Recreation committee warns volunteer burnout could end ice rink; requests $5,000 for new boards

Members of the Westford Recreation Committee told the Selectboard on July 23 that volunteer burnout threatens annual community events, and they asked for help securing materials and volunteers to restore the town ice rink.

Bailey Greer and Greg Arendt said the committee has three recurring events (ice rink, Fourth of July, Turkey Trot) that rely on volunteer coordinators who receive modest stipends. Arendt said the rink’s wooden boards are beyond repair and that a material replacement would cost about $5,000. He said, according to the committee’s plan, they could ask Essex Tech and local high-school partners to build and assemble new boards under volunteer supervision, but they are concerned that relying on volunteer labor alone may not be sustainable.

Selectboard Member Julia Andrews cautioned that the town does not have a dedicated $5,000 account for that purchase. “The town does not have $5,000 sitting in a bank account,” Andrews said, arguing that a mid-year appropriation would need careful review. The board discussed alternatives: asking the Common Committee to consider a one-time allocation from its non-replenishing fund, running a “buy a board” donor scheme, or prioritizing the request in the next budget cycle. The Recreation Committee said the Turkey Trot generates the most event revenue and that loss of continuity among volunteers is the immediate operational risk.