Horner Park Advisory Council
Meeting Minutes
Larry Brown, as President, presiding, called the meeting to order at 7:10 PM. Kevin Anderson acted as Secretary for this meeting. See roster below for attendance.
Previous Minutes: The minutes of the October 2008 meeting were approved unanimously.
Treasurer’s Report: The account balances are $1,754.01 in checking and $13,441.23 in savings. A reimbursement check for the speaker overhaul will be issued to Chris Moran.
Council Business: Larry received and invitation to join the Park Advisory Council Oversight Committee charged with creating the new Park Advisory Council Guidelines. These guidelines will include a Complaint Review Process which allows for the Oversight Committee to remove members of local advisory councils.
Announcements: The Halloween event was a success; the Council will cover $157.20 of the outside expenses. A Christmas party is scheduled for Dec. 4. Kitty’s replacement as area manager will start next week. Tom says Horner Park is fully staffed, and additional hourly rec leader is already budgeted and he is looking to get one more spot. Suzie is budgeted for next year just like this year.
The 2nd annual baseball clinic is scheduled for Jan. 17 and 18 (MLK weekend); Tom has already lined-up scouts and some coaches. Tom wants to buy some astroturf to cover the wooden pitcher’s mound. Kevin will scan the registration form to a PDF to put on the website.
Sara is planning a holiday event for her deaf and hard-of-hearing group and may be asking for some financial assistance. Lauren, a new part-timer, is now working with Sara.
Larry Brown wrote letters to Rep. Emanuel, State Rep. Fritchey, State Sen. Cullerton and Ald. Mell regarding the status of the underbridge project. Larry Brown is also monitoring the prospect of the city acquiring the parcel adjacent to Ronan Park.
Concert Committee: No report. A meeting will be held in January.
Garden Committee: Susie Novak has completed her park district work for the season, but has banked some HPAC hours to do bulbs. Her hours this year were about what she was doing two or three years ago, 10-15hrs/wk.
Website: The website has been renewed for another two years for $190. Michael has added Larry as a contact and will create administrator accounts for the ExComm members. Michael will change the credit card on file to the one for the Council.
Volunteer Committee: No report.
Park Briefs:
Horner Park: The new gym mats are expected to be delivered tomorrow.
The little fieldhouse is being readied for shutdown for the season. Tom McManamon will ask for snow fencing for every other ballfield diamond.
Ravenswood Manor Park: The kiosk plexiglass has been replaced. Jeff Levine took what was left of the sundial and is working on rehabbing it for reinstallation; Tom McManamon will make sure the park district checks the soundness of where it is to be reinstalled.
Jacob Park: Robert Rawls and Dan Luna from the 47th ward office have reported that the CTA has completed all landscaping on their adjacent property. Ald. Schulter is in discussion with CTA’s Ron Huberman about the transfer of that land to the city, but it is not a high priority because two stations remain to be completed as part of the Brown Line renovation project. The disposition of the 13 new trees which were to be planted was discussed. Tom McManamon will ask forestry what trees were planted in Jacob Park. Dana Luna will be prompted to make the Council aware of any changes to the park, and Larry Brown will continue to contact the alderman’s office before each meeting to get info.
Buffalo Park: Construction of the project is underway and 60% done.
Sunken Garden Park: The dead parkway trees have been removed. Pete Leki has applied to NeighborSpace for the Waters School 8th grade class to assume stewardship over the riverbank land adjacent to the park.
Horner Park Baseball Association: Tom McManamon had a great meeting last week with representatives of the Horner Park Baseball Association. He reported that the HPBA is aware of their problems and have received a list of items from the park district legal department. There are three main requirements the HPBA will need to meet to continue running their baseball program in the park: 1) publish the ad book for which they have collected $184,000; 2) secure insurance; and 3) reestablish corporate “good standing” with the state. There have been 40 complaints about the ad book since the end of the baseball season.
Flagpole: Tom will work on this as soon as the work on the baseball clinic slows down.
Other business: The possibility of getting wifi access within the fieldhouse for use be the Council was brought up.
New Business: See above.
The meeting adjourned at 9:08 PM
The next regular HPAC meeting will be held Monday Dec. 1 at 7:00 PM at Horner Park.
Respectfully submitted: Kevin Anderson
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, Michael Holm, Alan Mueller, Susie Novak.
