7.2.2025 Park Board

I'd like to call this uh regular meeting of the park board to order. Today's Wednesday, July 2nd. It's 5:30. We're in the city council hearing room. Um roll call commissioners. Uh Nick Cecilio, Vic Faras, Helen Rigo, BJ McDonald. I'd also like to uh open pursuant to the open meeting law, any person may make an audio or video recording of this public meeting or may transmit the meeting through any media. 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.

Any uh citizens input? Charlie, anybody sign? I don't think anybody signed it.

Nobody.

Uh look for a motion to accept the minutes from the June 4th, 2025 regular park board meeting. Motion to accept.

Second that. Motion to accept. Made by Commissioner Rigo, second by Commissioner Ferris. All in favor? I.

Motion carries.

New business. We have a letter from Jonathan Murray, the athletic director at the Argusy School for the request of Britain Park for soccer on uh whatever one two three four five six seven eight dates.

Um, I think we got uh Bobby Bailey also reached out uh once the agenda was already posted for for diamond for them to utilize it and I know for youth soccer also utilizes it. So I think in an effort to be fair to everybody that wants to use it for soccer season. I think rather than giving him these dates, we table them and we tell Full River Youth Soccer and Diamond they need

to get us their dates by our August meeting so that they'll be good for September because soccer will start in September. We can make everybody aware that we'll get them all the dates that they want. We or maybe not the exact date they want, but we'll get them, you know, access to the field so they can play their games. But I think the fairest way to do it is to give the

others that have used that facility in the past the chance to send us what they want and then we can, you know, Charlie and figure out behind the scenes u how to dole out those dates. So So I'll make a motion that we table this for next meeting. Second motion to table made by Commissioner Faras, second by Commissioner Rigo. All in favor?

Motion carries.

Um, describe this. Item B is a letter from Michelle Bergos requiring regarding the request for the use of Kennedy Park to hold a church service. Um, there'll be activities for the children, the youth, and music. And it's scheduled for Saturday, August 9th, um, from 8:00 a.m.

to 700 p.m.

That date is I think we already have something at Kennedy Park that day, I believe. So I um August 9th, I believe that's the uh the uh benefit for the um back to school benefit. Yeah. And that that takes up a a large portion of the park and um it's it's a uh it's a pretty much a a a one event kind of a day. Uh I I think it might be best if we ask to

move. Do you have the calendar with you?

Do we have it with you or No.

That's all right. Well, her her request just says 8 9 or if not available where whatever Saturday after is fine. So, I'd be okay with approving it as long as the 16th is open. That would be fine. You know, if the board approves it if it's not the 16th, then maybe it has to be the 23rd. But, as long as you guys work with her and nobody has questions on what they're doing down there, isn't it?

It's Yeah, we we have the Holy Ghost and then we have the backpack event. So those those two are are pretty much going to take a a large portion of it, but it the lower portion of Kennedy Park is is pretty much available. So if if she's willing to uh uh accept a the portion of the lower portion of Kennedy Park, I wouldn't see a problem with hosting the event at the at Kennedy Park

if she's uh apt to uh uh host it down there. uh if you want to approve it under under those uh circumstances, I think that if she wants to contact myself and Mindy, we'll be more than will to work with her. That's that's what I would I mean I I don't have any problems with the event itself. Just I have a question. I don't have problems with the event either, but usually we

don't we ask like people to outline what they're doing actually for like activities and stuff like that to see what they're bringing to the park if anything or food or any of that stuff, you know? Right. Right. I think we should make sure that she's aware of the rules. Well, the rules and and like Nick spot uh spot on with that. It's nice to have some type of idea how many people

she's looking to have or expecting to have, what it's going to require, and uh is there going to be food served? Are they going to have restrooms coming?

Because if we're having a large event up top, then it may not may not be able to uh host that. But it's it's very it's very broad uh um request and another and the thing is too and when you have a request like this it's nice if you're present. She she's not here, right? No, because that way we can question ask the questions. I I think are pertinent to for this request

and this is what typically comes in.

I think that that may be from like a procedural thing getting tightening up this form. To your point, Nick, if there's a if there's a way to ask some more uh pointed questions as far as how many people, you know, it that's a long time, too, from 8:00 a.m. to 700 p.m.

Like, are you going to be there all day?

Like, I think those are all points.

That's a long event. That's a long event. You very rarely see an event go that for that many hours. and particularly if you're expecting a a lot of people. But um it in most boards do require your presence when you're requesting a a permit. But so it is something we have to consider it moving moving to in the in the future.

So would it would it make sense to to table this until next meeting to get some more information from her as far because like we already know we have conflicting dates. We don't know what they're doing for activities and we don't know why the park is needed for that long of a time. Yeah, I think that that's fair. And then it's still even it's still before the date of her event.

So, we can make it clear to her that we tabled it under the with the intention of approving it at the next meeting as long as she can answer our questions and make sure that or unless she can answer the questions, you know, with you Charlie before the meeting and and we feel comfortable with with her answers, then she doesn't necessarily have to come. But it probably would make it a little bit easier to the more

information we have the easier it is to approve these things.

So the motion to table was made by Commissioner Rico. Do I have a second?

I'll second. Second by Commissioner Cecilio. All in favor? Motion carries.

Item C is a letter from Rachel Golsby regarding the request for Kennedy Park for a farmers market. Uh, it's going to be on Saturdays from July 12th through November 29th from 7:00 am to 12 pm. Is this the same one that's we have every year? No. Every year the same one, right?

I make a motion that we second. Motion to approve by Commissioner Ferris, second by Commissioner Rigo. All in favor? I. Motion carries.

Item D is a letter from John Gaffne.

It's a request for a tree removal in front of 734 New Boston Road. Uh Mr.

Martin, you want to just come down and give us your thoughts on this tree in this house? Is Mr. Gaffne here also? Yeah. Okay. Thank you.

Mr. Gaffne, would you like to come up with Mr. M? All right.

So, I I got the call to go look at that tree.

We've had he's brought it up in the past and nobody wanted to really do anything with the tree. The sidewalks got repaired around it. He was concerned originally about that. They repaired the sidewalks around it. He wanted the tree removed then and they didn't. This was a few years back. Um and then He contacted us saying that he was getting ants in his house and things of that nature,

but other than that, like the tree is in good shape. It's healthy. It's alive.

And I explain that to them that sometimes we don't have a president of taking down trees that are right that are healthy and alive. And I explain that to them. And I like I explained during this time of year we do get insects in our houses and we have to spray for it but might not probably not necessarily just from the tree. Right.

So and again the tree is not overhanging this house. It's probably 5t away. It's not huge. I have some pictures of it if you'd like to see them.

I may have your email. He's saying it hanging on. It's hanging on his house.

No. No. So that's Yeah. I mean, it's Yeah, that's one of them. I mean, the wire is on an issue, right? Nope.

It's already been trimmed. National Grid has trimmed it out on the inside. That's a different one. But But the sidewalks all repaired. Yeah, the sidewalks have been repaired. They repaired them a couple of years ago. Um, so can you send those photos in too so we can upload them as a part of the um Sure. the minutes.

So why' you want it done? It's not doing it's not doing anything. He feels as though it's He thinks you want to see a bad tree. You should have gone to uh Lauren Street.

Lauren Street looks good.

Now they got to take the stumps out.

Maybe I don't know. It's it's it's sidewalk too low.

Well, you might be pushing in a little bit, but I mean I know exactly where that is. It's right under Yeah. Yeah.

Right where the shell's right there, right? Yeah. Okay. It's down. Yeah. No, I know where that is.

And I I inspected the tree. It doesn't look like it really has any issues at this point.

So, that's what I explained. I explained that to them um that we we don't take down live trees if they're healthy unless there's an issue with it.

I mean, I don't have an issue with that.

Does anybody have to deny?

So, the motion to deny was made by Commissioner Rigo. We have a second. Can we be here or do you want to come down and do you have anything you want to add? Thanks, Mr. Martin. Thank you. Just wanted to before we Sure. pass anything.

I got photos here of the tree of the house.

His uh his live life live shots of ants crawling on this on the house just uh newly painted, you know, and you know that. Sure. I used to live next door.

The tree is is right on the sidewalk.

So, I mean, the thing is we just I paint this. Could I just ask you to just have a seat, though? I appreciate you coming up, but you got to talk into the microphone so that it goes on the uh record.

Okay. Uh the thing is Could you state your name, please? What's that? State your name and address. My name is John Gaffne and I live on the Boston Road and the problem is uh the tree is infested with ants and it comes and it comes on to our house, my parents house on the Boston road and you know every time the uh every time you cut down the uh cut some branches off they still grow back

and it comes over onto our property, you you know. So, the thing is, you know, I'd like to see it cut down completely because, you know, like I said, it it costs money to uh, you know, fix a house, you know, and I I'm not working and because I've got arthritis on my right leg and stuff and, you know, so the thing is, you know, it's just that these ants are just a

a nuisance. you know, can't get rid of them, you know. And the thing is, I used to work for the park department and and the cemetery department, and all we did was we all we did was go around cutting down trees.

There was a tree where he used to live.

Uh it was a old lady's house and it was cut down and there were two trees on Aacia Street that were cut down. So, I don't see why uh this tree can't be cut down. And if and if uh I don't see why, you know, the city, if they want to add more trees, why don't they add them on Oakrove Avenue near Oak Cemetery? That's the problem. But this is a healthy tree.

It's a healthy tree. We don't cut down a healthy trees. It's It's really not a healthy tree. Because the thing is, I mean, there's trucks that go by, they knock down the branches and they come onto our onto the property and the tree, even though it's a supposedly a live tree, it's like my skin, you know, you got the it's not the bark of the tree isn't completely smooth. It's got wrinkles in it, you know.

C can I just ask a question? Um, has there been a consultation as far as like maybe like someone like the uh like a bug uh what am I exterminator exterminator come out to do like a free consultation to your house that would probably be the next helpful because if that if they can prove that those ants are coming from that tree then maybe something can be well they know they are

because they're coming yeah but you're saying they're coming from the tree and the tree department says the tree is healthy. We look at the pictures. We always defer to the tree department for when these these requests come across every month and we look at it and Mr.

Martin and his team, they go out, they look at the tree. Okay, that one's dead.

It should come down. That one's alive.

We shouldn't take it down. We should trim it back. We should make sure the sidewalk's fixed. It seems like they've done all of those things. The tree's been cut back a little bit. The sidewalk is fixed. So, there's no safety um issue there. I think that if for for today my suggestion would be we deferred from removing this tree and if you could get something if you had an exterminator or

somebody come out and say well I can't afford it. Well no no no they do free consultations. They do consultations if they can they give you a free consultation. Yeah. They can give you like an assessment of like where where Yeah. But then then it would cost me money right to Well then you bring the report to us and you say hey the bugs are coming from the tree and we can have

another conversation with Mr. Martin.

Well, I had a brother that kept uh that used to live in Forever. Uh he lives down in Georgia and he came up to paint the the top part of the the house. I painted like the the lower part. Sure.

So, he started painting the top of the front and the side of the house. and he he recognized that all all the ants were coming from the from the tree when when he was paint when he was painting the the top part of the house. I I don't I don't not believe you, but I I just think that we're in a position where we've always relied on the tree department cuz we can't go out and and

I'm not a tree expert as far as I don't know where the ants are coming from. I can't tell sometimes if the tree is alive or whether or not it should be taken down. So, I think that if you can get us something that shows, you know, that there's ants are coming from that tree, we'd be happy to revisit the conversation. But I think for now, the the precedent has been Couldn't Couldn't

some Couldn't one of you people come out and No, I'm not I couldn't. We're not We're not experts. That's why I was saying No, but I mean, just come and look at the come and look at I've seen it. I drive by there all the time. Yeah.

But have you seen the you haven't seen the ants though coming up Mr. Gaffne Mr.

Gaffne Mr. Martin is the city's tree warden he knows trees and if Mr. M had a question, he'd have called the city's zubberist. He knows trees.

Excuse me. But he knows trees. That tree I went by. I also looked at it and uh the trees fine. I have ants that come into my house. My wife and I treat them.

And we don't have a tree in our yard.

Okay. The trees ants grow on trees. They they go on trees. They come into dirt.

The ants are just part of the the season that we're in. And um you know sometimes I think it's vinegar and there are different remedies. Go on Google it.

There are different things that are cheap and affordable you can treat the ants. But the tree is healthy and we don't cut down. It's not really healthy.

It's old. It's been there for for Mr. Mr. M had a question with that tree. the aubberist would he would have brought that aubberist in and if it was and I think if there's no more questions for Mr. Gaffne does anybody have any more questions for Mr. Gaffne motion to deny yours so thank you for coming down Mr. Gaffne I just want to say something can I that she's been there for over 40

years maybe 50 years tops you know it's been there ever since my mom and dad have lived there they've they're both deceased now thank you thanks Mr. Good.

Thank you. So, I wish I wish he could do something about the tree. I wish it was cut down completely.

So, the motion to deny was made by Commissioner Rigo, second by Commissioner Faras. All in favor? I I motion carries.

Did I get them all in Kennedy Park?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, this is they they do this every year, right? Motion to grant it.

I'll second. Motion to approve by Commissioner Fries, second by Commissioner Cecilio. All in favor? I.

Motion carries.

Item F is a letter from uh Lauren. She is requested to spruce up the park branches if there are city funds that can be utilized.

I think we would all agree with Yes, Lauren. and that if there's benches and there's money available um we could do that but her email is a little vague as far as where she's looking for and I don't is Lauren's not here so motion to table get back to us so motion to table made by commissioner Rigo do I have a second on that or are we tableabling just because we just don't know what she's

talking about as far as park fences because I mean yeah or do we just want to place this request on file and Yeah, we could reach out to her and uh have her bring her in so she can explain exactly what she wants to do with it.

Yeah. Exactly what type of benches she wants because it was very brief in uh to touch up old benches and we certainly don't want to to go over the brand new benches, but so she can come in and uh touch base with everybody and we can, you know, inquire on just what she wants to apply to them.

Yeah, I think it's great. The more people that want to help out, the better. So, um, we'll we'll make the motion to table it and then maybe Charlie and your office can follow up with with Lauren and see if she wants to come to our next meeting or provide a little bit more um detail on what she's looking for and where she thinks that, you know, we could use some help. So,

the motion to table was made by Commissioner Rigo. Is there a second?

Second. Second by Commissioner Faras.

All in favor? I motion carries.

Item G is a request to use Kennedy Park for a church event on Saturday, August 2nd from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Um I think there's a little more information on this one than the other one. Yes.

Is that there's nobody here from for this event, right, to speak on? No.

So, is this another table, I guess, because it's Yeah. Well, the food and drinks, like where's the food coming from? Who's doing that? You know, um I I I would table it, too. And this is where I and I agree with with with the board, is they need to be a little bit more detailed in what their request is. Yeah. and Mindy and I are just starting to encounter the the heavy requests that are coming in

and some of them are just very broad.

Yeah. Because if you when the food comes in then the health department has to be involved like there's a lot of different um departments involved as soon as you start talking about food. So I guess we did do we have a motion to table this request? Motion to table by Commissioner Cecilio. Do I have a second? Second by Commissioner Rigo. All in favor? I motion carries.

So that was tabled.

Item H is a request from Emily Parker regarding the use of Kennedy Park, Ruggles Park, Lafayette Park for programs run by the floor of a public libraryaries bookmobile there. She's also requesting permission to use the pathways to drive the bookmobile through the parks.

So there's a bunch of dates. The bookmobile is pretty cool. They had it uh they had it down at kite night a couple weeks ago. I had my kids down there. Yeah, they've been they've been in and out of the parks for quite some time. This time they want to officially go on and and request it from the board so that way they could be official.

Make a motion that. So, I guess my only question on it before we just want to make sure driving that thing through there, like I don't know if there's any just from a safety standpoint if there's games or whatever going on, other events on some of these days. Um, no, they um they pretty much park in a on a a paved uh pathway and normally where they would put a food

truck or um an ice cream truck or something. ice cream truck with Park and the gentleman that 99% of the time drives the truck is one of the an old DPW truck driver. So, so he knows where to go. He's very trusted and uh they they're very they're very good at what they do. They're good with the children and uh you know I think in the request too it says right here Kennedy Park

pathway next to the playground. Oh, perfect. So it tells you where they're going. Is this a book? Yeah. Yeah.

No, I think it's great.

Have a motion to approve. Well, I'll make a motion to approve it. Motion to approve by Commissioner Faras. Second.

Second by Commissioner Rigo. All in favor? I. Motion carries.

Then we have item I which is a conversation regarding the Jerry Law and Plaza and the request to put the facility under the same jurisdiction of the gates of the city. So, um, from our prior meetings in talking about that space that's been renovated as the Jerry Law and Plaza, it's under park jurisdiction now. So, it has to follow park ordinances and things that go on in the park. So, one of the

biggest things was or what brought it to light was the conversation around liquor and could you serve beer on the grounds?

So, you can't when it's a park. So, I I spoke with corporation council and I spoke with the administration and they're okay with if the board is okay with changing the jurisdiction so that it falls in the same category as like the gates of the city versus being a park. No, not in the not in the middle of the city. Absolutely not. Absolutely not. As far as Okay. So, that I think

it's a good idea to because I don't know what else we would use it for. Um, so I think that just all we're doing is saying it's not a park. It's going to be utilized the same way as the gates are used. But I think when you change the jurisdiction just like the parks, like don't you have to have police presence, stuff like that. They're going to have to do all of that, but it's going to

fall outside of the purview of this board and the outside of the purview of the parks department. So whatever goes on at the gates when they have events at the gates, they'll have to follow the same procedures that they follow there.

But it just takes the park out of it because I don't see how that could be considered a park. It just doesn't No.

And how often is she gonna do this?

Well, it's not a matter of how often they do it. They still got to go through the procedures and process, but not through us. It would be through through So, they would still have to get all of the things that anybody else would have to get, but it doesn't it doesn't uh confide what can be done there to what's allowed at a park. And there's a lot of rules that go along with the park. If

you vote on this, then it would be out of our hands, right? We're basically relinquishing it and give putting the jurisdiction the same as the gates of the city. So, however that is managed, is that that's outside of your It's um it it being DCM director, we uh would be in charge of the gates and the parks and and everything, but being now in involved right now solely in with the parks, we in charge of m

care and maintenance of Jerry Lawn.

after if this vote was to uh release it, we would no longer be in care and custody of that. No, it would we wouldn't have to maintain it. This DPW would have to maintain it. So then we wouldn't have to do anything over there and basically it really isn't a park.

There's no grass. I think it's a tough argu I think it's a tough argument to make that it's a park. It's I didn't even know when I came over here that it was mine. I thought it was like Old Second Street and the Gates, right? Old Second Street's another good example of something that's in the same type of jurisdiction as the gates where they have a farmers market or they have different things. Let them decide. But

but the decision lies here because I think it should go before the city council, let them decide. So we I don't know if it's their call though. I think it's our call. You want to make it like the like the gates of the city, the city council has to vote. No, just I think that we're putting it under the same jurisdiction. Whoever controls the gates have them and release it from us.

Michael, no. Anyway, Michael BJ did uh the due diligence on this and he from corporation council to the administration across and then uh and this is the procedure. The procedure is right here because it does it falls under us right now. calls in us and what we do is we release it and then they assume they they assume responsibility care and custody and uh and that was it.

But um so the motion would just be a small place, right? And they want to look at the size of this room. You can't have liquor on a sidewalk, right? You can't. No. So, right, it's No, but you're not going to have much down there. There isn't a whole heck of a lot of room. So, there aren't going to be, you know, like the the the request that came forward was for a cornal

tournament, right? So, if the area was roped off and you know, they had the police detail and they did all of that, but it it doesn't it's it's not a question of it's not our call at that point as far as what goes on there. And I the only reason why I think it's a good idea is because I don't think that space is a park. You can't play baseball there. You can't play soccer there. You

can't So, yeah, if you have a little concert or you have Well, it's not that big. It's only about eight by 10. And honestly, it's not that big. You're right. And honestly for us for me to to in in my How many events do you think they're going to have and my staff to care for it? I say say no. All right.

Say go to state. But I think the vote was just to just release it from our jurisdiction. That's all I'm suggesting.

But it would be up to whoever assumes responsibility of it to approve or deny whatever events go there. We can still take a vote and Helen, you know, respectfully can have her opinion and we can all vote the way we want to vote.

We're not voting to say they can have.

we can take a roll call vote and and yeah and and I don't think there's going to be a concert there with hundreds of people, but it's a small space that they the city has invested some money into. I think it makes sense for them to utilize it and not be uh confined by the rules that are applicable to the park. It should be utilized like Old Second Street or like the gates, you know, like

those two locations are utilized for different community events. This space is no different. The only reason it came to light with, well, why is it a park?

And you know, in the the alcohol question was, well, it's a hard that's a hard stop in in the parks because it's written into city ordinance that you can't have any liquor in the parks. So, there was no way around it even if we wanted to allow a specific event there.

Now, if they want to have an event, it becomes similar to those two locations and it's off of the the park's uh responsibility.

So, that would be and if you change it, you can't have liquor on the sidewalk, right? 10 by 10. Where you going to drink the liquor? But we're not approving any liquor or anything. We're not approving any of that. That'll be up to That will be up to We're not going to We're not going to be able to use it.

So, if they've invested some money there, we want to take it off on you. We want it off our things. Well, Karen to care for that facility in in in Old Second Street in the gates, it's to care for that those facilities. It's the facilities division in DPW. They have the capability. They have masons. They have electricians for Jerry Lawren Square. Um, you need masons. You need brick layers. You need

I have people who do landscaping. You know, there's no grass to cut. There's no grass to cut there. Okay. So, there it really we're not we're not staffed with the the proper uh uh uh skilled labor to take care of that place. So, if there was grass, we'd cut it, trimming, we could sweep it, but outside of that to and for any extensive care, we just don't have that type of skilled labor.

Um, so and I think the other thing is remembering back to when they did the renovations at the time I was new on this board and this board was a little uh there was a conversation of how come we weren't involved in the decision making around what's going in here because it's a park, right? And so all of that was done and it looks beautiful down there, but now to to maximize the space and and

what it can be used for, it it makes the most sense I think to do that. So maybe if unless anybody has anything notes, we'll take a roll call vote for the record. So just say your name and then yes or no. So Nick Cecilio and yes to release it from our jurisdiction. Uh Victor F is yes. No. Yes. Motion carries.

So we'll um we'll have to just send a letter down I guess to the administration and just let them know that and you'll uh she'll put one together. All right. Thank you.

And then item J is a letter from Tio with the Bristol Black Collective and she's requesting the approval for the installation of pathways to pages literacy and community garden initiative at Father Travasos Park in the Kathy Assad Park in the Flint neighborhood.

Supported by Love Your Block Minigrant from the city of Fall River. This project is designed to activate public space through reading, gardening, and neighborhood stewardship. All installations storywalks gardens libraries, and walking path will be completed by August 2025.

Do you want to come down? Sure.

Thank you for coming down.

Good evening. Good evening. Could you just state your name and address for the record, please? Tia Castellano, 28 Quican Street. Thank you. Anybody have questions for Tia?

I don't. It's It's laid out. Good idea.

Yeah, it's it's good idea. It's laid out what what wants to be done. Do you have anything to add? I mean, this is pretty thorough um as far as what you're doing and how it's going to work and and all of that, but do you want to add any commentary? Um I don't. It's it's it is uh just a place as you said for the community to become involved and um for

us to just bring the community together to make that happen for the mile markers to be installed within with the uh length of how long you've walked with inspirational phrases on them around the walking path there. The um story walk is to be installed on the fence three and a half to four feet off the ground so that you can still see through the fence but you children and families will be able

to engage with the books that are will be placed in both the Travassos and Kathy Assad Park. And then we've already collaborated um with the city CDA uh program fellow, Miss Gloria Sadler, to um do the community um garden there. So, we're going to be um hoping to do workshops there with various community organizations to continue to grow things in the garden that are already there

since the initial installation. Um, and what else was there? The Oh, sorry. The boxes. The boxes. So having the community to help to um help us put those boxes up but also to be able to keep them filled the leave a book uh take a book theory so that we can you know re put literacy back into the neighborhoods where the children who um enjoy these parks from near and far um can continue to enjoy

them and access the books all the time.

Awesome. Any questions, questions comments?

Make a motion. Thank you. Motion by Commissioner Faris to approve. Do I have a second? I'll second it. Second by Commissioner Cecilio. All in favor? I.

I.

Motion carries.

Item K is uh we just have to discuss and acknowledge the open meeting law complaints that were made against us from May 20th, 2025 and June 9th, 2025.

Um so it's all in the packet. It's a complaint. So it it was it was more of a procedural complaint. Um there's been some transition as everybody knows in the parks department there there was no clerk. There were people juggling different um responsibilities and the way the minutes were taken um this gentleman took offense or took took it as um a violation of the open meeting law. But the letter from

the attorney general basically says like we didn't do it. So when we vote unanimously on our minutes, typically it was always said everyone's name was listed. What we had done for those two meetings, which nobody really picked up on, was when we approved something, it said board unanimously approves and it didn't list out each individual meeting.

So, we've rectified that and made sure that moving forward our minutes will reflect the votes taken by the board so that everyone knows exactly, you know, where everyone stood. Um, but we were just required to acknowledge the complaint uh the the back and forth I had with the law department and the attorney general's office and whatever. I'm making send it to the uh law department. they've already they've

already handled it. The attorney general's already responded and said we did nothing wrong. Um so they're really it's really just on this agenda today.

So I think it's just more of a place on file and acknowledged that the the um the complaint came in. It was unfounded by the attorney general and and that's the end of it. We we're um let me let me officially introduce to everyone that's um that has not yet our new parks clerk, Mindy Garcia. Okay. And uh she is a welcome site to our department. All right. and um she's now

at 450 Middle Street and uh it's only been a couple weeks actually on site and uh she's taken right to it. All right.

So, just give us a little more time but bringing all the information in. Nina is fantastic and um but now we're starting to get it all together. any the commissioners you need anything Mindy's there stop by you need anything but you know give us a little more time we'll tighten it down and um they'll be uh we'll cooperate with everybody and but we just want we want to be information moving forward and get this

machine click that's all it'll be be fine so we'll just uh make make the motion yeah I'll make a motion to to place on file second motion was made to place on filed by Commissioner S, second by Commissioner Faras. All in favor? I I motion carries. Um, does anybody have anything any inquiries they want to discuss that didn't make the agenda?

Thank you for introducing Mindy. Thank you for being here, Mindy. Um, welcome aboard.

So, if not, do I have a motion to adjurnn? Make a motion to adjurnn. I'll second it. Motion to adjurnn by Commissioner Faras, second by Commissioner Riggo. All in favor? Motion carries. Thank you.