Horner Park Advisory Council
Meeting Minutes
Larry Brown, as President, presiding, called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. Kevin Anderson acted as Secretary for this meeting. See roster below for attendance.
Previous Minutes: The minutes of the November 2008 meeting were approved unanimously.
Treasurer’s Report: The account balances are $6,601.81 in checking and $8,442.25 in savings. The accounts reconcile.
Council Business: Larry received and invitation to join the Park Advisory Council Oversight Committee charged with creating the new Park Advisory Council Guidelines. These guidelines will include a Complaint Review Process which allows for the Oversight Committee to remove members of local advisory councils.
Announcements: Horner Park will host a girls gymnastics meet on December 8th and 9th in both gyms. In February the Neighborhood Parents Network will have a high school event, and the regional CRASH B indoor rowing competition return on February 28th. The annual Valentine’s Dance is set for February 6th.
Progress continues on the 2nd annual baseball clinic, which is scheduled for Jan. 17 and 18. Tom circulated a draft flyer. Tom wants to buy some astroturf to cover the wooden pitcher’s mounds using proceeds from the event; the park district is donating the wood and building them. Kevin will scan the registration form to a PDF to put on the website.
Larry Brown wrote letters to Rep. Emanuel, State Rep. Fritchey, State Sen. Cullerton and Ald. Mell regarding the status of the underbridge project. Larry Brown is also monitoring the prospect of the city acquiring the parcel adjacent to Ronan Park.
Concert Committee: A meeting will be held on January 14th.
Garden Committee: Susie Novak has completed her park district work for the season, but has banked some HPAC hours to do bulbs. Her hours this year were about what she was doing two or three years ago, 10-15hrs/wk.
Website: The desirability of having wireless internet access for the meetings was expressed.
Volunteer Committee: No report.
Park Briefs:
Horner Park: The new gym mat has arrived. The miscanthus grass in the front walkway has been cut down. No fencing will be installed for the ballfield diamond. There have been two sightings of coyotes; animal control has been notified.
Ravenswood Manor Park: Someone has expressed a desire to remove the “crosswalk to nowhere” at the north point.
Jacob Park: No report.
Buffalo Park: Construction is finished. John O’Connell is drafting an email to CPD regarding the issues of the stones’ height and their pitted surface, and the non-ring configuration. John O’Connell and Larry Brown discussed having a dedication ceremony in the spring.
Sunken Garden Park: John Lyman talked to Jerry Giese about getting Ravenswood Gardens residents more involved with this park.
Horner Park Baseball Association: No report.
Flagpole: Tom will work on this as soon as the work on the baseball clinic slows down.
Other business: The possibility of getting wifi access within the fieldhouse for use be the Council was brought up.
New Business: New area manager Colleen Gallagher introduced herself to the Council. Reid Cleveland introduced himself and solicited ideas for doing his Boy Scout Eagle service project in Horner Park.
The meeting adjourned at 9:00 PM
The next regular HPAC meeting will be held Monday Jan. 5 at 7:00 PM at Horner Park.
Respectfully submitted: Kevin Anderson
Roster of those in Attendance: Larry Brown, President; John Lyman, Vice President/Co-Treasurer; Kevin Anderson, Co-Secretary; Colleen Gallagher, CPD; Tom McManamon, CPD; John O’Connell, Larry Hodak, Michael Holm, Alan Mueller, Lisa Cleveland, Reid Cleveland
