence and the league takes the money and they have the banner up as advertising.

Are they the only one that has that?

Federal league does too.

I think Federal had it at one time.

Maybe they still they had it last year.

Yeah, I think that's the only one.

Dumont doesn't have it. And I don't know if Hack and Field Father Kelly might. I don't think they do.

I've never seen it on a softball league.

No, I've never seen it.

Okay. So Kennedy Federation sold the pickle ball. Me and uh BJ have had this conversation.

Nobody's come down for permits in a long time.

No more, which I think is better. I think Are those boxes gone?

No, they need to go.

Okay, they need to go.

I think we should take a vote on that.

Okay, we could put on the next meeting.

Is the porter party gone?

Yes.

Okay.

Well, that usually that stuff will come in with a permit. Have a a vent. The porter party comes in. When the vent is done, everything disappears.

It's supposed to. supposed to.

Yeah.

So, I haven't reached out to because like I said, those those were things that people were complaining about last year that I'm just don't want to happen again this year.

But I I think that it's better to not have permits for the pickle ball courts.

We don't give people don't ask for permits for the tennis courts. Yeah.

Like, so you got to be able to it's a public court like we don't let everybody use it as storage though.

Yeah. It's I just We need to uh make Those boxes belong to them, don't they?

Yeah.

Somebody.

It's They a person owns them.

Oh, wow. Yeah. I thought they got him out of there for the winter, but I was going to take them out of there.

Yeah, it's still there.

I make a motion to adjurnn.

Second.

Motion to adjurnn has been made and seconded. All in favor?

I.

Motion carries. Thank you.