Wicker Park Advisory Council Meeting Minutes

ATTENDED: Cynthia Rosario (Park District Area I Manager), Adam Housley (President & Dog Park Committee), Scott Venable (Vice-President and Mosaic Church Chicago), Richard Tilley (WPAC Treasurer), Doug Wood (WPAC Secretary), Denise Browning (Former President & WPGarden), Lauren Krebs (WPAC Events Committee), Elaine Coorens (Publicity chairman & Our Urban Times), Nate Tubbs (Church in the City and Wicker Mic), John Shirk (Urban Encounter and Wicker Mic), Jake Moore (Magic Boat Puppet Theater), Alisa Hauser (DNANews), Jane Wenger (long-term resident)

  1. Cynthia Rosario’s Park District Report
    1. Staff Hiring – The Park Supervisor, 2 Part-time physical instructors, part-time attendant (janitor), seasonal attendant (janitor) positions are all being addressed, positions have been posted, and interviews will take place.
    2. Plan for Summer Camp – The enrollment is high and all seasonal staff will be hired and ready to go in July when the session begins.
    3. Security & Vandalism Updates – She pointed out that there is no funding for weekend security. However at a meeting in March at Alderman Moreno’s office – Park District executives and A. Moreno discussed options. We will explore their answers this month.
    4. Camera Viewing Protocols – She stated that Park Security was working on negotiating with OEMC live feeds into the Park Security offices at Northerly Island – this is the information that Thomas Byrne gave us. No details were given on the protocol for the Park Security or 14th District police to obtain recorded footage. A discussion focused on who receives damage reports – 14th District and/or Risk Management. The 14th had told us they needed a report to file a CLEAR report to obtain OEMC footage. Action: we need to elucidate protocol and involve the 14th District.
    5. Timetable for 14th District Police & Park Security – She said they visit the park regularly; no timetables were available; however, she noted they sign in.
    6. Timetable to install 4 new tables and remove Chess Tables – Exact dates were not available at the time of the meeting.
    7. Graffiti on Benches – Doug Wood requested that the staff call him so that the graffiti on the wooden benches will be addressed within 24 hours. She reported that the Park District cleans the benches regularly. It was clarified that does not happen.
    8. Permits & Partnerships – Permits and partnerships submitted in March are still pending for Green Resources Fair, Music Concerts, Wicker Mic, Magic Boat, Yoga.
    9. Repair damaged sidewalk between Schiller/Damen and Fountain – A Work order has been submitted.
  2. WPAC COMMITTEE REPORTS
    1. Secretary – Doug Wood – April minutes were submitted and approved.
    2. Treasurer – Richard Tilley – Report was submitted.
    3. Dog Park – Adam Housley – Reported on need for cement installment to deter rat colonies. Reported on progress with WPAC June 8 fundraiser – all ready to go. He pointed out that Alderman Moreno purchased $100 of tickets and would like his logo used in promotion materials – could be added to website with link banner, since posters are done. A discussion focused on promotion elements at event, ticket table, and other promotion techniques like Twitter and Face book.
    4. Website & Movies in the Park – Tim Kolecke absent
    5. Landscape – Doug Wood, Denise Browning reported on CGIP Grant, Mulch Day, Gardening, Green Resources Fair. Events went well and gardens are growing and being tended weekly.
    6. Outreach – Contact Us, tables at events, and Other? The group discussed the website ‘contact us’ and discussed various events and dates to promote our programming.
  3. WPAC EVENTS UPDATES – Chairmen of Each Event – Banner/Posters to be finished by June 1 pending artwork
    1. Water Color Wonder – Next Session Dates – Tuesdays, June 4 – August 6 (10 weeks) at 12:30-2:30 pm – Free – Sponsored by WPBSSA#33, Park District and Christina Murphy
    2. Fundraiser for WPAC & Dog Park at Subterranean Bar – Saturday, June 8 at 7pm-9:30pm – $10 – discussion above.
    3. Learnapalooza – Booking Submitted – Pending Partnership and Liability Insurance – Sat. June 15 at 9am-4pm – free.
    4. Magic Boat –Jake – Sponsors (Purple Monkey Playroom – $250; Cat & Mouse -$100; $200 Carry Over – Total $550) begins July – ready to go with new material.
    5. Music (Symphony Sounds String Quartet and Patti Rain) – Doug – Grant SSA ($4,700), Added Sponsors WPB Chamber, Cat & Mouse, Wicker Park Apartments, Trust for Public Land, Bloomingdale Trail, Littlerock Construction, Friends of St. Paul’s Community Church, WPAC, WPGarden, CPD, Mosaic, Friends of the Park (Seed Grant- $500), Our Urban Times
    6. Wicker Mic – Nate & John – All is ready.
    7. Boo-Palooza – Doug suggested that more help is needed with planning and preparing for day of event with added meetings to help coordinate. Scott and others said they’d help.
    8. Movies – Doug said schedule and movies were set with 3 underwritten by The Worm Hole Coffee ($3,000) and one from Wicker Park’s Budget ($1,000). Doug and Tim are waiting on Park District’s new movie logo for banner & website. June 20th – Earth Girls are Easy; July 2nd Independence Day; July 25th Jurassic Park; August 22nd Buckaroo Banzai
    9. Yoga (1st Mondays) ready to go and Doug will add Carly Hoop’s (1st Wednesdays) permit and partnership this month.