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been doing good work and that work should be expanded past the forty -five (45) day limit. She <br />expressed that while money is tight, money spent on ecological assessments will help the City to <br />get grants and if that data is collected by volunteers it is not seen in the same light as expert <br />gathered data. She also supported that the parks should be a place for peace and quiet which is <br />maybe something that they did not express in their presentation but it is an essential function of <br />the parks. <br />Chris Cobb, 215 E Pokagon St. South Bend, thanked the Parks Department and thanked Mr. <br />Perri for truly listening to the residents and the thoughts they have been bringing forward. He <br />would like to see some answer to the legal ownership of Mud Lake as that will affect how Elbel <br />will be managed from an ecological standpoint. Mr. Cobb stated the Park Board, as far as he <br />knows, is structured based on Indiana law and there are not many changes that can be made with <br />the Board. However, many other cities throughout the country have closer connections between <br />the Park Board and the residents of the City. Some have the members of the Park Board <br />represent specific sections of their cities and other representatives say from the schools or from <br />other community organizations. Just because there is a fixed structure at the top does not mean <br />things cannot be more resident based lower down. <br />Therese Niemier, 3575 W. Bertrand Rd. Niles MI, expressed her gratitude from Elbel for <br />Everyone and from the Parks Department. She spoke in favor of establishing an educational farm <br />at Elbel Park. She provided a letter detailing the idea which is on file in the City Clerk's Office. <br />The establishment of a working educational farm that is integrated into a community space such <br />as Elbel would aid in building the Michiana area as a regional sustainable food hub. She <br />proposed her farm, Bertrand Farm Inc., purchase twenty (20) acres of land at Elbel to begin this <br />idea. <br />Steve Francis, 54174 Judy Lake Dr., stated he is on the state executive board for the Sierra Club <br />as well as the local steering committee. What a world of difference a few weeks makes in the <br />change of tone and the amount of ideas coming from the department and from the community <br />which is putting us on a path going forward for truly positive developments for not just Elbel but <br />the Parks Dept. as a whole. It is great that this conversation is expanding from Elbel to looking at <br />the entire Parks Dept. and how we take care of all our parks. In regards to Elbel, a consultant <br />should always be vetted very carefully. He offered his services in anything he could do regarding <br />the ecological study of the parks and suggested adding some type of place online where residents <br />can submit comments and questions to the Parks Dept. <br />Mathew Insley, 511 S. St. Joseph South Bend, thanked the Committee for their work and <br />expressed the joy of seeing their questions and concerns taken into consideration. Just a few <br />months ago, the City almost lost Elbel and now everyone is talking about what a treasured <br />resource it is for the City. The turning point in that discussion is understanding the park as more <br />than a golf course, even though it is a great golf course, a piece of property like Elbel is a rich <br />and multifaceted park with a number of civic opportunities not just golf. This conversation has <br />brought up the idea that we should fit within the environment and not just dictate our concerns <br />and needs upon the environment. <br />I <br />