Park Board Minutes 2014 08-21-14
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Yorkville Parks and Recreation Department
ARC Building
201 W. Hydraulic Avenue
August 21, 2014
Call to Order: Kelly Sedgwick called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
Roll Call: Deb Horaz – yes (5 minutes late); Kelly Sedgwick – yes; Seaver Tarulis – yes; Mark Dilday
– yes; Amy Cesich ‐ yes; Dan Lane – yes; Matt Konecki – no.
Introduction of City Official and Staff:
Tim Evans – Director of Parks and Recreation
Scott Sleezer – Superintendent of Parks
Shay Remus – Superintendent of Recreation
Ken Koch – Alderman
Other Guests: Tony Scott – Kendall County Record
Public Comment: None.
Presentation: None.
Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the July 12, 2014 minutes were approved. Motion to approve
the minutes made by Seaver Tarulis and seconded by Dan Lane.
Bills Review: August 21, 2014 – Tim said this is just for the board to review and if they have questions,
they can answer them. Dan asked about piano lessons. Tim said it is a contractual class that is held for
one or two kids at a time held in the summer.
Dan asked about the True Green bill. Scott said it was for broad weed control the city does their own
fertilization. Scott said in the future he would like to be able to do the weed control twice a year. Dan
asked about Rib Fest. Tim said it was rained out the last half, but the city broke even. Tim said it was a
really good crowd. Dan asked if that was going to be held again. Tim said it has been successful. Scott
said there were six vendors and other things besides ribs. There was a discussion about Rib Fest and
other things the city could include.
Budget Report June 2013 – Informational.
Budget Report June 2014 – Informational.
Budget Report July 2013 – Informational.
Budget Report July 2014 – Informational.
The board discussed the overall budget and the future of the preschool program. Deb asked about three
items that increased in costs. Tim said outside repair maintenance is parks department. Scott said there
was a major break on a mower to replace an engine for $11,000. Scott said to replace the mower would
have been $50,000.
APPROVED 9/18/14
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Deb asked about professional services jump. Tim said it is all of the new coaches and background checks
and contractual things like All Star sports, piano class, umpires for leagues. Tim said he will send an
email showing the jump in special event revenues.
Old Business:
131 E. Hydraulic Street Unit C Use – Update – Tim said after looking into things and meeting with the
county assessor that if the city changed things from a lease to a license that would limit the taxes to help
the businesses be more successful. Tim said he has a memo of what changes the city would like to see
in the lease. Tim said it would be good to have this done before we get another business in there.
Dan asked how this was found out and why wasn’t this done before. Amy said it was considered a
business rental property and it was assumed. Amy said this eliminates the taxes. Tim said yes a lease is
taxable and a license is not. Amy said if the city is using the building the city is not subject to that. Tim
said the city has more control with a license than a lease.
Amy asked what the taxes are on those buildings. Tim said between $1,000‐$1,600 per year. Deb said
this will give the city more control if there is a dispute too. Tim said talking to the city attorney it gives
the city a bit more control of situations. Deb asked what to do if the businesses don’t pay the license
fee. Tim said it is the same with rent it is just a different name.
Deb said the attorney fees are not covered if there is a dispute. Amy asked if the attorney is going to
draw this license up. Tim said it is similar to the lease just more legal aspects of how the license works.
Ken asked if the date was changed so the city is not trying to fill a lease in the summer.
Tim said yes the city would like to renew January 1st and not in the summer. The board discussed how
Foxy’s pays the 5% and rent. Dan asked why the city takes 5%. Tim said because the city charged a
lower rent. Dan said if the business does well, the city does well. Dan said he has never heard of
something like that. Kelly said that is what malls do. Dan said he thinks the city should just charge more
rent and not charge a 5%.
The board discussed the percentages versus rent and how the city should set things up. Ken said city
council is not involved on how the lease is set up, city council just approves it. Tim said Geneva Kayak is
current on the taxes. Tim said Foxy’s is current and ahead of things. Tim said things are better for
Foxy’s, but not great with construction.
Tim said all of these things are open for discussion. Amy said she has a couple issues when you look at
businesses and taxes in this city, it lessens some of the burdens of the residents and if we give incentives
to businesses, it puts things back onto the residents. Amy said the if the buildings are used for
programming there would be no taxes.
Amy said she struggles with the license idea. The businesses are current on taxes and things are getting
better, so she is not sure on the license idea. Amy wants the businesses to do well and she would like to
lessen the burden on them, but what about the residents. Tim said he was asked to look at ways to
help to make these businesses successful and this is a way to do that.
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Tim said the city has given reductions in the past. Tim said the taxes are a county issue and the city has
no control. Tim said if we have a license, we can help them if they run into problems. Amy said she
struggles with the tax issue because it is a community thing.
Tim said there is a business that failed and it is gone and another that is barely hanging on because the
city has been trying to work with them. Deb said how many times are we going to go for this and then
realize it is not going to work. Tim said park board passed wanting to rent out the building. Tim asked
the board to get recommendations to him.
Ken said there was the same dilemma with the purchase of the REC Center. Deb said she doesn’t
understand that. Ken said Aurora is doing that to entice businesses to come there. Tim said this was all
informational for the board tonight. Tim said at the next meeting there should be a vote on it. The
board discussed subsidizing businesses and the pros and cons. Tim said from a staff point of view
whatever the city can do to make these businesses as successful as possible, is what the city wants to
make things good for everyone.
Kelly said to stick with the lease because anywhere else they go, they will pay taxes. Kelly said when it
comes to a lease and a percentage of sales, make that an option of what that business wants to do and
what works best for their business. The board discussed the differences between a lease and a license
and the pros and cons.
New Business:
Lease Agreements to License Agreements for Foxy’s and Geneva Kayak – This item was discussed
under Old Business 131 E. Hydraulic Street.
Reports:
Recreation Report –The co‐ed softball has taken a hit. Tim said co‐ed has seen a significant drop. Tyler
is going to help us become sanctioned so teams will be more interested to get points.
Kelly said in the past we had three nights with teams to paly. Oswego charges less than Yorkville and it
is better organized with a double header every night and bring alcohol to the park and Kelly said he has
been playing out there and he has not see any problems with the alcohol. Kelly said drinking is not a
problem at all.
Kelly said Yorkville only had 6 teams this summer and in the past we had 13 to 20 teams. Kelly said
when Oswego opened up, everyone went to Oswego. Kelly said his team is on board to go to Oswego if
Yorkville doesn’t make changes. Kelly said USSSA is a big organization and if we can get the league
sanctioned and registered and record wins and losses and build up points to complete in play offs in
regions and nationals it would help Yorkville.
Kelly said that will bring in a higher caliber of teams. Tim said he will get all the information on the fees
and costs involved. Tim said he will get some information together and bring it to the board. Kelly said
to consider to allow people to bring alcohol to the games. Scott said in any park in Oswego you can
bring alcohol.
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Tim said he will bring information to the next meeting for discussion. Kelly said Oswego offers more
games and double headers every night. The board asked if Yorkville has space for holding that many
games. Kelly said yes. The board agreed to look into it. The board discussed sanctioning, but without
alcohol.
Parks Report – Scott said Clark Park is complete and he encourages the board to go and look at things.
Scott said it turned out really nice. Scott said there was a flair up with graffiti at some of the parks and
the city was able to clean it up. Scott said there is some on HOA property stuff. Scott said they think it
was just one person who did it.
Scott said Riverfront Park is moving forward. He said the fishing pier might have to be done a different
way. Scott said the city met with EEI and just do a design change and it should be just as nice looking as
it was. Scott said the city had an in‐house discussion on Bristol 65 to get some grindings and a place to
store it to create the drive and parking lot there.
Parks had a few extra kids to help this summer to trim and mulch and clean up the parks and purchased
several semis of mulch. Scott said several big events went well and a couple movie nights. Scott said
Grand Reserve B will be built October 11th by the big day of serving and the city will partner with them
to do the install. Scott said the city could really use some help with Hometown Days.
Scott challenged Tim, Deb and the Mayor to do the ice bucket challenge at Hometown Days.
Additional Business: Ken said the council is going to pass three parking bans. Ken said Whispering
Meadows, Cannonball, Windett Ridge because of construction equipment and safety issues. Ken said
for future parks you might want to take this into account. Scott said parking is very expensive. Ken said
the residents brought it forward. The board thinks it is a good idea for safety.
Suspend Regular Session Meeting for Executive Session: Motion to go suspend regular session made
by Mark Dilday and seconded by Seaver Tarulis 7:52 p.m.
Motion to go into Executive Session: Motion to go into executive session made by Mark
Dilday and seconded by Seaver Tarulis at 8:00p.m.
Regular Meeting Called to Order: Motion to call regular meeting by Mark Dilday and second by Amy
Cesich to order at 8:00 p.m.
Adjournment: There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:01 p.m. Motion was
made by Mark and seconded by Seaver
Minutes Respectfully Submitted by:
Lisa Godwin
Minute Taker