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Park Board Minutes 2021 08-05-21APPROVED 11/18/21 Page 1 of 4 UNITED CITY OF YORKVILLE SPECIAL PARK BOARD MEETING Thursday, August 5, 2021 6:00pm Parks Maintenance Building, 185 Wolf St., Yorkville, IL Note: This meeting was held in accordance with Public Act 101-0640 and Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation issued by Governor Pritzker pursuant to the powers vested in the Governor under the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act. This encourages social distancing by allowing remote attendance at the meeting, due to the current Covid- 19 pandemic. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 6:00pm by Board President Amy Cesich. Roll call was taken and a quorum was established. Roll Call: Kelly Diederich-yes, Sash Dumanovic-yes, Dan Lane-yes, Gene Wilberg-yes, Amy Cesich-yes Absent: Rusty Hyett Introduction of Guests, City Officials and Staff: President Cesich recognized the following staff and guests: Director of Parks & Recreation Tim Evans, Superintendent of Parks Scott Sleezer, Superintendent of Recreation Shay Remus, City Council Liaison Ken Koch, Kendall County Record reporter Lucas Robinson (via Zoom), Recreation Coordinator Christina Calcagno, Pre- School Teacher Emily Schreiber Public Comment: None Presentations: None Approval of Minutes: May 20, 2021 The minutes were approved as presented on a motion by Mr. Lane and second by Mr. Wilberg. Roll call vote: Dumanovic-yes, Lane-yes, Wilberg-yes, Cesich-yes, Diederich-yes. Carried 5-0. Bills Review: Bill List – June and July 2021 Mr. Evans said 2 fireworks displays accounted for a large portion of the expenses along with expenses related to other recent special events. Sports activities were also included in the expenses. APPROVED 11/18/21 Page 2 of 4 Budget Report – April and May 2021 Mr. Evans said the final numbers are not available yet, however, budget cuts had been made and after May 2020 programming was resumed, it resulted in a good budget year. He is unsure if the school gym will be available for basketball due to Covid conditions. Fall registration, including pre-school, has been very robust. He also said there was a huge turnout for Riverfest Old Business: None New Business: Land Cash Update Mr. Evans provided background and said the city re-negotiated the Grande Reserve incentive agreement and PUD and it outlined the substantial funds the Parks Department will receive. Some money will be delayed until the parks are built and Mr. Evans stated that some of the funds from Grande Reserve must be used in that development. Over $650,000 will be available in land cash and there are also funds coming from other sources. He is seeking guidance for fund utilization including possible land purchase. Mr. Evans said there are 28 parks and 27 of those have playgrounds. He noted that last year was the first time the city gave money to the Parks for maintenance, otherwise, land cash has been used. He said 2 playgrounds per year should be replaced. Mr. Sleezer said the goal was to have a playground within ½ mile of every home. Suggestions for spending the funds included a pickleball court, shuffleboard, bocci ball, dog park and trails to access parks. Mr. Lane said a pickleball court should be a priority especially for senior citizens and said a location on Hydraulic would seem appropriate. The Board also approved of the list of options provided by the Parks staff. Mr. Dumanovic suggested soliciting opinions from citizens as to their interest level for certain projects. He said meet and greets could be held at events or a survey conducted. He said the money might even be redirected into existing facilities. Mr. Wilberg asked when the last survey was done and suggested a table at Hometown Days to engage citizens. He also asked if the grant cycle was being utilized at this time, which it is not due to timing. Price & Fox Hill Playgrounds Purchase This is informational regarding playground equipment that has been ordered and will be installed by staff. This equipment will allow for refurbishment rather than doing a complete tearout, it meets present standards and is a less expensive way to improve playgrounds. Parks Rules Sign Mr. Lane said some people are using parks after designated hours, but the parks are only open until dusk. The Board members approved of the new sign samples and the wording is needed for legal reasons and insurance. The sign selected by the Board will be reviewed by the attorney prior to posting. Recreation Office Closure Dates Due to the difficulty of scheduling vacation days because of the many special events, Mr. Evans hopes to block out some specific closure dates for vacations. This is an update and the Board was OK with this decision. APPROVED 11/18/21 Page 3 of 4 Band Shell Update Mr. Evans and City Administrator Bart Olson are collaborating on a draft agreement for the bandshell. The group that is promoting the bandshell idea is trying to purchase a small moveable stage to start the program. The permanent bandshell will be located at Riverfront Park and they will use the existing concrete slab. Mr. Wilberg asked who would control the revenue opportunities and Mr. Evans said it has yet to be decided. Capital Purchases This is part of the funds provided by the city and most purchases were discussed in May. One of those was the weed sprayer so spraying can be done in-house. Other equipment such as mowers, playgrounds and electrical improvement equipment were also purchased. New truck purchases will be delayed at this time. City/School Partnership Update A partnership between the schools and the Parks Department is being considered regarding location of the pre-school program in the schools. There will be a meeting next week, however, no specific location decision has been made yet. The goal is to have an agreement ready for the Fall of 2022. Two rooms and a bathroom are required for the pre-school. Mr. Lane commented this would be a beneficial collaboration. Special Recreation Association The Board needs to begin discussions regarding recreational opportunities for special needs kids and adults, said Director Evans. He referred to Fox Valley Recreational Association who has a facility to accommodate special needs. Ms. Remus said that if Yorkville does not have enough special needs kids for a specific program, they could take part in a program at this facility. She said there is a need and that need will grow. Since there is no money in the budget for this, Mr. Evans said this matter needs to be discussed at the city level and President Cesich asked Liaison Ken Koch to take this information forward. Mr. Evans said Parks & Rec would have to apply to be part of a SRA (Special Recreation Association). Mr. Dumanovic noted that St. Charles has a program like this. Parks and Recreation Monthly Report Director Evans noted that Victor Perez has resigned from the Park Board. He said Mr. Perez was an asset to the Board and his service was appreciated. He also noted a father and son coach and soccer player had been involved in a car accident and the young boy was killed. A coach also passed away last fall from Covid. Mr. Evans hopes to be able to recognize those persons at a future date. On another sad note, he announced that the Yorkville City Clerk Lisa Pickering had passed away suddenly. He described her as an outstanding employee as well as a friend. Mr. Evans continued his report and said the Riverfest turned out very well and final planning is being done for Hometown Days. He said assistance with checking ID's would be appreciated. More than 4,000 people are going through the parks on Saturdays with all the activities, said Mr. Evans. He said Mr. Sleezer's staff did an incredible job of prepping the fields for sports during Covid even though they were short two employees. Ms. Remus was also forced to make adjustments with ever-changing Covid guidelines. Mr. Sleezer said the electrical improvements have been made at Beecher and they are waiting for ComEd to make the connections. Staff is working on re-sealing basketball courts and baseball fields are being rehabbed. Staff has been spraying weeds as well. APPROVED 11/18/21 Page 4 of 4 Ms. Remus said staffing is back to normal with the two new employees introduced. She said there was a huge turnout for 4th of July and Riverfest and they are now planning for holiday celebrations. She said 815 kids are playing soccer and softball, 50 more than before. Ms. Remus said 90 kids are registered for pre-school and those children will be wearing masks due to Covid. Ms. Cesich said she heard positive feedback regarding the golf outing. The cost of the outing of over $6,000 was questioned by Mr. Lane. The outing was hosted through a partnership with Yorkville Education Foundation and the profits were split with approximately $6,000 received by each the Parks and the Foundation. Mr. Evans said he also hopes to hold an event with the Library. Mr. Wilberg asked to share his perspective on Riverfest. He said he helped both nights and wanted to acknowledge all on their efforts to make this a a well-run event. It was fun and safe for people of all ages and he said it gives him a feel for the pulse of the city. He said events such as this also pull more people into the circle of volunteers. Director Evans said it is a team effort and he also praised the Police Chief for the police presence and understanding the need for community involvement. He also referenced the recent National Night Out. Executive Session: None Additional Business: None Adjournment: There was no further business and the meeting adjourned at 7:07 pm on a motion by Mr. Lane and second by Mr. Dumanovic. Roll call vote: Lane-yes, Wilberg-yes, Cesich- yes, Diederich-yes, Dumanovic-yes. Carried 5-0. Respectfully transcribed by Marlys Young, Minute Taker