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 September 25 at the district’s administrative office at 375 W. First Street. Board president Vincent Spaeth was absent from the meeting.
Van Voorst Park to be pesticide-free test site
Each of the three speakers during the public comments segment of the meeting thanked the board for its pesticide-free initiative at Van Voorst Park. The speakers urged the board to expand the initiative to other parks in the district.
In June of 2016, district staff determined Van Voorst Park would be the best location as a pesticide-free test site. The park includes baseball and soccer fields. Daniel Payne, the district’s division manager of parks, addressed the board during the meeting. According to Payne, the district includes about 200 mowable acres. There are 28 baseball/softball fields in the district’s parks, and approximately 29 to 36 soccer/lacrosse fields. Payne said that one of the district’s turf-maintenance challenges is finding time to work on the fields, which are frequently used for athletic contests.
Payne said the district’s springtime maintenance on its turf fields outside of Van Voorst Park focuses on aeration, topdressing, overseeding and fertilizing. The focus during the summer is strictly mowing grass and scouting areas in need of maintenance. In the fall, the district conducts more aeration, overseeding, topdressing and the application of a broadleaf weed control product. Payne said the district conducts one broadleaf weed application per year. That application, he said, helps turfgrass out-compete weeds on the district’s fields. He said the chemical weed-control products applied to the district’s turf grass outside of Van Voorst Park are similar to those used by companies that care for residential lawns.
Payne said that the chemical products are the most effective in treating crabgrass, clover and weeds on the district’s fields. He said the turf at Van Voorst Park contains a minimal amount of turfgrass. He added that the district is committed to looking at natural and organic turf products.
Elmhurst Park District Executive Director Jim Rogers said during the meeting the district doesn’t have any plans to expand its pesticide-free program. Commissioner Doug Ennis said the issue is important to him. Ennis added that the district needs to continue to look at the possibilities of avoiding the use of pesticide-free products. Rogers noted the district is always trying to balance the challenges of its resources—including time, labor and money—as it examines the care of its turfgrass.
Mesirow Financial loan sought for Palmer Drive, other properties
The board also provided consensus during the Sept. 25 meeting to direct staff to work with Mesirow Financial to secure long-term financing in the amount of about $2.65 million to fund the recent acquisition of 135 Palmer Drive, as well as the acquisition, abatement and demolition of 447 Armitage Avenue and 207 N. Hampshire Avenue.
The park board approved the purchase of all three properties in 2016 and 2017. The board approved the purchase of the 207 N. Hampshire Avenue property in January 2017. That purchase was not in the district’s 2017 budget. That budget included a proposed debt issuance of $2.2 million to finance the purchase of the properties at Palmer Drive and Armitage Avenue.
After meeting with Mesirow Financial, park district staff recommended the board finance the purchase of all three properties, along with abatement and demolition at the Armitage Avenue and Hampshire Avenue sites, at a total amount of about $2.65 million, using a general obligation backed alternate revenue bond with a duration of 20, 25 or 30 years.
The board will hold its next regular meeting on Oct. 10.
