Accountability Posts

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Off-agenda deliberation on 80x80 court reconfiguration with imminent deadline and no formal public input process

At the 8/20 Sunapee Recreation Committee meeting, the entire debate over basketball vs. pickleball court space at the 80x80 area happened OFF-AGENDA. Residents had no notice. An October painting deadline is now forcing a decision. Was your voice included?

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Scope and cost of Veterans Field capital plan discussed without public notice

Sunapee Rec Committee 8/20: A $250,000 plan for Veterans Field — scoreboard, skate park, playground, bathrooms, sledding hill — was detailed off-agenda. That's ~$150K in capital reserve + $84K in Sugar River funds. No formal public hearing scheduled.

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Community event viability at risk with no public notice or decision

Fall Fest 2025 in Sunapee may not happen. SPTO has declined to lead it. Project Sunapee's involvement is unclear. The Rec Dept says it can help but won't organize it. A decision is needed in 2 weeks. Residents: has anyone told you this is at risk?

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Off-agenda skate park siting discussion with community impact and no public notice

Sunapee Rec Committee 8/20: A skate park location near the public safety building was debated — also NOT on the agenda. Siting a skate park next to fire/police raises real questions. Residents who care had no chance to show up and weigh in.

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Post these in sequence for maximum impact.

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THREAD: Sunapee Recreation Committee met 8/20/25. Several significant decisions were deliberated — but weren't on the public agenda. Here's what residents missed and why it matters. 🧵

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1/ The biggest debate of the night: what to do with the 80x80 court space. Basketball vs. pickleball. This discussion was NOT on the agenda. Community members had already raised concerns about losing basketball space — but had no notice this was being decided.

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2/ The October painting deadline is real. Whatever layout they choose — 2 regulation pickleball courts, 3 non-regulation, or a shared basketball/pickleball space — has to be locked in soon. The committee plans informal feedback via QR codes and conversations. That's not a public hearing.

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3/ Internal division was real too. One member said 'if this is the pickleball space, let's make it the pickleball space.' Another said 'we went from zero pickleball courts to the entire area being pickleball — it's not multi-use anymore.' No final layout was agreed upon.

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4/ Also off-agenda: a detailed $250,000 Veterans Field master plan. Specific cost estimates — $35K bathrooms, $7K swing set, $5-7K tree work for a sledding hill, electronic scoreboard — were discussed. The money is real: ~$150K capital reserve + $84K Sugar River funds.

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5/ Also off-agenda: a proposed skate park location next to the public safety building. Siting decisions for skate parks generate strong community opinion. Steve was directed to coordinate with fire/police chiefs — but residents were given no chance to weigh in.

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6/ And: Fall Fest 2025 may not happen. SPTO won't lead it. Project Sunapee's role is unclear. The Rec Dept won't organize it. A contact is being made in the next two weeks to find out if anyone will step up. Residents have not been publicly notified of this risk.

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7/ The committee did approve one item on the record: $450 for a ski movie event at the library (or The Livery — the minutes and transcript differ on the venue) on November 8th. That vote was unanimous and properly noticed.

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8/ Bottom line: The most consequential decisions of the 8/20 meeting — affecting basketball courts, a quarter-million in public funds, skate park placement, and a community event — were all discussed without being on the public agenda. Residents deserved advance notice.

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Longer-form draft.

At the August 20, 2025 Town of Sunapee Recreation Committee meeting, some of the most significant decisions of the year were deliberated — but none of them were on the published agenda. Residents who didn't already know to attend had no way to prepare, and no way to show up specifically for these discussions.

The longest and most contentious debate of the night was about the 80x80 court space: specifically, whether to prioritize pickleball, preserve basketball, or configure a shared layout. This was not listed on the agenda. Community members have already raised concerns about losing basketball access — including for youth players — but the committee is now working toward an October painting deadline with no formal public input process in place. Informal feedback via QR codes and conversations is planned, but that is not the same as a noticed public meeting. The committee did reach a general consensus to preserve both sports in the space, but no final court layout has been decided.

Also discussed off-agenda: a detailed Veterans Field master plan with a total estimated cost of approximately $250,000, drawing on roughly $150,000 in capital reserve funds and $84,000 in Sugar River funds. Specific proposals included a $35,000 bathroom facility, a $7,000 swing set, $5,000–$7,000 in tree work for a sledding hill, and an electronic scoreboard. The committee framed this as conceptual and non-binding, but agreed to update the project description for the town website and bring a presentation to the Select Board. A proposed skate park location adjacent to the public safety building parking area was also debated without being on the agenda — a siting decision that typically generates strong community reaction.

Finally, Fall Fest 2025 may not happen. SPTO has declined to lead it, Project Sunapee's involvement is uncertain, and the Recreation Department has said it will provide support but will not organize the event. A two-week window has been set to find a leader — but no public announcement has been made about this risk. The one formally noticed and voted item was a $450 allocation for a ski movie event on November 8th, approved unanimously. Sunapee residents: the October deadline for the court reconfiguration is approaching fast. If you have an opinion about basketball, pickleball, or how that public space gets used, now is the time to contact the Recreation Committee.