Wicker Park Advisory Council Meeting Minutes

Wicker Park Advisory Council Minutes
Jan 18, 2006

Present: J. Allen (co-president), J. Dickinson (co-president), L. Elliott (secretary), D. Wood, S. Fontana, E. Coorens, R. Tilley, D. Browning, K. Torres (Park Supervisor), D. Marre, K. Greebe, R. Steele (CPD, manages advisory councils)., R. Sivulich, J. Shurr, K, Telingator, E. Tamminga, M. Tamminga, K. Grayson (Chicago Journal), A. Strater.

  1. Tile Project: Artist is working full time for CPD currently (Carol Tarnoff); she will work with Park Kids to do drawings and tiles (insects and flowers), and plan is to unveil this for Children’s Carnival. D. Wood reports that each Monday this quarter the Park Kids will be drawing with pastels, ink, etc, and starting in April will learn painting for 8 wks. Offers to coordinate on March 27. (Monday Park Kids do art, Thurs Park Kids is a different group which grows plants).
  2. Bricks: E. Coorens had requested information on how brick sales for the playground were accomplished. Brick sales trickled in over a long period of time (4 years); there were a few events at which brochures were handed out, at Farmers’ Market, etc., but there was no major event which brought in a significant number of sales.
  3. Treasurer’s report: No change in statement of accounts from last meeting.
  4. Park Supervisor’s report: Moms and Tots program has Steckman Music Company coming in; martial arts program on Wed from 4-5pm (S. Fontana). Floor hockey, baseball and basketball will be taken over by the CPD (fees go through CPD website). D. Wood requested that K. Torres put in work orders for reseeding field and lights at fountain. Also suggests that we get a date from CPD for reseeding since if it appears this won’t happen, D. Wood suggests partnering with Christy Weber or other landscape services.
  5. Discussion of 2006 WPAC Mission and Plans. Mission: To establish a framework for the current and future operation of the WPAC in consideration of the diverse group of park users through the following goals:
    • Establish, maintain, and expand communication and sharing of information
    • Enhance community’s leisure time in the park
    • Maintain and improve Park infrastructure.

    R. Steele: Would like to help focus energy. Suggests putting paper into people’s hands so they know what is being discussed (educate people as we’re having the meeting). He said that the 2006 Mission was a great plan and one that he was going to use as a role model for other advisory councils. He will use the CPD to enhance what we’re trying to do as the WPAC, to bring resources to our Park.

    Question (R. Steele): What are current subcommittees? Park Usage committee, Garden/Fountain committee, Playground committee, Events committee.

    1. Communication: Consider adding quarterly newsletter to community. (Would need to be spearheaded.) Would be distributed via email and posted to website. Commercial Park does this; gets emailed to about 2000 people including individuals, CPD, politicians, businesses. R. Steele is going to begin sending out a weekly Advisory Council email. Discussion of how to get dog owners involved to participate in Dog Park maintenance. R. Steele offered to call a meeting with the dog owners and Park Supervisor to make them aware of their responsibilities in maintaining the dog park. There are new rules now that all dogs in dog park must have a particular tag verifying that they have had all their shots, effective March 1, 2006. (Fine of up to $500 per dog). Dogs must be on a leash outside of the dog park, and Police Department should be called for dogs off leash. S. Fontana suggests setting up dog link on website and perhaps ultimately people can put photos of their pets on the site. Also a suggestion of getting local pet-focused businesses involved as sponsors.

      D. Wood suggests making a brochure with mission/goals/website that is distributed to Park Kids parents, parents of sports leagues, moms/tots, etc. Doug volunteers to make brochure. J. Dickinson requests that the printing not be charged to the organization. R. Steele suggest having a WPAC board, possibly both inside and outside.

      Discussion of producing postcards rather than a full brochure and distributing door to door to save postage costs. Idea is to use print medium for six months or so, to then make people aware of the website and park boards.

      E. Coorens suggests doing a “Community Night” with all organizations active in Wicker Park invited so we can all learn about each other and the community can learn about organizations they can be involved in.

      Marketing Committee established: R. Sivulich, as do J. Dickinson, J Allen and P. Humphries.

      R. Steele suggests getting a WPAC banner or shirts so there is high visibility at events in the park. (Someone must coordinate.) Also suggests that alderman and state reps have a representative that comes to the WPAC meetings.

    2. Enhancing Community Leisure Time: R. Steele suggests keeping a calendar with all events and who has volunteered to lead. S. Fontana suggests working with other community groups (eg Pritzker PTO) to share resources and pool effort. Alderman should have a master schedule of what’s happening in the ward. D. Wood is spearheading classical brunch, which will occur on Sunday mornings when the Farmers’ Market is going on.

      Add June 17 Fountain Garden fundraiser to the events calendar.

      D. Wood suggests establishing oversight committee for all activities and fundraising so donors are not approached too many times, which can also establish protocol to deal with potential donors and create packet to present to donors.

      D. Wood moves to establish this committee; seconded by S. Fontana, motion carried verbally.

    3. Infrastructure: Brief discussion due to time issues. Fountain Court seems major undertaking this year. D. Wood moves to send the letter of intent; seconded and approved by verbal vote. Letter of intent given to R. Steele.
  6. D. Wood distributes a different budget/agenda that includes additional items not included in the proposed 2006 Mission and Plans above.

Meeting adjourned at 9:10 pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Lorrie Elliott, WPAC secretary