Approving the issuance and sale of Park District Bonds

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South Bend Common Council Page 3 In realizing that some trees will have to be removed for construction at the zoo and the ecological importance and appearance of Potawatomi Park must be maintained, the zoo plan calls for the planting of over 100 trees and thousands of shrubs and different types of plantings. The perimeter fence will also be screened by hundreds of plantings to hopefully make the chain link fence blend into the natural environment. One important item that must be considered is the increase of yearly maintenance cost of a new zoo and the other projects in the bond issue. It is hoped that the present staff at Potawatomi can maintain the new zoo. I realize the new zoo is a larger area and that there will be additional buildings to maintain but I feel that a new modern zoo will be easier to maintain and operate thus the present staff is adequate. I did add additi- onal funds for electricity ($500.00 for six months); cleaning supplies for six months, $500.00; and heating cost for new zoo building, $1,000.00 in the 1978 park budget for the new zoo operation. The cost to operate the new zoo could be more than offset if the Park Board decidesto charge an admission fee for out -of -city residents. Other Proiects In Bond Issue lacement of Irrigation Svstem at Erskine Golf Course Erskine Golf Course is one of the finest eighteen hole golf courses in the area but has one major drawback - an outdated irrigation system installed by the W.P.A. in 1938. The system is plagued by numerous leaks which means that the fairways must be dug up and the leaks fixed. We had over forty leaks last year. The present irrigation system is manually operated which means that two men - one at night and one during the daytime - must insert the sprinklers into the couplings in the fairway. This is an expensive operation since we loose two men from our maintenance crew to water. The new system will be an automatic system and will have pop up sprinklers which will be controlled by a timer. The greens superintendent can set the timer before he leaves each night and the course will be watered thus saving us two watering men and approximately $8,000.00 a year. The Erskine Golf Course took in over $115,000.00 last year in fees and is the only park facility that operates in the black (besides Elbel Golf Course). Persons using the golf course pay a good price to play the course and I feel that to maintain the course in top condition the irrigation system is definitely needed. Development of Paul F. Boehm Park (Edison Road) Several years ago the Park Department purchased thirty acres of land in the Northeast section of the city on Edison Road near Hickory. The thirty acre tract has been undeveloped since that time. The Park Board realizing the need of a neighborhood park in this section of the city included such a development in the bond issue. With the help of Councilman Roger Parent, a citizens committee was formed from residents living in the park are to re- ceive their ideas of how they wanted their park developed.