Park Board

Kendallville Park and Recreation Department 211 Iddings StreetKendallville, Indiana 46755 Phone (260)347-1064 BOARD MEETING MINUTES October 11, 2021 6:30PM Present: Kevin Jansen, President; Dave Button, Tracey Tipton, Sam Zollman, Dawn McGahen, Park Director. Also, present Diane Peachy, Ron Witham, Cathy Berry, Chris Streb Skatepark Advocates, Public Comments: None were given. Minutes of the August 13, 2021 meeting were approved as presented. (Tipton, Zollman) Claims were reviewed and approved as presented. (Button, Tipton) Diane Peachy gave an update on the Skatepark. City Council approved the rezoning, the next step is signing a contract with Hunger Skateparks and then start the fundraising portion. Directors Report: Highlights 1. The City received a Community and Urban Forestry Assistance Grant that will provide some trees for the park. 2. Received the appropriation report and our budget is in good shape. I am working on end of the year purchases and encumbrances. 3. I am signed up and working on the certified park and recreation professional certificate. 4. A proposed list of fees for 2022 was handed out so that they could be discussed at the November Park Board Meeting. 5. The National Softball Association is considering hosting a World Series event at the Sports Complex. They suggested attending the National Conference so that we could answer questions about our facility. The board agreed to have Ryan Alwine attend on our behalf. 6. We are working on doing in house work for a natural prairie area on the north side of Sunset Park. This process will take a year or two but would utilize an area that is under developed and provide educational opportunities. 7. There was discussion about funding and installing one or two primitive cabins in the campground for the 2022 season. Maintenance staff feel they can do a lot of the work in house. The cabins would be an added amenity for visitors to our community. Maintenance Report: Highlights 1. Took out old railroad ties and mulch and filled in with soil and planted grass seed in the tot lot. 2. Fixed boards on the bridge over the dam. 3. Installed a drain tile and crushed limestone to prevent flooding of sidewalk on Sherman Street. 4. Cleaned up weeds and debris around the gazebo. 5. Moved the access road stop sign to better serve traffic flow. 6. Sealed the owl tree. 7. Spent three days setting up Apple Festival and one day of tear down work. 8. Removed rotted split rail fencing. 9. Trimmed trees throughout the park. 10. Cleaned up weeds around the observation deck in the campground. 11. Removed rotted wooden deck with signage in campground near the observation deck.  Kendallville Park and Recreation Department 211 Iddings StreetKendallville, Indiana 46755 Phone (260)347-1064 Kendallville Outdoor Recreation Complex Update: 1. Continuing work on the 2022 schedule. 2. Youth soccer leagues are finishing up the season. These include NASA, St. John and the YMCA. 3. Adult slow pitch softball leagues finished their season. 4. Hosted a memorial tournament and the Round the Clock adult tourney. 5. Continued mowing and maintenance of the facility. Recreation Update: 1. We hosted another free concert in the park. Lydia Tremaine and Jordan Bridges entertained the crowd on the west terraces. 2. Skate night at the Youth Center has started back up and will continue until spring. 3. Summer daycamp financials look good due to receiving grant money. This allowed us to serve 225 children throughout the 10-week program. 4. The Trail of Terror has been cancelled this year. We are going to have a spooky drive-thru at the Youth Center on October 30, 2021 from 5:00-7:00pm. 5. Preparation for the Community Christmas Greetings in the campground has begun. Boards are being primed, paint has been poured and several groups have expressed an interest in participating. 6. The Park Department will participate in the Christmas in Kendallville events which are being held the first weekend of December. Acceptance of Donations: (Tipton, Button) ❖ Trees o Dr. Thomas Koerner – valued at $400.00 ❖ Christmas Greeting Drive-thru o LouAnne Pillers - $100.00 Board Input: Tracy asked when our next 5-year master plan was due and thought we might want to consider additional pickleball courts. Dave commented on the retirement of Tom Jansen and felt he should be a Friend of the Park. (Button, Zollman) The meeting was adjourned at 7:43 PM (Button, Zollman)