Dormont Recreation Board Meeting – February 2, 2026

Note: The meeting transcript header states December 8, 2025, but the instructed date for this summary is February 2, 2026. The following summary reflects the content of the transcript. The meeting was called to order by the board chair. The board discussed debriefs on recent events, the holiday house decorating contest, board vacancies, budget review for 2026, and planning for upcoming events.

Discussion Items

• Parade & Cookies with Santa Debrief: The board evaluated the success and areas for improvement. The hot chocolate supply (300 packets) ran out around Potomac Avenue; members suggested increasing to 400–500 packets next year. Cookie decorating was popular but created a mess; ideas included using cookie markers instead of wet icing and providing baggies for transport. The partnership with Keystone Oaks High School for cookie donations (130 cookies, 2 leftover) worked well. The board also discussed better coordination with the fire department for parade stops and consolidating vendor placement for the Home for the Holidays event to appear more lively.
• House Decorating Contest: Seven registrations were received. Voting will open Sunday, December 14 (implied year 2025) through December 27, with winners announced December 28. Prizes are $50 gift cards from local businesses. The board discussed distributing flyers with QR codes for registration and noted the need to include direct URL links for Facebook posts (no link tree available).
• Board Vacancies: There are two open positions (one current vacancy and one pending resignation from Johanna). A volunteer interest form was created with separate tracks for general volunteers and board member candidates; the board agreed to direct potential board candidates to contact the chair directly.
• Budget Review: The 2026 budget for rec board functions is $8,000, down from $12,000 in prior years due to property tax increases and reallocation. Past spending averaged $7,000–$7,500. The Dormont Dash budget (revenues ~$9,000, expenses ~$7,231) includes donations to the memorial fund ($2,550). The board discussed increasing sponsorship to grow the donation. Members requested detailed expense reports for 2025 to better plan. The budget has room for new investments (e.g., signage, yard games). Quarterly budget reviews were suggested.
• 2026 Event Planning: Chairs were tentatively assigned: Easter egg hunt (March/April) – shared by several members; movies in the parking lot – shared; yoga in the park – chair noted as backup; story stroll – one member volunteered as lead; Dormont Dash – same chair as previous year; trunk or treat and movie – two members volunteered; street and music festival kids zone – one member volunteered; cookies with Santa – same chair as previous. The board discussed adding adult-oriented events, such as an “adults night” movie with a food truck, or a collaboration with National Night Out. Ideas for indoor movie screenings at the rec center or partnering with Hollywood Cinemas were raised. An author event (sci-fi novel and painting class) was suggested as a potential new program.

Key Outcomes

• The board will increase hot chocolate to 500 packets and adopt cookie markers with baggies for the next Cookies with Santa event.
• Flyers for the house decorating contest will be printed and distributed before December 12 (before a board member leaves for Florida).
• A volunteer interest form will be finalized and advertised via newsletter and events; board candidate inquiries will be directed to the chair.
• The 2026 budget was reviewed and accepted; members will receive detailed 2025 expense reports.
• Event chairs for 2026 were provisionally assigned; roles can be adjusted later.
• Board members will provide reimbursement requests by Friday (implied December 12) for the current fiscal year.
• The board will obtain correct cable specifications for movie speakers and procure longer cables if needed.