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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSeptember 21 2026 Park Board MinutesSOUTH BEND BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING September 21, 2026 The Board of Park Commissioners of the City of South Bend, Indiana met on Monday September 21, 2026, at Howard Park Ribbon Town Room, 219 S. Saint Louis Blvd, and virtually on Microsoft Teams for its regular meeting. Notice of the date, time and place of the meeting were duly given as required by law. The public was provided with a link to join the virtual meeting. Park Board members present were as follows: Mr. Mark Neal, President Ms. Consuella Hopkins, Vice President Ms. Jennifer Perri Mr. Sam Centellas VPA staff members present: Erin Thornton, Executive Director; Anastasia Smith-Davis, Executive Assistant; Dezha Moore, Chief of Venues and Promotion; Amy Roush, Director of Experience and Events; Cody Risedorph, Director of Golf Operations; Macey Hanna, Director of Recreation; Cynthia Taylor, Director of Community Programming (virtual); and Mercedes Aguirre, Project Manager. Other city representatives present: Michael Schmidt, Assistant City Attorney; Ophelia Gooden-Rogers, 2nd District Councilwoman. I. Call to Order President, Mark Neal noted quorum and called the meeting to order at 5:05 pm. II. Minutes of the Regular Board Meeting held on August 17, 2026, meeting. Motion to approve the meeting minutes of August 17, 2026, by Consuella Hopkins, supported by Sam Centellas motion carried. Roll call vote 4-0. III. Consent Agenda President, Mark Neal asked the board if there were any questions concerning the Consent Agenda before the motion. No questions were asked. Motion to approve the consent agenda as presented, by Sam Centellas, supported by Jennifer Perri, motion carried. Roll call vote 4-0. IV. Interviewing of Interested Residents Meal Neal invited any interested members of the audience to speak on items not listed on the agenda. Sandeep Sengupta raised concerns about plans to demolish Kids Kingdom in Potawatomi Park and replace it with a different park design. He compared the proposal to the transformation of the St. Joseph County Public Library in downtown South Bend and urged the group to reconsider the plans and preserve the craftsmanship of the existing playground. He cited a Change.org petition with more than 2,000 community signatures supporting preservation of the park and asked the city to consider those signatures as planning continues. Sue Keism of 422 Kennedy Drive read a document to the Commissioners about the development of Kids Kingdom. She recounted that Rotary President Mark McDonnell and the Junior League helped launch the project in 1991, raising $130,000 to build the playground. Approximately 5,000 people completed construction in four days, making it one of the city’s largest community builds. Sue also reviewed the organizations that financed the playground, provided updates on key facilitators, and presented a timeline from 1991 through 2024. She noted that, in 2024, the city received $30,000 to maintain the property through 2041. President Mark Neal informed Sue that her presentation time was nearly over. Sue concluded by expressing concern that the city would use funds intended to maintain Kids Kingdom to create an ADA-accessible park similar to Normaine Park in Mishawaka. Before the regularly scheduled Park Board meeting, Sue Keism emailed Board member Sam Centellas a copy of the memo she planned to present. Conrad Damian of 718 East Broadway Street asked whether the Parks Department mows lawns and maintains public tree lawns and whether the City of South Bend contracts with the department for those services. Citing areas such as Mishawaka Avenue, he raised concerns about visible beautification throughout the city and stated that the State of Indiana should assume responsibility if the city does not. He concluded by asking which organization he should contact if the Parks Department is not responsible. Mark Neal offered a preliminary response, explaining that parcels may have different owners and that only some have maintenance contracts with the Parks Department. He invited Conrad to stay after the meeting to review specific parcels and clarified that concerns involving private property should be directed to Code Enforcement. V. Outstanding Partner of the Month – Amy Roush 1. MacAllister Amy Roush, Director of Experience and Events at 301 S. Saint Louis Blvd., introduced Chris Dennis of MacAllister Rentals. She explained that MacAllister was selected for recognition because of its valuable partnership with the Parks Department. Each year, the company plays a vital role in Fusion Fest by helping Koontz Wagner provide electricity to more than 100 vendors and 50 wellness groups. Mark Neal welcomed Chris and thanked him and MacAllister for their service. The Commissioners then presented Chris Dennis with a certificate and took a photo with him. VI. New Business 1. Proposed 2027 Park Board Dates Board Clerk, Anastasia Smith-Davis presented the Proposed 2027 meeting dates, confirming the meeting cadence will continue every third Monday, at the regularly scheduled time of 5:00pm. No comments were made by the board. Motion to approve the Proposed 2027 Park Board meeting dates as presented, by Sam Centellas, supported by Consuella Hopkins, motion carried. Roll call vote 4-0. 2. Boathouse Agreement Michael Schmidt formally noted for the record that a new entity had signed the existing Boathouse agreement and would retain the same rights. He also confirmed that the Boathouse is open to the public and is not reserved exclusively for Notre Dame. Mark Neal noted that Scholars and Paddlers and South Bend Community Rowing are both nonprofit organizations. Michael concluded his update by informing the board there is no action regarding this item. Motion to acknowledge and accept the Boathouse agreement as presented, by Sam Centellas, supported by Jennifer Perri, motion carried. Roll call vote 4-0. 3. IBEW Local #153 Lease of Howard Park Amy Roush requested Board approval to lease Howard Park to IBEW Local #153 on Saturday, September 26, 2026, and Sunday, September 27, 2026. The lease would allow the organization to implement security measures to protect festival attendees. Mark Neal asked whether a similar lease agreement had been presented for the festival in previous years. Amy responded that IBEW Local #153 had served as the lessee for the past three years. The Board asked clarifying questions about the dates, insurance coverage, and park closures. Motion to approve the IBEW Local #153 Lease of Howard Park as presented, by Consuella Hopkins, supported by Sam Centellas, motion carried. Roll call vote 4-0. 4. Angel Horn- Love Artist for Fusion Fest Amy Roush informed the Board that the VPA Foundation had received an Arts Everywhere grant from the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County. Local artist Angel Horn accepted an invitation to create artwork live for six hours during Fusion Fest at the Howard Park Event Center. After the festival, Horn will complete the piece in her studio and unveil it at the Winter Open event at Howard Park on November 27. The artwork will then be displayed inside Howard Park for one year. Amy highlighted key elements of the piece, including the word “we” in multiple languages, local flowers and birds, and the South Bend flag. 5. Sunday Mahaja- Art in Howard Park Continuing her report, Amy Roush explained how she met Sunday Mahaja, a local artist and regular vendor at the DTSB Art Beat. After the 2026 event, Amy and Erin Thornton proposed displaying three of Mahaja’s art pieces throughout Howard Park. Under the agreement, the pieces will be displayed at no cost to the Parks Department, which will provide acknowledgment for each work. The public may purchase the pieces during the one-year display period; any unsold pieces will become the property of the Parks Department. Michael Schmidt noted that the agreement is similar to a park lease because it provides the artist with space to display and promote the artwork throughout the park. Motion to approve the Art Lease Agreement as presented by, Sam Centellas, supported by Consuella Hopkins, motion carried. Roll call vote 4-0. I. Report by Director of Experiences and Events- Amy Roush Amy presented a nine-month overview of the Experience and Events team. She reported that the team assumed responsibility for all park and pavilion rentals, managing more than 840 rentals attended by over 56,000 people. She also highlighted the impact of 4,192 volunteers who contributed more than 1,400 hours, noting that Morris volunteers are managed separately by the Morris team. Event highlights included the sold-out annual Daddy Daughter Dance, now held at the Raclin Murphy Encore Center instead of the Century Center, and the Fourth of July celebration at Howard Park, which drew more than 10,000 community members, with over 2,000 remaining for more than two hours. Amy also discussed the Youth Scholarship, Skate-it-Forward, and the CAPRA accreditation process. She concluded with Fusion Fest updates, including more than 100 vendors, Kids Zone features, and new free attractions sponsored by the VPA Foundation: a double-decker carousel, gaming trailer, hoop trucks, and trackless train. Mark Neal asked whether the event footprint had changed from previous years. Amy explained that this year’s event will include two new features: an artisan trail and an Island/Caribbean region. Consuella Hopkins asked about the attractions in the Kids Zone. Amy informed the Board that all attractions will be located next to the Kids Zone. Community partners— including the Boys and Girls Club, Imani Unidad, PBS, the Indiana Dinosaur Museum, and the St. Joseph County Public Library—will offer free youth activities and provide stamps for complimentary passport passes available to all youth. II. Business by Executive Director – Erin Thornton Erin provided the following updates: • VPA developed a new mission statement: “VPA brings our communities together in vibrant spaces through memorable experiences and meaningful connections.” • Recreation and facility highlights: - The newly renovated Byers Softball Complex hosted eight tournaments during its first year of operation. - The new David A. Filer courts at Leeper Park hosted six tournaments. - The Marshall tennis and pickleball courts are complete. - The O’Brien parking lot is complete, with a ribbon-cutting planned for October. - Fusion Fest setup is underway at Howard Park. - Phase 1 is underway at Rum Village, where visitors can now enjoy the newly paved park road. • VPA’s budget presentation is scheduled for September 22, 2026. Mark Neal asked whether there were any updates on capital projects. Erin confirmed that there were no major capital project updates. Jennifer Perri asked Erin about the recent Potawatomi Park meeting at Howard Park, noting her understanding that Kids Kingdom would remain in place. Erin said she had not yet received feedback or final results from the public forum and would share them with the Board when available. She confirmed that Kids Kingdom would remain in place without changes. III. Adjournment The next scheduled meeting will be held Monday, October 19, at 5:00 p.m. at Howard Park Event Center. Respectfully Submitted, Anastasia Smith-Davis