Parks & Recreation Commission

BO AR D M EM BE R S Erin Zamarro, Chair Andrew Bartholomew Nick Chacharone Brian Dardy Eric Stratton Andrew Serrato PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION Nataile Turner MEETING AGENDA C ON T A CT Thursday December 18, 2025 @ 6:30 PM • 50 Officer Manny Familia Way • Worcester, MA 01605 Department of Parks, Recreation & Cemetery Administrative Office – Meeting Room A • Hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 PM 50 Officer Manny Familia Way Worcester, MA 01605 • Phone: 508-799-1190 • Email: Parks@worcesterma.gov • Website: The Parks & Recreation Commission meeting will be held in-person at the date, time and location listed above. Meeting attendees will www.worcesterma.gov/parks additionally have options to participate remotely by joining online or by phone: The Parks & Recreation Commission is committed to ensuring that its public meetings are accessible • Use the following link to join the meeting via computer: to all. If you need reasonable accommodations to participate in the meeting, please reach out to the 1) Go to www.teams.com staff contact listed. While boards and commissions 2) Enter Meeting ID: 268 145 440 765 2 do their best to accommodate you, certain accommodation may not be available if requested 3) Enter Password: 6sT2j2oL within short notice of the scheduled meeting. 4) Join the meeting now Requests for American Sign Language interpretation must be made 10 business days or more in advance of the meeting. • Call 1-469-998-7682 (Access Code: 776 685 881#) Hay disponibles servicios de interpretación y otras adaptaciones con solicitud previa. Note: If technological problems interrupt the virtual meeting ‫ﺗﺘﻮﻓﺮ اﻟﺘﺮﺟﻤﺔ اﻟﻔﻮرﯾﺔ وﻏﯿﺮھﺎ ﻣﻦ وﺳﺎﺋﻞ اﻟﺘﯿﺴﯿﺮ ﻋﻨﺪ اﻟﻄﻠﺐ اﻟﻤﺴﺒﻖ‬ component, the meeting will continue in-person. अनवु ◌ाद र अ6य आवसह अ'-म अनरोधपचत ◌ु उपल5ध Application materials may be viewed by appointment at: हु6छ। Department of Parks, Recreation & Cemetery, Interpretação e outras adaptações estão 50 Officer Manny Familia Way Worcester, MA 01605 disponíveis mediante solicitação prévia. between 8:00 a.m. – 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Përkthimi dhe akomodime të tjera janë në dispozicion me kërkesë paraprake. For more information concerning this meeting, please contact the Kasa nkyerɛaseɛ ɛne akwanya afoforɔ da hɔ Department of Parks, Recreation & Cemetery, by email at ma wɔn a wɔn bɛ bisa ato hɔ. Parks@worcesterma.gov or phone at 508-799-1190. Please send Phiên dịch và các hỗ trợ khác có sẵn theo written comments 3 business days or more in advance of the meeting. yêu cầu trước. If you need reasonable accommodations to participate in the meeting, please reach out to the staff contact listed. While boards and commissions do their best to accommodate you, certain accommodations may not be DI V IS IO N S TA F F available if requested within short notice of the scheduled meeting. Requests for American Sign Language interpretation must be made 10 Robert C. Antonelli Jr. Commissioner business days or more in advance of the meeting. Jeffery Tomanio, Parks & Recreation Para más información sobre esta reunión, comuníquese con el Coordinator Department of Parks, Recreation & Cemetery, Hope Cemetery Division Mily Pacheco, Staff Assistant III por correo electrónico al correo Parks@worcesterma.gov o por teléfono Melissa Richford, Principal Clerk al 508-799-1190. Envíe sus comentarios por escrito 3 días hábiles o Scott Morin, Director of Maintenance más antes de la reunión. Si necesita adaptaciones razonables para participar en la reunión, comuníquese con el contacto del personal John Grant, General Foreman indicado en la lista. Aunque las juntas y comisiones hacen todo lo 1 U P CO MI N G M EE TI N GS posible para atenderle, algunas adaptaciones podrían no estar JANUARY 29, 2026 disponibles si se solicitan con poca anticipación a la reunión programada. Las solicitudes de interpretación de lenguaje de señas FEBRUARY 26, 2026 estadounidense deben hacerse 10 días hábiles o más antes de la reunión. MARCH 19, 2026 APRIL 16, 2026 1. Call to Order – 6:30 PM MAY 14, 2026 2. Attendance (Roll Call) JUNE 11, 2026 3. Acceptance of Minutes (November 20, 2025 & December 4, 2025) 4. Public Participation There will be a two (2) hour time limit for this meeting unless a majority of the commission members present vote to extend the allotted time. 5. Public Participation (Agenda Items); A person may speak for no more than three (3) minutes in total on any item appearing on the agenda. 6. Commissioner Report a) NA 7. Old Business The individual / organization / group who has placed an item on the agenda may speak for no more than five (5) minutes in total on the item they have submitted. a) Request of District 4 City Councilor Luis A. Ojeda Sr., the Worcester City Council, Mayor Jospeh M. Petty and the Green Island Residents Group to begin the naming process of the building located in Crompton Park in in honor of Lorraine M. Laurie. b) Request of Park Spirit of Worcester to discuss the attached documents (from the October 16, 2025, Agenda) as it pertains to Park Land used for non- park purposes. c) Request of Commissioner Stratton to have the Law Department review items 1, 2, 3 & 4 within three months. 2 8. New Business Agenda items must be submitted three (3) business days before each Commission meeting with subject line “Agenda Item” to Parks@worcesterma.gov and reply satisfactorily to any required follow-up requests sent by the Parks and Recreation Commission. The individual / organization / group who has placed an item on the agenda may speak for no more than five (5) minutes in total on the item they have submitted. a) NA 9. Tabled Business To take an item off the table, a motion must be made by a member of the Commission, seconded and approved by a majority vote of the members present. The item can then be discussed at the next meeting. a) NA 10. Meeting Adjourned (Roll Call) 3  November 13, 2025 City Hall Room 310 455 Main Street Worcester, MA 01608 Office: 508–799-1049 Luis A. Ojeda Sr. Fax: 508–799-1194 District 4 City Councilor OjedaL@WorcesterMA.gov Robert C. Antonelli Jr. Commissioner, Parks Department 50 Officer Manny Familia Way Worcester, MA 01605 Dear Commissioner Antonelli, Please accept this letter of support for the renaming of the Green Island Neighborhood Center in Crompton Park to include the name of ‘Lorraine M. Laurie.’ Lorraine led the Green Island Neighborhood Group for many decades, generously giving her time and energy to improve the neighborhood. She was deeply invested in preserving the rich history of Green Island and carried a wealth of local knowledge that has been lost with her passing. As president of Green Island Residents Group, Inc. (among other roles), she helped organize food-drop- offs at the neighborhood center to support families in need, especially around Thanksgiving. She also ensured that the Kelley Square Christmas Tree Lighting continued during redevelopment by seeking out an alternate location. Lorraine devoted her life to giving back to the City of Worcester in countless ways, but her heart was especially rooted in her beloved neighborhood of Green Island. So beloved in the community that residents affectionately referred to her as the “Mayor of Green Island.” Thank you for considering this renaming in her honor. Luis A. Ojeda Sr. District 4 City Councilor Khrystian E. King Vice Chairman Morris Bergman Councilor At-Large Donna Colorio Councilor At-Large & Councilor At-Large Thu Nguyen Councilor At-Large Kathleen Toomey Councilor At-Large Jenny Pacillo District 1 City Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson George Russell District 3 City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj District 5 City Councilor District 2 City Councilor City of Worcester • 455 Main Street • Worcester, MA 01608-1892 Office: 508–799-1049 • Fax: 508–799-1194 • www.WorcesterMa.gov