Horner Park Advisory Council
Meeting Minutes
Larry Brown – President, presiding, called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM. Peter Schlossman acted as Secretary for this meeting. See roster below for attendance.
Previous Minutes: The minutes of the November 2009 meeting were approved with comments noted.
Treasurer’s Report: The following funds are in HPAC accounts: Checking: $9,389.91, Savings: $8,360.83, PayPal: $971.83. Total balance of all accounts equals $18,722.57. The HPAC books are reconciled with the bank accounts. Softball tournament transactions and vegetable garden donations are outstanding, and a letter acknowledging Anne Rozmin’s $100 donation needs to be written.
HPAC is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The renewal of that status needs to be completed annually – around January. The state corporation filing was completed for 2009 and should be done by November 2 annually. The application for funds from the IL State Historic Preservation Agency to maintain the Horner Park monument were denied this year due to budget constraints, but should be applied for annually. HPAC was denied the sales tax exemption by the state of Illinois.
T.J. Kosmider is not able to contribute as treasurer to the degree he feels necessary, and will resign the post once the current HPAC business matters are closed out.
Council Business: See below.
Announcements: Valentine’s Dance is Saturday Feb. 6 from 4-7PM. The Doggie Easter Egg Hunt will be held the week before Easter.
Concert Committee: A meeting will be held the 2nd week of January. Larry and John O’Connell will discuss new people to contribute to the committee.
Garden Committee: Susie Novak turned in documentation of the hours she worked to Tom McManamon for CPD to pay.
Web Site: No report.
Volunteer Committee: No report.
Park Briefs:
Horner Park: Larry Brown has not heard anything further from the 33rd Ward regarding the under bridge connector or other projects.
The Baseball Clinic is scheduled for the weekend of Martin Luther King Day. Tom McManamon distributed the plan for the weekend with expected expenses and revenues. Expenses were budgeted at $4,565 and a $1,635 profit is expected with 164 kids expected to attend. Tom has contacted scouts. A motion to authorize holding the baseball clinic based on the submitted budget was seconded and approved. A mailchimp email blast and a letter on HPAC letterhead need to be drafted and sent out.
A letter from HPAC to raise funds for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing program was sent this month. HPAC will act as DHHP’s fiscal agent. Tom McManamon told DHHP that HPAC would not pay costs associated with their program over the amount raised.
John O’Connell sent minutes of the meeting held 12/3/09 with HPAC, Army Corps of Engineers and a rep from Mike Quigley’s office regarding the riverbank project. See attached.
Asbestos was removed from the basement of the main fieldhouse, and a new boiler is being installed. Thermostat controls were replaced throughout the main fieldhouse. The elevator work is scheduled for January.
The Great Rake Off was a success.
Horner Park staff is having various mandated furlough days.
Ravenswood Manor Park: The kiosk glazing at Manor Park is gone. Peter Schlossman has it and it needs to be replaced. Tom McManomon will arrange for a crew to fix this. The ruts in the parkway from backhoe traffic are still there, and need to be filled. The lights at Manor Park are not timed correctly.
Jacob Park: Sheila Pacione with Alderman Schulter’s office was going to attend tonight’s meeting to discuss the expansion possibilities of Jacob Playlot but she could not attend.
Buffalo Park: No report.
Sunken Garden Park: No report.
Other business:
Flagpole Project: Christy Weber Landscaping will perform the GC role on the project and donate their labor to complete the work. Larry Brown met with their estimator the day of the meeting. He requested that the flagpole be installed by a subcontractor to Christy Weber for a single source of responsibility. Christy Weber’s contract will be with HPAC, and it is expected that one check will be issued for the first phase of work. Christy Weber will secure the access permit, and HPAC knows of no other permits that are needed. Thanks were expressed to Chuck Lamonto for securing the donation of services by Christy Weber. Reid Cleveland will provide support from his Boy Scout troop to dig the hole for the flagpole. Larry will give Reid 5-7 days notice so he can arrange the work effort.
Vegetable Garden committee: The committee is active but no report.
New Business: Jessica Gutierrez discussed dog walker behavior at Horner Park, and potential issues with dogs off leash. Chicago ordinance requires that dogs must be on a leash, however enforcement is not very tight. Feces on the playing fields was discussed as being a problem. Posting education pamphlets or discussing issues at events such as Doggie Easter Egg Hunt were considered. Other ideas were having bag dispensers, and signage regarding rules for dogs. The city ordinance regarding dogs in parks is attached.
HPAC should remember to renew their membership with Friends of the Parks.
The meeting adjourned at 9:00 PM
The next regular HPAC meeting will be held Monday, January 4 at 7:00 PM at Horner Park.
Respectfully submitted: Peter Schlossman
Roster of those in Attendance:
Larry Brown, President; John Lyman – Vice President; T.J Kosmider – Treasurer; Kevin Anderson – Co Secretary; Peter Schlossman, Co-Secretary; Tom McManamon – CPD; John O’Connell, John Bernbom, Allan Mueller, Reid Cleveland, Susie Novak, Jessica Gutierrez.
(scan of submitted excerpt from the city’s dog ordinance: 200912dogordinance.pdf)
(scan of Mitchell letter: 200912mitchellltr.pdf)
