McHenry Times

City of Harvard City Council met Sept. 26.

Here is the minutes provided by the council:

Chairman Jay Schulz called the meeting to order and called roll at 6:00 pm. Committee members present: Alderwoman Bona Heinsohn, Alderman Charlie Gorman, Alderman Matt Perkins, Joel Kriete, Scott Logan, Jose Saucedo and Mike Vest. Also present were Mayor Kelly, Supt. Ryan Knop and Torey Lawin.

Citizen Comment

Torey Lawin introduced himself and related that he met with Mayor Kelly for an interview. His appointment to the Park Board is on the next City Council agenda for approval.

Community Action Day

Community Action Day is scheduled for Saturday, October 12th from 9 am - 1 pm to stain the gazebos at Northfield Avenue Park. Supt. Knop noted that a flyer will go live tomorrow.

HERS Dugout Proposals

Jose related that Jeff Block is willing to donate the labor for the 25’ x 8’ dugouts and is also talking to his boss to see if they would donate the 8 yards of concrete for the project.

 650 cinderblocks are needed to do both dugouts 7’ tall. Tom Dougherty has some blocks he will donate and will let Jose how many he has. Jose recommended purchasing the remaining blocks that are needed (cost for 12” blocks at Menards is $3.88 each)

 The Park Board can reach out to District 50/Booster Club and HERS to contribute towards the cost as they are the primary users of the field.

 The project completion date is by the end of October. Bona suggested pouring the pad for Mickey’s bench at the same time. A proposal will be presented for approval at next week’s meeting.

 Mayor Kelly directed City staff to document the upgrades with photos that can be posted so the community knows the upgrades are being accomplished as well as recognizing individuals/groups that are donating towards the project.

HERS Concession Stand

The goal is to convert one of the washrooms to a single ADA family washroom. Supt. Knop will have additional information by the end of the week to be included on next week’s meeting agenda.

Supt. Knop’s Report

Supt. Knop reviewed spreadsheets outlining 2017-2019 Pool Season Numbers, 2019 Pool Attendance and 30-year budget projections for the pool.

Jose Saucedo left the meeting at 6:20 pm.

Supt. Knop gave an oral report and updated the Park Board on activities and programs he is working on.

 Park Pointe gate was installed.

 No teams signed up, so the Coed Softball Tournament will be cancelled. Alderwoman Heinsohn suggested having a conversation relative to whether the Parks Dept. should focus on programming or maintenance/cleanup/taking care of the parks.

 Staff is working on winterizing the pool.

 Chairman Schulz reminded members to provide updates to Supt. Knop on the parks as assigned to each park board member.

New Business

Supt. Knop reviewed the Boys League proposal to upgrade the concession stand this fall. The City will provide materials and the Boys League will provide the labor to complete the project. The Park Board has allocated $15,000 for the improvements.

Supt. Knop related that McDonalds will allow us to take their garbage cans but they are not lined which would require purchasing garbage bags or liners. They are also an exposed top so they would fill with rain water. He will take measurements to see if they can be converted; if not, they are not of any real benefit to he parks. Joel related there are six other tables McDonalds may be willing to donate. Supt. Knop indicated he could find locations for them.

Mayor Kelly related that the City was approached by Brown Bear Daycare with an interest in being a significant contributor/corporate sponsor towards the purchase of a stage. The Park Board discussed whether to move forward with some type of stage and the merits of purchasing either a mobile type stage or band shell at Milky Way Park. Mayor Kelly thought there would be a consortium of entities contributing to the overall cost, but the stage would be City-owned and managed by the Parks Dept.

Torey noted a possible October agenda item and related a conversation with School District 50 Asst. Supt., Vicki Larson. The High School has instituted a requirement for students to complete community service hours. The school is willing to let the students give the hours to the parks through some sort of structured program.

A Special Park Board Meeting has been scheduled for Monday, September 23, 2019, at 6 pm. Supt. Knop will have a sample community survey for the Park Board’s review.

At 7:07 pm, a motion was made by Scott Logan, seconded by Alderwoman Heinsohn to adjourn the meeting. All ayes. Motion carried.

https://www.cityofharvard.org/sites/default/files/fileattachments/parks_and_recreation_board/meeting/11511/minutesparks2019-09-16_003.pdf