Minutes Park & Rec C 1 13 04PRESENT:
ABSENT:
OTHERS:
MINUTES
APPROVED;
VOTE:
PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
4:30 p.m., in the Third Floor Auditorium, Carnegie-Stout Public Library
Chuck Duggan, Gary Harjehausen, Paul Hoffmann, Karen Lyness and Tom
Schrobilgen
Tom Blocklinger and Klm Daykin
Staff present: Gil Spence, John Hail, Pat Prevenas and Eileen Trimble
It was moved by Schrobilgen, seconded by Hoffmann, to approve the minutes
of the December 9, 2003 meeting. The motion passed unanimously.
PRESENTATION
BY CENTRAL
STUDENTS &
REQUEST TO
HAVE OLD MAUS
PARK AREA RE-
DESIGNATED AS
"MAUS PARK";
VOTE:
Two students (Adam Zivojnovich and Linzy Kipp), the principal, Klm Swift and
teacher Wendy Miller from Central High School attended the meeting to make
a presentation on the work that Central students have been doing at the old
Maus Park area, as part of a class called On the Riverfront. Students gave an
excellent PowerPoint presentation on the history of the old park and area
surrounding it; condition of the area when they began work; current condition;
and hopes for the future.
The students have been working for about five months and have been cleaning
up all the refuse that has been illegally dumped in the area, raked and cleared,
and worked on brush, vine and tree removal. In the spring of 2004 they hope
to: · continue cleaning up brush, trees and garbage along basin; · remove
dead brush and trees on the lower part of the bluff; · gravel road; · lay out
and wood chip the pathways;· develop the plant beds; and prepare ground
for planting of turf grass. In the fall of 2004 they will: · prepare ground for
planting of prairie grasses; plant trees; and continue general maintenance.
Their long-term goals include: · find funds through grants, fundraising, and/or
donations; · get lake dredged out; · clean up the rest of the park; · remove
non-domestic plants; · install benches, gazebo, garbage cans, gate, a fishing
dock, and prepare and plant beds~ construct information board; promote it
as a city park. To meet these goals, Central students can: ·continue c lean-
up; · work with staff to develop related expeditions/projects; · fundraising; ·
gardening, bridge building, wood working; and~work with interested groups
and city officials. The class would need help from the city with the following:
· dredging; · gate replacement/relocation; · installing garbage containers;
rest rooms; an~ lighting. The students asked the commission to re
designate the area as Maus Park.
Commissioners thanked the students for their wonderful presentation. It was
obvious that they put in a lot of time and hard work on their research of the
history of the area, their presentation, and their actual work at the old Maus
Park area.
It was moved by Hoffmann, seconded by Du.q,qan, t__o re-designate the Maus
Retention area as Maus Park. The motion passed unanimously.
more
UPDATE ON
BUDGET
HEARING WITH
CITY COUNCIL:
UPDATE ON
INLINE HOCKEY
RINK:
PARK DIVISION
REPORT:
RECREATION
DIVISION
REPORT:
OTHER
BUSINESS:
Janua~ 13,2004 meeting
page two
Leisure Services Manager Gil Spence informed commissioners that the budget
hearing with the City Council is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Monday, February
23rd. No dinner will be provided this year- budget cut. Division managers will
do a presentation on accomplishments and future initiatives and then Spence
will talk a little about the golf renovation plan,
The rink project is completed and people have been using it. Manager Spence
received a call from a neighbor after the second or third day the rink was
available for use - hockey players were there at midnight banging pucks
around. The police were called and asked for their help in patrolling the area.
A representative of the Youth Hockey Association was also called and asked to
pass the word to hockey players that they need to leave the park by 9:00 p.m.
Mr. Spence said staff would be purchasing reflectors for the lights to control
spillage of light to the neighborhood area.
Staff has received two or three calls from groups that may want to have in-line
hockey leagues there this spring/summer.
Park Division Manager John Hail updated commissioners: ·mechanics are
overhauling all equipment to be ready for the next park season~ twenty -five
new picnic tables have been made and we are replacing ten at the Open Air
Pavilion in Murphy Park; · gardener has started germination on plants in the
greenhouse.
Recreation Division fall report was mailed to commissioners, and may be found
as part of the original minutes. Recreation Division Manager Pat Prevenas
commented on the following: · Adult athletic numbers are down, especially
volleyball. · Golf had less than 30,000 rounds, which is the lowest total in the
history of the course. · Playtime for Tots had 34 participants compared to 57
last year - we offered less classes; · Fulton gym is no longer being used for
the Uptown Program, it was replaced with Lincoln, which has not been used as
heavily. · We lost KGRR as a sponsor for the alumni basketball tournament
so fee was raised for this year to cover the cost, Hempstead is now open
for Sunday recreational swimming. · We are offering two new classes for four
and five year-olds - parent-tot movement and preschool start smart basketball.
· We now have an alarm system in the entire building at Bunker Hill - alarm
goes to security company first and then to police dispatch.
Commissioner Hoffmann commented that a lot of programs really plummeted
over the last eight to ten years. Manager Prevenas said some programs have,
especially adult volleyball; maybe he could do a ten-year comparison report for
the next meeting.
· Managers Spence and Prevenas met with Winnie Thompson and her
daughter regarding their property at the corner of Kennedy Road and
Pennsylvania. Ms. Thompson and her daughter feel it would be a great
location for a recreation center and they want to help get a possible project
going.
more
January 13, 2004 meeting
page three
· Commissioner Lyness asked about the roses on Highway 20. Mr. Spence
said the dead plants were removed; a procedure manual was developed; some
re-planting will be done in the spring; we won't know for sure how the rest of
the plants fared until spring.
ADJOURN;
VOTE:
It was moved by Harjehausen, seconded by Hoffmann, that the meeting be
adjourned at 5:15 p.m. The motion passed unanimously.
Chairperson
Attest