Needham Park & Rec rolls out Event Manager, reaffirms permit, lights and safety rules

Hannah, the town’s Park and Recreation staff member leading field operations, told users the department will move field permit handling to the town’s Event Manager system ahead of fall 2026 and urged user groups to create accounts and upload current certificates of insurance naming the town.

Staff set clear scheduling and lights rules: submit light requests by Thursday at 5 p.m., make monthly lights requests when appropriate, and designate one liaison per organization who is authorized to request early lights shutoff. On the early-off process Hannah explained groups should call Musco (the lighting vendor) and supply the liaison login; ‘‘I will only be responding to the liaison,’’ she said, to prevent unauthorized calls or texts. Staff also noted a 15-minute cooling break currently required when lights are turned off.

Insurance and billing: Hannah asked groups to provide up-to-date certificates of insurance that list the town as an additional insured, either naming ‘‘Park and Recreation Department’’ with the town address or ‘‘Town of Needham’’ with the Highland Ave. address. MyRec remains the invoicing platform for field fees; Nikki in the department handles balances and invoices.

Lights curfew: Department staff confirmed the town bylaw prohibits lights past 9 p.m. at most sites, with Memorial allowed an exception on Friday nights.

Safety measures: Park and Recreation is installing AED cabinets at DeFazio and Memorial as the first deployment; staff said the cabinets require calling 911 to retrieve a lockbox code. Public health representatives recommended concussion training and offered to organize CPR/first-aid sessions for coach groups.

Next steps: Hannah said she will distribute the slide deck and a how-to guide for using Event Manager, follow up with organizations whose insurance requires updates, and continue to emphasize permit enforcement to avoid informal ‘‘backdoor’’ scheduling.