Wicker Park Advisory Council Meeting Minutes

Present: Tim Kolecke (President & Website), Scott Venable (Vice-President & Mosaic Church), Richard Tilley (Treasurer), Doug Wood (Secretary and Garden Club Coordinator), Denise Browning (WPAC & WPGarden), Susan Fontana (WPAC & WPGarden), John Shirk (Urban Encounter)

  1. Minutes – Doug Wood – October Minutes were read and approved.
  2. Treasurer’s Report – Richard Tilley- Report Submitted Report
  3. Committee Reports
    • Dog Park Committee – Adam Housley – Absent – sent report via email. There will be a Dog Park Cleaning the Saturday, November 5 from 11am-2pm.
    • Web Site Committee – Tim Kolecke – Tim reported on Web site will be restructured and that we received many hits during the Boo-Palooza week.
    • Softball Committee – Ryan Jackson – Absent and no report.
    • Gardens and Landscape Committee – Doug Wood, Denise Browning – The Garden club will host a Fountain Decorating Social on Saturday, November 19 from 10am-4pm. Rain date is Sunday, November 19 from 10am-4pm. Project is funded by Wicker Park Garden Club (trees, transportation, decorations, garlands) and the Care of Trees (lights).
    • Park Security Enhancements – Cameras and Extra Security: Doug Wood reported that 2 new security cameras are to be installed soon. The Park District and 1st Ward Alderman Moreno fund these cameras.
  4. Staff Reports –No staff present and no reports submitted via email. Pending: hiring of Park Supervisor and Part Time Physical Instructor.
  5. Boo – Palooza Report – All agree that the event was very successful and about 2,000 people attended. Doug Wood submitted the final report. 90% of the SSA funds granted were received; the remaining 10% should be received shortly after the final report is submitted. Final report will be submitted by Nov. 5. The final cost, including all in-kind contributions was $21,855.62. The WPAC spent $540.23 on the project.

    Suggestions for Boo-Palooza 2012

    • Keep it on the same weekend – last weekend of October.
    • Add 100 more pumpkins and fence in the pumpkin patch – this will control number in the patch at any given time.
    • 200 apples seemed like a good number.
    • Keep the dog element – it was very successful.
    • Spread out the event to include the area near Schiller.
    • Keep the time period the same (10am-2pm).
    • Try to include food vendors. Include a time limit on the straw game and increase the maze area – 2 times as much straw.
    • Include a meeting of volunteer coordinators before the event – the detailed outline needs to be gone over in advance.
    • Increase the length of the parade route and have judges lead children to the stage for prizes – we lost 2 children on the way to the stage.
    • Keep events out of the playground – it was a good place to go to ‘cool down.’

Adjourned at 8:15 pm