Park Board meeting notes: Jan. 5, 2026
A Quincy Votes! member attended this meeting. While care has been taken in their creation, these notes are not official meeting minutes and may contain errors or omissions.
Jan. 5, 2026 Meeting
Commissioner David Murphy chaired the meeting
I. Minutes:
• Approve minutes from December 8, 2025, meeting . Approved but not publicly published as of 2/1/26
II. Correspondence and News:
• None
III. Presentation:
• Claire Donohue Prono; Quincy Youth Soccer and Peter Johnson, Matt Nelson; AFC Soccer Club Soccer are presenting a Field Lighting Proposal to the Park Board for consideration. Both organizations are interested in a plan and partnership that would provide temporary soccer practice field lighting.
QYS has 900 children (U6 at Kincaid); continue with in-house through U15 (high school level). In-house is 1 practice and 1 game a week; as kids get older some join Soccer clubs. Right now, we are the youth soccer feeder for High School. Have a travel league too (2 practices a week, and travel to other places). Have a 15 member volunteer board.
Run both Fall and Spring seasons. Fields used:
Southwest,
Therrien
Cleverly
Kincaid
Veteran's
Quarry Hills
QYS funds nets, toilets, and lights except at Veteran's and Quarry Hills. AFC foots bill for Veteran's lights. Often get shifted off Veterans when High Schools need it. AFC and other groups (Woodward) provide some sponsorship.
This group is really feeling the need for lights at additional fields.
Their goal: Permanent and Expanded Lighting.
Why?
· Safety of players, coaches, and families
· Increased flexibility and cooperation with community partners
· Reduce environmental impacts (use diesel lights)
· Have 10 towers for three fields. (Quarry Hills, Southwest, Therrien)
· Costs are not sustainable (pay for labor ($7,520) , diesel $2,000), maintenance ($7,000), $18k Payment to City for use of city fields)
Looking for board to endorse expansion of lights on fields
Authorize site assessments
Continue using portable lights
Possibility for expansion of electrical systems (eg. Quarry Hills)
Form joint City-QYS partnership
Priority:
Southwest,
Therrien
Lebreque
Questions:
· Cost to Quincy youth to play? In house $100 (up to $175 if late)
· Travel $225
· Cap at $600 per family
· Have scholarships
· What has been your finances (to show you could sustain a 10 year loan)?
Cash flow is good
Trying to build reserves
· Lights were bought 10 years ago, cost them $50k then.
· Practice lights are very different (cost wise) than full field lights.
· Practice is 1 hour for in house; 1.5 hours for travel. So for Veterans have 40 or more on a field; Quarry Hills will have 60; Therrien will have 24 kids for an hour.
· Falls: entire season needs lights.
· Spring: needing lights for three or four weeks
· Current lights are fading; loathe to replace them as used is $10k each and not sure how long they will last. Thinking to use solar or LED, and they are new, but they were out of rentals. So would now start to look at for them earlier, but they cost $1,000 per pole per week.
· AFC / QYS shared use: different days. So kids don't have to pick which to attend.
· AFC pays for Veterans (even though QYS is using it two days) all four days
· AFC runs free skills sessions over the winter
Cleats per Week, Average # of players on fields, Games per week
Southwest, 340, 6
Therrien, 240, ?
Cleverly, 235, 14
Kincaid, 450, 7
Veterans, 120, ?
Quarry Hills, 275, 6
Board has to consider:
Neighbors
Field over-usage (example is Adams baseball field, have to limit usage because everyone wants to play here)
What % of QYS are Quincy residents (will get it).
In-house is 100% Quincy
Travel has some non-residents
City has a vested interest in viability to youth organizations (like Quincy track, Quincy Basketball have entered into the Recreation Department)
Thinks there are reasonable solutions for the short term; location of the lights would be paramount to address neighbor's concerns; also need to involve the police.
We can anticipate a demographic and interest wave going up; so it would be appropriate for the department and board to investigate the request; look at temporary lighting which would allow different fields for practice fields and move them around as needed for other uses/events.
City owned temp lighting could fill a city need (our trucks transporting the lights)
Next steps is a recommendation from the board. Have an internal sub-committee before next meeting. Motion to create subcommittee approved. Jay will do research on lights.
Dave said that he has looked at solar light towers @ $17k each (from one vendor)
The board has to take a macro view (who else will use the fields with lights).
IV. Requests:
VETERANS STADIUM:
New England FreeJacks have submitted their 2026 Home schedule: approved
• Saturday, March 14, 2026 - Preseason St. Patrick’s Day Fan event
• Saturday, March 28, 2026 - Preseason rugby game
• Saturday, April 11, 2026 - Home Game #1 (Old Glory DC)
• Sunday, April 26, 2026 - Home game #2 (Anthem Rugby Carolina)
• Sunday, May 3, 2026 - Home Game #3 (Seattle Seawolves)
• Saturday, May 9, 2026 - Home Game #4 (California Legion)
• Saturday, May 16, 2026 - Women’s Pro Rugby Game
• Sunday, June 7, 2026 - Home game #5 (Chicago Hounds)
• Sunday, June 14, 2026 - Possible Playoff game
FORE RIVER CLUBHOUSE:
Richard Ash/Lions Club is requesting use of the Clubhouse on 1/10/26 from 9am -1pm to pack bagged lunches. They request a fee waiver given their nonprofit status. If it helps, Richard Ash would be happy to open and close it that day, so it doesn’t need to be staffed. approved
IV. Old Business:
• None
V. New Business:
• Set next Park Board Meeting: February 2, 2026 at 5:30 pm Park Department Agenda – 1.5.26
VI. Projects:
• Commissioner’s report
Faxon Park: shade shelter is being built (manufacturing delay of 7 months is why it wasn't installed when courts were opened. Will need to dig up 4 places for the pillars of the shade pavilion.
Upcoming projects being discussed:
Ropes Course in Quincy working on draft specifications with Matt Lowe (ran Sheriff's course for ten years) did get CPC money; Targeting opening in summer.
Cleverly: trying to develop some green space on asphalt
Freedom Park: link between Peacefield and Quincy Center. Right now, tired park with old monuments.
Has received funding for Brill Field for inline skating; will be replaced in Spring.
Animal control officer presented an ordinance to new council; would like to review park inventory and find places where dog owners can go; dog owners are fast growing group since pandemic; want to find opportunities to encourage them to go.
Developing a draft survey for dog owners to ask them what they want (types of amenities, locations)