At our last meeting the Board reviewed bids for the platform tennis warming hut. Our agreement with the platform tennis club specified that the two new courts and the hut would not cost more than $350,000 and if the bids came in higher than that then the contract states than the park district can to decide to either change the design to cut costs or cancel the project. The new courts are in place and cost $140,000, leaving $210,000 for the hut. The lowest qualified bidder was $220,000 but that did not include the sewer line for the hut, which is estimated to cost $30,000 to $50,000. It also did not include locks and keys for the hut, necessary safety screening around the deck, grass seed or sod, or any fixtures or furniture for the hut.
The Board was also informed that the Glen Ellyn Parks Foundation now plans to donate $30,000 to the platform tennis warming hut. The mission statement of the Foundation is to raise money for scholarships and capital projects. Every year the Park District offers scholarships to needy children who would otherwise not be able to participate in our programs. The demand for scholarships has risen dramatically in the past few years. Last year the Park District spent $33,000 on scholarships, of which the Foundation donated $5,000. There is a finite pool of available donor money. If the Foundation chooses to spend funds on the platform tennis warming hut, then these funds are not available for scholarships or other projects. Without making cuts elsewhere, an expansion of the warming hut project, even with Foundation funds, increases the total spending of Park District funds.
The Foundation is an independent group and should choose how to direct their funds. Likewise, it is the purview of the Park District Board to choose how to direct their funds, to choose what projects to undertake and dictate the scope of those projects. In the case at hand, we have entered into a contract with the platform tennis club that sets the maximum cost of the project. The Foundation has every right to raise funds to put towards the project cost. However, I do not believe that it is appropriate for the Foundation to use its funds to push the Park District to expand the scope of the project beyond what we have already approved.
The estimated costs for the warming hut exceeds the maximum contract amount so I believe the Board should either:
1. Go back to the architect and change the scope of project to reduce the total project cost to no more than $210,000. This provision is specified in our existing contract with the platform tennis club.
2. Cancel plans to build the warming hut. This provision is specified in our existing contract with the platform tennis club
3. Renegotiate our contract with the platform tennis club to secure additional donations for the project.
The Park District should not spend additional dollars beyond the funds we have already committed to this project. The Park District is in a difficult financial position. Our fund reserves are being rapidly drained. We have no ability to take on additional non-referendum bonds. We have a very large liability on our hands fixing the Ackerman complex, and will have little left over for other unforeseen maintenance expenses. I am afraid that our problems at Ackerman have the potential to put the park district into a financial crisis in the very near future. This means that we do not, in my opinion, have the luxury of expanding nonessential capital projects.
The Board meets again on Tuesday, April 5 at 7:00 p.m. This topic is likely to be on the agenda.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
March 22 Meeting: Paddle Hut Bids
The agenda and packet for the Glen Ellyn Park District March 22, 2011 meeting are online. This is a regular meeting.
The Board will review the bids for the paddle warming hut. It is not clear if President Hess intends for the Board is just review the bid documents or to also vote on approving the bid documents. Usually the Board reviews bids at a workshop meeting and then approves them at a regular meeting.
President Hess has not released the bid information to the Board or the public, so we will not have time to review the information prior to the meeting. At our last meeting the architect presented the warming hut plans to the Board, but President Hess did not allow the Board to see the plans or specifications before the meeting. After reviewing the documents I found that several things were missing from the plans and specifications including interior paint, card-swipe door locks, water and sewer lines and safety screening under the deck.
The Board will hold a public hearing and final vote on amending the 2010 Budget and Appropriations Ordinance. It is necessary to amend last year's budget because the 2010 budget was overspent by $500,000.
The Board will also consider changing the name of Churchill Park. Because Churchill Forest Preserve is just a few miles away from Churchill Park, there is often confusion about the two locations.
Glen Ellyn Park District board meetings are always open to the public and are held in the board room at the Spring Avenue Recreation Center at 7:00 p.m. Please join us!
The Board will review the bids for the paddle warming hut. It is not clear if President Hess intends for the Board is just review the bid documents or to also vote on approving the bid documents. Usually the Board reviews bids at a workshop meeting and then approves them at a regular meeting.
President Hess has not released the bid information to the Board or the public, so we will not have time to review the information prior to the meeting. At our last meeting the architect presented the warming hut plans to the Board, but President Hess did not allow the Board to see the plans or specifications before the meeting. After reviewing the documents I found that several things were missing from the plans and specifications including interior paint, card-swipe door locks, water and sewer lines and safety screening under the deck.
The Board will hold a public hearing and final vote on amending the 2010 Budget and Appropriations Ordinance. It is necessary to amend last year's budget because the 2010 budget was overspent by $500,000.
The Board will also consider changing the name of Churchill Park. Because Churchill Forest Preserve is just a few miles away from Churchill Park, there is often confusion about the two locations.
Glen Ellyn Park District board meetings are always open to the public and are held in the board room at the Spring Avenue Recreation Center at 7:00 p.m. Please join us!
Help us search for a new executive director!
The park district is gathering public input as part of the search for a new executive director.
Please join us at one of two public forums in the Board Room at Spring Avenue Recreation Center at 7 pm on Monday, March 21 or Wednesday, March 23.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Cornell, Mayo and Dunn for Glen Ellyn Park Board
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Today we wholeheartedly endorse Kathy Cornell, Gary Mayo and Richard Dunn for the Glen Ellyn Park District Board of Commissioners.
Since we were elected to the Glen Ellyn Park District Board in 2009 we have worked towards greater fiscal responsibility and increased transparency, but time and time again President Hess and the other commissioners blocked us from making progress on these issues. Our efforts to videotape board meetings, provide basic financial information to the Board, reduce waste in the budget, eliminate deficit spending, and create a facility and fields usage study were all voted down on 4-3 votes. In order to make progress on these issues the community needs to elect new Park District commissioners on April 5.
Kathy, Gary and Rich share our values and have similar goals for the Park District. They want to balance the budget and create a realistic strategic plan based on needs and analysis. They want to stop deficit spending, cut unnecessary costs and prevent wasteful spending to help our overburdened taxpayers. They want the park district to be more responsive to the community and make it easier for the public to learn about the business of the park district. They want to focus on improving playing fields, maintaining our parks, restoring the Lake Ellyn boathouse and conserving our open spaces.
We believe that Kathy, Gary and Rich are the best candidates for the Park District Board. For more information, check out their website at www.cornellmayodunn.com. Please join us in voting for them on April 5, or vote early starting March 14.
Sincerely,
Jay Kinzler,
Melissa Creech,
Julia Nephew
Monday, February 14, 2011
February Meeting: 2010 & 2011 Budgets, Park Improvement List
The agenda and packet for the Glen Ellyn Park District February 15, 2011 meeting are online. This is a regular meeting.
The Board will first hold a special meeting to amend the 2010 Budget and Appropriations Ordinance because the budget that was approved by the Board in 2010 was overspent by $500,000. The Board will also have a final vote on the 2011 Budget which anticipates deficit spending of over $360,000.
The Board will then continue with our regular meeting where we will discuss the Park Improvement List that I mentioned in my last post. There was an interesting article about this subject in TribLocal recently: Glen Ellyn parks official aims to shift focus to neighborhood parks
Glen Ellyn Park District board meetings are always open to the public and are held in the board room at the Spring Avenue Recreation Center at 7:00 p.m. Please join us!
The Board will first hold a special meeting to amend the 2010 Budget and Appropriations Ordinance because the budget that was approved by the Board in 2010 was overspent by $500,000. The Board will also have a final vote on the 2011 Budget which anticipates deficit spending of over $360,000.
The Board will then continue with our regular meeting where we will discuss the Park Improvement List that I mentioned in my last post. There was an interesting article about this subject in TribLocal recently: Glen Ellyn parks official aims to shift focus to neighborhood parks
Glen Ellyn Park District board meetings are always open to the public and are held in the board room at the Spring Avenue Recreation Center at 7:00 p.m. Please join us!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Neighborhood Park Improvements
Earlier this fall I visited every Glen Ellyn Park District neighborhood park with my children and took note of small ways we could improve the parks. I want to focus attention on our neighborhood parks, where small upgrades - benches, paths, garbage cans, play equipment- can make a big difference to the community. Recently the district has emphasized large construction projects at the expense of these parks.
My intent was for the Board to take a look at these small capital projects as part of our 2011 budget discussion. This did not happen. I sent my Park Improvements List to President Hess in October. The Board briefly discussed the list in closed session in December. I am still waiting for the list to be "cleared" by legal counsel before the Board is allowed to discuss the list in public. I will share the list on my blog as soon as I am allowed.
In the mean time, what projects would you like to see for your neighborhood park? Send me an email or comment here.
My intent was for the Board to take a look at these small capital projects as part of our 2011 budget discussion. This did not happen. I sent my Park Improvements List to President Hess in October. The Board briefly discussed the list in closed session in December. I am still waiting for the list to be "cleared" by legal counsel before the Board is allowed to discuss the list in public. I will share the list on my blog as soon as I am allowed.
In the mean time, what projects would you like to see for your neighborhood park? Send me an email or comment here.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Update: interim Director and 2011 Budget
January 18, 2011
The Board appointed Kathleen Esposito and Dave Scarmardo to be interim executive directors. Commissioners Hess, Dallman, Minogue and Aubrey voted yes, Commissioners Creech, Kinzler and Nephew voted no. I voted no because I do not think it is in the best interest of the park district to have two interim directors.
When Director Atwell announced his retirement in November I immediately suggested that the Board hire an interim director. President Hess refused to consider an interim director and said that we would have a permanent director in place by the time Atwell left on January 14. The only option that President Hess let the Board consider was the dual interim directors. I think we are much better served by one director and a clear chain of command.
The Board elected new officers for 2010 at this meeting: President- Ed Hess, Vice President- Ron Aubrey, Treasurer- Melissa Creech.
During Matters from Commissioners I urged staff to focus on a few high-priority projects. We need to have the Lake Ellyn flooding project in place and operational before spring rains come. We also need to put in paths at Spalding and Surrey parks as soon as the weather breaks for greater access at those parks.
December 21, 2010
The Board approved the 2011 budget on a 4-3 vote with Commissioners Hess, Dallman, Minogue and Aubrey voting yes, and Commissioners Creech, Kinzler and Nephew voting no.
I voted no because I am very concerned about how rapidly we are drawing down our fund reserves. The budget calls for deficit spending of over $360,000 for 2011. This $360,000 deficit spending is the best case scenario for 2011- this assumes that we stick to the budget. In 2010 we planned on $920,000 in deficit spending but staff overspent the budget by $697,690, leaving us $1.6 million down for 2010. President Hess refused to address the deficit spending and the budget overruns when Commissioners Kinzler, Nephew and I expressed our concerns.
We anticipate that the GEPD will have $2.6 million in fund reserves at the end of 2011. However, the reason we have a positive balance is because the previous board approved borrowing $4 million in bonds ten minutes before Commissioners Kinzler, Nephew and I were seated last May. Without borrowing those funds, we would be $1.4 million in debt. Taking out those bonds maxed out our legal debt limit and the GEPD cannot borrow more money until 2013 without a referendum. This leaves us a thin margin for emergencies.
The Board appointed Kathleen Esposito and Dave Scarmardo to be interim executive directors. Commissioners Hess, Dallman, Minogue and Aubrey voted yes, Commissioners Creech, Kinzler and Nephew voted no. I voted no because I do not think it is in the best interest of the park district to have two interim directors.
When Director Atwell announced his retirement in November I immediately suggested that the Board hire an interim director. President Hess refused to consider an interim director and said that we would have a permanent director in place by the time Atwell left on January 14. The only option that President Hess let the Board consider was the dual interim directors. I think we are much better served by one director and a clear chain of command.
The Board elected new officers for 2010 at this meeting: President- Ed Hess, Vice President- Ron Aubrey, Treasurer- Melissa Creech.
During Matters from Commissioners I urged staff to focus on a few high-priority projects. We need to have the Lake Ellyn flooding project in place and operational before spring rains come. We also need to put in paths at Spalding and Surrey parks as soon as the weather breaks for greater access at those parks.
December 21, 2010
The Board approved the 2011 budget on a 4-3 vote with Commissioners Hess, Dallman, Minogue and Aubrey voting yes, and Commissioners Creech, Kinzler and Nephew voting no.
I voted no because I am very concerned about how rapidly we are drawing down our fund reserves. The budget calls for deficit spending of over $360,000 for 2011. This $360,000 deficit spending is the best case scenario for 2011- this assumes that we stick to the budget. In 2010 we planned on $920,000 in deficit spending but staff overspent the budget by $697,690, leaving us $1.6 million down for 2010. President Hess refused to address the deficit spending and the budget overruns when Commissioners Kinzler, Nephew and I expressed our concerns.
We anticipate that the GEPD will have $2.6 million in fund reserves at the end of 2011. However, the reason we have a positive balance is because the previous board approved borrowing $4 million in bonds ten minutes before Commissioners Kinzler, Nephew and I were seated last May. Without borrowing those funds, we would be $1.4 million in debt. Taking out those bonds maxed out our legal debt limit and the GEPD cannot borrow more money until 2013 without a referendum. This leaves us a thin margin for emergencies.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Meeting Tonight: Interim Director Appointed
The agenda and packet for the Glen Ellyn Park District January 18, 2011 meeting are online. This is a regular meeting.
The Board will hear end-of-the-year reports for the Ackerman Sports and Fitness Center, Sunset Pool and Maryknoll Park.
After meeting in executive session, the Board plans to appoint an interim executive director and hold officer elections for the Board.
Glen Ellyn Park District board meetings are always open to the public and are held in the board room at the Spring Avenue Recreation Center at 7:00 p.m. Please join us!
The Board will hear end-of-the-year reports for the Ackerman Sports and Fitness Center, Sunset Pool and Maryknoll Park.
After meeting in executive session, the Board plans to appoint an interim executive director and hold officer elections for the Board.
Glen Ellyn Park District board meetings are always open to the public and are held in the board room at the Spring Avenue Recreation Center at 7:00 p.m. Please join us!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Special Meeting called for January 4
The Glen Ellyn Park District Board is holding a special meeting to discuss the executive director search on January 4, 2011. The agenda for this meeting is online.
The Board will be meeting in closed session for the majority of the meeting. There are no agenda items for open session.
Glen Ellyn Park District board meetings are always open to the public and are held in the board room at the Spring Avenue Recreation Center at 7:00 p.m. Please join us!
The Board will be meeting in closed session for the majority of the meeting. There are no agenda items for open session.
Glen Ellyn Park District board meetings are always open to the public and are held in the board room at the Spring Avenue Recreation Center at 7:00 p.m. Please join us!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Candidates for April 5, 2011 Glen Ellyn Park District Election
Yesterday was the last day for candidates to file for the April 5, 2011 election. There are three seats up for reelection. Commissioners Bill Dallman and Sandy Minogue are not seeking reelection.
The candidates are:
Catherine A. Galvin
Edward P. Hess (incumbent)
Don "Stuff" Stuffelbeam
Hugh Johnson
Kathy Cornell
Gary Mayo
Richard Dunn
The candidates are:
Catherine A. Galvin
Edward P. Hess (incumbent)
Don "Stuff" Stuffelbeam
Hugh Johnson
Kathy Cornell
Gary Mayo
Richard Dunn
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