It is the mission of the Urbana Park District to: Improve the quality of life of its citizens through a responsive, efficient, and creative park and recreation system, Pursue excellence in a variety of programs, parks, and special facilities that contribute to the attractiveness of neighborhoods, conservation of the environment, and the overall health of the community.
NOTICE AND AGENDA OF MEETING URBANA PARK DISTRICT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (UPDAC) TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2021 7:00 PM LARGE PAVILION IN CRYSTAL LAKE PARK 206 W. PARK STREET URBANA, IL 61801
I. Call to Order – Welcome New Members and Introductions
II. Public Comment Any member of the public may make a brief statement at this time within the public participation rules of the Board.
III. Approval of the Minutes of the June 22, 2021 Meeting
IV. New Business A. UPDAC Year‐in‐Review B. Upcoming Programs and Projects Upcoming meetings:
V. Reports September 28, 2021 A. UPDAC Chair October 26, 2021 B. Board Representative November 16, 2021 *third C. Director’s Report Tuesday due to Thanksgiving
D. Capital Projects Report
VI. UPDAC Member Comments and Open Discussion
VII. Adjourn
***This month’s secretary is Kelsey Beccue***
Note: The Meeting Agenda and Supporting Materials are on the UPD website at http://www.urbanaparks.org/documents/index.html; choose the “Public Meetings” category and search for the meeting information you wish to download.
UPDAC Agenda – August 24, 2021 1
URBANA PARK DISTRICT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (UPDAC) MINUTES TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021 7:00 PM‐8:30 PM ONLINE VIA ZOOM URBANA, ILLINOIS 61802
The meeting of the Urbana Park District Advisory Committee (UPDAC) was held Tuesday, June 22, 2021 remotely via Zoom at 7:00 pm. The notice and agenda of the meeting were posted at the park district administrative office and at the location of the meeting. Copies of the notice and agenda were received by each member of the committee and by local newspapers, radio, and television stations at least forty‐eight hours before the meeting in compliance with the Open Meetings Act of the State of Illinois. A copy of the notice and agenda is attached to the minutes. Also available for inspection are all documents that were reviewed or approved at the meeting.
UPDAC Members PRESENT ABSENT Laura Hastings, Chair X Gary Ambler X Nicoline Ambrose X Kelly Boeger X Jonville Chenoweth X Tomas Delgado X Heath Isome X Ben Kaap X Jean Paley X Ashley Price X Sarah Roper X Howard Schein X Travis Schiess X Amita Sinha X Timothy Stephens X
Also present were; Board Vice President, Nancy Delcomyn Park Commissioner, Cedric Stratton Executive Director, Tim Bartlett Superintendent of Recreation, Corky Emberson Superintendent of Planning and Operations, Derek Liebert Project Manager, Andy Rousseau Park Planner, Kara Dudek Michelle Kelly, Upland Design Office Manager, Kelsey Beccue
UPDAC Minutes – June 22, 2021 1
I. Call to Order Laura Hastings called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM.
II. Public Comment There was no public comment.
III. Approval of the Minutes of the April 27, 2021 Meeting and the May 25, 2021 Meeting Laura Hastings made a motion with a second by Jean Paley to approve the minutes of the April 27, 2021 and May 25, 2021 meetings. A roll call vote was taken, motion passed unanimously.
IV. Discussion A. Innovations in Play Design Tim introduced Michelle Kelly from Upland Design and her background working with UPD, and spoke about the planning process that went into the current Prairie Play playground along with the upcoming replacement of that playground.
Kara began with some information on the maintenance activities at Prairie Play and the steps the district is taking to begin preparing for the replacement of Prairie Play. Kara shared some of the playgrounds staff have visited while researching options for replacing Prairie Play. Sites included McHenry, Monticello, Crystal Lake, and the costs associated with the replacements.
Michelle then spoke about the work she has done replacing Leather’s structures with other park districts. First, she shared her work with Cary Park District and Kaper Park, where the planning process included sharing idea images, public input meetings, and multiple plan designs before selecting the replacement. The cost for the play equipment was $231,000.
Next, she spoke about Hiawatha Playground in Chicago Park District ($80,000). Standout features of the playground include sensory play with music, berms, play circuits, and shaded areas.
Greenlake Park in Buffalo Grove Park District had a playground replaced with a new playground with a pollinator theme ($114,000). The design came from the overall master plan for the park. The equipment is a mix of custom and off the shelf pieces. The safety surface has inlaid bees and butterflies, and interpretive information about pollinators.
Wheeler Park in Geneva Park District ($120,000) has a space theme with a rocket play tower, and interpretive information about space. Features include custom interpretive panels and a command module with a scavenger hunt. Multiple manufacturers were used to execute the overall design.
UPDAC Minutes – June 22, 2021 2
Wolf’s Crossing Community Park in Naperville Park District ($175,000) features rubber surfacing, separate play areas for different age groups, a zipline, accessible path, plenty of seating, sensory play area.
Bison Playground in Schaumburg Park District ($2.8 million) is a completely custom design with a fabricated bison, water play, climbing features, rubber surfacing. Ashley asked about the price point increase for more natural materials. Part of the reason it is so expensive is because it is an “all‐in” price, since equipment pieces could not be bought off the shelf. Ashley asked about budget also, and Tim said we would go into it after Michelle’s presentation.
Maggie Daley Park in Chicago Park District is mostly custom from a manufacturer in Europe. Features include large towers, bridge, ground level climbers, seating, lighthouse, boat, whale shade sculpture, hillside slides.
An unnamed park in New Zealand shared by Nancy Delcomyn has great examples of the incorporation of nature into play. Features included an accessible table, wood stepping stumps, fort‐like structures, and climbing nets. Centenary Lake Park in Australia has some play areas where they provide structure for building.
Michelle also shared some custom wood play structures from Kompan in different designs.
Miracle Field in Ames, Iowa ($500,000) features equipment from Landscape Structures, and is a highly accessible playground. Rubber surfacing is featured along with sensory play and swings. The playground is a mix of custom and off the shelf pieces.
Central Park in Maple Grove, MN ($1 million) features multiple play areas for different age groups, a tower, rubber surfacing, shade features, and climbing nets.
Pioneer Park in Mesa, AZ ($2 million) features a large custom, geometrical looking play structure with multiple climbing levels and slides, and a bridge.
Michelle then discussed some trends in playgrounds including sensory play such as water, sand, music, and quiet spaces. Nets are also very popular right now, along with ziplines. She went on to say that kids benefit greatly from play, and it’s important to make sure all kids have the opportunity to play. Upland Design created a criteria based design for dynamic play which include, movement, space, diversity, circuits, seating, safety, nature, social inclusion, imagination, and community engagement.
Travis commented that accessibility would be imperative for the new Prairie Play playground, as is planning for accessible features to seamlessly incorporate into the playground. He also commented that a strong central theme would be important.
UPDAC Minutes – June 22, 2021 3
Laura thought incorporating sculpture into the new playground would be great to dovetail with the overall identity of Meadowbrook Park. Laura also said she appreciated that we are looking at shared spaces. Ashley commented that she thought the presentation was very inspiring and mentioned that she has been talking with people about Prairie Play, and has heard people say they hope for wood or more natural materials. Tim Bartlett asked about fencing in playgrounds, and Michelle said we are seeing more fencing because it makes playgrounds safer for kids and caregivers. Amita commented that she thought having the same type of color tones as the current playground would be ideal. Amita also asked if there would be opportunities to build and create, and Michelle said that it can be tricky to keep a balance of safety with those types of materials not becoming hazards in other play areas. Howie commented that he helped with the original and he loves it, but is ready to see it replaced, and mentioned that shade would be really important. Tim mentioned that UPD tries to provide a variety of play types at different parks, and suggested UPDAC might visit UPD parks to take notes on what we already have when considering what we want to create at Meadowbrook. Jean mentioned that getting the same community involvement as with original Prairie Play might not be possible. Sarah commented on the accessible features of the various parks shown, and mentioned that the rubber surfacing would be important for increasing accessibility. Jean commented that everyone loves water play. Laura echoed that accessibility for caregivers is also important. Michelle provided some information on the pros and cons of engineered wood fiber and rubber safety surfacing. Ashley asked about the longevity of wood structures versus plastic/metal/composite structures. Derek responded that UPD spends more time maintaining Prairie Play than other playgrounds partially due to size. The wood posts are degrading and would require extensive redesign of parts of the playground to replace. Derek spoke about the differences in maintaining metal/plastic playgrounds versus replacing wood playgrounds.
Tim mentioned that there will be space and plans for a new destination play experience in Urbana that includes a sprayground, and noted parking is a critical component for that type of play feature. Tim also shared that the district is concerned about play equity as well. Nancy mentioned that there could be more creative and interpretive ways of incorporating water into playgrounds. Laura said that Douglass Park has a sprayground, but not enough parking. Corky echoed that parking for events is a challenge at Meadowbrook. Laura asked about the old Windsor Swim Club for parking, and Tim said people would still need to cross Windsor Road.
Andy spoke about the budget for Prairie Play replacement: the assumption is an overall budget of $700,000‐$800,000 with $100,000 of that coming from private donations. Nancy asked Michelle to break down equipment versus total cost. Michelle said equipment is usually about half the total cost. She also mentioned that Prairie Play is a very large community playground at 13,000 square feet. Tim recalled some of the hybrid design elements of the playgrounds shown in the presentation as
UPDAC Minutes – June 22, 2021 4
a way to make dollars stretch further. Nancy mentioned that UPD is good with phasing projects, and said that would be an option to consider. Derek also mentioned that fundraising would be an important element, and that with so many people in the community that love Prairie Play, we could exceed fundraising goals. Sarah asked about grant funds for increasing accessibility in parks. Tim mentioned OSLAD, which favors new replacement over refurbishing. Nancy asked if we could use ADA money for that, and Corky said we do use ADA funds for most of our playgrounds. Nancy asked about play equipment for kids twelve and older, and Michelle said there is not a lot out there for older kids, and what is there is more fitness oriented. Michelle also spoke about changes in design to encourage intergenerational play, and how park design is catching up to create synergy between spaces.
Kara said we are taking names and emails of people that want to be involved in the process including things like surveys, focus groups, and site visits. We are still gathering information, and are a couple years out from physical replacement.
V. Reports A. UPDAC Chair Laura said everyone should go see Blair Park, and thanked Sarah for her input on Blair Park. Sarah said she heard from a friend that the accessible parking looks great.
B. Board Representative No report.
C. Director’s Report Tim mentioned that the Silverwood neighborhood had an event that UPD was invited to. Tim also mentioned that we need more eyes and ears in the parks and natural areas because we are seeing larger, unsanctioned gathering in the parks, and people riding minibikes through the parks. Corky also mentioned we have had some issue with marijuana in the parks.
D. Capital Projects Report Andy gave some updates on the Crystal Lake Park Rehabilitation and Blair Park Revitalization.
VI. UPDAC Member Comments and Open Discussion Derek encouraged members to get out and visit playgrounds and Kelsey reminded members about meeting in person in August.
VII. Adjourn Laura Hastings adjourned the meeting at 9:04 PM.
Respectfully submitted by Kelsey Beccue
UPDAC Minutes – June 22, 2021 5
ADMINISTRATION REPORT
TO: Urbana Park District Board of Commissioners
FROM: Timothy A. Bartlett, Executive Director
DATE: August 10, 2021
RE: July 2021 Administration Department Report
Tim Bartlett – Executive Director Health & Wellness Facility – Yankee Ridge Subdivision As you know, staff have been very active over many years in trying to build and sustain relationships with residents living in Yankee Ridge Subdivision. The subdivision is directly south of Meadowbrook Park. Both the UPD and the UPF have initiated opportunities for ongoing financial support. Our past connections included an annual letter from the UPD asking for financial support. Staff have offered open house sessions at the Meadowbrook Interpretive Center to showcase a wide variety of capital and program needs at the park. The UPF have engaged as well—taking over the lead in the annual letter appeal and ongoing conversations to gain support.
The subdivision is located outside the corporate boundary of the city of Urbana and the UPD. The residents provide no tax support to either government unit. Early in the development of Meadowbrook Park, the UPD considered building a fence to separate the park from the out‐of‐ district subdivision. However, we never enacted that plan in hopes of gaining more support over time. Allowing free access to and from the park into the subdivision has been allowed. Both UPD and UPF have had very limited support from the subdivision as a whole. We also know that a few individuals have been very generous over the years—it is very much appreciated and recognized.
The proposed UPD Health & Wellness Facility has offered staff an opportunity to promote our need for financial support. We have engaged with two residents of Yankee Ridge that want to help promote our new facility. Kathleen Holden and Eric Freyfogle have prepared a joint letter to be sent to all Yankee Ridge residents directly asking for financial support to the UPD/UPF. They point out the wonderful benefit of Meadowbrook Park and the need for support. The letter features a special request to support the new Health & Wellness Facility. The request for support also includes an opportunity to help with youth scholarships as well. The letter will be mailed shortly. Our hope is that residents will respond with a new level of support.
Staff wanted to make the Board of Commissioners are aware of this request for support and to be clear it is under the authority of Yankee Ridge residents, not the UPD staff. Approximately 130 letters will be mailed. The letter includes information about what the tax rate amount would be for the Urbana Park District based on the property values of homes in the subdivision. It would be reasonable to assume that the request would encourage folks to pay their fair share as a direct benefactor of Meadowbrook Park being connected to their subdivision. It also underscores the need for a Health & Wellness facility in Urbana. The letter will also contain a
Administration Department Report – August 10, 2021 1
ADMINISTRATION REPORT
self‐addressed, stamped envelope to send donations to the UPF. Any funds donated would be used according to donor expectations.
Staff greatly appreciates the effort of Kathleen Holden and Eric Freyfogle. They are encouraging their neighbors to help as well—as an extension of their own gifts to support the proposed facility. Their bold approach is refreshing and it should be recognized. Staff will continue to work with them both on the wrap up of this mini‐campaign for Yankee Ridge. Thanks to everyone that assisted in this effort!
Meadowbrook Interpretive Center – Council Ring Staff received a revised plan from Ratio Architects for the proposed council ring for the farmstead area at Meadowbrook Park. As you may know, council rings were made popular by an early landscape architect—Jens Jensen. Jensen is known as the “father of the prairie landscape style”. Jensen constructed many council rings around the midwest in the early 1920s‐1930s. Jensen created a bench seating arrangement styled after Native American council rings. The circle form symbolizes equality, face‐to‐face discussion, community building, and unity of the “tribe”. The Park District of Highland Park and other north shore communities in northern Illinois have preserved some of his best works. Other nearby examples include Lincoln Memorial Gardens—created by Jensen—in Springfield, IL.
The UPD plans to locate the new feature in the farmstead area just south of the barn and west of the Garden Pavilion. The proposed council ring will be an outdoor extension of the MIC and will serve as an outdoor classroom to provide instruction and interpretation of the park. The feature will be fully accessible and will be connected to the barn and restrooms in the pavilion. Currently, there are no designated areas or facilities on the west side of the park to provide outdoor learning. The new council ring will provide a great setting for staff to work with tour groups. It will also serve the public as an attractive seating area, a place to rest, a meeting spot or just a place to hang out in the park. The UPD staff have other planned locations for council rings in Meadowbrook Park and other parks for the future.
The staff team hopes that this project would catch the attention of Yankee Ridge Residents. It would be an excellent project for them to support. The estimated cost of the council ring and connecting paths to the other two facilities is approximately $100,000. Let us all be hopeful a donor will support this effort.
IPARKS – Cyber Coverage Revoked At our July 2021 IPARKS board meeting, hosted by the UPD at the Lake House, we learned that IPARKS would be suspending our cyber coverage as part of our standard coverage as of January 1, 2022. This recently added coverage is intended to cover limited losses due to cyber breaches, ransoms and/or other malicious activities. We learned that the largest banks in London, England suddenly announced they were not providing pool coverage for losses of this nature. Our assumptions are that recent international breaches and ongoing cyber security hacking have been extremely costly and nearly impossible to manage. Ending coverage as previously provided will follow.
Administration Department Report – August 10, 2021 2
ADMINISTRATION REPORT
IPARKS has created a survey tool to gather critical information on digital services, interactions with vendors, and other online access needs that will allow member agencies to provide specific information on how they function in the digital world. It is our hope that we can then seek out an insurer to provide some level of coverage at a new cost—based on member needs, services, digital activities/uses and business operations. We apologize for changing our services and coverage. It is well documented the intensive efforts and high costs of managing ransom situations and/or malware attacks. Our plan is to be able to find a new insurer to provide limited coverage at a reasonable price in order to provide member agencies with reasonable liability coverage. More information will be known after the survey tools are returned and all of the responses analyzed. It also could be the beginning of a changing digital landscape that will require more adjustments by our members into the future.
Business Services – Caty Roland, Superintendent of Business Services The Business Office staff prepared materials for the on‐site visit from our audit team. Two auditors from Martin Hood LLC were at the Cottage July 13 through July 20. After their review of materials and financial data in the office, the auditors retreat to their office to prepare the preliminary reports. The 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report will be accepted by the Board of Commissioners in October.
The Budget and Appropriation Ordinance for the fiscal year 2021‐2022 was prepared with supporting materials and the required public hearing notice ran in the News‐Gazette on June 30. Commissioners approved the Budget and Appropriation Ordinance on July 13, and the ordinance was subsequently filed with the County Clerk.
Human Resources – Alexandra Ivanova, Human Resources Manager No report.
Development – Jeremy Thorpe, Development Manager The Urbana Parks Foundation continues to hold committee meetings remotely via Zoom and Board of Trustee meetings will resume in person Monday, August 9. Details are being finalized for the Urbana Parks Foundation Jazz Walk pre‐event. About 1,000 guests were invited, most of whom are previous donors.
The third and final mailer of the public phase for Health & Wellness landed in just over 1,000 mailboxes over the weekend. Since the first mailer was received the last week of June, nearly $65,000 in donations have come in. Steering committee members will be meeting one on one with the Development Manager to work on continuing to prospect individuals and businesses for Health & Wellness donations.
The Development Manager has continued to reach out to local businesses for Turkey Trot donations and to build relationships for future sponsorships/donations. Moving forward, these businesses will be contacted as potential sponsors with banners to be placed inside the Health & Wellness facility once completed.
Administration Department Report – August 10, 2021 3
PLANNING & OPERATIONS REPORT
TO: Urbana Park District Board of Commissioners
FROM: Derek Liebert, Superintendent of Planning & Operations
CC: Tim Bartlett, Executive Director
DATE: August 10, 2021
RE: July 2021 Planning & Operations Department Report
Superintendent of Planning and Operations Derek Liebert
Sculpture Updates Staff are working with Otto Baum contracting to repair and relocate Position 1 from its location in the sculpture garden at Meadowbrook to the recently vacated sculpture pad at Phillips Recreation Center. Position 1 was donated to the park district after the artist Ron Gard passed away. Otto Baum has a concrete specialty group and has been involved in other sculpture work in here in Urbana and Peoria. The black painted concrete base has weathered and has hairline cracking. Otto Baum will be blasting and repairing the base with a high solids poly coating to help preserve the concrete. While working on Position 1 they will also help perform some maintenance to help better stabilize Balencia, another permanent piece in the park district’s collection. Staff are also interested in having them help fabricate some preformed/precast sculpture pads that could be placed with a fork lift or backhoe and reused/relocated with greater flexibility.
Facilities Supervisor Shane Newell
Fishing Pier Facility Maintenance staff performed a routine inspection on the accessible fishing pier in Crystal Lake Park and determined there were several boards that required replacement. The structure is constructed out of treated lumber, and provides a variety of seating areas and fishing rod holders. All of the rod holder sections were replaced along with several deck boards and seating boards. There were three to four employees working on the project for approximately a week. Lumber prices have increased tremendously which affected our typical lumber and hardware budget for Crystal Lake Park. Total cost for material was approximately $1,650.00.
Planning & Operations Department Report – August 10, 2021 1 PLANNING & OPERATIONS REPORT
Grounds Supervisor Rich McMahon
Grounds Notes There have been lots of personnel changes over the last month. Joel Hickman and Doug Johnson have left the park district. Grant Goff has taken over Joel’s job as Athletic Fields Technician, while Alexandria Heald-Alejo has been hired to fill Doug Johnson’s role as Grounds Maintenance Technician. Devin Neunsinger has been hired to take the position vacated by Grant Goff, when he switched over to Athletic Fields. Two of our seasonals have concluded their summer work, and another seasonal has been hired to help partially fill that void.
We recently had King Tree Service at Carle Park, to do some work on the surviving English Oak. They performed vertical mulching with an air spade, and added soil amendments to improve the root zone. They also completed two chemical treatments – one on the trunk, to combat stem cankers, and one as a soil drench, to control Two-Lined Chestnut Borers.
Construction Supervisor Keith Ewerks
Blair Park Old playground has been removed and recycled. New playground is to be delivered on 8/2 along with the Challenge course. The Zip Line equipment was delivered on 7/29. Everything is coming in, so I’m looking forward on getting started on the Blair playground/challenge course project.
Playgrounds Getting caught up on some playground repairs/replacement parts. Victory, Ambucs, Carle, Crestview and South Ridge have had or are in process of repairs.
Upcoming Projects Blair Playground and Challenge course Park name signs build and installation
Planning & Operations Department Report – August 10, 2021 2 PLANNING & OPERATIONS REPORT
Aquatics Facilities Supervisor Joseph Schmidt
UIAC The Urbana Indoor Aquatic Center domestic hot water system replacement project began. Maintenance staff self-trained on UV system repair and rehabilitated both systems. The fire suppression system back flow preventer received its annual inspection. Emergency light and exit sign inspections and repairs were completed. The maintenance supervisor attended a roof replacement punch-list meeting with IGW and Top Quality roofing.
CLPFAC The Crystal Lake Park Family Aquatic Center leisure pool tree house dump bucket bell and paddle wheel were replaced. Staff worked with the district’s graphic designer to create operating labels for water feature equipment, adorned with images of the equipment, to help shift managers identify and operate devices properly. A janitorial supply ordering and inventory guide was created to assist staff and vendors in the procurement of accurate and adequate supplies. Emergency light and exit sign inspections and repairs were completed. The interior side of the CO2 room door, heavily corroded from years of acid storage, was cleaned with a grinder and painted.
Planning & Operations Department Report – August 10, 2021 3 CAPITAL PROJECT TIMELINE 2021 2022 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Blair Park Improvements CLP Lake Restoration CLP Road Repair
CLP Master Plan Update District Hardscapes Evaluation
Museum Grant - Pavilion Perkins Road Park Site PRC Roof Replacement PrairiePlay Planning Saline Branch Rock Riffles Vehicle Replacement 2021
UIAC Domestic Hot Water
Future Projects Legend APNC Solar Phase II 2021/2022 A&E Design Blair Tennis Summer 2022 HW Facility Design Winter 2021/2022 Out to Bid Estimated Construction Period Closeout & Maintenance Planning & Operations Department Report – August 10, 2021 Page 4 RECREATION REPORT
TO: Urbana Park District Board of Commissioners
FROM: Corky Emberson, Superintendent of Recreation
CC: Tim Bartlett, Executive Director
DATE: August 10, 2021
RE: July 2021 Recreation Department Report
Public Information and Marketing Public Information Manager, Mark Schultz – Marketing produced the fall 2021 program guide and successfully got it off to the printer. The program guide was mailed to homes in late July.
We produced three Mark in the Park programs, highlighting the Crystal Lake Park Art Fair, Folk & Roots Fridays and Ukulele workshops. We will continue to produce these programs, as well as one‐minute videos, promoting park district programs and information.
In July, Marketing planned various communications pieces to update the public on the Crystal Lake Park renovations. Outreach & Wellness appeared on WDWS radio and ciLiving on WCIA‐TV to talk about the Power of Parks 5k. Advertisements ran on Hot 105.5, Stevie Jay Broadcasting, and WDAN in Danville promoting the Crystal Lake Park Family Aquatic Center. We also have print and digital ads in The News‐Gazette “Entertainment Extra” and on visitchampaigncounty.com.
Marketing continues to average producing three web stories per week on urbanaparks.org, and we publish at least one entry per day on Urbana Park District Facebook and Twitter. We average three entries per week on the park district Instagram channel.
We continue to take photos at various park district events and scenery, promoting the diversity of people, places and programs at the park district.
Looking ahead, we will continue to promote fall activities, the health and wellness center and update the public on Crystal Lake Park renovations.
Community Community Program Manager, Janet Soesbe – This summer has turned out to be a very busy one for Lake House rentals. So many people are ready to resume gatherings now that COVID‐19 vaccines are more available and state protocols have changed with the introduction of Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois Plan beginning on June 11, 2021. Excluding district functions and programs, this June, we had 13 rentals versus the 19 we had in 2019. This year’s June rentals included four graduation parties, two reunions, two dinner parties, and one each of celebration of life
Recreation Department Report – August 10, 2021 1 RECREATION REPORT
gathering, baby shower, birthday party, retirement party, and staff retreat. This July, we have had 16 facility rentals. Three more than we had in 2019! This year’s rentals in July included three memorials, three staff meetings or retreats, two reunions, and one each of retirement party, baby shower, bridal shower, staff picnic, wedding, and graduation party. We have been so pleased to help people mark their special occasions with the Urbana Park District.
Our boat rental operation has also been doing well this summer, the first summer we have been open since 2018. In June, we rented 248 different boats, 40 of which were our new kayaks using our accessible kayak launch. This is an 85% increase over the 134 boats we rented in 2018. We have received many compliments on how much more appealing the lake looks now and how the water quality is improved over the years before the rehabilitation project.
Community Program and Engagement Coordinator, Jacob Johnston – Our Community Program and Engagement Coordinator has divided his accomplishments into the following sections: Volunteer Coordination, Age‐Friendly Programming, Senior Club, Volunteer and Part‐time Fairs, and Assistance with Special Projects & Other Accomplishments.
Volunteer Coordination Volunteer Hours for July
T‐Ball: Kyle Mills reported 5 volunteer coaches. They totaled 30 hours of volunteering during the month of July 2021.
Natural Areas Management: Matt Balk reported 8 volunteers who removed invasive brush from Weaver Park. They totaled 26 hours of volunteering during the month of July 2021.
Camp FRESH: Chelsea Prahl reported 2 volunteers who helped with natural areas. They totaled 10 hours of volunteering during the month of July 2021.
Lifelong Leisure Newsletter: Jacob Johnston reported 7 volunteers who helped sticker and fold the Lifelong Leisure Newsletter. They totaled 7 hours of volunteering during the month of July 2021.
Total Volunteers for July 2021: 22 volunteers | Total Volunteer Hours for July 2021: 73 hours
Age‐Friendly Programming During the month of July, Age‐friendly programming was well attended and consisted of: Parking Lot Bingo at the Fields, Senior Brown Bag Luncheon, Technology Assistance Office Hours and Ukulele Programming.
Parking Lot Bingo: 58 registered participants
Senior Brown Bag Luncheon: 40 unregistered participants
Technology Assistance Office Hours: 7 unregistered participants
Recreation Department Report – August 10, 2021 2 RECREATION REPORT
Ukulele Programming: 41 registered participants and 25 unregistered participants
Total registered participants for July 2021: 99 | Total unregistered participants for July 2021: 72
In order to expand senior programming, Jacob has been in communication with Sandy Hockman from Evergreen Place Assisted Living Community. We will be reintroducing Chef Ryan’s Cooking Demonstrations in the James Room Kitchen, which will begin in September 2021. Jacob also briefly met with Giovanna Dibenedetto with Silver Hearts about hosting a senior‐centric event at Steer Place at the end of August though specifics were not mentioned. Jacob also tabled at Senior Day at the County Fair. During the fair, Jacob was able to get about 10 more seniors to subscribe to our Lifelong Leisure Newsletter. Jacob also shared information about upcoming Age‐Friendly events and looked for volunteers to sit on the Senior Task Force.
Senior Club Since the beginning of COVID, the numbers of our UPD Senior Club have dropped significantly (from about 400 to roughly 250). As a result, Jacob will be pushing the Lifelong Leisure Newsletter at more senior‐centric events going forward. The club believes that club trips will make all the difference in recruiting and retaining members. The more Lifelong Leisure subscribers we have, the easier it will be to fill upcoming trips. At this year’s Senior Club Budget meeting, the club decided to lower their annual donation to the Urbana Park District from $2000 to $1500 and have also decided that the Potluck Assistant position is no longer necessary.
Volunteer and Part Time Job Fairs During July, Jacob registered the Urbana Park District for two UIUC recruiting events: The UIUC Volunteer and Part‐time Job Fair and Quad Day. Jacob will be working with each department to gauge recruitment needs. Matt Lewis will also be attending these events to do some hands‐on recruitment for SPLASH.
Assistance with Special Projects and Other Accomplishments Aside from his typical responsibilities, Jacob went out of his way to help other staffers and community partners with several special projects this month. The following is a quick bulleted list of those endeavors:
Assisted with guiding children at Dream House Fishing Event Helped with check‐in and cleanup for Yoga in the Park Assisted with teardown and play at Read and Play in the Parks Created Doodle Poll for staff to practice the upcoming CogniFit Brain Games event Assisted with setup, teardown, and play at the LNAC Cookout Assisted with setup, teardown, and play at the Downtown Get Down Helped out at the Popup Play event at Victory Park Worked info table and played with Children at the Vaccination Clinic at APNC
Recreation Department Report – August 10, 2021 3 RECREATION REPORT
Community Program Coordinator, Matthew Lewis – This month the Community Program Coordinator focused primarily on making sure the summer camp was running great, planning for fall UMS SPLASH and upcoming community events. We have successfully finished SPLASH at all the elementary schools for the summer and are already planning activities for the fall. The coordinator also spoke with the Urbana School District Administrative Assistant and confirmed we can use their space to implement a 2‐day bike rodeo on their grounds. The Community Program Coordinator and the Outreach & Wellness Coordinator spoke with Rachel Storm (Board Member for Urbana Arts & Culture Commission) about upcoming events that both Urvana and Community Programs could be a part of. We also spoke about some future ideas the City of Urbana wanted to partner with the park district on regarding different community program events. The coordinator also registered for Quad Day and the Illini Union job fair to see if we can hire more staff for upcoming SPLASH dates and School’s Out Days.
Recreation Office Manager, Heather Britsky – The Recreation Office Manager met with Marketing and the Superintendent of Recreation concerning the program guide. Production scheduling was discussed at length, and the Office Manager took this time to introduce a new way of doing program codes within Activenet. These changes would be beneficial for the marketing team and especially for park district patrons. Once it was approved at this meeting, the office manager presented it to the entire Recreation department. She then began making the changes within Activenet in preparation for new program entry.
The Recreation Office Manager met with both the Administration Office Manager and the Planning & Operations Office Manager to discuss Special Use Permits. There has been some misunderstanding on what the permits are for, and who handles what aspects of rental permits. The office managers discussed how this would be handled in the future, and also clarified what each department is responsible for. This also led to discussion about other pavilion rental questions that staff have received from patrons. The Recreation Office Manager will be creating a reference sheet for staff to use when presented with these scenarios.
Community Programs and Rentals: The Phillips Recreation Center had 3 rentals (all affiliate) with 23 people The Phillips Recreation Center had 309 visitors
Environmental Environmental Program Manager, Savannah Donovan – The manager has been working with staff at Planning & Operations to survey and assess the Anita Purves Nature Center for needed updates and repairs. Quotes are being gathered for the following projects, some of which may be eligible for inclusion in the Capital Improvements Budget:
Replacement of front counter in lobby to meet ADA accessibility requirements Replacement of basement emergency exit doors Replacement of accordion‐fold room dividers in Classroom C/D
Recreation Department Report – August 10, 2021 4 RECREATION REPORT
Replacement of carpet in Observation Room and tile in basement Resource Room Repair and/or replacement of window seals and weather stripping
The manager is also working on plans for facility cleaning, repainting some walls, overall reorganizing, and decorating classrooms with wall art in August.
Environmental Public Program Coordinator, David Subers – This month the coordinator focused on community partnerships and outreach by attending meetings and providing collaborative programming. Partners include the Champaign County Museums Network (CCMN), UPD Community Outreach and Support Team (COAST), DREAAM House (Driven to Reach Excellence and Academic Achievement for Males), and C‐U Trauma and Resilience Initiative (TRI). The coordinator began planning for partner events, interviewed with WDWS radio, and connected Urvana staff with CCMN to offer activities at the One Community Together event in August (taking place in lieu of the traditional Sweetcorn Festival). The coordinator is also getting more involved with the Champaign County Climate Coalition (C4) in hopes of utilizing their resources and connections for future public programs.
Environmental Education Coordinator, Chelsea Prahl – This month the education coordinator collaborated with the Red Herring Restaurant, The Urbana Free Library and Solidarity Gardens C‐ U to put together a “Garden to Plate: Cook Fresh with the Red Herring” video for the public that highlights how to make fresh and delicious dishes. Throughout the segment, Red Herring staff offered tips on selecting and preparing in‐season vegetables and herbs, along with a supply list of seasonal foods that will be prepared. The video was recorded in the James Room Kitchen at the Phillips Recreation Center, and is the first of two videos that will be released through this collaboration. This segment will continue to be available for viewing on the Urbana Park District, The Urbana Free Library, and the Solidarity Gardens C‐U Facebook pages. There were nearly 100 views in the first 24 hours it was posted. You can check out the video online here: https://fb.watch/6_DIShk3ro/
Environmental Office Manager, Nicole Hilberg – The Office Manager spent time this month buying and installing new inventory for the nature store. Best‐selling items were restocked, and
Recreation Department Report – August 10, 2021 5 RECREATION REPORT
new seasonal inventory was added such as sunscreen, DEET‐free tick and insect repellent, snack foods, exploration tools, and more. Sales in June and July have exceeded $850. Negotiations for more locally‐sourced honey—a popular item—are in progress, and biologically‐accurate wildlife earrings (made from recycled cereal boxes) and cicada puppets will be coming soon.
Environmental Programs and Anita Purves Nature Center Rentals: The Nature Center hosted 4 onsite programs that served 84 people. The Nature Center welcomed 1615 people visiting or participating in programs at the Center. The Nature Center staff coordinated and conducted 16 offsite programs for 417 people this month. Busey Woods had 6,738 hikers this month.
Outreach & Wellness Outreach & Wellness Manager, Elsie Hedgspeth –The Outreach & Wellness department hosted the second Power of Parks Virtual 5k during July 17‐30. This event was initially launched at the height of COVID‐19 in summer of 2020 to highlight UPD parks and provide an accessible and socially distant opportunity for outdoor fitness. Participants were awarded an event t‐shirt, medal, and race bib. After the first event in 2020, many participants expressed interest in participating again if the event were held annually. This year, over 200 participants completed their Power of Parks 5k. Many submitted their 5k completion times and photos to be included on the virtual ‘Power Board’, which the UPD Graphic Design & Marketing Specialist will put together, and feature on social media during the month of August.
Outreach & Wellness Coordinator Ashley Dennis – During the month of July, the Outreach & Wellness Department continues to experience a slight increase in fitness participation numbers. More and more of the community is interested in getting back to in person fitness classes. This is due in part to now accepting flexible fitness passes.
Free outdoor fitness continued throughout July with Yoga in the Park, Zumba in the Park and Tai Chi in the Park. While attendance numbers for these outdoor free fitness options have gone down compared to June (weather being a major factor), participants continue to express their appreciation for these free offerings.
Facility Usage for Month of February 2021: Land Classes: Phillips Recreation Center: 533 Brookens Gym: 87 Lake House at Crystal Lake Park: 51
Aquatic Classes: Urbana Indoor Aquatic Center: 300 Crystal Lake Park Family Aquatic Center: 593
Recreation Department Report – August 10, 2021 6