HomeMy WebLinkAboutDRYC minutes 120325 ApprovedDRYC 2025-12-03
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Dryden Recreation and Youth Commission (DRYC)
December 3, 2025
Hybrid
Present: Leslie Debo (chair), David Peck (vice chair), Julie McLean*, Will Olson, Rachel
Sumner, James Whalley
Absent: Jenelle Carr
Liaisons: Kate Shanks-Booth (Tompkins County Youth Services)*
Staff: Marty Conger (Recreation Director)
“*” Denotes attendance via Zoom
The meeting was called to order at 7:03 p.m.
Review and Approval of Minutes from October 22, 2025
On motion made by L Debo, seconded by R Sumner, the minutes of October 22, 2025,
were approved as written. Vote: L Debo- Aye, R Sumner- Aye, J Whalley-Aye, D Peck-
Abstained, W Olsen- Abstained
Leadership for 2026
The board conducted its annual leadership elections, a critical governance function to
ensure continuity and strategic direction for the upcoming year. The results for the 2026 term
were finalized as follows:
Chair: L Debo was re-elected as Chair for 2026.
On motion made by W Olson, to re-elect Leslie Debo as Chair, seconded by D Peck.
Vote: R Sumner- Aye, J Whalley-Aye, D Peck- Aye, W Olsen- Aye
Vice Chair: D Peck was re-elected as Vice Chair for 2026.
On motion made by J Whalley, to re-elect David Peck as Vice Chair, seconded by W
Olson. Vote: L Debo- Aye, R Sumner- Aye, J Whalley-Aye, W Olsen- Aye
These election results will be formally communicated to the supervisor’s office to
include in the records for the next organizational meeting.
It was announced that Julie McLean is not renewing her term. This meeting is her final
meeting. This will leave two vacancies if anyone knows someone interested.
Dryden Central School Liaison, Josh Bacigalupi, will be replaced by someone from the
athletic department. An update on this appointment is expected by the end of the week.
Members discussed methods to attract new applicants, including those as young as 16.
A full board is essential for consistently achieving a quorum, which is particularly critical for
making timely and significant decisions related to upcoming large -scale initiatives, such as the
fields project.
Suggestions included:
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• Posting the openings on local parent boards, a method that has been used
successfully in the past.
• A notice of the vacancies is already included in a community newsletter.
Reports: Tompkins County Youth Services
K Shanks-Booth provided an update on several key county-level initiatives: The county
budget was officially passed on November 18th. This budget secures a 3% funding increase for
municipalities and funded agencies, which will be reflected in upcoming contracts.
The interview process for the Youth Service Specialist position is in its final stages.
Three candidates are scheduled for second interviews, and a hiring decision is expected
shortly.
A countywide mental health survey will be released to gather data on youth wellness. It
will be available online, with paper copies for those without internet access. The committee's
help will be needed to promote it.
The Community Engagement Plan is to inform you of the next three-year funding cycle.
The county is launching two major public engagement initiatives: a Community Cafe in early
2026 to gather direct public input and a county-wide youth mental health survey. This
feedback will directly inform the priorities for the next three-year funding cycle. Specific plans
for these initiatives will be for this board's review at the January meeting.
The Family and Children's organization will no longer operate the Open Doors program,
which serves homeless youth. However, it was confirmed with 99% certainty that The Learning
Web will take over the contract, ensuring the continuity of these vital services.
Reports: Cornell Cooperative Extension Rural Youth Services
A new staff member has been hired for the OURS Program. The individual brings
valuable experience from a background in cooperative extension in other counties. They will be
relocating here and will only be for a year. Members involved in the hiring process said, “This
was a great find.”
Reports: Recreation Department
A contract with CHA has been sent to the town's attorney for review, and a final
signature is expected by the end of the week, well before the grant cycle begins in spring 2026.
The annual Turkey Bowl event was reviewed as a lot of fun and a success. This year
benefited from good weather, unlike the previous year. It successfully attracted new
participants who had not attended before. Some members involved would like to improve the
event next year by implementing longer games and running two games simultaneously.
Possibly host a mini combo for younger children to showcase skills while waiting to be picked
up.
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Goals for 2026
After reviewing the current operational matters, the board's focus shifted to strategic
goals for the coming year.
The committee plans to complete the official logo. The key design criteria for the new
logo are that it must represent a wide range of activities encompassing youth/adult and
indoor/outdoor programs and avoid being overly focused on sports to represent the full scope
of the board's mission.
A goal was set for each member to attend at least one non-sports community program
during the year. This initiative is intended to deepen the board's understanding of the diverse
programs it oversees. A program schedule and a formal review sheet are available to facilitate
this objective. This initiative is designed to ensure members have a first-hand understanding of
the diverse programming the committee supports, beyond the youth sports leagues that many
are already familiar with through their own childr en.
A suggestion to encourage town board members to attend fall sports games would be
highly beneficial. Witnessing the scale of community participation firsthand would provide
them with a tangible understanding of the need for new fields.
It was noted that the recreation programs' heavy reliance on a small pool of volunteers
who often depart after their children age out of the programs. There was a suggestion to create
a shared document to help track programming schedules and associated volunteer needs.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Allison Kjellander-Cantu