Wicker Park Advisory Council Meeting Minutes

Attended: Clare Rodriguez (Park Supervisor), Adam Housley (President), Richard Tilley (Treasurer), Doug Wood (Secretary), John Shirk (Urban Encounter and Wicker MIC), Denise Browning (Garden), Joe Sawicki (Softball, WickerICE), Stan Hollenbeck (From Fioretti Group)

  1. Minutes – Doug Woodpresented the December 2015 minutes; they were read, edited, and approved.
  2. Treasurer’s Report Richard Tilley presented final report. Doug and Adam will work to add signers, obtain on-line banking, a bank card for deposits, obtain the 2015 records, and take over the duties of the treasurer.
  3. Park Supervisor Report – Clare Rodriguez
    • Work Orders are being processed in a timely manner.
    • Open work order – weather stripping cracking repair is still pending.
    • Winter Programs are going well and planning is in progress for the Summer programs.
    • We were notified that we will obtain a full time Physical Instructor. This is a great improvement, since a full time employee can take the lead in developing programming and be very helpful to Clare’s supervising roles. Perhaps, we will obtain more programming and add programming for adults. This position could begin as early as March 2016. The park staff has tried to set up programming for seniors, but, they were told by the senior high rise management across the street – that the seniors wanted all programming to take place in the senior high rise and did not want to walk across the street.
    • John Shirk asked if the gym could be open for adults to use at any time. It was pointed out that adults need to register for an open class. Since most of the part time physical instructors work limited hours (during the after school program), the new full time Physical Instructor could add this much needed programming.
    • John Shirk suggested that another option could be for an advisory council member to take charge of a scheduled period of time and run a program for adults.
    • The Senior Art Class will run again this year; posters have been put up in the park.
  4. Dog Park Committee – Adam Housley stated that the Valentine’s Day Dog Fundraiser would not take place this year and that other options will be announced as they develop. Adam pointed out that the fencing in the dog park and in many other locations in the park is in very bad shape. The group decided to photograph the fencing and submit the photos to central region and downtown to request a project manager be assigned to replacement, scraping, and painting. It was noted that 5 years ago, the fence was poorly scraped and painted. The paint job barely lasted one year.
  5. Softball – Joe Sawicki said that the season is being planned and will take place from May 1-end of August.
  6. WickerICE – Opening – January 17 – The opening of WickerICE occurred on Sunday, January 17 with all television stations and most press present. The event was enjoyed by all as was the skating. 350 individuals signed the hockey rules/waiver from 52 zip codes.
  7. Garden – Denise Browning reported that the 8 week Home Landscape Design Workshop was well attended and the students were producing excellent work.
  8. Report MCITPMeeting onWrap Up Meeting – Tues. Dec. 8 – 7pm-Wells Park & Discussions following in January 2016 for a group meeting to discuss receiving 25% of box office and 100% of Ad Sales. Only TWO HOST PARKS were present at the meeting.
    • Received $4128 of Combined Box Office (Our Box Office was $40,000) – Paid $2000 for WPF Security; $1733.48 Boo-Palooza Deficit; Remaining – $394. 52
    • NOITP(Shannon Carpenter) Stated PACs would receive 0% of Box Office in 2016.
    • AD SALES TOTALs Reduced: Documents Distributed showed MCITP will charge and retain approximately 20% of Ad Sales to print ads in the programs. 2015 – Printing costs were subtracted from amount received from box office. With 0% of box office received by PACs, this is an additional cost.
    • MEETING?Suggested a meeting to raise funding to cover basic costs rather than removing basic costs from the PACs who co-produced the events. Currently trying to set a meeting with Parks Foundation, NOITP, MCITP, PACs, Host Park’s Alderman and Community Organizations.
    • Goal– PAC receive 25% of their box office and 100% of Ad Sales when all basic costs covered by special fundraising effort based on these December 2015 WPAC Meeting Resolution:
      • OUTLINE OF SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN 2016 – Wicker Park
      • We feel that the quality of the show was incredible in artistic design, content, and especially the quality of each of the superb performers. The audience members loved the show and were inspired and most will want to return. The MCITP is a valuable asset to our park.
      • SUGGESTIONS:We feel there needs to be some changes in promotions, ad sales limitations, interaction between host parks, volunteer acknowledgements and perks, scope of concessions, and in the production set up support from the Park District. The income for each park must be increased by changing some of the following items – so that the amount of time spent by the volunteers is translated into dollars.
      • PARK DISTRICT – Nights Out Group – BASIC SUPPORT:In addition to revealing their overall promotion plan in April, the Park District (Nights Out in the Parks Staff) should oversee and guarantee to each park workable IT for downloading Ticket lists, workable and adequate electric for concessions, bleachers, plywood, mats, ample trash cans, and mowed lawns. In addition, if sidewalks are flooded on the day of the performances, the Park District’s Night’s Out Team ensure that regional park staff assist volunteers in preparing the park for the MCITP patrons. This year only the park staff aided in working with the flooding issue. The funding for these items could come from the retained 12.5% of the total box office.
      • PROMOTIONS– each component works together monthly and communicates on what types of promotions they can realize and support. Each group should have knowledge of the marketing plan of the Park District, Midnight Circus, and other PACs and work as a team to sell out each show.
      • ADD PERFORMER PROMOTIONS– All promotion team members should have bios and back ground stories on all performers to inform and entice the public about the superb performance team. The press wants this information.
      • UPDATES BETWEEN PARTNERS:Since the host parks are partners in sharing a percent of the total box office, they should meet monthly to give updates and promotion plans to support each performance.
      • AD SALES:Parks should be able to sell more pages 15-20 pages. Since the amount of funding from the box office is so small, the only financial gain for the park is through program ad sales and concessions.
      • SENIOR TICKETS: There are two large CHA high rise housing facilities for seniors across from Wicker Park. We request that you add a senior price – same as children’s price to your options for ticket sales.
      • VOLUNTEER INCENTIVE:At the beginning of each season, all volunteers, administrators, and performers should meet in a social setting. The volunteers will be the biggest asset to promotions, especially if they are inspired by the quality of the performers. Each Volunteer should receive one comp ticket to a performance at another host park. Interactions between the volunteers, circus performers, ad sales sponsors, and the administrative staff – Park District/Nights OUT should be enhanced by presenting parties for these people at each park on the first evening of performances in that park.
      • CONCESSIONS:Concessions should be cut to the basics. Based on what we were informed to purchase, too much money was lost due to our retention of excess merchandise. Also, time consuming products like hot dogs should be eliminated.
      • CLARIFY PRE-SHOW ADDRESS: The pre-show address to the audience gave the audience the impression that 100% of the ticket sales benefited the park.
  9. CREATE Meeting – Jan. 12 – Report Special Events & Summer Programming – Doug Wood for All Other Project Coordinators
    • Big Mulch Day – Confirmed– Saturday, April 16 at 9am – 1pm
    • Plant Sale Fundraiser – Confirmed– Saturday/Sunday May 7 & 8 – 10am – 4pm – Gold Fish Swim School & Mom’s Media, Maggie McKay’s Nutrition Class, Physicians Immediate Care
    • YogaConfirmed– Tuesdays June 6 – August 30 – 6:30-7:30pm Field –Plus Athletico, 2 Moms in the Raw, Mark Bar, Kind, Mama Chia, Vita Coco
    • Music/Theatre Series – 8 Performances-Confirmed– Plus Extra Groups
      • Wicker Park Choral Singers – Sun. 6/ 5 – Noon
      • Symphony Sounds String Quartet – Sun. 6/12 – 11am
      • Theatre Hikes – Sun. 6/19 – 11am – The Jungle Book
      • Symphony Sounds String Quartet Sun. 7/10 – 11am
      • Theatre Hikes – Sun 7/24 at 11AM – The Iliad, The Odyssey and all Greek Mythology in 99 minutes or less
      • Symphony Sounds String Quartet – Sun. 8/14 – 11am
      • Theatre Hikes – Sunday, 8/21 at 11AM – Driving Miss Daisy
      • Theatre Hikes – Friday, October 14 – 6:30pm Friday, Oct 14Zombie Apocalypse
    • Movies – Theme – Dates– Titles (3 funded by The Wormhole Coffee & Scone City, one by WPB Chamber, one by WPAC sponsors
    • Wicker Mic – WAITING on confirmation Last Fridays
    • Magic Boat (No Dates Set)
    • Add – Set Dates for Maggie McKay’s Monthly Nutrition Class, Gold Fish Swim School & Moms Media (Plant Sale-Movie), PRCC-Chicago, Physicians Immediate Care (Movie/Plant Sale)
  10. GRANT OPTIONS & Sponsorships– Parks Foundation (Garden & Advisory Council-Music-Theatre) & FOTP (Music-Theatre) & WPBSSA#33 for Music-Theatre
  11. Annual PAC Conference – Saturday, March 5th, 2016

    Registration: opens at 7:30am, with Keynote speaker starting at 8:00am Sessions: 9:00am-12:00pm Lunch and Resource Fair: 12:00pm-1:30pm Kennedy King College Building U, 740 W. 63rd Street, Chicago, IL 60621 Sign Up on www.ChicagoParksFoundation.org

ADJOURN 8:30PM