Athletic Field Planning Sub-Committee
In October, 2018 the Parks & Recreation Commission voted unanimously to create a subcommittee to explore the usage patterns, capacity, scheduling and maintenance of the Town’s athletic fields in order to identify potential improvements in management, availability and planning. This revised charge refines the subcommittee’s mission.
The 2016 Open Space & Recreation Plan (OSRP), in which Goal 7 identified and set forth the need to maintain, expand and improve playing fields, and further specified objectives to a.) Improve field maintenance; and to b) Develop more fields to allow rotation and prevent overuse. Nevertheless the 2016 OSRP identified no existing public lands for their “recreational potential” as future playing fields.
Given the Parks and Recreation Commission’s responsibility to manage and regulate the use of the Town’s playing fields, the Athletic Field Planning Subcommittee is charged to:
- Identify, define, document and report the need for athletic playing field capacity based on historic and expected usage trends
- Conduct open meetings and pursue public input
- Document findings as may be deemed relevant
- Issue a final report to the Parks & Recreation Commission with options and recommendations with regard to the above
The Athletic Field Planning Subcommittee will be appointed by the Parks & Recreation Commission and shall consist of the various interested parties who use, manage or plan the Town’s Athletic Fields, represented by 7 voting members from the following:
- One member of the Parks & Recreation Commission
- One member of the Select Board
- One member of the School Committee or Harvard Public Schools’ Administration
- Two Harvard Athletic Association Board Members
- Two Members-At-Large who are residents of the Town of Harvard
It is recommended that the Subcommittee be provided funds from the Parks & Recreation Commission to cover costs associated with community outreach and preparing its final report.
