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Selectboard debates MOU with school over park gates and liability
Summary
Board members pressed for changes to a draft memorandum of understanding with the school about shared use and gate-locking at recreation fields, raising concerns about daytime access, insurance certificates and shared snow/ice removal responsibilities.
The selectboard spent substantial time reviewing a draft memorandum of understanding (MOU) circulated by town staff that would formalize responsibilities with the local school district for maintenance and access to town recreation facilities. Speaker 2 described the draft as a first version that the school prepared as a compromise; board members objected to language they said could permit locking a gate during daytime public use and to unclear insurance and liability language.
A board member said, "We discussed before not having that gate locked closed during the day down there... People need to go down there and enjoy it," and several others agreed they did not want the town to limit public access to recreation areas. Another member raised a question about which party would supply the certificate of insurance and whether the draft shifted liability in ways the board should not accept. Speaker 2 said he will compile the board's input and send a revised draft to the town attorney for review.
Board members suggested that the MOU should reflect shared responsibility for maintenance and snow/ice removal rather than placing unilateral obligations on one party. The board agreed to continue work on the MOU, have the attorney review revised language, and invite a representative from the school district to discuss any remaining points before final adoption.
