On the agenda: Wethersfield Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and Harbor Management Commission Meeting Agenda (PDF) — license plate reader (Oct 22)

AGENDA
PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD
HARBOR MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
Thursday, October 22, 2026
7:00 PM
Conference Room 3, 505 Silas Deane Highway
A. Public Comment
B. Minutes –September 24, 2026
C. Harbor Management Commission
a. Harbormasters Report
D. Director’s Report – September
E. Letters and Announcements
F. Board Discussion
a. WBA Non Resident Participation in the High School Boys League
b. Future Park Board Projects
c. FY28 CIP Projects
d. Parks and Recreation Project List
e. December Park Board Meeting Location
f. Follow up Items
G. Public Comment
H. Board Member Comments
I. Town Council Report
J. Motion to Adjourn

The meeting packet will be posted on the Town website at wethersfieldct.gov/government/agendas-and-minutes

Wethersfield Advisory Parks and Recreation Board
Harbor Management Commission
Meeting Minutes – Thursday, September 24, 2026
The meeting in Conference Room 3 was called to order by Chairwoman Barton at 7:02 p.m. Members present
were Suzanne Barton, Karen Mann, Mary Mahar, Sarah Gantley, and Stephanie Mokrycki. Also present was
Councilor John Weiner Lision to the Board and Rachael Mattioli, Director of Parks and Recreation
A. Public Comment
Mark Hacker, 32 Old Pewter Lane, President Wethersfield Little League. Mr. Hacker discussed the
availability of baseball and softball fields during the fall season. Mill Woods field availability is limited
as fields transition to soccer and flag football. With shorter daylight hours, the league struggles to find
enough fields for practices, which are a priority in the fall to prepare players for the spring season. The
league currently has 15 teams participating this fall, including 10 baseball teams and five softball teams.
Mr. Hacker noted a need for additional lighted fields in Town, particularly for softball, and requested
access to Mill Woods Field 5 as the league’s preferred location for fall use. He also noted that fall fields
are currently groomed only once per week.
The second part of the discussion focused on fundraising for the Greenfield softball field project.
B. Minutes
Vice Chairwoman Barton asked if anyone had changes to the minutes of the July 23, 2026 meeting. Ms.
Gantley moved to approve the minutes of the July 23, 2026 meeting. The motion was seconded by Ms.
Mahar and passed unanimously.
C. Harbor Management Commission
a. Harbormasters Report – Ms. Mattioli handed out the Harbormaster Report prepared by the
Harbormasters. A total of 23 moorings have been rented and approved. The Channel and Cove
are clear and the main dock is good. One adrift recovery and one warning were reported.
b. Harbor Management Plan – Ms. Mattioli reported that the Town Council adopted the revised
Harbor Management Plan at their August 17 meeting. The adopted plan has been submitted to
CT DEEP and posted to the Town’s Harbor Management Commission website. The plan will
need to be revised again by August 2031.
c. Cove Cameras - Board members discussed the installation of cameras at the Cove. If the Police
Department wishes to proceed with a license plate reader camera, the department will be
responsible for its purchase and installation. The Town will move forward with purchasing and
installing a general security camera.
D. Director’s Report – July and August
Vice Chairwoman Barton reviewed the July and August monthly reports with the Board. Ms. Mattioli
reported record participation in summer camps and strong pool attendance throughout the summer. She
also highlighted the many special events planned for the fall. Looking ahead to next summer, space will
continue to be a challenge, as capacity limitations prevented the Department from enrolling additional
campers from the waitlist this year.
E. Letters and Announcements
Ms. Mattioli informed the Board that the Town was awarded funding through the Connecticut
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Urban Forest Resilience Grant Program to
support tree planting on municipally owned public properties. The Town received more grant funding
than originally requested. The Board had provided a letter of support.
Ms. Mattioli updated the Board on custodial changes at the Community Center. The two full-time
custodial positions have been transferred to the Parks Group within Physical Services to assist with

outdoor maintenance at the schools. The Town has hired Uncle Sam’s Contractors, which currently
provides custodial services at Town Hall, to clean the Community Center. One staff member will be
assigned to the first shift and one to the second shift. The day-shift employee will also assist with event
setup and breakdown.
The Parks and Recreation Department will also be hiring facility coordinators to work evenings after
full-time staff have left and on weekends during events. They will assist patrons using the facility,
provide security, and help address needs as they arise.
Ms. Mattioli also shared that the Parks and Recreation Department received the Town’s Exceptional
Service Award for Team of the Year.
F. Board Discussion
a. Spring Street Park and Dam Improvements Project
Ms. Mattioli reported that the Town is awaiting a revised conceptual plan for the park and updated
cost estimates. The dam portion of the project is currently under review by CT DEEP for approval.
b. Parks and Recreation Project List
Ms. Mattioli provided updates on the following project
 Pickleball Courts: The project experienced delays with the fence submittal process. The
contractor, KBA, and Town staff will meet on site next week to review the work
completed to date and confirm it complies with the plans before the asphalt is paved. The
project completion date has been pushed to late August/early September.
 Community Center Bathroom Improvements: Physical Services issued an RFP for the
main bathroom renovations, but no bids were received. Parks and Recreation is working
to secure a contractor to develop the bathroom design, which will be included in the
revised RFP when the project goes back out to bid. The project is supported by a
$200,000 grant that must be spent by May 1, 2027.
c. Upcoming Board Projects
Ms. Mattioli asked the Board what projects they would like to focus on now that the Mill Woods
Master Plan has been updated and approved by the Board. Discussion focused on exploring
options for bringing disc golf to Wilkus Farm. Board members acknowledged the restrictions on
passive recreation associated with the DEEP grant funding but expressed interest in determining
whether there are options that would allow disc golf while remaining within the grant
requirements. Members also discussed exploring the possibility of developing a field at Farms
Village Park on Cedar Street.
d. Follow Up Items
None.
G. Public Comment
None.
H. Board Member Comments
None.
I. Town Council Report
Board members requested that the following items be included in the monthly Parks and Recreation
Advisory Board update memo provided to Councilor Weiner:
 Spring Street Pond Project: The dam removal portion of the project is currently in the permitting
process and has been submitted to DEEP for review. Town staff are also updating the park
conceptual design based on feedback received during the recent public information meeting.





Program Growth and Facility Needs: The Board discussed the continued success and growth of
Parks and Recreation summer camp programs and the resulting demand for additional program
space. More than 3,000 campers participated in programs housed at the Community Center,
Emerson Williams, SDMS, Charles Wright, and the Nature Center.
The Nature Center was specifically identified as an area where additional space is needed to
accommodate growing demand for programs and services. Town staff are also exploring the
possibility of utilizing space in the vacated ambulance building as an additional Community
Center location.
Greenfield Baseball/Softball: The Wethersfield Little League Board President attended the
meeting and raised concerns regarding perceived inequities between the baseball and softball
programs, particularly related to facility improvements and fundraising. The Board discussed the
possibility of public fundraising efforts to support improvements at Greenfield and the
importance of considering how resources and improvements are allocated between the two
programs.

J. Motion to Adjourn
Ms. Gantley moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:07 pm. Motion was seconded by Ms. Mahar and passed
unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Rachael Mattioli, Director Parks and Recreation Department

​Wethersfield Parks and Recreation​
​Directors Report​
​September 2026​
​Department Highlights​
​●​ ​Parks and Rec Department received the Town’s Exceptional Service Award for​
​Team of the Year​
​●​ ​Parks and Rec Director attend the National Parks and Recreation Association​
​Conference​
​Special Events​
​●​ ​Cornfest took place on September 12, with higher attendance than last year​
​●​ ​Cars on Main was on September 19 and had record participation from car​
​owners​
​●​ ​The Keane Foundation commemorated the 25th anniversary of September 11,​
​2001 with a ceremony on the Broad Street Green​
​Rentals​
​●​ ​Community Center​
​○​ ​230 Rentals​
​●​ ​Solomon Welles House​
​○​ ​12 Rentals​
​●​ ​EBW Nature Center​
​○​ ​1 Rentals​
​○​ ​2 Birthday Parties​
​○​ ​Established weekly rental for home schoolers on Thursdays from 1-4pm​
​●​ ​Fields​
​○​ ​2 Rentals​
​●​ ​Loretta's Dream Pavilion​
​○​ ​5 Rentals​
​●​ ​Little Red Schoolhouse​
​○​ ​8 Rentals​
​Outreach​
​●​ ​Nature Center​
​○​ ​Hosted 8 programs (Jerome Home, Livewell, Cornfest, Homeschoolers,​
​Cove Park Movie, Cornfest, Highcrest Picnic, WHS First day)​
​●​ ​Therapeutic Recreation​
​○​ ​Hosted 3 sessions at AHEPA & Executive Square​

​Programs​
​●​ ​Aquatics​
​○​ ​Barracudas Stroke Clinic: 32 enrolled (increase)​
​●​ ​Early Childhood​
​○​ ​TLC Preschool: 3’s AM: 18 enrolled (full,steady)​
​○​ ​TLC Preschool: 4’s AM: 18 enrolled (full, steady)​
​○​ ​TLC Preschool: 3’s PM: 8 enrolled (increase)​
​○​ ​TLC Preschool: 4’s & 5’s PM: 13 enrolled (steady)​
​○​ ​TLC Playgroup - Monday: 20 enrolled(full, steady)​
​○​ ​TLC Playgroup - Friday: 19 enrolled (steady)​
​●​ ​Art/Dance/Chess​
​○​ ​Abrakadoodle Myths & Legends class: 7 enrolled(steady)​
​●​ ​Keane Afterschool​
​○​ ​Offering 25 programs: 273 enrolled​
​●​ ​Youth Sports​
​○​ ​Afternoon Athletes (Grades K-2): 22 enrolled (increase)​
​○​ ​Afternoon Athletes (Grades 3-6) 12 (steady)​
​○​ ​Super Athletes (Grades K-2):32 enrolled (steady)​
​○​ ​Super Athletes (Grades 3-6):35 enrolled (steady)​
​○​ ​Bulldog Fitness: 16 enrolled (steady)​
​○​ ​First Tee Golf (Thursdays): 5 enrolled (steady)​
​○​ ​First Tee Golf (Sundays): 3 enrolled (steady)​
​○​ ​Gymnastics - Sept: 32 enrolled (steady)​
​○​ ​Karate: 20 enrolled (steady)​
​○​ ​Parks & Rec Soccer: 14 enrolled (steady)​
​○​ ​Youth Pickleball Clinic: 4 enrolled (steady)​
​●​ ​Adult Sports​
​○​ ​Sunday Basketball League: 53 enrolled (steady)​
​○​ ​Early Morning Basketball: 14 enrolled (steady)​
​○​ ​Pickleball Club: 10 enrolled (increase)​
​●​ ​Fitness​
​○​ ​Gold AM: 26 enrolled (increase)​
​○​ ​Zumba AM: 12 enrolled (steady)​
​○​ ​Zumba PM: 23 enrolled (increase)​
​○​ ​Tai Chi Flow: 8 enrolled (steady)​
​○​ ​Cardio Strength Virtual: 3 enrolled (steady)​
​○​ ​Core Strength Virtual: 4 enrolled (steady)​

​ ​ ​Strength & Stretch Virtual: 2 enrolled (steady)​
○
​○​ ​Pilates Virtual: 7 enrolled (steady)​
​●​ ​Nature Center​
​○​ ​Froglets: 40 enrolled (increase - added additional section)​
​○​ ​Tadpoles: 29 enrolled (increase)​
​○​ ​Animal Caretakers: 8 enrolled (steady)​
​●​ ​Therapeutic Recreation​
​○​ ​TR Adult Club: 10 enrolled (increase)​
​○​ ​Special Olympics Basketball: 14 enrolled (steady)​
​○​ ​Special Olympics Bowling: 10 enrolled (steady)​
​○​ ​TR Afterschool:​
​■​ ​Tuesday: 5 enrolled (steady)​
​■​ ​Wednesday: 6 enrolled(steady)​
​Projects​
​●​ ​The Pitkin Community Center Banquet Room was freshly painted.​
​●​ ​Built 3 new basking platforms for aquatic turtles at Nature Center​
​Upcoming Events​
​●​ ​Keane Carnival: Friday, October 16 - Sunday, October 18, 2026​
​●​ ​Mikey’s Place 5K: Sunday, October 18, 2026​
​●​ ​Cadet Car Show: Sunday, October 25, 2026​
​●​ ​TR Boo Bash: Thursday, October 29, 4:30- 8:00pm​
​●​ ​Veterans Day Ceremony: Wednesday, November 11, 11:00 am at WHS​
​●​ ​Santa Pancake Breakfast: Saturday, December 5 at 8:00 am​
​●​ ​Holidays on Main: Saturday, December 5 starting at 1:00 pm​