Recreation commission prioritizes safety fixes for Little League fields, will seek estimates for larger capital items

The Town of Charlton Recreation Commission reviewed a wish list of field and equipment requests from Little League and softball organizers and prioritized safety repairs.

Chair read through eight items on the wish list, highlighting safety issues in both dugouts where rotten wood and failing shingles create hazards and an area in the fencing where children could slip through. Chair said those are priorities and will request cost estimates from Corey; PATs noted the town has Amazon funds and suggested volunteer or sponsor labor could help reduce costs. "The fencing and the carpentry in both dugouts are in bad shape...It needs to be patched and is a safety hazard," the Chair said.

Commissioners also discussed larger capital projects: field lighting (the transcript referenced a very large figure), a scoreboard (transcribed around $15,000), a $6,000 shed repair estimate, and a $4,000 mini-split for the snack shack/boardroom. Pats explained the town's procurement thresholds and process: purchases between $10,000 and $100,000 require a simplified competitive process with written quotes (three quotes) rather than a formal RFP. The commission agreed to gather quotes, add capital requests to the finance committee list, and return with firm estimates for prioritization.