Parks & Recreation Commission

MINUTES PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION June 14, 2023 City Council Chambers A. CALL TO ORDER B. ROLL CALL: A roll call was taken and Chairman McCleary determined a quorum was present. COMMISSION MEMBERS PRESENT: Jason Cohen, Chris Neuhart, Pete Riis and Chairman Mike McCleary. COMMISSION MEMBERS ABSENT: None. OTHERS PRESENT: STAFF PRESENT: Executive Director Danielle Gulli, Recreation Director Dave Zinnen, Public Works Director Brent Aymond, Superintendent Chris Lynk, Recreation Center Manager Mary Lynn Lisk, Program Manager Alan Dunker, Grants Writer Barb Szul and Deputy Clerk Bernie Walker. Chair M. McCleary asked for a motion to open a Public Hearing for projects under consideration for the PARC Grant and a motion was made by P. Riis, second by J. Cohen. Ayes: J. Cohen, C. Neuhart, P. Riis and Chairman M. McCleary. Nays: none. Abstentions: none. Absentees: None. Motion carried. C. FLOOR DISCUSSION: 1. Public Hearing: Comments from the Public regarding improvements to the Woodstock Recreation Center to meet the requirements of the $2.8 million PARC grant submittal. Chair McCleary invited the public to step up to the podium to share their thoughts and concerns. Several people from the public showed up and shared their love for the Woodstock Recreation Center and commented on the amazing job the staff does. They also voiced their concerns about the Recreation Center, which included the following: The Crystal Lake Pool (Northwestern Hospital) has been closed for several months so people are now attending the Woodstock Rec Center and it is very crowded and difficult to do water aerobics classes with so many people attending; several of the women attending water aerobics classes are short and there is limited space in the shallow water; we (Woodstock) need a bigger pool; swim lanes need to be kept open; the locker room only has two small benches to sit on and get dressed and there aren’t enough lockers; showers are bad; there isn’t any privacy in the showers so please add doors and a small bench to each one; refresh/replace the large vent that blows cold air; art is dated and we need a new mural; install Suitmate swimsuit dryers; need separate music pumped into  Parks & Rec Commission 06/14/23 Page 2 of 4 the pool area so the instructors can control it; whirlpool is wonderful when it works; you can’t be on a cardio machine without feeling like you are in an aerobics class even though there are curtains separating the space; portable walls are beat up and tattered; and parking is horrendous and floods when it rains. Chair McCleary shared that most of the items the public brought up are already being considered for the PARC Grant. Chair M. McCleary then opened it up for additional comments or questions. P. Riis commented that the City is undergoing a comprehensive park master plan and there will be public hearings in the near future regarding what needs to be done for the City of Woodstock, and he encouraged people to attend and participate. P. Riis questioned when the grant will get submitted and B. Szul replied that it needs to be submitted tomorrow, June 15, 2023 and that it could be a year before we are notified of the grant award, but hopefully we will know something sooner. Dave Zinnen thanked B. Szul for her efforts as the grant application didn’t come out until early May and there was a lot of information to pull together in a short period of time to get it ready for submission. He also thanked Carlos Rodriguez and Danielle Gulli for their efforts, along with everyone else involved, to ensure the grant is submitted on time. He appreciated everyone coming to the Public Hearing to show their support and expressing how much they care about the Rec Center. Chair M. McCleary read a list of projects that would be considered if we receive the PARC Grant, which included most of the items brought up by the Public, but also included the following: New gym roof; front desk and office remodel to include breakroom and laundry; Exterior siding replacement; Add ADA family restroom in Multi-Purpose Room; Add ADA lift for pool and hot tub; Hot tub repairs/replacement; Remodel sauna; Remediation work on ceiling insulation; Replace HVAC units (20+ years old); Replace corroded electrical panels (due to pool chemicals); Replace exterior doors; and Add security cameras and key fob system for 24/7 access. The Commission asked if it was too late to submit letters of support and B. Szul stated she would need them early Thursday morning in order to include with the grant submission. Chair M. McCleary asked for a motion to close the Public Hearing. A motion was made by J. Cohen, second by P. Riis. Ayes: J. Cohen, C. Neuhart, P. Riis and Chairman M. McCleary. Nays: none. Abstentions: none. Absentees: None. Motion carried. The Public Hearing concluded at 7:29 PM. 2. Public Comments: Kathy McNeal of Woodstock commented on the Olson Park pickleball courts and stated the surface isn’t in good shape to which Chair M. McCleary stated the Parks Division is aware of the problem. P. Riis asked C. Lynk what the plan is to resurface the courts to which C. Lynk replied that due to lack of usage, it isn’t a priority, but that could change now that it is a dual-use court. Discussion ensued about reprioritizing the CIP, reviewing resurfacing options and installing courts at Emricson  Parks & Rec Commission 06/14/23 Page 3 of 4 Park. Both Staff and the Commission recommended Ms. McNeal reach out and/or attend City Council meetings to let our elected officials know of her concerns and suggestions. 3. Commission Comments: Chair M. McCleary complimented Staff on Woodstock’s nine-hole disc golf course being rated one of the best in the Midwest by a disc golf website. P. Riis complimented staff on the great job they did with the Splash Bash Run and said it appears everything ran smoothly despite the large turnout. D. Zinnen agreed and also complimented Mayor Turner on doing a great job with the plaque dedication for Melissa Canto O’Leary. D. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES: Motion by P. Riis, second by J. Cohen, to approve the minutes of the May 9, 2023 meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission. Ayes: J. Cohen, C. Neuhart, P. Riis and Chairman M. McCleary. Nays: none. Abstentions: none. Absentees: None. Motion carried. E. TRANSMITTALS: The following items have been transmitted to the Commission for information and there is no discussion expected or action recommended. 1. Recreation Department Report for June 2023 D. Zinnen reviewed the new tracking program report which details Woodstock Water Works (WWW) demographics and shows the towns our visitors are coming from. It also tracks rec classes and enrollment, and reflects that over 75% of registrations are being completed online versus in-person. D. Gulli stated the WWW doubled their season pool pass sales over 2019. Chair M. McCleary asked if the percentile of resident vs. non-resident attendees in the programs is the norm, to which Mary Lynn Lisk confirmed it is for Woodstock and that it stays pretty level from year to year. Chair M. McCleary also asked about the status of the Intergenerational Playground to which D. Gulli stated it was going before Council next week. She commented that approximately $875,000 was raised in grant funding and the Council committed to an additional $400,000. D. Gulli added that the site plan consultant has been selected; they are moving forward with getting the design finalized and construction is slated for next spring. P. Riis asked about the impact of pulling $75,000 and C. Lynk replied that they pulled the money from the Sunnyside Park replacement so $25,000 will be used for maintenance at Sunnyside Park this year and the Sunnyside Park replacement will be completed in 2024. 2. Parks Division Report for June 2023 C. Lynk stated they were dealing with drought issues in May, which is uncommon, and resulted in irrigation issues so they have been scrambling over the past couple weeks to resolve all the issues. They currently have everything up and running except for the rest of Davis Park and one PVC repair at Water Works by the mechanical room. Chair McCleary asked about the work around the civil war memorial in Park in the Square and C. Lynk and B. Aymond spoke to the repairs that will be made to the base  Parks & Rec Commission 06/14/23 Page 4 of 4 in addition to the fencing, opining that it will look identical to the current fencing upon completion; however, it will be easier to make repairs to in the future. Chair M. McCleary also requested that Staff bring a list of dates when playground equipment was installed to the next meeting, so C. Lynk will provide this information, if available. P. Riis asked about the Olson Park water feature and C. Lynk confirmed that they replaced a valve and it will be up and running when the summer program starts. He also asked about the status of the Davis Road Soccer Fields and C. Lynk stated that they found a provider that will conduct EPA testing on the soil, so they should have an update on Friday and that the contracts are going before Council on Tuesday, June 20. C. Lynk added that they came in under budget, so all six fields will be done at the same time. The Commission and Staff agree that a rotational schedule needs to be implemented and followed once the fields are usable again. F. OLD BUSINESS: None. G. NEW BUSINESS: None. H. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS: 1. Tentative agenda items identified by Administration a. Discuss Melissa Canto-O’Leary Splashpad Project b. Discuss Parks Policies and Procedures c. Korfball 2. Requested by Commission: Any member may suggest an item to be considered by the Commission at a future meeting but must be approved by a majority of the Commission to be included as a future agenda item. I. ADJOURN: Motion by C. Neuhart, second by J. Cohen to adjourn the regular meeting of the Parks & Recreation Commission to the next regular meeting on Tuesday, July 11, 2023 at 7:00 PM in the Council Chambers at City Hall. Ayes: J. Cohen, C. Neuhart, P. Riis and Chairman M. McCleary. Nays: none. Abstentions: none. Absentees: none. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 7:50 PM. Respectfully submitted, Bernie Walker Deputy Clerk