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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEAC Min Aug 2026Minutes of the Ecological Advocacy Committee (EAC) Meeting on August 3rd, 2026 Committee Members Present: Clay Kusbach (Chair) Charlene Rountree (Vice-Chair) Brian Will Lori Checkley Diana Zebroski John Hamilton Others Present: Garry Harrington – VPA, Director of Rum Village Nature Center Maddie Busch – Horticulturist, VPA Brent Thompson – VPA, City Forester Michael Schmidt – Attorney, City of South Bend Barbara Dale – Office of Sustainability, City of South Bend Erin Thornton - VPA, Executive Director Patrick Sherman - Dept of Public Works, Dir. of Project Manager I. Call to Order – Meeting at Rum Village Nature Center at 8:35am. II. Approval of Minutes Brian W. moved to approve the minutes of June 22nd, 2026. John H. seconded. The motion passed unanimously. III. Privilege of the Floor A. Facilities and Grounds Update Patrick S. from City of South Bend gave design updates on Kennedy Park. He informed us that demolition and construction were underway as planned. Native plantings and trees were being prioritized. Clay K. gave recommendations on technique and equipment that could help with these efforts during his update. Patrick also updated on Rum Village Park as well. He informed us of the improvements being implemented involving parking the nature center lot, signage, entrance renovation, and infrastructure renovation. The Mountain Bike trail was moving ahead, too. Lastly, Patrick informed us regarding Potawatomi Park and the interest in developing more beneficial plant habitat in that area. They are considering soil testing and native ecology emulation in any habitat designed and eventually created. IV. Old Business A. Sub-Committee Selections and Park Presentations Clay K. guided the presentations of each selected park by a committee member. 1. City Cemetery by Diana Z. a. Sensitive property which is a part of the String of Pearls project from the Greenway Conservatory and their pocket parks. b. Ecological improvements include native plants in a Victorian style garden fashion, considering recommendations from Barbara D. on imitating woodland cemeteries from Philadelphia, PA. c. Consider the aim of a “Native” Victorian Palette of plant species. 2. Ponader Park by Lori C. a. A hidden gem and frequently treated as a forgotten stepchild of the SB park system. Has historical roots from a real estate developer and an unusual developmental history as a result. b. It is composed of an interesting combination of habitats including a rain swale, Juday Creek, and deciduous forest, as well as the forested wetland. c. Ecologically, there are a lot of opportunities for native plants and wildlife here, as well as educational initiatives. 3. Sorin Park by Brian W. a. Basically, a playground surrounded by housing development. There is a lot of use by people of its land. b. The main recommendations are to increase beneficial native plantings where possible, consider aesthetics, and potentially look into an adopt-a-park option for its versatility and care. c. Brent T. mentioned that tree planting additions are already planned for improvement for this park. The committee is thrilled to see such proactivity! 4. Elbel Park by Charlene R. a. Major stable conserved and recreational park for South Bend, with its enormous 313-acre property. There is a huge variety of valuable habitats and biodiversity. b. Very ecologically significant as the staff have already noticed fewer numbers of cranes and an increase in white-tailed deer over the last ten years. c. Ecologically, it is recommended to promote native plantings, wetland protection, and an increase in low-mow or no-mow zones. 5. Voorde Park by Clay K. a. A park surrounded by commercial development with lots of recreational amenities including 2 giant football fields. b. Drafted some creative ecological improvement options including preserving native prairies, reduced mowing, encouraging pollinators, and developing an attractive yet unique butterfly shaped feature garden that is aerially visible. c. Community education and support here would be ideal. TIF funding could potentially be used for this park. 6. Veterans Memorial Park by Clay K. on behalf of Andy S. a. Designated as a sensitive park near the IUSB campus. It has mature oak savanna habitat to conserve. b. Continuing the increase in native tree species and the removal of invasive species would be helpful. c. Long-term concerns include the potential of turning this into a dog park in its development with grand entrances and expanding the play and picnic areas. This would potentially deteriorate already existing ecological habitat. V. New Business None VI. VPA and City Updates None. VII. Miscellaneous Memorandum of Understanding for Ponader Park has been uploaded to the EAC G-Drive specific to Ponader Park: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uMve6eDYrsMe1A0uHdg4MD7i_ZH7DWjY Action Items • Committee to provide plant suggestions for park plantings to VPA for Rum Village park. • Generate a paragraph for each sensitive property presented on for Park Board recommendations at the end of the year. The next meeting will be on Monday, September 14th, 2026; 8:30 am at Rum Village. The meeting was adjourned at 10:10 am.