McHenry Times

City of Harvard Park Board met Jan. 17.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

Chairman Jay Schulz called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm. Committee members present: Alderman John Lavallee, Alderwoman Rosa Luna, Joel Kriete, Scott Logan, Pep Saucedo and Mike Vest. Committee members Alderman Raul Meza and Bryce Bannwolf were absent. Also present were Mayor Kelly and Supt. Ryan Knop.

Public Comment

None

Approval of Minutes

A motion was made by Scott Logan, seconded by Mike Vest to approve the Park Board Minutes of December 13, 2021, as presented. All ayes. Motion carried.

Project Update/Status

Supt. Knop noted there wasn’t anything new for the month.

Park Land Discussion

The Park Board reviewed the smaller neighborhood parks as follows:

Shadow Creek

• Supt. Knop related that the playground itself is in fairly good shape as it is minimally used. The park is on next year’s schedule for mulch. Pep suggested blacktopping/sealcoating and striping the basketball court at the same time it is mulched.

• Chairman Schulz brought up discussion of selling the property leaving a 20-30’ right of way to be used as a walking path and relocating the playground. Mike Vest noted that the open areas and basketball court are pretty much always in use. Also discussed was leaving the park the way it is and tearing out the tennis court in the next couple of years and planting with wildflowers. Joel related he has made mention before of a program that would remove the asphalt at no cost to the City; the City could probably get paid for it. A motion was made by Joel Kriete, seconded by Pep Saucedo directing Ryan to reach out to get the asphalt removed for free if Joel can provide him with the contact information. All ayes. Motion carried. If there isn’t a response over the next year, the Park Board will have to budget to allocate the funds.

• The Board discussed adding sidewalk around the park to the list of improvements; this would need to be addressed by the Transportation Committee and the Park Board.

Country Brook

• Supt. Knop updated the Board on items completed in Country Brook. About 8 trees were removed this fall and two dozen trimmed. There are other trees to be removed/trimmed. A stump grinder will be rented when weather permits and when they have taken down everything they want to remove.

• Supt. Knop related that the playground is in decent shape as it is minimally used. The playground is scheduled to be mulched this year.

• The plan is to roof and stain the gazebo. Ryan would ideally like to move everything to metal roofs. Chairman Schulz suggested putting in a picnic table; cost is estimated at $1,500 for a hard metal table with rubberized coating.

• The park is technically not deeded to the City as it was inadvertently included in a foreclosure and the bank hasn’t transferred it back to the City. Supt. Knop recommended not putting a whole lot of money into the park until the legality of ownership is resolved. The City is also seeking foreclosure on the vacant lots in Country Brook. Chairman Schulz will talk to City Administrator Nelson to get an update.

New Truck Purchase

Supt. Knop reached out to the dealership the City uses to purchase vehicles. They halted all production and orders for 2022 models as of December 31st. If the City waits until May to purchase the truck, we wouldn’t get the truck until spring, 2023. However, the dealership advised Ryan they had ordered an extra basic 2022 F150, 2-wheel drive, single cab at a cost of $25,898.00 which includes upgrades for a hitch receiver and spray in bed liner. The dealership indicated he would sell the truck to the City but he needs an answer this week or he will seek another potential buyer. The truck could be purchased through the capital improvement fund to be reimbursed upon approval of the Parks proposed budget which included $25,000 to purchase a truck. Joel initiated discussion to see if a lease package would make sense. The City currently does not lease any vehicles. After further discussion, a motion was made by Scott Logan, seconded by Alderwoman Luna to authorize Supt. Knop to work with the Mayor and City Administrator to purchase the truck while its available. Joel inquired if the truck would be exclusively used by the Parks Dept. The Mayor noted that no City equipment would be considered exclusive. Chairman Schulz further commented that most of the time the truck would be used either by Darrell or Ryan. Members voting aye: Alderman John Lavallee, Alderwoman Rosa Luna, Scott Logan, Pep Saucedo and Mike Vest. Member Joel Kriete voted no. Motion carried.

Swimming Lessons Discussion

Supt. Knop reached out to Dolphin Swim Club and the Woodstock Rec Dept. about offering swim lessons to Harvard residents. He has not received a return call from Dolphin. Ryan spoke with Dave Zinnen who is the Recreation Director for the Woodstock Rec Dept. They are definitely interested in offering swim lessons to Harvard residents. Mr. Zinnen was going to talk with the Aquatic Program Director to determine pricing. Their current pricing schedule is comparable to Harvard’s if we can offer their resident rate. The budget line item will need to be adjusted depending on how the Park Board moves forward with swim lessons. A motion was made by Scott Logan, seconded by Alderman Lavallee to go with Woodstock and try it for a year. All ayes. Motion carried. Supt. Knop will provide a budget update for the next meeting.

Vandalism Report

There were no incidents to report.

Mayor’s Report

Mayor Kelly related that the Events Committee is complete with the first Parks Foundation Meeting to be held on Tuesday, January 18th, 2022.

Supt. Knop’s Report

Supt. Knop reviewed his monthly report. He is looking forward to working with everyone next year.

New Business

Supt. Knop reached out to the Harvard Garden Club about the pool landscaping. They did not feel it was feasible for them to take care of it without additional funds or members. The initial budgeted amount for the pool landscaping is $3,000. Supt. Knop reached out to Kevin at Harvard Nursery who suggested pulling the 4’ poles and placing sod up to the concrete. Another option would be rocks which would require digging a sub layer and laying cloth with a metal edging to keep the rocks from getting in the grass. After discussion, a motion was made by Scott Logan, seconded by Mike Vest to pull the posts and lay sod; if the amount exceeds the $3,000 that was budgeted, Ryan will bring it back to the Park Board. Members voting aye: Alderwoman Rosa Luna, Joel Kriete, Scott Logan, Pep Saucedo and Mike Vest. Member Alderman John Lavallee voted no. Motion carried.

Jose asked Supt. Knop if had been able to contact Marengo about the pool equipment. Ryan indicated that is on his list of things to do and he will update the Park Board after he has gotten in touch with them.

At 7:11 pm, a motion was made by Scott Logan, seconded by Mike Vest to adjourn the meeting. All ayes. Motion carried.

https://www.cityofharvard.org/sites/default/files/fileattachments/parks_and_recreation_board/meeting/14518/minutesparkboard2022-01-17.pdf