In a hearing room crowded with residents, Rochester’s Park Commission opened and closed quickly a rare Monday morning meeting on December 23.
The lone agenda item of note read “Review Open Meeting Law complaint filed by Charles Morgan on 11/12/24”. Commission chair David Hughes announced the purpose of this meeting was a request to the Attorney General to answer a complaint.
Then, without further deliberations or comment, Hughes motioned to adjourn, and the meeting members dispersed, leaving attendees dissatisfied. Hughes further declined to elaborate to the Wanderer as he left the meeting room.
At issue is an Open Meeting Law complaint Morgan filed regarding the Commission’s deliberations over the construction of a new children’s playground at Gifford Field using funds donated by the local, private non-profit group “Tri-Town For Protecting Children.” The basic claim is that the commission conducted these discussions without proper notifications to the public in meeting postings and minutes. “Agenda June 26, 2024, No mention of Playground,” Morgan’s complaint reads. “Yet minutes show discussion took place. Agenda July 2, 2024 ‘To Discuss Playground. Is this ‘New Business’ or ‘Old Business’. There are multiple playgrounds in town, which one will be discussed? Poor details, yet it is on the agenda.”
The underlying concern here, as expressed by residents in previous Park Commission meetings, is that the playground plan quickly became a done deal without the chance for more than one private group to contribute toward the proposal or for the town to create a larger master plan for the park.
Hughes had argued in past meetings that this plan to rehabilitate the playground is long overdue and the board can add more equipment with future donations. “We’ve wanted to do this for a long time,” he said. “We’ve been held back by funding. We are doing the best we can with what we have.”
On December 23, as unhappy attendees exited the meeting, Morgan said, “There should have been a resolution to this issue. Instead, there was no response to the matter at hand.” Morgan added he was unsure what he would do next.
Town Administrator Cameron Durant clarified that the town is addressing the complaint. “Town Council will address it,” he said. “I don’t know why he (Hughes) did not discuss it further, literally. That’s not to disparage him. I haven’t spoken to him.”
Durant elaborated, “This issue needs to be addressed fairly and quickly. And I will assist with addressing this matter as best I can.”
The 3,649 square-foot playground’s full cost will be $81,724.68. While half of that cost is being borne by the local non-profit “Tri-Town For Protecting Children”, the other half is being paid for with the town’s ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds.
Rochester Park Commission
By Michael J. DeCicco