Horner Park Advisory Council
Meeting Minutes
Peter Schlossman – President, presiding, called the meeting to order at 6:36 PM. Lisa Cleveland was Recording Secretary for this meeting. The meeting was held at the Horner Park Fieldhouse. See roster below for attendance.
Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:””; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
I. Approval of Minutes: The minutes of the December 2010 meeting were unanimously approved.
II. Reports
Treasurer’s Report: The following funds are in HPAC accounts: $5,329.60 in Checking, $14,138.26 in Savings, and $3,826.90 in Paypal. Total Funds = $23,294.76. The bank balances are reconciled with HPAC QuickBooks.
Tom McManamon requested $20 for a Santa suit; which was approved unanimously.
A 1099 for Susan Novak is not needed this year.
MB is the new bank for HPAC. The president, vice president, and treasurer need to provide ID to the bank to obtain signing privileges for the new account.
Federal taxes need to be filed by March 31st and state taxes need to be filed in September.
Ceriale Memorial:
Congratulations were given to Reid Cleveland for having been awarded his Eagle Scout rank. The Ceriale Flag Pole Memorial is 90% complete. . Additional gravel is needed around the bench feet, and the flagpole base needs to be secured. In the future some greenery may be needed. There was discussion about trying to convince CPD about the need for gravel path that they removed from the plan. The memorial stone is to be covered on 01/11/2011 with perforated plastic and a 30 lb. wood crate. Larry Brown is going to set a date with Kim Shepherd for the flag pole dedication.
Tom McManamon announced that he selected Reid Cleveland as the Horner Park Junior Citizen Representative. There are 576 park districts that nominate over 800 junior citizens who compete to be one of four winners. Reid is honored to be named.
III. Riverbank Project – Status Report
There was much discussion about the need to keep USACE apprised of CPD/HPAC vision of the development area. Larry Brown recommended that CPD designate a representative to work with USACE. Mr. Brown further suggested that Peter Schlossman write a letter directed to both Ms. Roach and Mr. Mitchell that identifies issues and concerns.
IV. Park Briefs:
Horner Park:
The annual Dog Easter Egg Hunt is scheduled for April.
Overall, registration for classes is going well. Samantha Jayne is booking classes to the fullest and everyone appreciates her dedication and enthusiasm.
The Father/Daughter, Mother/Son Valentine Dance is scheduled for February 11 from 6:30-9:00.
Electrical improvements were delayed for the installation of new switch gears, which powers the entire park. John Lyman requested better electrical access for concerts; currently, power lines are being run down the stairs. Lockers are still being configured and will be repainted. ADA lockers have not yet arrived.
Tom McManamon talked with Carlton Jones about making improvements to the baseball diamond designated Big 1. Improvements would include a home run wall, press box, and fencing. Mr. McManamon said that any improvements must be consistent with a multi-use park. For example, a home run wall cannot interfere with soccer or football.
Gordon Tech asked about donating $10,000 for dugout improvements.
Kim Shepherd has expressed an interest in a baseball diamond dedicated to Mike Ceriale, who played baseball at Horner Park.
Ravenswood Manor Park: The kiosk needs improvements. John Lyman raised issues about the electrical supply to the pergola for concerts.
Jacob Park: No report.
Buffalo Park: No report.
Sunken Garden Park:
Tom McManamon received a call from the alderman’s office regarding an inquiry about Sunken Gardens. Mr. McManamon attempted to return the phone call, but no response was received.
Concert Committee:
There was extensive discussion about liability, which is described below.
John O’Connell reported that the schedule is nearly set and the expected budget, including liability is $8800. Tom McManamon is working to acquire either free or reduced price movies.
Garden Committee:
Larry Brown suggested the formation of a committee to address on-going maintenance issues.
John Lyman sadly watched the demise of 20 flats of plants that went unclaimed.
Web Site Committee: No report.
V. Other Business:
Liability/Insurance:
Peter Schlossman has investigated the issue of liability. One institution responded with a verbal quote of $2700, a second responded with a high quote for liability, and a third did not even respond. The lowest quote was West Bend who responded with a quote of $450 for general liability and $350 for D&O, with a $100 deductible, a $1,000,000 maximum coverage, which includes a $100,000 limit on sexual molestation claims. There was discussion about spending $50 more to increase the sexual molestation limit to $1,000,000 but the consensus was that this is unnecessary. Larry Brown is going to find an expert to analyze the merits of the proposal.
There was much discussion about who should be allowed to sign contracts. In the past, members of HPAC signed contracts, but that may not longer be appropriate. John Lyman suggested that only HPAC officers be allowed to sign contracts. Peter Schlossman, John Bernbom, and John O’Connell are going to meet to review options. Tom McManamon pointed out that he is supposed to get copies of all contracts.
Bylaws: No report.
VI. New Business:
John Lyman raised the issue of using PR to raise money, not just for concerts, but also for the riverbank project. John Bernbom pointed out that Kim Shepherd is a PR agent.
VII. Announcements:
John O’Connell described the Dunning-Reid Conservation area at Irving Park and Oak Park. He also discussed an organization that sponsors community service to improve area parks.
John O’Connell reported that Monday, January 24 is a Friend of the Parks meeting and Saturday, March 19 is a CPD/FOP Networking meeting at the Cultural Center. Everyone was encouraged to attend these meetings.
VIII. Baseball: No Announcements.
The meeting adjourned at 8:40 PM after which Tom McManamon gave a tour of the construction in the basement.
The next regular HPAC meeting will be held Monday, February 6 at 7:00 PM at Horner Park.
Respectfully submitted: Lisa Cleveland
Roster of those in Attendance:
Peter Schlossman, President; Kevin Anderson –Treasurer; John Bernbom, Co-Secretary; Lisa Cleveland, Co-Secretary, Tom McManamon – CPD, Matt Campbell, Reid Cleveland, John Lyman, John O’Connell, Larry Brown.
