Meeting called to order 7:08pm
Attendees:
- Peter Schlossman
- Amy Jahnke
- Carol Maher, PEAP
- John O’Connell
- John Friedmann
- Daniel Honigman
- Deb Groh
- Diane Sutliff
- KevinErica
- Alan Mueller, RMIA
Approval of the Minutes – July 2017; minutes approved.
Reports
Treasurer’s Report
- At the treasury meeting, a general fund and DFA fund were created. Profit and Loss standard statements were distributed for review, which show the breakdown of funds in HPAC accounts. See attachment for breakdown.
- Discussion of how to be sure we avoid paying sales tax on events (keeping it down to 2 events per year).
- We have a debit card and can pay the web bill with it. • 990, Annual Report submitted to Sec. of State.
- Discussion of PayPal; buttons cannot force a choice of funding; it defaults to general donation• Bank signature forms completed
- Discussion of filing with the Attorney General’s Office; HPAC filed until 1994 to register as a charity. This may be a first step to be registered for tax exemption. Diane to see if there is a CPA in the neighborhood who would help us out. Open question; do any other park councils have a tax exempt status? Carol may ask Doug Wood if Wicker Park Advisory Council has this.
- We could go through Friends of the Parks like we have before.
Farmer’s Market
- Suggestion: maybe put out tables for people to sit and eat at?
- October 14 is the last market this year.
- Been going well, yoga has been a big hit.
- Want to re-seed the area after the market is done.
Concert Committee
Concert Series report: 23rd season wrapped up at the end of August. John O. is hoping to collect two outstanding checks next week. The committee may have a meeting in November to talk about post-mortem and future planning.
HornerFest report:
- John F.: Thanks to everyone for assistance! It was very successful. Took in just under $14k, net was $7600 – way more than they had hoped. They had hoped for 150 tickets to break even, and 400 were sold (which was the extent of the permit). Next year they’re shooting for 600. Now they’re into the brewery network, and all of the breweries were very happy with the festival; they liked the neighborhood feel. They have received many suggestions and ideas for how to make it even better next year. Saturday wasn’t marketed very well, so the beer garden lost money due to fencing and security costs. The goal is to get more sales on Saturday. Suggestion from Deb to do kids activities (movie and bounce house) a very different weekend/day. Debate over what to do for next year, they will discuss what to do at a HornerFest committee meeting later in the year. Concern about the bounce house needing to be monitored. Carol: St. Mathias has done a beer fest one night, wine night the next and it’s worked well for years.Saturday: Close to 600 people on the hill for the film.
- Deb: Our area now has our own movie equipment! We can reserve early to save fees; Deb will do this.
- DFA could possibly run the concession and make $ during the money. John O. – there may be issues for this.
Dog Friendly Area
- Progress Report (Erica): Just wrapped up a fundraiser for dog portraits: $1500 from this. Auction is coming up at the end of September. Diane and John helped get some donations, thank you!
- Design has been approved, we can move ahead with construction drawings. Erica and Peter are meeting with a civil engineer to do this soon.
- There is a now dog park in Osterman’s ward at Bryn Mawr and the lakefront that got permission to enclose a grass area as a “pilot program;” they worked through other channels to get this done. Erica is meeting with Deb Mell on Friday and has a call into the Park District to investigate further.
- Have applied for Lowe’s and North Center Chamber of Commerce grants, working on Wal Mart and State Farm grants.
Park Briefs
Horner Park
- Art Room air conditioning: Deb has sent specs to Peter. Discussion of getting the tax forms from Friends of the Parks to use their tax exemption for this. Diane and Peter to coordinate on this.
- Garbage / recycling issuesEmail from summer daycamp staff about reducing waste. Deb: they do recycle the boxes, but the little boxes that have food waste on them are not recyclable. Person who raised concern with HPAC had previously talked to Deb about this. Peter: Maybe a contest for the park that is the most sustainable?
- • Vagrants: Deb has been emailing park security since the spring. She’s contacted them, and the 17th district police, a lot. Overnight cars are going to be sent between 11pm-6am (but it’s the hardest time for police to come out to the park). If anyone is seeing any illegal behavior during the day, calling 911 is the best way to get police to come out and eventually get them to move to another park. Social services did come out and offer help, but they were turned down.
- Luau Grass Volleyball report: no issues
- Eclipse viewing / Astronomy in the Park: Patrick needs to go through HPAC to get a permit (the Chicago Astronomy Club in July work in partnership with the parks and that event was great). The permit could be for the full year.
- Tennis courts: HPAC has received complaints about the condition of the courts. We are trying to get money to address this; the Ward has offered to donate, and we will write a letter to send up to CPD budgeting (Sauganash was $60,000 for 2 courts).
- Restroom access: park staff needs to monitor who’s in the bathrooms, which is why the bathrooms are not open from the outside. Unless baseball is going on, the comfort station bathrooms are closed (otherwise there is nobody to monitor them).
- Wifi: It’s been looked at! Seeing what towers they can use. We’re one of the top 5 priorites for wifi in the park district.
- Fall programs are doing well.
- Nick’s Pub manager talked about fundraising with Deb, she told them to contact HPAC.
- Whole Foods fundraising always a possibility.
Ravenswood Manor Park
- Tree replacement – parkway and alley
- Planter that needs to be slightly moved• Grass in the middle of Eastwood: it’s a good time to re-seed. Deb will try for this. Goal is to seed fall and spring.
- Leave old street light there
Jacob Playlot: John O took a new photo for Amy to put up on website.
Sunken Gardens: no report
Buffalo Park
- North planter of impatients died, so nothing is there now. Sue Davenport was going to put something there. At some point we want to put that further north so it’s not under the trees. Should the trees be trimmed?
- Deb will touch base with landscaping about this
Nominating Committee: no report. Cynthia Fox is candidate for co-secretary role.
Website Committee: no report. Still looking into setting up Gmail.
Stewardship Committee
- RMIA having Open Lands tree planting on September 23, and is always looking for volunteers.
- 5 ash trees need treatment in Horner: $500 total. Motion passes. Diane buys drinks for everyone if the tree is cut down this spring!
New Business
Announcements
- National Public Lands Day – Ronan Park, Sept. 30
- John is going to the CPD budgeting meeting September 19th.
- Oct 7, volunteer appreciation day at Northerly Island
- OpenLands are doing an inventory of all public trees in the city. John F. offered to do the ones in Horner Park.
Attachments: Financial report
Meeting adjourned 8:57pm.Next Monthly Meeting Oct. 2 @ 7:00 pm – Horner Park Fieldhouse
