Watertown panel reorders Staver Fund priorities, asks staff for cost estimates

The Watertown Park and Recreation Commission voted to reorder priorities for the Staver endowment at its regular meeting, placing the Where Angels Play playground and Adams Road Park above a planned full replacement of four tennis courts at Cresburg Park.

The action followed a presentation by Kathy Taylor, president and CEO of the Connecticut Community Foundation, who told commissioners the donor’s endowment is designated for “maintenance and improvement of recreational facilities in the town of Watertown.” Taylor said recent annual grant disbursements from the endowment have risen (figures provided at the meeting), and she advised that pairing the endowment with municipal bonding for a recreation project would generally be acceptable while noting she was speaking as foundation president, not as legal counsel.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the Staver Fund balance — discussed in the meeting as roughly $414,000 — is substantial but not enough on its own for the quoted tennis‑court replacement, which a prior estimate placed near $421,000. Commissioners debated whether to recommend to the town council that the project be bonded and the endowment used as part of a blended financing package to accelerate construction.

Commissioners moved, seconded and ultimately approved a recommendation that the commission convey a new project priority list to the town council: first, Where Angels Play playground; second, Adams Road Park; third, replacement of the four tennis courts at Cresburg Park; fourth, Jumping Jack playground repairs; and fifth, pools/splash‑pad work. The final motion also directed Director Michael to prepare more detailed, itemized cost estimates and scope options to bring back to the commission and to the council for a financing decision.

Commissioners emphasized caution about using the endowment for routine operations. The draft Staver Fund policy reviewed at the meeting specifies the endowment must be used for capital park and recreation improvement projects and sets a $25,000 minimum reserve to preserve a contingency.

On costs, Director Michael provided rough line items discussed at the meeting (for example, playground rubber patch and reseal work was cited at about $12,000 and broader playground repairs were estimated in the $25,000–$30,000 range), and commissioners asked staff to solicit updated contractor quotes. Taylor reiterated the foundation’s interest in honoring donor intent and suggested the foundation’s development team could review proposed language or project concepts before formal adoption.

Next steps: The commission asked the director to return with clarified quotes and a recommended financing approach so the body can forward a formal recommendation to the town council. The transcript records the motion carried; the meeting did not contain a formal roll‑call tally in the provided text, so the precise vote count is not specified.