Wicker Park Advisory Council

Wicker Park Advisory Council Meeting Minutes

ATTENDED: Claribel Rodriguez (Wicker Park Supervisor), Jim Boldt (Pulaski Park Supervisor), Adam Housley (WPAC President), Richard Tilley (Treasurer), Doug Wood (WPAC Secretary), Denise Browning (Former WPAC President & WPGarden), Susan Fontana (Former WPAC President & WPGarden), John Shirk (Wicker Mic & Urban Encounter), Elaine Coorens (Our Urban Times), David Ginople (Chairman WPB SSA #33), Jessica Wobbekind (WBS SSA #33 Program Manager), Mark Tomasino (Wicker Park Choral Singers), Samuel Paakkonen (Film Student Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy in Chicago working toward a film and broadcast degree. – All approved of video taping of the meeting)

  1. Minutes from June 2013 – There was no July Meeting – Read & Approved – Doug Wood
  2. Treasurer’s Report – Richard Tilley – Presented an Updated Report
  3. Park District Report – Claribel Rodriguez has been hired as Wicker Park’s new Park Supervisor. She discussed her background and expressed her excitement to begin working closely with the advisory council in upcoming years and to make an impact on programming and events. She was hired from outside the Park District and grew up in the neighborhood. She worked in government and for not-for-profit organizations in fundraising, HR, and development.

    OTHER TOPICS: James Boldt reported that Cynthia Rosario was not at the meeting, since her daughter needed to attend an orientation session at the same time as the WPAC meeting. Clare said that Cynthia says that individuals are being interviewed for the 3 vacant positions (part-time attendant and 2 part-time security guards).

  4. COMMITTEE REPORTS
    1. Dog Park – Adam Housley reported that the latch on the dog park was repaired, but it is still not easily opened, especially by handicapped people. We need to ask Park District to review design on other dog park gates like Churchill, etc and repair it so it is more user friendly.
    2. Website – Tim Kolecke absent – No Report Submitted
    3. Movies – Denise Browning, Adam Housely and Elaine Coorens discussed the highly attended Jurassic Park movie in the Park presented on Thursday, July 25. Almost 3,000 attended with one park staff member on duty and no police presence until the movie was almost over. Provisions that were set to improve the next movie were: contact Central Region Administrators, Park Security, 14th District Police, and Alderman Moreno and ask them to work together to ensure that the park is covered with staff and security for the next movie in August. The council proposed and agreed to hire two S3 Security Guards at approximately $160 to cover the movie in case no one showed up at the August movie. Doug Wood agreed to contact all for security, contact Patrick Levar for lights, set contract with S3, contact Landscaping to add more cans in the field during the movie, and then report back on results.
    4. Landscape – Doug Wood, Denise Browning, and Richard Tilley reported that Saturday gardening was going well, that lectures were being set up for the fall/winter season, and that the shade gardens and urns had been vandalized.
    5. Summer Events – Doug Wood reported that the summer events would continue in August and all were highly attended in July. The press and newsletter organizations (WPB SSA, FOTP, 35th Ward News) were assisting with press.
    6. Meeting with Alderman – Adam Housely, Elaine Coorens, and Doug Wood met with Alderman Moreno to ask that he 1) Speak with Green Music Fest Administration and request that they pay the WPAC the $1,720 that they have not paid for park security and security along the Damen fence during the June festival. The GMF voided the arrangement with the Alderman and WPAC and did not install protective fence along Damen from Schiller to Wicker Park Avenue, did not clean the park, and did not reimburse the Advisory Council for security coverage of the park or fence. The WPAC did install the 1,600 ft of fence around the park’s trees and gardens at no expense to the GMF. 2) work with enhance security measure, especially clearing park at 11pm – 6am and added security on weekend days and night 3) encourage the Park District to fill the vacant positions in the park. He said he would do this.
    7. Teen Group – Scott Venable – Absent
  5. EVENTS UPCOMING
    1. December Holiday Event with Music and Puppets – Mark Tomasino and the council discussed a holiday event where guests watch at puppet show sing along with the chorus and listen to the chorus sing various compositions. The event would be followed by a Movie.
    2. Boo-Palooza – The budget was reviewed, installing various elements the night before was discussed to cut down on the amount of work that needed to be done between 8-10am, and specific persons are to be assigned to each area. Partnering again with Chamber and WPB SSA was approved and a document would be drafted outlining sponsorship, table requirements and volunteers.
    3. Fountain Decorating Social – Garden Club will lead decorating and funding and The Family Fun Fest’s details are being negotiated.