PARKS & RECREATION BOARD 2018/03/20 Packet PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD
TUESDAY, MARCH, 20, 2018 6:30PM at MUNICIPAL SERVICES 800 N. FIELD DRIVE LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS
AGENDA I. CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALL
_____Charlie Kohlmeyer, Chairman _____ Shannon Maguire _____ Paul “Skoo” Walker _____ Paul Best
_____ Steve Reimer _____ Nancy Duffy _____ Melanie Walsh
II. *APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. Approval of minutes of the February 20, 2018 Parks and Recreation Board
Meeting III. OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZENS TO ADDRESS THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
IV. BASEBALL/LACROSSE PARTNERSHIPS SPOTLIGHT- Presented by Anthony Anaszewicz,
Program Manager; Ken Pierini, Program Supervisor; Jason Olson, Program Supervisor
V. *APPROVAL OF FITNESS CENTER CARPET REPLACEMENT- Presented by Jason
Busdeker, Program Manager
VI. *FOREST PARK MAINTENANCE CONTRACT- Presented by Chuck Myers,
Superintendent of Parks, Forestry and Special Facilities
VII. *ANNUAL GROUNDS MAINTENANCE- Presented by Chuck Myers, Superintendent of
Parks, Forestry and Special Facilities
VIII. COMMENTS BY DIRECTOR
IX. COMMENTS BY BOARD MEMBERS
X. ADJOURNMENT *ACTION ITEMS
The City of Lake Forest
Parks and Recreation Board
Meeting Minutes
February 20, 2018
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
Mr. Steve Reimer
Mr. Paul Best
Mr. Paul “Skoo” Walker
Ms. Nancy Duffy
Staff: Ms. Sally Swarthout, Director of Parks and Recreation
Mr. Joe Mobile, Superintendent of Recreation Mr. John Eldridge, Program Manager
Ms. Dani Spann, Administrative Assistant
II. Comments By Chairman
Chairman Kohlmeyer introduced the new Board Member, Nancy Duffy. Ms. Duffy talked a little
about herself and her involvement in the community. She served on the Lake Forest Caucus for five
years. Was the fundraising chair for the last two years. Her family has been involved with the
Recreation Center and their programs for many years.
III. Approval of Minutes
Meeting minutes of the November 21, 2017 Park & Recreation Board meeting were presented and
approved.
Board member Reimer motioned for approval of the amended minutes and Board member Walker
seconded. The minutes were then unanimously approved. IV. Opportunities for the Public to Address the Board on Items not listed on the Agenda
No comments
V. Stirling Hall Spotlight
John Eldridge, Program Manager, gave an overview of Stirling Hall and the various program
offerings. He touched on some of the amenities offered and talked about the experienced staff.
Mr. Eldrige went over the Adult classes and workshops. There are many offerings including Beginner
Wheel Throwing, Mosaics and Tile Making. The Youth classes and workshops offered are for all ages
starting at three years old. The facility can be rented for themed birthday parties and private rentals,
such as, baby showers, bridal showers and team building events.
Mr. Eldridge talked about the growth of Stirling Hall over the last year and the increase in
enrollments. He mentioned the attendance has doubled over the past year. Some of the driving
force behind this growth is the expanded offerings, special events and the improved marketing and
outreach through social media. A new event called, Art Bash, has generated some great feedback
and shows the community what they have to offer. Boardmember Walker inquired about the social
media followers. Mr. Eldridge replied most of the followers are parents of the students. The
marketing was discussed and ideas of how to reach out to those on social media that are not
enrolled in the programs.
Mr. Eldridge talked about the following new program offerings and partnerships at Stirling Hall.
• Rosalind Franklin Wheel Class for students
• Empty Bowls is a fundraiser out of Gurnee geared towards needy families
• Partnership with Lake Forest Library called, “Ragdale Reads Event”
• Expanded weekend class offerings
• New Summer Youth Classes/Camps
Board member Best asked if staff has looked into any opportunities to offer programs to assisted
living groups in the community. Mr. Eldridge replied they have worked with Dickinson Hall to offer
some events. Stirling Hall also partners with Lake Forest College and allows them to teach their
twelve week Ceramic class on site. He mentioned the attendance is growing and they are getting
close to the maximum participants. Staff would like to increase the amount of painting classes
offered.
VI. Comprehensive Master Plan of Friends of Lake Forest Parks & Recreation
Superintendent Mobile is requesting approval of joint funding of the Master Plan of Friends of Lake
Forest Parks & Recreation for $30,000 from the Parks and Public Land Fund. He went over the
process to adopt a new plan. In July they met to discuss the upcoming projects, came up with a blue
print of needs and desires of the community, and developed an action plan to achieve these needs.
A bid proposal was posted and three bids were received.
Company Amount Bid
Williams Architects $49,000
Hitchcock Design Group $50,000
The Lakota Group $103,110
The Friends of Lake Forest Parks & Recreation Foundation have recommended and decided to go
with Hitchcock Design Group. If approved for the funding, the Foundation will set up a restricted
fund in their accounting, and all the payments will come from this account. City staff will be very
involved in this process. Board member Walker inquired as to what was completed from the 2008
Master Plan. Joe Mobile replied that Townline Park was a big completion along with other smaller
improvements such as ball fields and playgrounds. Discussion followed on the decision process of
improvements needed. Staff would like to start the planning meetings in April and they anticipate it
being a 16 week project.
Requested Action: Approval of joint funding of Comprehensive Parks and Facility Master Plan with
the Friends of Lake Forest Parks & Recreation Foundation.
A motion was made by Board member Walker to approve the joint funding of the Comprehensive
Parks and Facility Master Plan Project with the Friends of Lake Forest Parks & Recreation
Foundation not to exceed $30,000 from the Park and Public Land Fund and recommend moving
forward to City Council for approval. Seconded by Board member Best. A roll call vote was taken.
The following voted “Aye”: Chairman Kohlmeyer, Walker, Reimer, Duffy, and Best. The following
voted “Nay”: None. 5 – Ayes, 0 Nays, motion carried. The motion was passed.
Comments by Director
Director Swarthout talked about North Suburban Special Recreation Association (NSSRA) and the
opportunities they provide for our residents and other communities. They currently have 13
partners including surrounding park districts, cities and villages. They have found a building site to
house a new facility that can offer much more to its participants. In 2017, we had 41 registrants
within Lake Forest that had 217 registrations throughout their programs. Ms. Swarthout passed
around an invitation to the 2018 Shining Stars Banquet, the City of Lake Forest will be named
Partner Agency of the Year. Ms. Swarthout invited the Board members to join them for the evening.
If interested, please RSVP to Joe Mobile.
Director Swarthout spoke about the upcoming events scheduled.
1. Seuss-A-Bration – February 24th from 1:00pm – 3:00pm at Recreation Annex, Everett Park
2. Summer Camp Registration Opens on March 6th at 8:30am
3. Reptile Rampage- March 11th from 10:00am – 4:00pm in the Recreation Center Gymnasium
4. Passion To Dance – March 17th from 6:00pm - 9:00pm and 10:00am at Cressey Center for
the Performing Arts
5. Easter Bunny Baskets delivery – March 21st from 3:00om – 6:00pm
6. Easter Eggstravaganza- March 24th from 9:30am – 11:30am at Deerpath Middle School
VII. Comments by Board Members
Board member Reimer asked about the engineer working on the North Beach Access Road. Director
Swarthout replied AECOMM will be the consulting engineer heading this and it will be a different
strategy for this road as it involves the Army Corps of Engineers. As of right now, the timing on this is
unsure. Depending on the recommendation, the road may be closed over the season. Alternative
transportation options are being looked into. The question of concessions at the beach came up. In
response, Kemper Sports will be taking over the concessions this year. Discussion followed on the
hours of concessions.
VIII. Adjournment
Board member Best motioned for adjournment and Board member Duffy seconded.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:46pm.
Respectfully Submitted
Dani Spann
Administrative Assistant
SUBJECT: Approval of a purchase to replace the flooring in the Recreation Fitness Center.
PRESENTED BY: Jason Busdeker, Facility Manager 847-810-3934
PURPOSE AND ACTION REQUESTED: Staff requests approval to replace the carpeted
floor within the Fitness Center. The total cost of the project is $67,240. BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION: The current carpet was installed in the Fitness Center in 2007. Since the original installation, numerous carpet squares have been replaced due
to damage, stains or noticeable discoloration due to high volume of traffic within the Fitness Center on a daily basis. The carpet replacement has been previously postponed
3 years to allow for other projects to take place within the CARP budget.
Staff would like to replace the 1Ft x 1Ft carpet squares within the Fitness Center with a
Mondo flooring. Mondo flooring is a rubberized material that is nonporous which will
allow staff to maintain the cleanliness more efficiently compared to the carpet.
Currently, the Fitness Center is closed up to 3 days to remove the cardio equipment
and allow the carpets to be shampooed requiring up to 24 hours of drying time. This
process is labor intensive on the staff and disruptive to the Fitness Center members.
During the winter months, the carpet gets very dirty from people tracking in salt, snow
and other debris that gets stuck to their shoes. The Mondo flooring will be able to be
kept cleaner on a more regular basis as it would be able to be wet mopped several
times each week with minimal drying time compared to shampooing the carpet one
time annually. The Mondo will also have less of an impact on the Fitness Center
members when we do close for the Recreation Center’s Annual Maintenance Week.
Mondo flooring has a useful lifespan of 20+ years which is 2-3 times longer than carpet. Staff conducted site visits of facilities that currently have the Mondo flooring in their
facilities. The sites included Chicago Bears Halas Hall, Park District of Highland Park, Buffalo Grove Park District and Libertyville Sports Complex. The Facilities in Buffalo Grove
and Libertyville have both had their flooring for 17-18 years each. In speaking with staff from all of the visited facilities, they were all very pleased with the performance of the
floor and the ease of cleaning. BUDGET/FISCAL IMPACT: Similar to the National IPA, staff is requesting approval to purchase the Fitness Center’s flooring through the National Joint Powers Alliance’s
vendor, Mondo USA. NJPA is a public agency that was statutorily created to provide
purchasing assistance to only governmental, education, and non-profit
agencies. NJPA purchases are included in the City’s purchasing directive under
section 9.0-F, government joint purchases. All items offered through NJPA are
competitively bid nationally and are sold through specific local vendors.
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Below is an estimated summary of Project budget:
FY2018 Funding Source Amount Budgeted Amount Requested Budgeted? Y/N
Park and Recreation Operating
Budget $40,000 $40,000 Y
Special Recreation Budget $27,240 $27,240 Y
BOARD ACTION: Approval of a purchase to replace the Recreation Fitness Center flooring.
SUBJECT: Approval of Forest Park Grounds Maintenance Services Contract for FY ‘19
STAFF CONTACT: Chuck Myers, Superintendent of Parks & Forestry, 810-3565 PURPOSE AND ACTION REQUESTED: City staff is seeking approval to award a one year contract with Mariani Landscape to provide mowing and ground maintenance
services at Forest Park for FY ‘19. BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION: Forest Park is one of the oldest and most celebrated parks on the North Shore and a treasure for the residents of Lake Forest. After the completion
of the highly successful rehabilitation project in 2015, the City’s Parks Section resumed its maintenance responsibilities and was charged with keeping the park in its pristine
condition.
In FY’17, staff conducted an expansive bid process that includes mowing and extensive
grounds maintenance services for Forest Park. In addition, staff included a three year
option in the bid process that provided the City with the right to extend the contract
after the first season or rebid the contract for FY’18 and FY’19.
This year, Mariani Landscape is offering a new program that will encompass a number
of sustainability practices. First and foremost will be the deployment of fully electric
mowers, blowers and line trimmers in all service operations at Forest Park. This
equipment will deliver low noise, zero emissions and zero use of fossil fuels in the
operation of this machinery. The reduction in noise pollution with electric mowers is
significant and an important aspect of this program. A traditional gas powered mower
averages 95-100 decibels, the electric mowers being introduced will reach a maximum of 80 decibels and under normal operating parameters, even less. The emissions
benefit is realized with all of the mowers having zero emissions due to the Lithium Energy Modules that provide the power source for these devices. No warm up period or idle
time emissions are present with these electric powered machines.
The further utilization of all Lithium-Ion battery powered lawn blowers and line trimmers will also provide lower noise pollution and zero emissions. A typical gas powered blower
produces an average noise level of 99 decibels. The new electric blowers have a sound level of 56 decibels during normal use. All of the above activities and procedures
combine to provide the City of Lake Forest with a responsible and environmentally beneficial program in the execution of the significant grounds maintenance services
they provide. There will be no additional costs associated with the implementation of
this program and it will begin at the start of the spring season.
BUDGET/FISCAL IMPACT: On June 19, 2017 City Council approved the request from City
staff to enter into a one year contract with Mariani Landscape to provide mowing and
grounds maintenance services at Forest Park. City staff is satisfied with the services
performed by Mariani Landscape in FY’18 and are recommending the continuation of
their services for FY’19. Funding for the Forest Park grounds maintenance contract is
budgeted in the Parks Fund 220 operating budget.
Below is summary of Project budget:
FY ’19 Funding Source Amount Budgeted Amount Requested Budgeted? Y/N
Parks Operating
Fund 220 $40,000 $ 38,502.67 Y
PARKS & RECREATION BOARD ACTION: Approval to enter into a one year contract with Mariani Landscape to provide mowing and grounds maintenance services at Forest Park, in the total amount of $38,502.38 for FY’19.
SUBJECT: Approval of Contract for Annual Mowing Services in Parks FY’19 Budget
PRESENTED BY: CHUCK MYERS, SUPERINTENDENT OF PARKS AND FORESTRY, 810-3565 PURPOSE AND ACTION REQUESTED: Staff is seeking approval to enter into a one year contract with Landscape Concepts Management Inc. to provide mowing services for
multiple City-owned properties. BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION: Annually, the Parks and Recreation Department researches opportunities to improve operational efficiencies and deliver services in the
most cost effective manner. In 2011, the Parks section began outsourcing the mowing of many of our passive parks and miscellaneous parcels. We chose not to bid out all
other park properties, such as the neighborhood parks, lakefront and community parks,
due to the significant need to coordinate with ever-changing public use and athletic
field schedules. The outsourcing of mowing has proven to be a beneficial fiscal
approach by reducing labor expenses and long-term capital equipment replacement
costs. For FY’18, staff conducted an expansive bid request that included the mowing of
the eleven City areas along with the mowing of twenty City right-of-ways and 136 cul-
de-sacs. Similar to the selection rationale for outsourcing areas in 2011, the right-of-
ways and cul-de-sacs are also desirable to outsource since they involve routine
scheduling requirements. In addition, the Parks Section included 3-year bids with the bid
process and has the ability to extend the contract after the first season or rebid the
contract for FY’19 and FY’20. Staff is recommending that the contract with Landscape
Concepts Management Inc. be extended to FY’19.
BUDGET/FISCAL IMPACT: Funding for the annual mowing contract is budgeted in the Parks Fund 220 operating budget. The FY’18 bid was $97,000 for the second year of the
contract (FY’19) and an additional $4,540 was added for the mowing and maintenance of a newly established landscaped area on Western Avenue.
Summary of Project Budget:
FY’19 Funding Source Amount Budgeted Amount Requested Budgeted? Y/N
Parks Operating Fund
220 $101,540 $101,540 Y
PARKS & RECREATION BOARD ACTION: Approval to award a one year contract to Landscape Concepts Management in the amount of $101,540 for FY’19 for the mowing and grounds maintenance of City properties, cul-de-sacs, and right-of-ways.