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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-16-09 Minutes SBBPC OUTH END OARD OF ARK OMMISSIONERS RM EGULAR EETING N16,2009 OVEMBER The Board of Park Commissioners of the Park District of the City of South Bend, Indiana met on Monday the 16th of November 2009 at the O’Brien Administration & Recreation Center, 321 E. Walter St., South Bend, Indiana for its regular meeting. Notice of the date, time and place of the meeting were duly given as required by law. Park Board members present were as follows: Mr. Robert Henry, President Mr. Robert Goodrich, Vice President Dr. Thomas Kelly Mr. Garrett Mullins Park Board members absent were as follows: None Staff members present: Phil St. Clair, Superintendent; Bill Carleton, Betsy Harriman, Administrative Director; Fiscal Officer; Susan O’Connor, Recreation Director; Randy Nowacki, Director of Golf Operations; Terry DeRosa, Zoo Director; Richard Payton, Development Director; Mike Dyszkiewicz, Maintenance Superintendent; Thomas Bodnar, Park Board Attorney I.The meeting was called to order by Board President Robert Henry at 4:01 p.m. II.The first order of business was the interviewing of interested citizens. 1.Presentation of Potawatomi Zoo AZA Accreditation- Kris Vehrs, Executive Director AZA Ms. Kris Vehrs, Executive Director of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, presented the Board with the plaque signifying Potawatomi Zoo’s reaccreditation by the AZA. She said they remain as one of 221 accredited zoos, oceanariums, and aquariums meeting the most stringent standards in the world out of 2,500 licensed exhibitors in the United States. This is their fifth reaccreditation since being originally accredited in 1987. President Henry accepted the plaque and acknowledged the efforts of Zoo Director Terry DeRosa, the Zoological Society, the Park Department and the City of South Bend in making this happen. 2.South Bend Botanical Society- Martha Lewis Ms. Lewis reported that on October 20 a trick or treat event was held at the conservatory. Twenty sponsors participated. Classes begin in January. Dr. Varner’s train will be set up in the desert dome for the holidays. Santa will be at the conservatory on December 20. - - 1 - - Adams students have picked the conservatory as a year long project. An Eagle Scout will be doing painting in the desert dome as well as identifying the plants and placing signs. A pizza party will be held this Wednesday for thirty-nine volunteers. The Michiana Garden Club has donated $500 for poinsettias. A master plan is being done by James Childs and Associates on a pro bono basis. It is very much appreciated and necessary before a capital campaign can begin. 3.South Bend Silver Hawks Mr. Terry Coleman reported to the Board that the neighborhood project is ongoing. Presales for next year’s season are underway. III.The next order of business was unfinished business. 1.Request to Ratify Memorandum of Understanding with Potawatomi Zoological Society regarding the Butterfly Garden Exhibit- Terry DeRosa Mr. DeRosa introduced Mr. George Horn, Potawatomi Zoological Society President. Mr. Goodrich made a motion to ratify the memorandum of understanding with the Zoological Society regarding the butterfly exhibit. Dr. Kelly seconded the motion and it was passed. 2.Request to Ratify Nonalcoholic Beverage Agreement- Mark Bradley Mr. Bradley requested the Board ratify the agreement with Pepsi Americas for exclusive use of Pepsi products at Park Department locations and events. Mr. Bodnar and Director St. Clair have reviewed the agreement and recommended acceptance. Dr. Kelly made a motion to authorize the staff to enter into the agreement with Pepsi Americas. Mr. Mullins seconded the motion and it was passed. IV.The next order of business was new business. 1.Request to Approve Fee Change for Inflatable Play Area Rental- Loretta Kollar This was tabled to December meeting. 2.Opening of 2010 Cemetery Maintenance Quotes- Mike Dyszkiewicz Mr. Dyszkiewicz informed the Board that five quotes were solicited and four declined to quote the requested project. Talboom Lawncare & Landscaping, Pro Cut Lawn Care, Michiana Mow Pros, and Fuerbringer Landscaping did not offer a requested quote. Hoosier Cutters submitted a quote of $39,500. The contract would be for the full year and include leaf clean up and snow plowing. Mr. Dyszkiewicz recommended approval of the Hoosier Cutter quotation. Mr. Mullins made a motion to approve the contract with Hoosier Cutters for the amount of $39,500. Mr. Goodrich seconded the motion and it was passed. 3.Brownfield Park Presentation- Carl Littrell, City Engineer Mr. Littrell made a presentation to the Board regarding a storm sewer project involving Brownfield Park on Angela Blvd. It would include an open air channel for the storm water outfall, a bridge over Riverside Drive and a new roundabout at the - - 2 - - intersection. A representative of the Troyer Group presented drawings to show what was being contemplated for the area. Mr. Littrell said there may be some Board action involved in December or January regarding land needed. 4.Presentation on Coveleski Improvements- Bill Schalliol Mr. Schalliol made a presentation to the Board regarding plans for the Coveleski Stadium and surrounding area to enhance it and tie it into the downtown area. It is a four stage, multi year plan that includes the stadium itself and the surrounding area by utilizing the land purchased by the City. It was done by the Economic Development Department and HOK, the architectural firm that originally designed the stadium. Funding has not been secured for this as of yet. V.Approval of Minutes Mr. Goodrich made a motion to approve the minutes of the regular Board meeting held on October 26, 2009 as mailed. The motion was seconded by Mr. Mullins and approved. VI.Approval of Maintenance Vouchers A motion was made by Mr. Goodrich to approve maintenance vouchers for totaling $991,849.29. It was seconded by Mullins. There being no further discussion, the motion was passed. VII.Business of Director St. Clair 1.Director St. Clair commended Zoo Director DeRosa and Mr. Dyszkiewicz and their staffs for all they did to secure the AZA accreditation. There was a lot of hard work over the last year. He also thanked Ms. Ann Puzello and the Council for their help and support. 2.An environmental and energy study is being done on some of our facilities to become more energy efficient in our operations. 3.The Mayor has informed us that he is providing funding for the greenhouse utilities in 2010. VIII.Comments by the Zoo Director 1.Mr. DeRosa described the ceremony this morning when Ms. Vehrs, AZA Executive Director, presented the Mayor with the accreditation plaque. It was well covered by the media. 2.Web cams are being installed in several animal areas of the zoo. 3.The contractor is finishing up the chimp area. 4.Sharon Smith has resigned as gift shop manager and he will be advertising for the position shortly. - - 3 - - IX.Comments by the Recreation Director 1.Ms. O'Connor informed the Board that last week she and Mr. Comer were in Reno, NV for the ASA trade show. We were awarded the 2011 Men’s Major 16” Fast Pitch Tournament. Other bids were withdrawn because a change in Notre Dame’s football schedule interfered with the planned weekends and housing. 2.The ASA award of excellence was awarded for this year’s tournament. We received th the highest score of all tournaments this year. This was the 11 consecutive year we have received this award. 3.This Thursday the Martin Luther King Men’s Club is holding their annual Thanksgiving dinner. Two hundred are expected. 4.On December 8, St. Joseph’s Hospital is hosting a dinner for seniors at the MLK Center. th 5.December 4 the tree lighting ceremony will be held at the Football Hall of Fame. The IUSB arts program at the Centers will be there to sing and dance. 6.The Howard Park Ice Rink is scheduled to open on Friday next week. 7.There will be a recital for all the youth programs this Sunday at the O’Brien Center. X.Comments by the Maintenance Superintendent 1.Mr. Mike Dyszkiewicz informed the Board that the leaf program is underway. 2.The Five Star Organization brought in 300 kids to clean up Potawatomi Park last weekend. 3.Repair work is underway to fix broken swings, repairs at the Greenhouse, and concrete work at Newman Center. 4.All water is shut off in parks. 5.Replacement of leaf vacs will be an issue in the future. Our present vacs are 15 years old. 6.Howard Park is ready to go. XI.Comments by Development Director 1.Mr. Payton said that Mr. Mark Bradley is working on the activity guide. It will be distributed at the schools the week before holiday break. We are doing the design and layout in house. 2.He recently attended the Midwest Trails and Greenways conference in Kalamazoo recently and found it very enlightening. 3.Mr. Moyers has finished the master plan and it will be submitted at the end of this month. 4.A group has been meeting to address issues with the website. They are investigating how to get information to the website quickly and accurately. We want to be able to do changes in house. Registration on the site is also being explored. - - 4 - - XII.Comments by the Golf Operations Director 1.Mr. Nowacki reported that capital projects are being finished. This includes irrigation at Studebaker and concrete work at Erskine. 2.Leaves are being picked up on the courses for the final time. 3.The tree crew has been working on trimming and removals. 4.The division is working on 2010 projects. GPS advertising, email promotions, and a specials schedule are being worked on. 5.The reciprocal agreement with Blackthorn expires at the end of the year. He is looking at opportunities with Blackthorn and other courses as well. XIII.There being no more business to come before the Board the meeting adjourned at 5:27 p.m. The next regular meeting will be held December 21, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. in the Boardroom of the O’Brien Administration Center. Respectfully Submitted, William Carleton Executive Secretary - - 5 - -