APPT-2023-13 : Appointment of Bradley Freeman, 39 Apple Hill Road, to the Melrose Parks Commission, for a five-year term set to expire on the First Monday of May 2028.

Transcript (~11 min @ 21:40)

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▶ 21:38 Robb Stewart: have the first appointment this evening, which is the appointment of Bradley Freeman of 39 Apple Hill Road to the Melrose Parks Commission for a five-year term set to expire on the first Monday of May 2028. And do we have the mayor for this?

▶ 22:10 Speaker 6: Is he back from Australia?

▶ 22:20 Paul Brodeur: Mister meeting him. Once again, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman for folks that weren't watching the previous meeting want to explain that regretic can't be with you this evening because I have been diagnant with covid after three years of dodging the bullet. I have been hit so I'm coming to you. From my self-imposed Exile the second floor of 125 Trenton Street. I didn't want to miss the opportunity to speak. About my appointment of Mr. Freeman to the Parks Commission. I want to thank Jim Lane for his long service in making the the work of the park commission come to the four and for the success that we've experienced at Mount Hood and throughout the city and I believe that Mr. Freeman is a worthy successor. If you've had an opportunity to review his materials, you'll see that he is an expert in government and Communications, but also I want to point out that he is someone with his family that shows no rose. He came to Melrose 12 years ago set up route is now here with his family and very active in sports and recreation space both with his kids and as an individual in talking to Mr. Freeman about the opportunity, he was very clear about recognizing the complete. Importance in the challenges facing Parks and Rec here in Melrose in particular spoke with passion about the need to serve all the people of Melrose regardless of age or ability interest in active or passive Recreation. So, I think he will do an outstanding job, and I look forward to your questions for him his statement and you're deliberations. Thank you. Thank you Mr. Man and

▶ 24:20 Robb Stewart: Mr. Freeman, you're welcome come forward and and make an opening statement.

▶ 24:31 Bradley Freeman: Well, thank you very much chair Stewart and members of the council. It's an honor to appear before you today and thank you mayor for your for your comments. I would welcome the opportunity to serve on the Parks Commission as the mayor said. I'm a 12-year resident of Melrose. My kids are being raised here and taking full advantage of the offerings of the Parks and Recreation Department playing a number of programs to the rec department. I also serve on the Incarnation board of directors. So I do have an understanding of how Sports play a role such a positive role in our youths development and what we can do is a city to provide as many opportunities for them as possible and particularly as a father of a young daughter. One thing. I feel very passionately about is ensuring that there's equity in offerings and making sure that our daughters feel just as important about their Sports offerings and their fields as our sons do so, that's something I'd really like to bring a perspective to the Parks Commission, and I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have

▶ 25:26 Robb Stewart: Thank you, Mr. Freeman. Are there any questions from the committee?

▶ 25:31 Speaker 6: Council County

▶ 25:33 Manjula Karamcheti: He's a much for stepping up and you're interested in serving on the parks and rec at commission. I'm just be interested that you know, looking over your letter of interest and just your perspectives on where you see some potential needs in terms of developing the parks and rec offerings in the city. Yeah, I think you know again my children

▶ 25:51 Bradley Freeman: are taking full advantage of the offering. So I think they are plentiful but I think there's always an opportunity to grow it particularly is Melrose continues to grow as a young City the more we can offer our kids the more opportunities to try different sports to make sure the fields are fully available and you know as functional as possible. I know there's such a space crunch in our city and everything we can do to identify more opportunities for them to use those feel to be something I'd really like to work on.

▶ 26:21 Speaker 6: councilography

▶ 26:23 Mark Garipay: Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Mr. Freeman for volunteering for this position. I've had the privilege privilege of serving with Mr. Freeman at the on the ink board and I'm sure that he's going to take on this position like he like he worked up there and and he did a great job and still does. So I look forward to voting and supporting this this order. I do have one quick question for the mayor if he's still with us.

▶ 26:56 Speaker 3: Yes.

▶ 26:56 Mark Garipay: Thank you, Mr. Mayo. Hope you're feeling well. Quick question on I know I know there's another opening I think that was posted for the park commission. And I know Miss the lane was kind of the golf golf expert for the park commission and knowing that. Mount Hood is a is a large Revenue source that kind of kind of keeps the engine going within the parks and pay some other blondes, so I would just Do we have someone in line? For the next position that that also has golf experience.

▶ 27:37 Paul Brodeur: Who are that is a terrific question. I appreciate it. So the park commission like just about every other Commission in in the city. I have taken the opportunity. What I feel like is the appropriate time to do a essentially a Citywide solicitation of interest and everything that you mentioned goes, you know goes into the consideration of who might step into fill up position or continue a position obviously golf is it the heart of it is the you know, the preman business Enterprise that the products Mission deals with and that is topmost certainly in the mind as I think through What the qualifications and abilities of any particular members should be as you know, there's so many valuable skill sets from law finance and direct experience. All those things go into it.

▶ 28:40 Mark Garipay: Thank you. Thank you. I look forward to sporting supporting you Mr. Freeman. Thank you very much. Thanks you service.

▶ 28:49 Shawn M. MacMaster: Council McMaster, thank you, Mr. Chair. Good evening, Mr. Freeman. Thank you for being here. I was glad to see that your letter references opportunities for residents of all ages and I was wondering if you could elaborate a little bit more about your vision ideas that you might have for recreation opportunities above and beyond those offered to to children. So middle-aged residents older adults anything that you think we can or should be doing and ideas that you have. Yeah, absolutely

▶ 29:16 Bradley Freeman: and I appreciate the question and obviously I think you know, one of the chief roles of the recreation department is to serve all of our residents and I would look forward to working with Joan Bell on that and finding appropriate opportunities. I know the obviously the pickleball is a big thing and a big conversation within Melrose and I think things such as that where you are providing opportunities to all residents regardless of age would be very appropriate. So I look forward to work with the parks department to to explore all opportunities there and finding ways to bring them to fruition whether it be through grant funding. Or working with with you and

▶ 29:52 Shawn M. MacMaster: your fellow counselors. I think one thing I'd be interested in you taking a look at as a commissioner with the other Commissioners opportunities like, you know, cornhole and Lachi and Horseshoes and you know Recreation opportunities like that that really anybody can do of all ages of all backgrounds. So that's I think some of the the opportunities that exists Beyond some of the more traditional recreational opportunities and I the mayor reference passive Recreation too. So just some things

▶ 30:22 Bradley Freeman: to think about and the beauty of what the sports you just mentioned are they're all easily transportable see really can bring them out onto our existing Fields set them up at the appropriate time, and then you can remove them when there's other activities going on.

▶ 30:33 Speaker 1: Okay. Thank you, Mr. Freeman.

▶ 30:36 Robb Stewart: Any other questions from the council?

▶ 30:39 Speaker 6: Council Williams

▶ 30:42 Ryan Williams: I want to build on something counselor McMaster mentioned passive Recreation. So the Parks Commission of course has control over a ton of land in the city of Melrose. And in fact, even though they don't have funding they can make decisions about the use of the land. So they become kind of a de facto like Council mayor's office planning board zoning board, you know conglomerate and I wonder what your thoughts are on improving opportunities for Passive Recreation AKA Parks playgrounds that don't involve organized Athletics.

▶ 31:13 Bradley Freeman: Yeah, and again, as you know, a father of two young children, my daughter was one when the playground at the Lincoln School was built and I thought that was a wonderful opportunity to really Target a specific set and develop a playground for them. So I think any sort of passive environment like that is something we fully should support and find ways to to bring them out whether it be hiking or you know playgrounds or even programs for the elderly in terms of you know, board games and such as that anything you can do to bring people together in the community would be a wonderful addition.

▶ 31:47 Ryan Williams: That's great. I would I would encourage you and I would love to work with you on working with the Parks Commission to bolster the approach to passive Recreation open space Parks. There's a huge and very robust Youth Sports community in Melrose on the passive Recreation side, not so much. So it'd be great opportunity to to bring that into the park commission purview as

▶ 32:11 Speaker 8: well. I'd welcome that conversation great.

▶ 32:15 Robb Stewart: Anybody else for the first time?

▶ 32:18 Speaker 6: Hazelgaria. I was gonna make a motion

▶ 32:20 Mark Garipay: to recommend for passage second.

▶ 32:24 Robb Stewart: We have a recommendation for full Council made by Council Gary pay seconded by Council Gary under discussion. all in favor opposed Alright, Mr. Freeman. This recommendation will go to the full Council will be voting on that. You do not need to be there. You're welcome to come but that that's the next step for this. Well, thank you

▶ 32:50 Bradley Freeman: all very much. Thank you for being here.

▶ 32:56 Robb Stewart: The second item is appointment 2023 - 12 the reappointment of Jason dinkitis of 16 tapin Street to the Melrose Conservation Commission for a three-year term set to expire on the last day of February 2026 given that this is a reappointment it's not necessary for Mr. Junkitis to be with us. What is the will of the committee I make