Horner Park Advisory Council
Minutes
May 5, 2014
Peter Schlossman – President, presiding, called the meeting to order at 7:09 PM.
Previous Minutes:
The minutes of the April 2014 meeting approved, pending changes.
Treasurer’s Report:
The following funds are in HPAC accounts:
Checking $8,664.16
Savings $14,873.58
Paypal $3,671.12
Total $27,208.86
Kevin provided a preliminary P&L report showing the categories for our ongoing programs. Note it doesn’t not include the Paypal transactions nor in-kind donations – those haven’t been integrated into Quickbooks yet.
There was some discussion of in-kind donations and how to best handle them within the accounting system. The insurance for the concerts and the Manor Bash was approved at the last meeting. Gretchen will forward the bill to Kevin, who will write the check. There was discussion about the paypal amount and how often the balance is transferred to the checking account.
Stewardship:
Peter thanked everyone who came out for Earth Day to clean up the park. Gretchen is going to post a reminder on the web site to come to Jacobs and Sunken Gardens for River Day Clean-up. John has water permits for all the parks except for Buffalo.
Dog Friendly Area Committee:
Tom is going to reach out to Mike Quigley on behalf of the DFA. The DFA is applying for grants from Lowes and Bank of America. Rover Time ran a campaign for the DFA and raised nearly $1000. Erica spoke with Thomas Applegate regarding a Chicago Canine Rescue presence at the Manor Bash. Erica is concerned about the proximity of many children and dogs.
Concert Committee:
The number of responses from households as a result of the flyer campaign is lower than average. John is encouraging everyone to distribute flyers and to encourage participation. Sales will end in 1-2 weeks. There are 2 new sponsors: Davis Theater also Citizens for Greg Harris.
Amy Johnson described Theater Hikes. Tom told them last week that Horner Park is not a good site right now because of the construction and baseball. They have opted to use Ravenswood Manor Park and be folded under the concert series umbrella. John will need to amend his permit application. The performances will be Alice in Wonderland on June 29, Enchanted April on Aug. 23 and 24, and Grave Chicago on Sept. 27 and 28. With these 3 events, there are 14 events at Ravenswood this year.
John made a motion that we enter a partnership with the Welles Park Advisory Council and the Midnight Circus. John motioned that HPAC fund the DFA with $15,000 in 2014. The vote was almost unanimous but for 1 vote. There is an expectation that funds raised through the partnership with Midnight Circus will raise the bulk of the funds. Erica and Gretchen will co-chair the Circus Committee.
Farmer’s Market
The Farmer’s Market will begin July 15; There will be a variety of stands, including meat, cheese, and bread. Gretchen will talk to Tom about getting banner; Erica and John will also be talking to Tom about banners for the DFA and the concert series. Gretchen is going to buy a tent for the event. Gretchen is going to send email to John about the RMA component of the insurance.
Park Briefs:
Horner Park:
Dog Egg Hunt raised $350 with a total of 85 dogs. Photos are posted on the Facebook and website pages.
Ravenswood Manor Park:
Two trees have been removed and there are empty spaces in the canopy. John would like to work with Anne Rozmin later this summer to get replacement trees.
Jacob Park:
Tom said that he is waiting for the money to start prep. A project manager needs to be identified. The concern right now is the extent of the grading that will be done and if all trees will have to be removed.
Some of the playground equipment needs improvement. The horizontal ladder is too low for most children. The original sign needed 2 posts while the new sign is mounted on only 1 post. The empty post needs to be removed.
Buffalo Park: No report.
Sunken Gardens: No report.
Concert Committee: No report.
Website Committee: No report.
Garden Committee: No report
Nominating Committee
Sarah is stepping down from the website and secretarial positions. Sarah made significant contributions to HPAC and will be missed by all. Gretchen and Amy offered to post articles.
John, Peter, Erica and John F. are on the nominating committee.
Announcements:
The next regular HPAC meeting will be held Monday June 2, 2014 at 7:00PM at Horner Park.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:50 p.m.
Respectfully submitted: Lisa Cleveland
Attendance:
Peter Schlossman – President
Lisa Cleveland – Co-Secretary
Erica Beutler – Chair, Dog Friendly Area
John Friedmann – Emerald Ash Borer
Gretchen Helmiech – Chair, Farmer’s Market
Amy Jahnke – Farmer’s Market
Nate Hutcheson – Neighbor
Ben Ranney – Neighbor
Lynn Sheck – DFA
Amy Johnson – Theater Hikes
