Horner Park Advisory Council
Meeting Minutes
Larry Brown, as President, presiding, called the meeting to order at 7:15 PM. Peter Schlossman acted as Secretary for this meeting. See roster below for attendance.
Previous Minutes: The minutes of the June 2008 meeting were approved.
Treasurer’s Report: The account balances are $29,328.72 in checking and $13,434.88 in savings. Three checks are outstanding; the one for Ground Up Theater was rewritten.
Council Business: Information on HPAC officers was sent to CPD. The Horner Park diamond dedication ceremony will not be scheduled this year. No progress has been made on the flagpole installation project at Horner Park.
Announcements: Community Bank of Ravenswood is considering extending support to HPAC and an event may be scheduled with them at a date to be determined.
Concert Committee: Roughly 600 people attended the Michael McDermott concert and viewing of Wizard of Oz at Horner Park. A sound system was used for this event due to the larger attendance. It is not expected that a sound system to the same degree will be necessary for future events.
Garden Committee: Susie Novak is gardening about 5 hrs. per week and will try to increase that to 10 hrs. in the future. Plants from Buffalo Park may be transplanted to Ravenswood Manor Park in expectation of the seating project moving forward. Sunken Gardens landscaping has been trimmed by CPD landscape crews, but more work is needed there. The Horner Park grasses were also weeded by the CPD crews. Susie recommends adding a rose bush to prevent people from walking thru the natural garden at Ravenswood Manor Park. Installing a planter in the lawn area of Ravenswood Manor Park was also discussed to prevent the lawn from dying due to traffic and overuse.
Web Site: No report
Volunteer Committee: No report.
Park Briefs:
Horner Park: The dodgeball league will not be scheduled this summer due to lack of interest. Sidewalk work was completed in several areas of Horner Park. Parking lot work including curbs, and sewers was completed. The fence at the little fieldhouse is down and kids were playing ball against the south wall. Adding picnic benches or a lattice against the wall was discussed as a way of preventing that activity. The fields were reported as being rough in certain areas.
HPBA has not approached HPAC or CPD staff regarding extending the hours for field lights. The panel box for the lights was vandalized by someone who glued the box shut while games were being played. Tom McManamon had to remove and replace a part on the box, and filed a report on the incident. The little field house is getting hard use.
It was reported that the gate to the river was not chained anymore. Tom to check on the gate.
There was very little cleanup needed after Fourth of July this year. The park was policed very well.
A restaurant type of eating venue was being set up at the SE area of the park on weekends without a permit. The person running that operation will be kicked out in the future.
Park revenue has increased and garbage has decreased since picnic permit requirements have been enforced.
Ravenswood Manor Park: No report
Jacob Park: A hornet problem was reported. CPD will spray to get rid of them.
Buffalo Park: $43,000 raised has been raised for the seating and landscape renovation by HPAC. $5,000 of that is CPD in kind support. CPD wants HPAC to cut a check prior to issuing the project for bid. A motion was made by John O’Connell to have HPAC pay CPD $10,000 to allow CPD to bid the project. Discussion ensued regarding whether the money would actually be used this year for the project. It was agreed that the remaining $10,000 should be paid upon completion of the project to a degree which is satisfactory to HPAC. It was also agreed that HPAC should secure a commitment from CPD that the remaining funds after completion of the seating project should be used for the kiosk at Ravenswood Manor Park. The motion was voted on and passed unanimously. L. Brown to secure commitment from CPD regarding the remaining funds.
Sunken Garden Park: Kevin Anderson to call Ald. Schulter’s office regarding the need for parkway trees to replace the two dead ones.
Other business: John O’Connell attended Ald. Mell’s meeting regarding the expansion of Ronan Park. He reported that the funding for the project would come from the Kedzie/Lawrence TIF, and would be a negotiated match from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The funding would roughly break down as $800K of menu funds, $1.5 mil from IDNR and $4-5 mil. of TIF funds.
New Business: Signage Guidelines need to be researched to determine of HPAC’s identity can be more prominently displayed at the various parks.
The meeting adjourned at 8:30 PM.
The next regular HPAC meeting will be held Monday Sept. 8 at 7:30 PM at Horner Park.
Respectfully submitted: Peter Schlossman
Roster of those in Attendance: Larry Brown, President; John Lyman, Vice President/Co-Treasurer; Thadeus Kosmider, Co-Treasurer; Peter Schlossman, Co-Secretary; Kevin Anderson, Co-Secretary; Tom McManamon, CPD; John O’Connell, Alan Mueller, Susie Novak.
