By GAYLA CAWLEY
SWAMPSCOTT — The Board of Selectmen met for the first time in 2016 Wednesday night, where they discussed and approved six members to serve on the newly created Athletic Field Turf Construction Subcommittee.
The subcommittee will help formulate a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the artificial turf field at Blocksidge Field, according to Selectman Peter Spellios. An artificial turf field was approved at Town Meeting this past spring.
Spellios said subcommittee members will serve in an advisory role and ultimately do not vote on a proposal for the project, or any related finances. The votes will be held by the board, along with two “ex-officio members” who were also approved Wednesday night.
Spellios recommended six subcommittee appointments, which were approved unanimously. All six appointed members are Swampscott residents — John Tripp, Robert Pasersky, Mark Routzohn, Matt Leahy, Sean Quirk and Scott Faulkner.
Also approved were ex-officio members DPW Director Gino Cresta and Recreation Director Danielle Strauss. Spellios will serve as the board liaison on the subcommittee.
Spellios said he wanted to create a subcommittee to help support Town Hall and asked that members bring their expertise to the project.
Tripp is a civil engineer by education and training. Pasersky is an architect with experience in design and project management. Routzohn is a facility manager with Aggregate Industries in Saugus with geotechnical and earth removal experience. Leahy is a certified landscape designer with experience in landscape design and project implementation, according to Spellios.
Quirk was most recently hired as the head coach of the Boston Cannons of Major League Lacrosse. He previously served as the head coach of the men’s lacrosse team at Endicott College for over 20 years and served as part of the team that oversaw the design, construction and use of multiple artificial turf fields at the college, according to Spellios.
Faulkner is a member of the AllBlue Foundation and has ties to many sports organizations in Swampscott, Spellios said.
Town Administrator Thomas Younger said the artificial turf at Blocksidge Field is the most important project for 2016, as it has been through Town Meeting for years.
“We have to do it right,” Younger said. “I have no problem using the expertise we have in town that we might not have in Town Hall.”