Wicker Park Advisory Council Meeting Minutes

ATTENDED: Dan Puente (Wicker Park Supervisor), Tim Kolecke (President WPAC), Scott Venable (Vice-President and Mosaic Church), Richard Tilley (WPAC Treasurer), Doug Wood (WPAC Secretary), Adam Housley (Dog Park), Denise Browning (Former WPAC President & WPGarden), Susan Fontana (Former WPAC President and WPGarden), John Shirk (Wicker Mic & Urban Encounter), Sylvia Ramos (Pritzker & Neighborhood), Elaine Coorens (Our Urban Times), Lauren Krebs (WPAC Events Committee), Jane Wenger (Long term Wicker Park Resident)

  1. Minutes from November 2012 – Read, Approved – Doug Wood
  2. Treasurer’s Report – Richard Tilley – Submitted Report and Doug Wood handed out a file listing expenditures and incomes for all itemized sub-accounts.
  3. Park District Report – Dan Puente (Wicker Park Supervisor) In 2012 over 1,000 children were registered in Wicker Park’s programs. The summer Saturday programming was expanded and well attended. Arts ABC for children, Family Movie Nights in November and December, and adult volleyball were added. Meet the Easter Bunny will be held on Saturday, March 30th. Dan reported that the budget was not cut and that the vacant part time attendant position should be filled soon. He said there are no outstanding work orders. In general, the year was highly successful for park programs, programs were expanded, and all programs were well attended.
  4. Dog Park Committee – Adam Housley – The Dog Park Fundraiser will be held at the Twisted Spoke on Saturday, February 16 from 7pm – 10:30 and feature raffles and silent auction items. The fundraiser for the Dog Park and the WPAC will be scheduled soon. This is a fundraiser to be held at Robert Gomez’s Subterranean Bar. Payment for the dog park bulletin board has been sent; installation is coming soon.
  5. Website – Tim Kolecke – Tim passed out a graphic showing the usage of the site. The usage was notably very high during Boo-Palooza. The listing for this year’s events will be up soon. Doug Wood requested that the links page be updated to include all partners and that last year’s events and sponsors be visible to those visiting the site.
  6. Teen Group & Mosaic Church Volunteer Support – Scott Venable – The teen group is doing really well. Participants participate in music-choir, hip hop, poetry and spoken word.
  7. Landscape & Education – Doug Wood & Denise Browning – The Landscape Design lecture series is going well and is well attended. The Home Landscape Design 7 week workshop is filled and begins Saturday, January 12.

    FAMILY FUN FEST – The group discussed the rejection of the Partnership for the Family Fun Fest. The information was given to WPAC the afternoon before the day of the event. The group was charged not-for-profit fee and equipment requested from trades was rejected. The WPAC was confused by this action and would like to determine the motivation for the action. At this point, it seems the cost of the event and the percentage given to WPAC were the reasons. Doug Wood told the Council he discussed the event with Dana Andrews 3 weeks before the event and it seemed to be possible for the event to receive partnership. Bottom line – the WPAC did not receive 10% of the profits since the partnership was rejected by the Park District.

  8. Update on Vending in the Park – Doug Wood distributed a document from Patrick Lever (Park District COO) stating that he had the Revenue Department inform the concessions manager to remove Wicker Park from the available sites for concessions.
  9. 2013 Programming and Events Series – Doug Wood reported on the upcoming January 15 planning meeting for the 2013 series of community produced and funded programming and events meeting.
  10. REPORT – January 15 Planning Meeting: The event was well attended and a calendar was drafted. These groups attend or submitted information and dates: Dan Puente – Wicker Park Supervisor, Tim Kolecke (WPAC), Denise Browning-WPAC, Susan Fontana-WPAC, Richard Tilley – WPAC, John Shirk-Urban Encounter, Maria Stone- FOTP, Ryan Wilson – MCHAC, Monica Juarez – Build ON, Lauren Krebs (WPAC), Scott Venable (Mosaic Church Chicago), Angela and Mark Tomasino – Wicker Park Choral Singers, Tyler Culligan & Jake Moore (Magic Boat), Adam Housley (Dog Park Committee), Nate Tubbs (Church in the City), Beth Sholtis (WPB SSA #33), Clover Morell-WPB CC, Sylvia Ramos (Pritzker & WPAC), Brian Bullington & Maggie Shutz (Learnapalooza), John Paige (CAF Tours), Andrea Dennis and Molly Friend (Greenheart-CCI), Stacy Greanias (LuluLemon Athletica-Yoga), Kaela Geschke – Josephinum Academy , Jessica Woebbekind (WPB SSA), Adam Burke (WPB CC), Tom Smith (Covenant Presbyterian Church), Dan & Tina Murphy (Senior Art Classes), Elaine Coorens- Our Urban Times, Carrie Frillman & Luke Wilusz – Patch, Alisa Hauser (DNA and Pipeline.

David’s Tea and Sylvia Ramos supplied tea and snacks.

ADJOURN 8:45