PARKS & RECREATION BOARD 2017/05/16 MinutesThe City of Lake Forest
Parks and Recreation Board
Meeting Minutes
May 16, 2017
I. Call to Order
The Parks and Recreation Board Meeting was called to order by Chairman Charlie Kohlmeyer at
6:30p.m. The following were present:
Board Members: Mr. Charlie Kohlmeyer
Ms. Melanie Walsh
Mr. Paul Best
Mr. Steve Reimer
Ms. Shannon Maguire
Mr. Andrew Grabemann, Student
Staff: Ms. Sally Swarthout, Director of Parks and Recreation
Mr. Joe Mobile, Superintendent of Recreation
Mr. Chuck Myers, Superintendent of Parks, Forestry & Cemetery Mr. Aaron Dalzot, Lakefront Manager
Ms. Dani Spann, Administrative Assistant
II. Approval of Minutes
Meeting minutes of the March 21, 2017 Park & Recreation Board meeting were presented and
approved.
Board member Best motioned for approval of the amended minutes and Student Board member
Grabemann seconded. The minutes were then unanimously approved.
III. A Resolution of Appreciation was presented to Student Board member Grabemann, thanking him
for his public service.
IV. Opportunities for the Public to Address the Board on Items not listed on the Agenda
No comment
V. Lakefront Spotlight
Lakefront Manager, Aaron Dalzot gave an overview of the beach and basin. He spoke about the
beach hours, the non-resident fees, along with the various boating programs and rentable space
available. He also touched on the Lake Forest Sailing Team and their upcoming Regattas. He was
very excited to talk about the variety of programs being offered for all ages this year, including many
fitness classes. The staff would like to focus on offering more kids activities. These special events will
be offered through September 4, 2017. He shared information on the daily boat launch and punch
pass fees in addition to the boat storage.
The rates were brought up in reference to the use of jet skis. Director Swarthout said these rates can
definitely be looked into along with community comparisons.
The marketing and advertising of the events at the beach was mentioned. Mr. Dalzot answered that
a calendar of events has been created and these items are posted at the beach office, the
Recreation Center and other various spots throughout the City. Discussion followed on signage
being placed, similar to Lake Bluff’s event boards. Director Swarthout stated we currently use
Constant Contact to keep residents aware of the events. We could possibly place sandwich boards
on the boardwalk; however, there are strict signage rules we have to abide by on the upper level of
Forest Park.
Mr. Dalzot stated the beach is very close to being open and ready for the public. Only a few more
minor items need to be completed. In the event of overflow parking, it was mentioned a system
between staff has been organized and the south lot will be opened to accommodate extra vehicles.
VI. South Park Master Plan
Superintendent Myers introduced Steve Cotners from Hitchcock Design. There was lots of input
from staff, board members and residents to finalize this master plan. Mr. Cotners gave an overview
on the new plan and the proposed improvements.
The new plan will have a looped path with a new parking area. The play active area will remain
where it currently is. The tennis courts will be shifted slightly for basketball courts. The two baseball
fields will remain the same with improvements being made to the dugouts. The general consensus
from the meetings was to keep the open lawn area so the plan reflects this in the scaling down of
internal pathways. Some discussion followed on the woodland area and the maintaining of this. The
playground in its current layout is all that will be completed this year.
Discussion followed on the final cost of this master plan in its completion. Mr. Cutners explained this
amount is a combination of replacement and upgrades and added improvements to the amenities.
The budget numbers are comparable to other parks of this size. Concerns about parking was
brought up, Mr. Cutners stated the plan has scaled back on parking in order to keep a balance of
offering adequate parking without creating a parking lot with excessive traffic.
The prioritization of items within the plan was discussed. The cost of the master plan and any grants
offered was discussed. Currently, the main OSLET grant is unavailable, but we will continue to apply
for any smaller grants available for the various projects.
Requested Action: Approval of the South Park Master Plan.
A motion was made by Board member Maguire to approve the new South Park Playground. The
motion was seconded by Chairman Kohlmeyer. A roll call vote was taken. Kohlmeyer, Walsh, Best,
Maguire, Reimer (5) Absent: Lee, Walker (2). The motion was passed with the mention of more
presentation on prioritization and grants available.
VII. South Beach Access Road Update
Superintendent Myers gave an update on the South Beach access road. Due to considerable slope
movement over the last 12 months AECOMM recommended the Forestry staff remove 28 trees
adjacent to the hazardous area and reapply tarping of the bluff. These trees were scheduled to
come down later in the fall once the project work started. AECOMM is continuously monitoring this
area. Mr. Myers went over the South Beach access road repair timeline. We are looking to have
design completion on June 23. In order to keep minimal interruption with the summer season the
goal is to have construction start after Labor Day with completion by November 17th.
Another potentially hazardous tree was removed near the boardwalk. The engineers will be
installing an inclinometer at this location.
Mr. Myers touched on the north beach access road. We observed some issues this spring with the
drain and some additional movement with parts of the bluff being highly eroded. This will not be
addressed this year, but we will be monitoring the north end. This work is looking to be designed
sometime in 2017 with construction beginning next year. Superintendent Myers noted that public
safety is our number one concern.
VIII.Comments by Director
Director Swarthout encouraged the Board, if possible, to attend the Lake Forest Institute in July.
This is an excellent educational system about municipal government which will be led by City staff.
Also, she reminded everyone there is still time to register for the various camps offered through
the Recreation Center. In addition, Director Swarthout mentioned the upcoming summer events
scheduled.
•Fred Jackson Annual Golf Classic- Friday, June 2nd at Deerpath Golf Course
•Concerts in the Square- Thursday evenings from June 14th – July 26 from 6:30pm – 8:30pm;
the car show will be on July 20th
•Open Mic Night at the Beach- June 20th, July 18th and August 15th from 7:00pm – 8:00pm at
the Fire Circle at Forest Park Beach
•Movies at the Beach- The Santa Clause- June 30th at 8:00pm at Forest Park Beach with a
possible Santa sighting
•Lake Forest Festival & Fireworks- July 4th from 6:00pm – 10:00pm at Deerpath Community
Park
IX.Comments by Board Members
Beginning June 20th, the monthly Parks and Recreation board meeting will be held at the Municipal
Services building at 6:30pm.
X. Adjournment
Board member Best motioned for adjournment and Board member Maguire seconded.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:52pm.
Respectfully Submitted
Dani Spann
Administrative Assistant