The Fall River Park Board held its meeting on June 3, 2026, beginning with the approval of the May meeting minutes. The board's primary business involved reviewing and approving several park use requests. They unanimously approved a request from Engineering Concepts, Inc. for a family fun day at Kennedy Park Pavilion on July 25th, a request from Redemption Church for an event at North Park on July 18th (pending date clarification), and a request from Christ the Rock for an outreach event at Kennedy Park on September 12th. The board also approved two requests from the City of Fall River: one for a pickleball tournament from July 17th to 19th, with a discussion about extending park hours, and another for a skate park opening celebration at Lafayette Park on July 25th, 2026. Additionally, a request from John Ferrer to install safety netting at Dumont Field softball field was approved to prevent foul balls from entering adjoining fields. A significant change in leadership occurred during the meeting. The board formally accepted the resignation of acting chairman BJ Mcdonald. Following the acceptance, the board unanimously voted to appoint Commissioner John Sylvia as the new chairman and as the Park Board's representative to the CPC board. The meeting concluded with the board members officially welcoming John Sylvia to his new role before adjourning.
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City Officials
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I call this meeting to the park uh of the park board um on June 3 at 5:30 in the council hearing room. Um I will read the open meeting law. 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 medium. Attendees are therefore advised that such recordings or transmissions are being made, whether
0:23perceived or unpersceived, by those present, and are deemed acknowledged and permissible.
0:28Um, roll call of commissioners.
0:33Victor Farius, Amber Burns, Helen Rigo, John Sylvia.
0:39Um, can I get a motion for acceptance of the May is this order?
0:45Make a motion.
0:45Uh, for the May meeting minutes. Sorry.
0:48Second. Uh, motion made by um, Commissioner Fair Rigo, second by Commissioner Ferris. All in favor? I. I.
0:55Um, do we have any citizens input?
0:59No citizens input. All right, we will just jump right to new business. Um, item A, a request from PA Maz Mazingga representing Engineering Concepts, Inc.
1:09for the use of Kennedy Park Pavilion, July 25th with the rain day of August 1st from 1 to 5:00 p.m. for family fun day for employees and their family for their employees and their families.
1:20Sorry. Um, they will have food trucks and games.
1:23Anybody for that? Do you have everything that you need for before? Well, before he Do you have everything that you need for it?
1:31What do you mean?
1:32Like, have they submitted all the proper documentation thus far?
1:35It's in No, I know. I just want to make sure like you're not missing anything.
1:39No, no, I already talked to him about um Porter John, so he knows.
1:45Okay. Um I'm just going to You don't have to come down because everything's here, so you're good as well. Unless you have a question for him, Helen.
1:51No.
1:52All right. So, can I have a motion?
1:53Motion to accept.
1:55Second it.
1:56Motion um to accept made by Commissioner Riggo. Second by Commissioner Various.
1:59All in favor?
2:00I.
2:00I.
2:02Item B, a request from Drainy Richards um representing Redemp Redemption Church for the use of North Park on July 18th from 9:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. Event will include food games um food and games for families.
2:17Everything on this?
2:19Yeah, everything's on the on the page attached the all the uh permits.
2:24Yep.
2:24Second page.
2:25It looks like this is a annual date.
2:27Second page.
2:28Um of the attached the attached paperwork right there.
2:37The only thing Oh, excuse me. The date on the agenda doesn't match what's on the form. Uh, it says July 18th on the um agenda, but this form says September 6th, 13th, or 20th.
2:50Oh.
2:56Um, so this is an annual event, so I think that if if you guys are fine with it, I think we can approve and then just have Darren work with her, get the actual date, make sure there's nothing um overlapping with that if that works for everyone else.
3:10That's fine.
3:10All right. Can I get a motion?
3:12Motion.
3:13Who said to approve? Sorry.
3:15Sorry. What is your last name?
3:16John. Silia.
3:17All right. Um, sorry. Motion made by Commissioner Sylvia. Can I get a second?
3:22Second.
3:22Uh, seconded by Commissioner Ferris. All in favor?
3:26I.
3:26Eyes have it. Um, item C, a request from James Puna representing Christ of the Christ the Rock of Use of Kennedy Park.
3:34Um, on September 12th from noon to 8:00 p.m. It will be for outreach.
3:41Isn't this uh or is this something new?
3:45Um I don't know. I don't remember this one. Um yeah, I don't remember this one. If this was an annual one um outreach, I'm assuming this just means they're going to hand out and I think this has to do with homeless drug addiction.
4:02Okay. Um I know it's asking if they have access to power. So if you want to just work with him and I know that I already told him no. Yeah, I was gonna say, um, can I get a motion?
4:14Motion to approve.
4:15Sorry, can you tell me your last name?
4:16Silia.
4:17Sylvia. Okay, I'm gonna I'm gonna write that down because I'm gonna forget.
4:21Uh, motion made by Commissioner Sylvia.
4:23Second.
4:24Seconded by Commissioner Ferris. All in favor?
4:27I I item D per BJ Mcdonald resignated from the resignation from the park board as acting chairman. The park board needs to vote to confirm a new chairman. In addition to serving as chairman, the park board um chairman of the park board, VJ also represented the CPC. Um in addition of the vote is needed to an additional vote is needed to elect a new park board member to represent the CPC board.
4:51I make a motion that we uh accept BJ's uh resignation.
4:57Second.
4:59And oh go ahead. Sorry. and appoint John Sylvia as uh the chair.
5:07Chair.
5:08You like chair?
5:10Nobody else. I guess it's by default.
5:13It's by default. I'm fine. It won't be the first time.
5:16Okay.
5:17Um All right. Motion made by Commissioner Ferris. Second by Commissioner Regal.
5:22Um for the CPC portion, are you okay with that as well?
5:27Yeah. Okay.
5:29That's a motion for that too.
5:31No, I I will just take it all together.
5:32Um because it's all one one item. Um so we're going to accept PJ's resignation.
5:37We are he was going going to be appointed the chairman and then he's also going to be added to the CPC board.
5:42Motion made by Commissioner Ferris.
5:44Seconded by Commissioner Rigo. All in favor?
5:47I I now you can move over to the seat.
5:51He can if he wants to. I feel like we only have three items left. Um item E requests from John Ferrer requesting Dumont field softball for installation of poles and netting for catching foul balls between adjoining fields. I think it's um I'm assuming you have had conversations with him and you having problem with that.
6:11Well, what the is the foul balls between fields actually going in the field almost hitting the players. Somebody in this got hit on one of the fields a couple weeks ago. Oh, so they got somebody that's going to come and install poles and they're going to run nets.
6:27Are you're good?
6:28I'm fine with it. Yeah, I just as long as you guys approve it.
6:30Yeah. Motion to approve.
6:32Motion to approve made by Commissioner Rigo.
6:35Second.
6:35Second by Commissioner Sylvia. All in favor? I eyes have it. Um item F, a request from the city of Fall River for its first pickle ball tournament competition event. It is a partnership between the city of Fall River and the Fall River pickle uh ball league. Portion of the proceeds will fund May May's playground at Abbott Court. Dates are to follow.
6:55July 17th, 18th, and 19th from 9:00 a.m.
6:58to 1000 p.m.
7:00Wow, that's a very very long.
7:03Aren't uh Aren't the parks closed at night?
7:05Yeah, they are. But we can extend I think the limit is 10:30.
7:10Okay.
7:10We can't go past 10:30. With a permit.
7:12Okay.
7:13With a permit.
7:13With a permit, they can go to 10:30.
7:16Okay.
7:16They can't go past 10:30. And they're going to start they're going to set up at 6:00 in the morning.
7:19Yeah. So that's So the permit would have to start at 6:00 a.m. not 9:00 a.m.
7:22Where does it say 6:00?
7:23It says setup time will be set up time 6 in the morning.
7:25It's like right below on the the letter.
7:30Okay. I'll have a conversation with him because the park's technically open.
7:35I think it six.
7:37I don't Yeah, I don't know that. I know we usually don't go into before seven, but I mean well the ordinance noise would that come under the noise ordinance?
7:47I don't know what the noise or 7 o'clock.
7:50I'll have to remind I was going to say normally we can't go prior to 7 for the block party. So I didn't but also like nobody's there anyways as long as you're not being loud and obnoxious.
8:01Um can I have a motion for this please?
8:05with the exception of uh Oh, yes. We um with the exception of the times, Darren will work with him to make sure it's within the ordinance and then we'll obviously have to extend um for the normal park hours.
8:15And I'll second it.
8:16There was no first.
8:19I'll make a motion.
8:20Okay. Can motion made by Commissioner Baras, seconded by Commissioner Rigo.
8:25All in favor?
8:26Eyes have it.
8:27Why are you going to slap this?
8:29I don't know. Uh uh item G, a request from the city of Fall River to for approval of a skate park celebration event officially to celebrate the opening of the brand new skate park at Lafayette Park on July 25th, 2026.
8:46Um it will include food, live bands, and skating demonstrations.
8:54Obviously, it's the city that's doing this, so they're going to all the paperwork on this, too.
8:58It's the city.
8:59It's in the packet. It's came from the the mayor's office.
9:02It's this actual city.
9:03They're partnershiping with this to do it.
9:07It's the very last page.
9:13Can I get a motion?
9:14No.
9:15Oh, go ahead.
9:16Motion to approve.
9:17Second.
9:18Motion to approve made by Commissioner Sylvia. Second by Commissioner Rigo. All in favor? I.
9:23The eyes have it. Um, any commissioner inquiries?
9:30You want to welcome John to Yes. Welcome John.
9:33Thank you. Appreciate.
9:34We're a fun bunch. All right.
9:35Sounds good.
9:36Um, sounds good so far.
9:38Helen, can I get a motion to adjurnn?
9:40Motion to adjurnn.
9:42Can I get a second?
9:45Second.
9:46A motion to adjurnn made by Commissioner Rico. Second by Commissioner Ferris. All in favor? I.
9:51The eyes have it.