Here’s what’s going on at the Elmhurst Park District…
By Chris Fox
For The Elmhurst Independent
The Elmhurst Park District Board held a regular meeting on Sept. 12 at the district’s administrative building at 375 W. First Street. All seven commissioners attended the meeting.
There were no public comments.
Lakota Group selected for strategic planning
• Board members voted 6-0 to approve engaging with The Lakota Group for comprehensive and strategic plan services at a total cost of nearly $170,000. At its Aug. 22 meeting, the board heard presentations from The Lakota Group and one other firm interested in developing the park district’s comprehensive and strategic plan. Board members discussed the proposals later in the Aug. 22 meeting and eventually directed Elmhurst Park District Executive Director Jim Rogers to open The Lakota Group’s cost proposal, which was about $208,000. Rogers and park district staff proceeded to negotiate with the Chicago-based firm to reach an agreement. The Lakota Group and park district staff made revisions to the scope of the overall project that reportedly won’t affect its quality. The two sides arrived at the total fee of about $170,000—an 18.5-percent reduction from the original proposal of about $208,000.
The revised proposal will not affect the timeline of the project, which features a targeted completion date of late May 2017 to coincide with the kickoff of the district’s capital and budget planning for its 2018 fiscal year.
The board allocated $40,000 toward the project in the 2016 budget. In approving the agreement with The Lakota Group at the Sept. 12 meeting, the board also allocated the remaining cost of the project—nearly $130,000—in the district’s 2017 budget.
Commissioner Patricia Morissette-Moll recused herself from the vote related to the agreement with The Lakota Group. She also recused herself from the Aug. 22 discussion to select the firm from the two finalists. Morissette-Moll noted at that meeting that her daughter is engaged to the son of one of the principals of an architecture firm associated with The Lakota Group.
Courts Plus StairMasters to be replaced for $43,500
Board members voted 7-0 to authorize the replacement of six StairMaster Stepmill machines at Courts Plus. The total cost to replace the six cardiovascular fitness units is about $43,500. The district will acquire the new Stepmills from Life Fitness of Rosemont through the governmental purchasing cooperative known as the National Joint Powers Alliance (NJPA). The Stepmills being replaced are reportedly more than five years old and in need of significant repair.
Pool pass sales flat, but revenues higher due to cost increase
The Sept. 12 board meeting included a 2016 second quarter financial report that provided an overview of the district’s financial trends for the period from April 1 to June 30 of this year. One of the highlights from the report noted the sales of pool passes in each of the last two years. The district reportedly sold 7,725 passes in 2015, which resulted in revenue of about $270,000. The price of passes increased about 15 percent in 2016, but the number of passes sold this year—7,696—was nearly identical to last year. The sale of passes in 2016 generated revenue of about $312,000—a 15-percent increase over last year, commensurate with the increase in price. Rogers said the current price of annual pool passes is still a tremendous value. He said he could envision another price increase for pool passes in 2017. The discounted pool pass rate for this year, which was available until May 27, was $39 for an individual resident. This year’s fee for an individual resident rose to $59 on May 28.
State of the Park District address planned for Sept. 29
Ginger Wade, the district’s director of marketing and communications, noted during the staff announcements segment of the meeting that the park district would hold its first-ever “State of the Park District” address on Thursday, Sept. 29, at The Abbey, 427 W. St. Charles Road. Networking will begin at 7 p.m. The presentation by Elmhurst Park District Board President Vince Spaeth and Rogers will start at 7:15 p.m. According to information provided by the district, the presentation will provide a look at district projects, accomplishments and future plans. It will also include an overview of how the district and park board try to serve the recreational needs of district residents.
Those who plan to attend the meeting are asked to send an e-mail to [email protected].
Board considers acquiring 135 Palmer Drive property
Board members entered into executive session near the end of the meeting. When they returned from executive session, Spaeth read a statement noting that the board met in closed session to consider the acquisition of the property at 135 Robert T. Palmer Drive. According to Spaeth, a proposed purchase contract for the sale of the property for the purchase price of $1.8 million, signed by the seller, was presented to the park board for consideration.
Board members then voted unanimously to approve the purchase of the property, which is located just south of Glos Memorial Park. The board unanimously voted to pass a separate resolution authorizing Rogers to secure financing for the purchase.
