Font ResizeTOWNSEND --The Townsend Recreation Commission committed $40,000 to help rebuild the basketball courts and tennis courts near the Hawthorne Brook Middle School.
The project, mostly funded by Sterilite, is well underway, said Gary Shepherd at the July 9 meeting. He serves as a liaison between Sterilite and other parties.
"I think we are where we wanted to be a few weeks ago," he said.
"The question is this: we made the offer and the number $50,000 had floated around," Shepherd said.
The Recreation Department planned on using up to $50,000 of their own funds to build two basketball courts and one beach volleyball court on town land between the new library and Squannacook School.
"How do you want to take your 35, 45 or $50,000 and earmark it?" Shepherd said.
"I want to find out is how recreation wants to be a part of it, how you're going to get the most out of your money," he said.
"The consensus, or what our thoughts were was our money was going into a maintenance fund that would grow over time," said Chairman Sharon Whittier.
The North Middlesex Regional School District will cover the maintenance on the courts, including repaving in the future, Shepherd said.
The school owns the land and the Recreation Department will have access to the facilities whenever school is not in session, he said.
The existing courts need to be resurfaced. Trees were removed to clear the area and land cleared to provide grassy areas, said
One way recreation could have participated in construction was to fund the initial repaving, a cost of about $50,000, Shepherd said.
The area is ready to pave now but the funding process to use recreation money would take months, Shepherd said. He does not want to see the work that has already been done just sitting there.
Town Meeting approval is needed to shift funds, said Finance Committee Chairman Andrea Wood who was in the audience.
There might be a town meeting later this summer because of the school funding, Sheehan said. The bid process would take another four to six weeks before funds from the Recreation Department could be spent on the project.
"I really want to know what you and the benefactor want," Whittier said.
"He says to me, get the job done. Recreation made a commitment to the town. Figure out a way to get it done," Shepherd said.
"We're going to finish the project," he said, "I'd like to see recreation commit to a dollar value."
"There's still other things that need to be done," he said.
"Can we establish a time line? We agree with you. We want to get this done, we don't want to drag this on," Whittier said.
The commission voted to commit $40,000 and to have a plan in place on how to use the money by Sept. 1.
Shepherd will receive a copy of the minutes to approve.
"It will be our contract to you," said Commissioner Lynne LeBlanc.
Shepherd said the courts should be paved by the end of July or in August.
