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Recreation Commission keeps Springs Brook Park 2026 rates, reviews budget and summer plans
Summary
The Town of Bedford Recreation Commission on Feb. 25 approved minutes, reviewed a finance update and summer program plans, and voted to keep Springs Brook Park 2026 rates unchanged; commissioners also discussed a space-needs study and timing for park openings.
Robin Steele, chair of the Recreation Commission, opened the Feb. 25 meeting by recording attendance and asking a minor correction to the January minutes; Ron Richter moved to approve the minutes as amended and Leah Devereaux seconded. The motion passed, 3-0-0.
Josh Smith of the Recreation Department gave a finance update, saying account “balances [are] as expected” and that the department’s revolving fund is “leveling off” as spending on staffing and programming increases. He told commissioners the department is fully staffed and noted the athletic revolving fund had lower deposits because the field could not be rented during recent construction. Commissioners discussed CPR/first-aid programming and compared financial aid requests to prior years; the minutes record discussion but do not list numeric totals.
Staff reviewed plans for Spring and Summer registration. Summer Adventures registration had been postponed because of a winter storm; a January jobs fair drew more than 40 youth, and interviews for seasonal staff are scheduled on two evenings in March. Commissioners flagged operational needs, including providing additional shade structures and ensuring enough staff coverage for earlier weekend hours when Summer Adventures runs. Spring/Summer registration was set to open Monday, March 2.
Using last year’s brochure as a baseline, the commission reviewed Springs Brook Park operations and recommended keeping rates and hours the same for 2026 while monitoring staffing for earlier openings. Robin Steele said more weekend hours are increasingly in demand. Ron Richter moved to keep the 2026 Springs Brook Park rates unchanged from 2025; Leah Devereaux seconded and the motion carried, 3-0-0. Commissioners noted that bad weather could affect the planned June 19 opening and asked staff to include any necessary snow dates in the brochure draft.
Ron Richter raised the town’s space needs study and argued the Recreation Department should have dedicated facilities; commissioners discussed possible options tied to school growth but made no formal decisions. The commission scheduled its next meeting for March 31, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., and adjourned by unanimous vote. Minutes were submitted by Debra Squillini on March 16, 2026.
