Park District News

by Jude Coyle

Commissioners John Murphy, Al Pizza, Mike Cione, Fred Bilotto, and President Wayne Wolf participated in the April 28, Park Board Meeting.

Commissioner Murphy of the Building and Grounds Committee, said the facilities at Hart Park have been partially painted. Newly added space at the Centennial Park concession stand will store sports equipment. Playground equipment has been inspected, and the 12 inch surface under the equipment needs to be replaced in some places. The Park District is using bio-solids from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. It was tried at Memorial, and will soon be used at Centennial. New grass planted in the bio-solids is coming up slowly. The Park District will try to lease land from the MWRD and the Forest Preserve.

Maintenance Superintendent Chris Sobczak reported that the pool bath house floor has been recoated with a rubberized material. The water fountains are on. There are water leaks throughout the parks, but particularly under the pool deck. They are attempting to clean up graffiti, particularly inside the tunnels on slides. There are damaged fences at several parks, including Kiddie Koral.

Recreation Director Austin Sandusky said that the Caribbean Coffee Bar, located on top of the Bath House, will be opened daily, 7AM to 11AM, and Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights 5PM to 9PM. The Spring Fling Dance is May 31st. A community Garage Sale will be held a Memorial Park on June 28th, 9AM to 4PM. AWalking Club will begin on June 16th. Participants will meet outside the Field House at 7AM, and walk 2 miles on the track about the football field. Registration is unnecessary. Check at the Field House about annual pool passes, swimming lessons, etc.

Items on the agenda to be voted on included approval of accounts payable in the amount of $90,750.13. Commissioner Murphy said that 30 chairs were taken and not paid for. Also discussed was hiring new legal counsel, Cummings & Duda as the Park’s counsel, at a monthly retainer of $1,000. This company is local, serves several park districts, and are less expensive.

The Board plans to seek bids on building a bathroom near the playing fields in Memorial Park. It will have sinks, 2 toilets, and will be treated with a special coating, allowing it to be cleaned by hosing it down. It would also be graffiti proof. Commissioners Cione and Bilotto voted against this. The Board plans to participate with SOAR (through DCFS), to enroll day campers this summer. The Board wishes to sponsor $100 towards the 2008-09 Blue Island bike race. Three years ago, a number of businesses, led by Great Lakes Bank appealed the Park Board’s assessment on their property taxes. A negotiated settlement dropped the assessment by about $250.00. This needed approval. The Board will purchase insurance through G.A.Crandall for the 2008-09 year. Approval was sought to hire Talitha Madlock and Jose Muldanado as security officers for $8.25 an hour, and Andy Boland, Lisa Adams, Mary DeLaurentis, Timothy Stokes, Miranda Easley and Danielle O’Meara as camp councilors at $8.25 per hour. Also, the Board plans to waive rental fees for First Evangelical Lutheran Church, SERTOMA, Cuarta Dimension A.A., and Salem Lutheran School. All requests were approved.

Residents were invited to participate.

Elaine Lentz asked what the Board planned to do with the stands. Dr. Wolf replied that they have a 4-year program. Year 1, stabilize the seats. Year 2- finishing. Year- 3 erect a partial roof, and Year-4 replace more seats. This should cost about $400,000. Of the several plans considered, this was chosen because of cost and time limitations.

Bob Manthei asked about the Parks’ finances. He was told that there was $900,000 in operating expenses, and $900,000 in CD’s. This is a nice cushion, but somewhat inflated. Taxes are not due until October. He asked why Mark DeRango, the former Maintenance Supervisor made a lateral move. DeRango replied that he will be retiring in 3 years, and will take that time to train his replacement. There are currently 3 others in that Department besides him. Asked about a former employee who was terminated, Albert Martinez, Mr. Manthei was told that they could not discuss this because the matter was in litigation before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Mr. Manthei then asked why there are now playing fields/practice fields for the Untouchables. Commissioner Murphy explained that six years earlier he was instructed to find cheaper insurance because of increased premiums. He went to the I.A.P.D., the Illinois Park District Association, Paderma and the I.P.R.A. The Park District was forced to join a risk management program. In order to buy cheaper insurance, they were given a list of 23 risks that needed to be addressed. One was the torn up grass in the center of the football field. In order to avoid injury, they seeded and fertilized the area at least six times and did not get the results they needed. So they decided to use the Centennial Park field for practice. It was something that was done in 1950 when Commissioner Murphy attended high school.

Mr. Manthei asked about the Rugby games, not a Blue Island team, scheduled in April. He was told that 2 games were played and 2 were rained out and rescheduled elsewhere. Mr. Manthei thought the grass would be most vulnerable in the spring, and that most of the play in rugby happens in the middle of the field. Allowing them to play there seemed like a contradiction. Commissioner Murphy replied that they had just laid 3 semi loads of bio-solids on the field, and planted grass, which is just beginning to sprout. Dr. Wolf explained that the Untouchables would use the fields rent free this year, although they would be required to pay for a police officer during games. Mr. Manthei asked if the washroom was important, why there was a split vote. Commissioner Bilotto replied that they had just renovated the pool washrooms, which were to be used during football games so he did not see need to renovate more.

Joe Murphy said that the parks look phenomenal. He had served on the Park Board a few years back. If they had $900 in the bank in a month, they were lucky. He had served with some smart people, some dumb people, and some that were less than honest. He did question, however, if if the current Board lacked “heart.” During his tenure on the Board, he met people with great potential. One was Commissioner Cione before he was kicked in the shins, and another was Mark DeRango.

He asked what kind of advertising was used to find DeRango’s replacement, what criteria was used, was their a job description, and why a 3 year transition period was necessary. For example, Moraine Valley will soon replace their president and they expect only a 6 month transition. Commissioner Murphy replied that they looked at several candidates. Chris Sobczak was selected because he is very qualified, and is from Blue Island. In other words what comes from Blue Island is going back into Blue Island. He isn’t afraid of getting his hands dirty. And with his hire, the Maintenance Department went from 4 to four people. The money spent in salaries wouldn’t change substantially. Pressed on the issue of advertisement, Commissioner Murphy replied that it was “word of mouth.” He did not advertise through State park bulletins, but asked other Park District commissioners for recommendations.

Kathy Manthei pointed out that Mr. DeRango made a lateral move, with the same salary, and that there was a superintendent and an assistant superintendent. Mr. DeRango was always a ‘working’ superintendent.

CommissionerWolf said that Mr. DeRango is an effective trainer and that the pair have a good working relationship. Asked what his experience actually was, Superintendent Sobszak said, “I don’t know where to start.” He has maintenance experience, but doesn’t know much about parks.

Ron Reardon said that he has been associated with the parks for over 40 years. He expressed disappointment with outsourcing. The Park District used to hire high school students. There were 4-5 people to plant flowers and mark the fields, and most of the pool people were B.I. kids. “We’re running ahead of ourselves.” He thought it was important to hire young people because it keeps them out of trouble. Dr. Wolf said that one young woman was hired to work with the Maintenance Department, and that the company running the pool would hire back several of the kids that worked last year.

Sandy May asked about litigation by employees who have been shuffled around, hired, fired and rehired whatever. Outside of the aforementioned situation, there was only 1 litigation suit. She said that she agreed with Joe Murphy. The parks have never looked better; however they do seem to lack ‘heart.’ It seems that the Park District was practicing a ‘stay off the grass’ philosophy—our teams such as the Untouchables and Little League should come first. The many personnel changes did not look good. Austin Sandusky replied that the fields were scheduled with men’s and girls’ softball and Pony/Colt baseball games solidly from May through July. Commissioner Murphy took offense to the ‘stay off the grass’ remark. They were curtailing the use of the Memorial Park field for safety reasons.. May stated that the ‘stay off the grass’ remark was a poetic interpretation; however, felt that they need to rethink their philosophy.

Bob. Manthei asked which trustees had relatives working either as paid Park District employees or as contractors. Commissioner Pizza and President Wolf both replied that their mothers-in-law worked part time, and both had started prior to their joining the Park Board. Also, Dr. Wolf’s son, an independent contractor, rents out and runs the concession stand. When he was approved, his father abstained.

The meeting ended at 7:55PM. The next meeting will be on May 26th, at 7PM at the Memorial Park Field House.