Wicker Park Advisory Council Meeting Minutes

Present: John Davidson (Park Supervisor), Jason Zaffaroni (Park Physical Instructor), Thalia Solano (Park Physical Instructor), Susan Fontana (WPAC – Co-President), Denise Browning (WPAC-Co-President), Richard Tilley (WPAC Treasurer), Doug Wood (WPAC – Secretary and Garden Club), John Shirk (Urban Encounter), Adam Housley (Dog Park), Ryan Jackson (softball), Sylvia Ramos (Pritzker School), Tim Kolecke (Website), Carrie Martin (MPT Parent), Ellen Gallerini (Glitter Girls), Jodie Deschler (Glitter Girls)

  1. Minutes – Doug Wood – December Minutes compiled by Clintina Taylor were read and approved.
  2. Treasurer’s Report – Richard Tilley submitted treasurer’s report.
  3. Committee Reports
    1. Dog Park Committee – Adam Housley – Fundraiser ‘For the Love of Dogs’ – Scheduled. Sat. Feb 13 at Twisted Spoke- 501 N. Ogden Ave. 7-11pm.
    2. Web Site Committee – Tim Kolecke – Reported on Updates, LinkedIn, Twitter, Face Book. Will include Dog Park fundraiser on Twitter. Will work to upgrade history and info on sections of the park – dog park, playground.
    3. Softball – Ryan Jackson – Funds collected to pay for this year’s Park District Permit. Will promote a fundraiser to be held in February.
    4. Gardens and Landscape Committee – Doug Wood – Reported on excellent attendance for Native Landscape Design Series Lectures (50+per lecture) and full house-54students registered for Jan-Feb Home Design Saturday Class funded in part by Parkways Foundation.
    5. Parent Committee Meeting-Education-Events-Clintina Taylor, Toni Anderson – Absent – Denise Browning read request for assistance in grant writing-fundraising for Art Classes. In addition, questions on updates on survey arose – requesting survey results be compiled in time to have affect on Summer and Fall enhanced Park District offerings.
    6. Collaboration Committee – Faces of Wicker Park – John Shirk – John will contact Elaine Coorens and work to initiate the Project on Our Urban Times and site promotions.
  4. Staff Reports – John Davidson (Park Supervisor), Jason Zaffaroni (Park Physical Instructor), Thalia Solano (Park Physical Instructor).
    1. Thalia Solano, Wicker Park’s new Physical Instructor was introduced as a new hire for the Park District. She had worked in the private sector working with children, adults (fitness and strength training), and seniors. We discussed with her the need for adult programming in our park.
      Jason Zaffaroni reported on his first 3 months, teaching seasonal spots, working with the teen club, indoor soccer and city wide competitions.
    2. John Davidson reported that arrangements were completed to utilize Park District funds to retain Lara Kastner to continue to teach one art class per week. Additional partnership negotiations are under way with Lara to teach younger children. Norman’s Friday’s children’s class now has a reading session, Park Voyagers, working on Lending Library, hip hop, and Little Kickers. Bucktown Music has completed partnerships to begin offering classes in the Park for pre-school children. The Valentine Party will be held on Friday, Feb. 12 – 6-8pm-$5.
  5. WORKORDERS – An update on outstanding work orders was requested – Updates on work orders is not easy to obtain. Action – WPAC will make list and speak with Park District Central Region Executives to update.
  6. News Letter – The group discussed an update on the creation of a document that outlines all meetings, classes, events, and fundraisers going on to support the Park. Doug Wood agreed to create a document to be sent out before February 1. Information was requested from all groups, including a list of open classes.
  7. Glitter Girls – Ellen Gallerini and Jodie Deschler discussed their group – Glitter Girls and handed out information. John Davidson said he’d speak with Bridget about the group and work to incorporate.

Wicker Park – Items – Repairs – Work Order Methods
On Saturday, February 6, 1:15PM, I met with Art Richardson – Head of the Central Region and Patrick Levar – Director of all trade departments. He is responsible for all the departments that respond to repairs requested in Chicago’s Parks. Patrick was excited to announce a New Electronic system for entering work orders is scheduled to be on-line soon. Work orders will be assigned an entry date, due date, and be accessible to all park supervisors and area managers. The park supervisor and area manager will have direct contact with the status of the work orders that they placed and be able to determine when they will be completed. If work orders are not completed within the scheduled time period, the Park Supervisor and Area Manager can communicate with Trades and gain information on methods to finish the assigned work duties.

BENEFITS OF NEW SYSTEM – This system will eliminate lost work orders, long delays on their completions, and institute a protocol for direct involvement of the Park Supervisor and Area Manager in monitoring the work orders. We can expect accurate up to date reports from our park staff at each Advisory Council meeting after this excellent system is up and running.

These items were discussed during a walk-thru; timeline is indicated in blue below.

DOG PARK To be addressed when weather warms – dig to repair pipes servicing the area.
Water pipe – broken for several years – Dead Tree – remove

SOFT BALL New Box with corner locks to be purchased before season begins.
Lock box – broken – repair latches to make damage and theft proof or replace with a unit that can be locked and not pried open as easily as the current box.

FIELD HOUSE
Entrances East and West – Temporary 4X4in supports holding up arched brickwork above doorways – installed due to cracking brickwork due to water leakage – check out – installed 4 years ago. – This is a capital improvement that will be addressed with roof replacement or independently as a capital improvement for brick work. The cause of the damage to the brickwork has been repaired; so, now, the brickwork can be repaired without further damage.

Women’s Restroom – Needs Larger Permanent trash can and hand sanitizer lotion To be addressed

Men’s Restroom – Diaper Changing Area, Mirrors, Paint Job – Room has no space for diaper changer- grafitti will be addressed with a new experimental ‘non-grafitti’ surface on walls of stalls.

Windows – Replace latches – All latches will be replaced – all window will be capable of opening.
Many windows are screwed shut and cannot be opened for fresh air, or to compensate for overheating (all winter). At this point, the only alternative is to use the air conditioners during warm periods – which is not efficient or green. Please remove the screws and replace the latches so the windows can be opened. In case of fire – there are very few window exits for people to leave.

Lights in Auditorium Will work to Repair or Replace with Florescent Lights – Replace light fixtures – Don’t stay on or turn on and off at will. Check or replace to another lighting (florescent) system. Many windows need the glass replaced – fogg up – air-water leaks into interior of glass components.

Air vent above Auditorium door – Will check out with Engineers and fill if possible to keep warm air out of room in summer and to keep down the hallway noise from entering room. Consider blocking during times air conditions work – or block to control noise spilling from Hallway into auditorium.

WATER FOUNTAIN – FOUNTAIN COURT – Last fall we asked the fountain be shut off because it was constantly running; was the water fountain repaired or just shut off. Water fountain was not repaired in fall, but, will be repaired before it is turned on this spring.

DRIVE WAY DRAINAGE – The drain in the parking drive needs to be cleaned in order to drain water. Crew will come and unclog drain when weather improves.

CURBS – Schiller and Damen – The Curbs at Schiller/Damen were replaced but not back filled- please backfill. Will be back filled in when weather clears to prevent injury to those who may trip or fall into the deep holes.

PLAYGROUND This summer all playgrounds will have a crew regularly rotating through them to check all equipment weekly. Soft surface will be check when weather clears. Drainage will be address in spitting bear bog. The bog has shifted and now the low point is the sidewalk rather than the drain installed with the unit.
Submitted to you via email by Brandon Antoniewicz, parent of child who uses playground daily
He said “Many pieces of the playground equipment are broken (swings, jungle gym – log roller, spinning wheel, teeter totter*, etc.) and have seen slow to no repairs.”
Drainage of Water feature area – flows into sidewalk and street rather than installed drain.
Flooded sidewalk on West Entrance. Check status of SOFT surface.

RECYLCING BLUE CANS Will be addressed – Work to move into park from locations in parkways on Wicker Park Ave and Schiller.

WICKER SCULPTURE – It was pointed out that the WPAC’s – WPB SSA#33 grant was funded in December. Art Richardson will follow up with Michael Fus to determine date of reinstallation. At this point, the repair firm has not been confirmed to – go ahead with repairs. Will be addressed soon.