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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/14/2004 Fishers Island Community Center Committee April 14th, 2004 at the Fishers Island School Attending: Jeanne Schultz Jan Cook Judi Imbriglio Nate Gray Karla Heath Gail Cypherd Sarah McLean Agenda: IlIA. Nate told the group about the dates for the trip to visit the community centers in Maine. I1IB. Jeanne wondered if we should look for a planning grant to help us with OUT efforts. If there is a Civic Association meeting soon maybe someone at the meeting could have the skills to help us with the grant. Gail felt that we could learn from the Maine community centers what it costs to run a facility on an island. Sarah mentioned that during the last meeting it was apparent that the indoor pool is a critical component of the community center, do the seasonal surveys reflect this as well? Judi said that from looking at the surveys it appears so, but that they have not been tabulated yet. Nate said that we have Jimmy Righter's drawings for the last community center effort and maybe we could use those as a basis to determine the cost of a community center. Jeanne felt that there would be someone who might want to volunteer their time to do new drawings, but more importantly we need to ask others who have built a community center what is the order in which they have done things. Nate wondered what were the five things that had to be included in the community center. Judi said that exercise room and pool were near the top. Sarah said that there is a significant difference in the cost of those options and that is something to consider. Nate wondered if we should think about building in phases, but Gail thought wasn't a good idea because a pool is extremely important and if it isn't included in the original phase, the Community Center may not gain enough support. Judi showed the group pictures and information from the web about above ground pools. Gail mentioned that on a few seasonal surveys, "membership" was crossed off and replaced with "use". Judi thought that maybe we could have a per-diem for each use, but Sarah thought that wouldn't work because we wouldn't have money to cover operating expenses. IV 1: Ordinance Building Judi thought that people may rent some of the space in the building. Gail thought that BD rents space. Judi wondered if this building was suitable and could be an option. Jeanne said that she would talk with the owner about the possibility of using the building. Jan said that Harold didn't run into the owner, so he wasn't able to ask. Karla wondered if we could arrange a long term lease of the property. Jan said that Harold is interested in the movie theater for his project, though he would be willing to have some uses similar to what we want. Gail felt that what Harold includes in one less thing that we need to include in a community center and both would good for the island. IV 3: Jeanne said this land by the turn to the airport. She is intrigued about the land by the bowling alley and tennis courts, she thought that the school owns a portion. Karla said that the town owns the tennis courts. Sarah said that the school would be willing to help if that is a location that we want to investigate for a community center. Judi thought a community center on the airport side of the road wouldn't impede anyone's views. Gail thought maybe there was a septic system nearby that we could tap into as well. Jeanne wondered if the walking path by the airport was going to be built? Sarah said that it is going to be built soon. Sarah said that we need to collate the summer resident responses and get a sense of their needs for the community center as well as begin to determine an operating budget. Jeanne agreed and felt that if we are going to begin to approach people we first need a sense of what we want. Sarah thought that we could start from the designs that Sarah Moody sent to Judi and think about what we want to include. Gail thought that some don't understand that existing buildings lack certain things and would be very expensive to refurbish. Jeanne wondered if we actually need to have a gym because there is one at the school. Judi said that people want us to use existing space so we have to show why we can't. People aren't grasping that this is going to be a larger building. Gail said that a central location is very important for some of the activities and so that people can stop by and see what is going on. Sarah said that we will probably need a manager for the building, so that is one reason to have everything under one roof. Jeanne said that there is no reason why the school gym can't be open more often. Gail said that it is very hard to get into the gym before 7 pm because of its many uses, it's hard to get time there. Sarah what segment of the community a Y, gym appealed to? Jeanne thought that we need a place for activities and children to run around. We need space for multiple uses in addition to an exercise room. Sarah wondered who is putting the results into a computer. Nate did that for the first survey and he is going to do it again for the seasonal results. Sarah felt that before we go to Maine we need to find out what we want in the building and up there we need to find out how they do everything and pay for everything. Judi said that at the last meeting John Spofford mentioned establishing a foundation and are there different rules for use if they established the community center? Sarah thought that the only way to pay for a pool would be if the taxpayers pay for it. We would have to raise a considerable amount of money to endow a pool to cover all of the expenses. Jeanne thought that some of the figures from the school may help us to estimate the costs. Sarah said that we need to determine our needs in order to figure out some of the costs and maybe Southold could help pay. Judi said that John Thatcher would be bringing a Congressman this summer. Next steps: Jeanne will talk with Carol Doherty about Ordinance building Alicia will look into the ownership of the land behind the bowling alley Karla will talk with Chippy about if the Ferry District owns the land by the airport Nate will put the seasonal results into a database Jeanne will investigate the cost of running the school to use as a comparison Judi will look into the cost of in-ground pools Next meeting: 4/26 at 7 pm in the school, Nate will email the group before the meeting.