Horner Park Advisory Council
Meeting Minutes
Larry Brown – President, presiding, called the meeting to order at 7:45 PM. Peter Schlossman acted as Secretary for this meeting. See roster below for attendance.
Previous Minutes: The minutes of the May 2009 meeting were approved.
Treasurer’s Report: No report.
Council Business: See below.
Announcements: Buffalo Park Celebration is June 20.
Concert Committee: The 15th season of concerts in the park starts Sunday June 7. The program book is finished. John O’Connell thanked Judy Malloy at Chicago Park District for printing the programs. Approximately $12,000 was raised for concerts this year. All contracts are signed except two. Checks will be copied for Tom McManamon and T.J. Kosmider’s records and deposited. A Mail Chimp email notifying people of the concert series will be sent this week.
Garden Committee: Susie Novak has been working approximately 6 hrs. / week. Tom McManamon will inform HPAC of the total landscaping funds that CPD plans to expend, so HPAC can budget to pay the difference in Susie’s fees.
Web Site: No report
Volunteer Committee: The river cleanup had 50 volunteers in attendance.
Park Briefs:
Horner Park: This is the last week of classes. Camps are 90% filled. John Bernbom stated that customer satisfaction with the programs at Horner Park is high. HPAC appreciates the efforts made by Tom and his staff in that regard.
High school baseball season is finished. Horner Park Baseball Association season began. A concern over weekday evening use of the ballfields by younger children was voiced. Larry Brown stated that the use of ballfields by preteens on school nights should not be condoned. HPAC has not seen recent evidence of the financial controls promised by HPBA. HPAC requests that HPBA provide a draft financial statement on an accountant’s letterhead. Tom McManamon will request that information from HPBA officers. Colleen Gallagher is more informed than Tom regarding HPBA business.
Tom McManamon will talk to Chuck Lamonto about a fall nighttime baseball league. Evening baseball leagues would be subject to scrutiny by neighbors around the park. HPAC would seek public consensus on evening park usage if it becomes imminent.
Tom is interested in HPAC’s ideas for generating revenue. Larry Brown suggested asking Gordon Tech and other institutions that use the park for a usage fee. Charging concessionaires and vendors that sell items in the park was discussed. Charging a percentage of the baseball leagues’ income for ballfield maintenance was also discussed.
The front steps of the main fieldhouse are being repaired.
Ravenswood Manor Park: No report
Jacob Park: Larry Brown talked to Dan Luna regarding a meeting with the Greater Rockwell Association about the Jacobs Playlot expansion. Alderman Schulter remarked recently that CTA is not interested in transferring their land to the park. Larry and Tom McManamon will talk with the GRO representatives regarding this change of position. John Lyman made a motion that HPAC actively advocates that the CTA property adjacent Jacob Playlot be used as parkland and not be developed for commercial or residential purposes. The motion was seconded and approved.
Buffalo Park: Postcards inviting the neighborhood to a celebration of the completion of Buffalo Park landscaping project were sent out. The celebration will be held June 20. HPAC will consider shutting down California to allow for the audience to spill over. Vendors will be approached to supply food and beverages. A music act may be asked to perform at the event. A surplus of approximately $4,000 was raised for the park project. John O’Connell proposed spending up to $1,500 for the event. John O’Connell requested that HPAC reconcile the donations received with the income statements. Funds received from the sale of bridge panels should be accounted towards the Park project. Names of the donors and an announcement of the celebration event are on the website.
Sunken Garden Park: No report.
Other business:
Flagpole Project: HPAC recommends that the Ceriale family formally approve of the use of Michael Ceriale’s name in the flagpole project prior to beginning formal solicitation of funds. Tom McManamon will give Reid Cleveland contacts at Gordon Tech for Reid to follow up with for donations. John O’Connell can also give Reid the names of contacts from the HPAC database.
Vegetable Garden committee: A layout of the vegetable garden is in progress. Friends of the Parks gave seeds to Kevin Anderson for the garden. Kevin Anderson did not attend but he sent a report which is paraphrased as follows: Two meetings were held in May and about 10 people are interested in plots. No official word yet on CPD approval for the site inside the circle near the fieldhouse, but informally the committee heard that it should be approved. The committee sent a grant application to Gardenburger, and they expect to send an application later this month to Home Depot. The committee asked Susie for a list of things she’d like to add to the budget for the grant. The committee is also expecting to apply for assistance from GreenCorp.
New Business: None
The meeting adjourned at 9:00 PM
The next regular HPAC meeting will be held Monday, July 13 at 7:30 PM at Horner Park.
Respectfully submitted: Peter Schlossman
Roster of those in Attendance:
Larry Brown, President; John Lyman, Vice President; Peter Schlossman, Co-Secretary; Tom McManamon – CPD; John O’Connell, John Bernbom, Allan Mueller, Michael Holm, Reid Cleveland.
