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Record of Proceedings

Great Barrington Parks Commission Meeting - August 17, 2026

Selectboard & Town Boards — Monday, August 17, 2026
BodyGreat Barrington, Massachusetts
SessionSelectboard & Town Boards
DateMonday, August 17, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:09:42

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:00

So it's 515.

0:01

I'd like to call the uh um August um meeting of the parks commission to order.

0:09

Um the first order of business on our agenda is a reorganization.

0:14

They're a motion.

Speaker 2

0:16

I'd like to make a motion.

Speaker 1

0:17

Yes, please.

Speaker 2

0:18

Um I would like to uh maintain the uh organizational structure uh as it was for the 20 uh 25-26 year um with you as the chairperson and Karen as the co-chair.

0:33

Um I think you guys did a great job and uh with Karen's experience and your enthusiasm.

0:38

I think yeah, it's it's it's a good combo.

Unassigned speaker

0:40

Oh

Speaker 1

0:41

go ahead and second.

0:42

Okay, we have a second.

0:43

Is there any discussion?

0:47

Um all in favor.

Speaker 3

0:49

Right.

Speaker 1

0:50

Any opposed.

0:51

Okay, just for I'm sorry, for the record, Carolyn.

0:54

Um

Unassigned speaker

0:54

one,

Speaker 1

0:54

two, three, four, five, six, seven.

0:56

Paul Gibbons is home, is uh absent this evening.

0:59

The rest of us are here and in person.

1:02

Um okay, so any roll.

1:04

No roll.

1:04

No roll call.

1:05

So we're all set with that.

1:06

Um motion to approve.

1:08

Oh I'd like to make a motion on the June 8th minutes that we approve.

1:12

Uh second.

1:13

Sorry, um, any discussion.

Speaker 4

1:16

Corrections, deletions, or admissions.

1:18

I I don't think anybody in the members have that.

Speaker 1

1:19

I think we're good.

1:20

So all in favor of approving.

1:22

I uh any opposed.

1:24

Okay, that is unanimous.

1:26

Um, July 13th.

1:27

I'll make a motion to approve.

Speaker 5

1:29

Second.

1:30

I'll refuse myself all of them here.

Speaker 1

1:32

Okay, Steve is Steve wasn't here.

1:33

He's recruiting.

Speaker 5

1:35

You didn't

Speaker 1

1:35

we didn't take any votes, we just have a minute and

Speaker 5

1:38

it's open meeting then.

Speaker 1

1:39

Great, no vote.

1:40

Excellent.

1:41

We're done.

1:42

Done.

1:45

Okay, awesome.

Unassigned speaker

1:46

Well,

Speaker 1

1:47

now you know that.

1:48

All right, so I just before we continue with a very robust agenda for this evening.

1:52

I'm gonna ask everyone to keep comments short and sweet so that we can get to uh a bit of a discussion about our um open meeting.

2:01

Uh I mean our open space and recreation plan uh request for priorities.

2:06

Um we're gonna go through the parks usage request forms from the last meeting and uh and um discuss or approve them as quickly as possible so we can get on with new requests for this week.

2:19

Am I uh information?

2:21

Yes, please.

Speaker 4

2:22

Most some of these have already passed by, meaning they've already been approved in yokes.

2:26

So then it's it's this is just a paperwork.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Parks and Recreation█████████████████████████████████████████████67%
Budget Equity Analysis████████12%
Procedural██████9%
Public Engagement██3%
Affordable Housing█2%
Funding█2%
Youth Programs█2%
Personnel Matters█2%
Transportation Safety█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Great Barrington Parks Commission Meeting - August 17, 2026

The Great Barrington Parks Commission held its regular monthly meeting on August 17, 2026. The meeting included a reorganization vote, approval of past minutes, review and approval of numerous park usage requests for upcoming events and new programs, discussion of the Open Space and Recreation Plan priorities, updates on park maintenance and funded projects, and a vote to recommend a new commissioner.

Reorganization & Minutes

  • A motion to maintain the current organizational structure with Ilana as chairperson and Karen as co-chair was approved unanimously (6-0, with Paul Gibbons absent).
  • Minutes from June 8, 2026 were approved unanimously.
  • Minutes from July 13, 2026 (noted as an open meeting with no votes) were also approved unanimously.

Parks Usage Requests & Approvals

  • Berkshire Grown (Saturdays Nov 21, Dec 19, Jan 16, Feb 20, Mar 20, Apr 17, 7am-3pm at gazebo): Motion to approve based on previous year's fees. Staff clarified contact person should be DPW's Steve Martin. Approved.
  • Housatonic Improvement Committee (event August 30): Approved for long table dinner on Main Street?
  • Harvest Festival (Saturday Sept 19, 12-3pm): Motion approved.
  • Land Conservancy / Olympian Meadows (Sunday Oct 4): Motion approved.
  • Housatonic Improvement Committee Halloween Event (Oct 24 practice 1-3pm, Oct 31 parade/contest 4-6pm at Fussy Dome and Commons): Motion approved. Concerns about basketball season noted but start date set for Nov 1.
  • Badminton Program (Brian): Request to use Fussy Dome Tuesdays/Thursdays 7-9am. Motion to approve usage and $250 expenditure from parks revolving fund for equipment (nets, rackets, birdies). Approved.
  • Great Barrington Little League (Olympia Meadows mid-August through October, Monday-Friday 5-7:30pm, weekends TBD): Motion approved with request to update specific times.
  • Grove Street Basketball Hoop (citizen request for small hoop): $150 expenditure approved from revolving fund.

Old Business

  • Town Program Procedures (pickleball, badminton, basketball): Chair noted town manager is developing formal procedures for fees, waivers, and contact persons. Fees document tabled to September meeting.
  • Open Space and Recreation Plan Priorities: Commissioners shared top priorities. Consensus emphasized:
    1. Maintenance of existing parks and facilities (including invasive species management at Lake Mansfield, field upkeep).
    2. Moving forward with already-funded projects (e.g., Dewey Park renovation, Grove Street improvements, bike trail connections).
    3. Enhancing connections (bike trails, events to draw visitors). Chair will compile a summary report for the town manager.

New Business

  • September Meeting Date: No Mondays available; chosen for September 15, 2026.
  • Appointment of Laura Stevens: Motion to recommend Laura Stevens to the town manager for the Parks Commission. Approved via roll call (6-0, Paul absent).
  • Donation and Revolving Fund Procedures: Informational only – new forms for donation acceptance and fund requests.

CPA Projects Update

  • Karen advised not to seek new CPA funds until currently allocated projects (Grove Street, Housy Park) are spent. Approximately $200,000 remains. Discussion of alternative uses (e.g., pickleball courts) deferred.

Reports & Updates

  • Memorial Field: Irrigation improvements made; warning track partially sprayed; caterer damage (burnt field, moved porta-potty) addressed. Continue maintenance.
  • Skate Park: New coordinator Chris introduced. Proposed inaugural event (free build-your-own ice cream? Actually

Meeting Transcript

So it's 515. I'd like to call the uh um August um meeting of the parks commission to order. Um the first order of business on our agenda is a reorganization. They're a motion. I'd like to make a motion. Yes, please. Um I would like to uh maintain the uh organizational structure uh as it was for the 20 uh 25-26 year um with you as the chairperson and Karen as the co-chair. Um I think you guys did a great job and uh with Karen's experience and your enthusiasm. I think yeah, it's it's it's a good combo. Oh go ahead and second. Okay, we have a second. Is there any discussion? Um all in favor. Right. Any opposed. Okay, just for I'm sorry, for the record, Carolyn. Um one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Paul Gibbons is home, is uh absent this evening. The rest of us are here and in person. Um okay, so any roll. No roll. No roll call. So we're all set with that. Um motion to approve. Oh I'd like to make a motion on the June 8th minutes that we approve. Uh second. Sorry, um, any discussion. Corrections, deletions, or admissions. I I don't think anybody in the members have that. I think we're good. So all in favor of approving. I uh any opposed. Okay, that is unanimous. Um, July 13th. I'll make a motion to approve. Second. I'll refuse myself all of them here. Okay, Steve is Steve wasn't here. He's recruiting. You didn't we didn't take any votes, we just have a minute and it's open meeting then. Great, no vote. Excellent. We're done. Done. Okay, awesome.

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