HomeMy WebLinkAboutDRYC 2025-04-23Dryden Recreation and Youth Commission (DRYC)
April 23, 2025
HybridPresent:Leslie Debo (chair), David Peck (vice chair), Julie McLean, Will Olson, James WhalleyAbsentees:Jenelle CarrLiaisons:Jason Leifer (Town Board)*Kate Shanks-Booth (Tompkins
County Youth Services)Staff:Marty Conger (Recreation Director)Guest:Chris Richardson (CHA)*, Greg Knight
“*” Denotes attendance via Zoom
The meeting was called to order at 7:08 p.m.
Reports: Tompkins County Youth Services
K Shanks-Booth mentioned that the annual duck race is on Sunday. Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) will have a parking lot full of fun activities.
The DRYC orientation packet is in the finalstages of being finished. She would like to add more information about how the budget process works, especiallyhow money flows from the county
level. This can be confusing, but we will include it on next month's agenda for review.
There was a Rec Partnership meeting last night, during which the Board established parameters for the Rec Partnership budget created by the Youth Bureau. Therewas a requestfor maintenance
of the budget, plus increases of 2% and 5%. In the last 3 to 4 years, there has typically been a 6% or 8% increase, which can be alarming when discussing an 86% increase. However, the
actual amount of money involved is relatively small in the grand scheme of things. In smaller municipalities like Dryden, the feespaid each year are based on a three-year average participation
rate and if in the Ithaca City School District, your assessed property value so the contributions vary. Dryden tends to be one of the larger users of this program, making up a significant
portion of the last quarter's expenses. There’s also substantial participation in the various programs.
CCE has requested that they consider adding more arts, crafts, and youth development opportunities in addition to traditional recreational activities. Mental health issues can significantly
impact behavior in schools, which can extend into summer camp programs. Therefore, we’ve asked them to assess how many additional staff members might be needed to provide adequate supervision
and address these youths’ needs.
Currently, the county is searching for a DSS Commissioner, a Whole Health Commissioner, and a Director of Finance. Phone interviews for the Whole Health Commissioner will be next week;
there were 15 applications, which have been narrowed down to 5 candidates. The process for the DSS Commissioner will begin in the next 2 to 3 weeks, and phone interviews will commence
then. As for the Finance Director, we have not yet found a candidate, and interviews for that role are still being conducted.
Lastly, we are also progressing with the Achieving Youth Results 3.0 Framework, which guides our funding for all programs supported by the county. We are working internally on this framework
and will be seeking feedback from community partners. Eventually, we will bring it to the larger community to ensure that our funding aligns with the needs of the youth we serve.
Reports: Recreation Department
M Conger updated the committee on her submission of the Request for Information (RFI) for the bricks grant.
The Varna Community Center is organizing a fundraiser on June 7 called "Varna Walks." The cost is $10 per person and $25 for a family. All the information is available on our website,
and registrations are being handled through the town.
M Conger introduced Greg Knight,who is attending the meeting as he has submitted his application for the DRYC committee.
Regarding spring activities, G Knight coaches the grades 3-6 lacrosse team. Due to the weather, no games have been played yet. This Saturday, the K-2 lacrosse team will have 44 registered
players, and then the following week, track & field activities will begin. Over the years, participation has increased from 80 children to 111, and it's still growing. Currently, there
are 8 volunteers, 4 of whom are middle school students. J. Whalley has volunteeredto help and will confirm his son’s commitment.
A summer camp director was hired yesterday. The director works in the school district as a teacher’s aide in the MAPS program and has a child in the program. Her husband assists with
coaching as well. Additionally, M Conger has hired another assistant named Lily Turco, who is in 8th grade. Lily will help with track and K-2 lacrosse sessionsandfill in when needed.
Final preparations for the Health Department paperwork are underway, along with summer camp preparation. The only camps that aren't fully booked are the soccer camp, which has 60 registered
kids and no registration limit, and the dance camp, which still has 11 spots available. All other camps are now closed to registration.
The 3-point contest at Montgomery Park during Dairy Day is being finalized. The modified squad will be present to assist with the event. Last year, we opened registration for the 3-point
contest to gauge interest, and around 60 people participated. We believe we have set up the event better this year. Last year, we struggled with enough help, so this year we will need
just a few more volunteers to assist.
Reports: Town Board
J Leiferhas no updates to report from the board.
Village of Dryden, New York Forward Grant:
J Leifer suggested that the town consider applying for funding from the New York Forward Grant received by the village. Community groups can use this grant,and the Town should explore
how much it can allocate for town recreation purposes. During the April 10th meeting, Mike Murphy, the village mayor, mentioned discussions about potentially bringing a daycare to the
church at the corner. This space could also serve as a community center. We should engage with the village about this possibility, as a daycare wouldn’t require the entire building.
They need to clarify the process for this initiative. While Murphy provided a general overview, specific details were not discussed.
There will be a couple of public meetings to explain how to apply for the funding, but it would be beneficial for us to gather more information beforehand. L Debo and J Leifer willboth
contact M Murphy. The village is aware that the town is interested in this opportunity, and since they usually come to us for requests, we need to be proactive about this matter. We
should investigate how some of that funding could benefit the Recreation Department.
Review and Approval of Minutes from March 26, 2025
On motion made by D Peck, seconded by W Olson, a motion to approve the minutes of March 26, 2025, were approved as written. J Whalley -abstained
CHA Field Proposal Update
C Richardson provided an update on the project, mentioning that while designing,they listened closely to feedback and have tried to incorporate various activities and different user
groups into the design. However, this has been very challenging due to the grade changes on the site, as well as working with a limited budget. CHA developed three concepts for the project.
This could be done in different phases.
Concept 1
The first conceptclearly illustrates the significant impact of the 100-foot buffer on the project’s layout. The buffer consumes a substantial amount of acreage. Initially, there were
two full-size fields, but due to the site constraints and layout, we had to make some concessions. Although concept one is complete, it is unfortunately unbuildable because of the buffer
requirements. What we wanted to present is a comprehensive view of the programming concept we developed. As we moved away from the initial ideas, we focused on the importance of having
ample space for fields of play. There's already a retention pondout there thatwe need to stay away from that area as well.
In response to M Conger's question about a North-Southaccess road from State Route 392(instead of using the East–West access road connectingthe town hall tothe highway).C Richardsonresponded
that this area could be looked at again. It would be very cost-effective to run it through the piece of property at the bottom that the town owns straight up.
Significant discussion centered around the challenges posed by the site's topography (steep grade changes) and the legal constraints of a 100-foot wetland buffer, which severely limits
usable space. Some members felt that concept one is unbuildable due to the wetland buffer. This concept, though incorporating the most desired elements, is legally impossible to implement.
Concept 2
In Concept 2, the proposed smaller U12 and U10 fields surround a central playground, along with a larger parking area.
Discussion regarding the cut and fill analysis occurred, and how much it needs to come up because of the grade and to create that level field, and then have it again appropriately pitched
with storm water, so that it's not flooding everything onto this field. The smaller field (Playing Field 2) in Concept 2 shows a higher "earthwork excess cut" than the larger field,
meaning a substantial amount of soil would need to be hauled off-site. C Richardson confirmed this is accurate despite appearing counterintuitive.
Concept 3
Then, in Concept 3, CHA was able to create a regulation-size field that accommodates softball and is oriented correctly from north to south to avoid issues with sun positioning during
play. This concept also includes a smaller U8 field, which provides additional practice space and allows for effective grouping of different sizes and age groups across all the concepts.
Members agreed that the access road to the property is limited to the gravel road between the Highway Department and the Town Hall. However, there is a parking lot on the north side
of the Town Hall. There are costs involved in clearing the section, but doing so would sacrifice a significant amount of usable space.C Richardson highlighted the dense tree coverage
in the area, which aims to minimize environmental impact. Clearing the property would significantly increase costs, and unfortunately, the budget is limited. Therefore, we need to focus
on designs that are feasible for construction within our constraints.This area also has the steepest grade. Each contour line represents a 2-foot elevation change, and an approximately
40-foot drop from the top of the tree-covered section to the bottom. Clearing the trees would not only require extensive demolition, but it would also require re-grading the land, as
the topographic lines are very close together in this congested area.
The required earthwork, such as cutting and filling, has influenced the cost estimates. It's clear that if this were a flat property, the approach would be very different. However, the
geographic slope and terrain will affect what can be achieved within a reasonable budget.
The committee discussed areas of concern:
Limitations: A recurring theme was the need to balance desired features with a limited budget, leading to concessions in the proposed plans. The high cost of certain elements, particularly
earthwork and restrooms, was highlighted.
High Cost of Restrooms: A building with two ADA composting toilets and no electricity or running water is estimated to cost around $100,000. Attendees expressed considerable surprise
and concern about this expense. One potential option is a prefabricated building that is waterless, although grading will be necessary.
Prioritization of Recreation Space: The desire to maximize field space for various sports programs was a key driver in evaluating the concepts.
Need for More Field Space: There is a demonstrated need for more field space to accommodate current and growing recreation programs, particularly for younger age groups. M Conger indicated
a desire for "both a small field and regulation size field"
Parking and Access: Inadequate parking was identified as a major concern across all proposed concepts, prompting discussion about alternative access points and parking areas.A possible
exploration of the access road and parking lot coming from the vacant town-owned lot on East Main Street (Route 392) to create more parking spaces was suggested to move activity away
from the Highway Department entrance.The access road between the Highway Department and Town Hall is paved but rough. While usable, improving it was discussed as a potential future phase.
Possibility of Highway Department Assistance:It was suggested that the Highway Department could potentially assist with certain tasks, like running utility lines and building the parking
lot, which could help reduce costs by avoiding prevailing wage requirements for some work.
Significant Topographic Challenges: The site has roughly 40 feet of fall from the top side of this tract area down to the bottom, making grading and development expensive and challenging.
Wetland Buffer is a State Grade Wetland: The 100-foot buffer is related to the state grade wetland, making legal changes or building within it highly difficult or impossible.
Spectator Seating Incorporated into Grading: The proposed plans incorporate natural berms with a "one to four grade, which allows someone to come and sit on this hill" to accommodate
spectators due to limited flat areas.
Proposed Building Addition Not Included in Initial Estimates: An 800 sq ft building addition was considered but excluded from the initial cost estimates due to budget constraints.
Proximity to Highway Department Facilities is a Concern: Members expressed concern about children being too close to the Highway Department due to safety risks and potential conflict.
The Highway Department area, with its trucks and sand piles, was described as an "attractive nuisance" that children would be drawn to, increasing liability concerns.
Adaptive Playground Company Offers Grant Writing Assistance: M Conger shared information about an adaptive playground company that provides free grant writing services, which could be
a valuable resource for securing funding for the development of an adaptive playground.
The choice of fencing, chain link, or netting. This fencing is primarily to keep balls in the field of play, particularly from a cost-reduction standpoint. This represents the use of
chain link fences on the fields.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:44 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Allison Kjellander-Cantu
Deputy Town Clerk