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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark Board Minutes 2026 01-15-26APPROVED 3/16/26 Page 1 of 3 UNITED CITY OF YORKVILLE PARK BOARD MEETING Thursday, January 15, 2026 6:00pm East Conference Room, #337 651 Prairie Pointe, Yorkville, IL Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 6:00pm by Board President Dan Lane. Roll call was taken and a quorum was established. Roll Call: Sash Dumanovic-yes, Sammy Hall-yes, Dan Lane-yes, Tiffany Forristall-yes, Gene Wilberg-yes, Jorge Ayala-yes Absent: Kelly Diederich Introduction of Guests, City Officials and Staff: The following staff and guests were recognized: Director of Parks & Recreation Tim Evans, Superintendent of Parks Scott Sleezer, City Council Liaison Ken Koch Public Comment: None Presentations: None Approval of Minutes: November 20, 2025 Mr. Ayala moved and Ms. Forristall seconded to approve the minutes as presented. Roll call: Dumanovic-yes, Hall-yes, Lane-yes, Forristall-yes, Wilberg-yes, Ayala-yes. Carried 6-0. Bills Review: Bill List –December 2025 and January 2026 Mr. Evans said most of the bills are for athletics, holiday events and decorations and installation of Cannonball Park. Budget Report – November and December 2025 Mr. Ayala noted that the Professional Development seemed low in comparison to the budget. Mr. Evans said employees have been sent to conferences in November and then in January. Additional staff training will be given and one employee will be going to training for a CDL. In addition, there will be arborist instruction and eventually all parks staff will earn their CDL's. Mr. Sleezer noted that 160 hours of classroom instruction/driving training is now required and employees will earn their Class A license. The expense is $5,000 for a month of training. Mr. Evans reviewed the budget for the Board members and highlighted big increases in special events, athletics and also said there were $48,000 in sponsorships last year compared to $64,000 this year. Baseball and softball registration has just started and preschool had a great start with 60 of the 100 spots already filled. He feels there will be a large surplus at the end of the year and if there is, he plans on purchasing some items to improve the parks in general. Mr. Koch asked if there will be expenses when Parks & Rec moves to the new facility. Staff will compile a list and take it to City Council. Old Business: None Page 2 of 3 New Business: Parks Names List and History Using Mr. Sleezer's historical knowledge of the parks, locations and naming background--a list of those parks was compiled by Mr. Sleezer and Mr. Evans and will be placed on the website. Mr. Evans would like to get a drone view of each park along with a QR code to allow a visual of the park on the website. A park location map is also included in each catalog issued. There are 40 parks --30 with playgrounds and 3 additional parks to be developed in Grande Reserve. President Lane asked if any new parks would be located by the proposed new schools off River Rd. It is not known at this time, though Mr. Evans did not think parks would be on school property. At the next Park Board meeting, the park-naming process will be discussed. The current process will be sent to the Board members prior to that meeting. Parks Tree and Bench Donation Program Prices on benches plus staff time have increased so this results in higher costs. Suggested new prices are plaques $600, tree donation $1,250 and bench donation $3,000. Currently, there are no official rules, but staff has found that some areas of donation have become memorials. In these cases, the family will be notified and the items removed. Staff feels that a 10-year guarantee is appropriate for items purchased. It was previously approved that no more donations will be accepted for Town Square Park or Riverfront since they are full. Ms. Forristall made a motion to approve the new tree and bench donation program application including the price adjustments and the plaque. Mr. Dumanovic seconded. Roll call: Hall-yes, Lane-yes, Forristall-yes, Wilberg-yes, Ayala-yes, Dumanovic-yes. Carried 6-0. Parks & Recreation Monthly Report: Mr. Evans gave a report summarizing the year. He noted that in December they were informed they had received a grant from Illinois Parks and Recreation Association for Rotary Park for the special needs playground. This is the third year they have received this award. Mr. Sleezer will receive the award at a conference. The new Public Works building is about 60% complete and by the end of July/beginning of August, staff will be able to move in. He said the new app for registration was used for the first time and there were 500 registrations since January 1. There were 15-20% of registrants who used the app. Mr. Sleezer said Cannonball Park was just finished today, a new bucket truck was received, tree- trimming has been done at Riverfront Park, a new tree chipper has been received and staff has been taking down an old fence by the Beecher baseball fields. Mr. Lane commented that the Christmas trees in Town Square Park were very nicely done. There were 50 trees and the Parks & Rec received many compliments. There were also many new decorations this year. Mr. Lane also asked about the land next to Dakota's. A grant was received for a certain portion of the land, but not the gravel area and plans for the area will depend on the city budget. Mr. Koch also noted water lines had to be installed in this area. Also discussed was banners on the downtown light poles. City Council approval will be needed. There will be sponsorship opportunities and the banners would be displayed from May until Christmas decorations. The cost would be $1,500 to $2,000 to have your name on it. President Lane suggested the Board members should visit some of the parks in better weather. Mr. Sleezer offered to take small groups as well. In another matter Mr. Lane said that a citizen has expressed their displeasure of the colors used in Cannonball Park saying they are too muted. Page 3 of 3 Park lights will be changed to LED instead of sodium which require more energy and some have already been changed out. If there is a surplus of money this year, Mr. Evans suggested they use some of that money for LED's for Riverfront Park. The energy consumption is reduced by 75% with LED lights. Executive Session : None Additional Business: Board member Dumanovic said he appreciates the staff efforts with the budget and ideas from the staff such as the registration app. He likes the fact that analytics are being measured for events and the growth in programs, sponsorships and details in reports. He asked if there are any challenges for 2026/2027 that need to be addressed. He also asked if there is any thought of membership in an SRA (Special Recreation Association). Mr. Evans addressed that question and said they have access to the Fox Valley SRA which deals with special needs kids. Six or seven park districts give money to the FVSRA. He has been advocating for membership in this organization. The SRA handles children to adults and they offer a wide variety of programs. The membership fee is $100,000 initially plus $100,000 for each year thereafter. Mr. Koch said the city looked into this program in 2010 when a partial membership was offered. Mr. Sleezer said it's important to recognize that there is a need for this type of program. He said his staff is always looking at ways to improve parks for ADA compliance. Mr. Evans shared the story of a special needs child who they were able to help with pre-school attendance. Staff will continue to pursue this and Board members said the full Council should be made aware of this story. One challenge noted is staffing and an additional person is needed to pick-up trash on weekends. There will be a focus on the parks in the next 3-5 years especially with baseball field maintenance and in-house park installation which saves a lot of money. The Board also discussed the scooters, mini-bikes and e-bikes and the challenges they present. The police receive many complaints and Park staff works with them and tracks problem areas. Ms. Forristall said in her neighborhood, residents advise the police of the offender's address and police speak with the kids, however, the problem persists. Adjournment: Since there was no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:02pm on a motion by Mr. Dumanovic. (No second). Roll call: Lane-yes, Forristall-yes, Wilberg-yes, Ayala-yes, Dumanovic-yes, Hall-yes. Carried 6-0. Next meeting: March 19, 2026 Minutes respectfully submitted by Marlys Young, Minute Taker