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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark Board Minutes 2026 03-16-26 - SpecialAPPROVED 6/16/26 Page 1 of 4 UNITED CITY OF YORKVILLE SPECIAL PARK BOARD MEETING Monday, March 16, 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: Jorge Ayala-yes, Kelly Diederich-yes, Sash Dumanovic-yes, Sammy Hall-yes, Dan Lane-yes, Absent: Tiffany Forristall, Gene Wilberg 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, Superintendent of Recreation Shay Remus, City Council Liaison Ken Koch, Sponsorship & Marketing Coordinator Julie Galauner, Recreation Coordinator Luke Nelson, Recreation Coordinator Brendon Derache Public Comment: None Presentations: Introduction of New Full-Time Staff Ms. Remus introduced the 3 Parks & Rec employees. Julie Galauner is the Sponsorship and Marketing Coordinator and has already secured over $80,000 in sponsorships compared to $36,000 at the same time last year. Brendon Derache was a summer intern and will concentrate on contractual classes and will assist with creative team and special events. Luke Nelson oversees the soccer program and concession stand. He introduced new food items at the concessions and had one of the highest grossing years for concessions. Ms. Remus noted that Ms. Galauner's one-year anniversary is March 17 and Mr. Nelson is next month. Mr. Evans commented that the department has been reorganized and staff added in the last couple years partly due to growth. One of the goals is to “drone” every park and trail so website users can view those areas. Another Parks employee will be added to the budget for next year to complete the Parks staff. He will also continue to bring new employees and those with milestone anniversaries, to the Park Board meetings. Mr. Ayala asked the 3 employees to share information with the Board regarding their education and work experience. Recognize Staff Members for Years of Service This item will be put on a future agenda. Approval of Minutes: January 15, 2026 Mr. Dumanovic and Mr. Ayala moved and seconded, respectively, to approve the minutes as presented. Roll call: Diederich-yes, Dumanovic-yes, Hall-yes, Lane-yes, Ayala-yes. Carried 5-0. Page 2 of 4 Bills Review: Bill List – February and March 2026 Ms. Diederich inquired about the $45 reimbursement for each employee. Mr. Evans said employees are required to have email on their phones and are reimbursed for that. He added that most of the purchases on the bill list are for day-to-day operations There were also some for conferences attended, Cannonball Park costs and deposits for some upcoming events. Budget Report – January and February 2026 No discussion. Old Business: None New Business: Sunflower Playground Proposal Director Evans said they wish to purchase 1 or 2 playgrounds each year. He said $110,000 has been budgeted for Sunflower. The equipment and resurfacing costs $100,578 and the installation is about $9,000. This has to be approved by the end of March to receive the 60% ($61,000) equipment discount GameTime is offering. Originally, staff was going to rehab the park, however, to conform to ADA, it was decided to re-build. Staff wants to be much more ADA compliant and inclusive and this park will satisfy that. Mr. Sleezer told the Board about some of the accessible equipment, including swings the parks will have and that it will fit in the present footprint. It is designed for kids ages 5-12. He said Kids Around the World will remove the old equipment and re-use it. He said it does not cost much for the playground other than for new footings and the labor costs are the highest. He said GameTime techs will install the new equipment and staff will observe so that in the future, staff can install. Ms. Diederich made a motion to approve the design and equipment purchase for the Sunflower Park playground and Mr. Hall seconded. Roll call: Dumanovic-yes, Hall-yes, Lane-yes, Ayala- yes, Diederich-yes. Carried 5-0. New Parks and Public Works Facility Update Mr. Evans said the new facility is 75% complete as of early March. A switch to control the power is needed yet. A sidewalk to the building and nearby park has been poured and it is expected that Parks & Rec can move in this summer. He said there is a status report in the agenda packet. Travel Haka Soccer Club Field Usage Agreement Mr. Evans said that as the town grows they expect to work with some travel organizations and he said this is a good opportunity to start soccer. A local resident made this request and the group is small. They will be placed at Prestwick Park which has ample parking and they will pay $3,000 upfront and up to a maximum of $6,000. The contract will be similar to baseball groups. Parks and Rec will maintain the fields and place additional trash cans, all part of the fee, and the group will provide insurance. It is expected they will use the park 5 days a week for the 50-60 kids who are in 4th - 8th grade. Mr. Ayala said he liked the idea of a Yorkville-based travel team. It was moved and seconded by Mr. Ayala and Ms. Diederich, respectively, to approve the 2026 travel field usage agreement. Roll call: Hall-yes, Lane-yes, Ayala-yes, Diederich-yes, Dumanovic-yes. Carried 5-0. Craft Shows and Farmer's Market Proposal Craft shows have been held at Town Square the last 2 years, but parking became an issue with more events being held at the Chapel across the street. The shows were moved to Riverfront Park later on in the fall. A Farmer's Market professional organization reached out to Ms. Remus and staff felt it was a good opportunity to re-establish this. This would also be good for the re- Page 3 of 4 development of the park and downtown area.. The Market will pay $100 a week/ $1,200-$1,500 for the summer and will hold their events on weekends and Tuesday nights. The Craft show will pay $500 a week. The fees are for trash and staff costs. Downtown businesses will be advised with a list of special events before they occur. President Lane noted that parking needs to be close for older drivers. A motion was made by Mr. Dumanovic and seconded by Mr. Lane to approve the Craft Shows and Farmer's Market Proposal. Roll call: Lane-yes, Ayala-yes, Diederich-yes, Dumanovic-yes, Hall-yes. Carried 5-0. Parks Rules and Regulations Update Mr. Evans said staff wishes to update park hours after some issues that arose last year. There are also city rules. All parks except Riverfront are open from 6am to 9pm and Riverfront park and trails are open dawn to dusk per city ordinance. Riverfront should become consistent with the other parks and verbage should be added regarding the camping ordinance. Mr. Lane moved and Ms. Diederich seconded a motion to accept the updated rules and regulations as presented. Roll call: Ayala-yes, Diederich-yes, Dumanovic-yes, Hall-yes, Lane-yes. Carried 5-0. President Lane inquired if Board members should approach persons violating park rules. Mr. Evans said a staff member should be called so it does not place a Board member in jeopardy. It was noted there has not been an issue with off-leash pets in the parks. E-bikes in the parks were also discussed and it was noted that officials at the state level are working on a bill. Parks and Recreation Program Weather Guidelines For information, Mr. Evans discussed some of the guidelines staff follows during the outdoor sports season. Ms. Diederich inquired if these guidelines are just for staff or for the groups who use the various fields as well. The travel teams have apps for lightning detectors and they follow the rules as well. All of the lightning detectors are new this year and warning messages are emailed to their phones. Parks & Recreation Monthly Report: Logo for 250 Years Celebration Ms. Remus and staff developed a logo, combined with the national logo, for the country's 250th anniversary. It will be used on anything (some exceptions) where the normal logo is used from now until the celebration is over. At this time, there are 14 sponsors for events. Staff will be working on a plan for the event and they discussed some of the many ideas they have including student artwork. Concrete/brick work at Riverfront will be redone. Parks Mr. Sleezer reported they are using the new lift truck and chopper and have been able to clean up areas of dead trees. The shelter at Rotary Park was taken down and powder-coated and they will do another park site later. Fencing has been replaced at Autumn Creek and Beecher. Lights at Riverfront will be taken down and LED lights installed on the 28 poles. If the new budget is passed, he said they will begin work at Riverfront Park in June. Recreation Ms. Remus said sports start the first week of April and they have over 1,000 kids. They have 2 interns from the high school for the pre-school. The social media presence is helping to garner more sponsorships. Special events are being planned and she shared some of the upcoming themes. Mr. Dumanovic commented that there are 30 events in 10 calendar months! Ms. Remus said the assistance from the Board is very much appreciated. Page 4 of 4 Executive Session : None Additional Business: None Next Meeting: The next meeting is May 21, 2026 Adjournment: Since there was no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:17pm. Minutes respectfully submitted by Marlys Young, Minute Taker