PARKS & RECREATION BOARD 2019/10/15 MinutesThe City of Lake Forest
Parks and Recreation Board
Meeting Minutes
October 15, 2019
I. Call to Order
The Parks and Recreation Board Meeting was called to order by Chairman Paul Best at 6:30p.m. The
following were present:
Board Members: Mr. Paul Best
Mr. Steve Reimer
Mr. Jared Rhoads
Mr. Rich Adams
Ms. Melanie Walsh
Ms. Nancy Duffy
Mr. Will Elliott, Student
Staff: Ms. Sally Swarthout, Director of Parks and Recreation
Mr. Joe Mobile, Superintendent of Recreation
Mr. Chuck Myers, Superintendent of Parks, Forestry & Special Facilities
Mr. Vince Juarez, Kemper Sports General Manager
Mr. Jason Busdeker, Facility Manager
Ms. Dani Spann, Administrative Assistant
Special Guests: Mr. Frank Parisi, Principal/Vice President at Williams Architect
II. Approval of Minutes
Meeting minutes of the September 17, 2019 Park & Recreation Board Meeting were presented and
approved.
Board member Reimer motioned for approval of the minutes and Board member Duffy seconded.
The minutes were then unanimously approved.
III. Opportunities for the Public to Address the Board on Items not listed on the Agenda
No comments
IV. Kinderhaven Expansion Discussion
John Eldridge, Program Manager talked briefly about the Kinderhaven program and introduced
Frank Parisi from Williams Architect who went over the agenda and process, including design
options and cost opinions. Mr. Parisi identified the core programs needed for the Kinderhaven
program. One of the main needs accessed was to have a Reggio Model plan for classrooms. Mr.
Parisi went over the options.
The first design Mr. Parisi went over was Option 2C which included a renovation of the existing
Kinderhaven site. There will be three classrooms which will include interactive stations in each
room. The plan includes increased storage space. A third toilet room will be added. Discussion
followed on the current enrollment of about 70 kids and the potential to increase enrollment after
the renovations.
The second Option 2CC included some slight changes from Option 2C. The toilet rooms will be in the
same area. An elevator will be added to keep it ADA compliant and give access to the lower level
rooms. The renovation square footage of this design is 3640 sq. ft.
The third option involved relocating KInderhaven. This option includes four classrooms and offers
much needed space the current location doesn’t offer. Board member Duffy had concerns about
being away from the REC there might be missed opportunities for enrollment in other REC
programs.
Construction time would be about the same with each option. With the new site being at a different
location the Kinderhaven programs will not be interrupted due to construction and redesign.
Mr. Parisi went over the cost options for the projects. Option 2CC had a total project cost ranges of
$2,090,200 to $2,305,200. This included the hard construction cost and the soft cost (professional
fees, owners contingency, fixtures & equipment). Option 3 totaled cost ranges between $2,700,000
to $2,970,000. The company used their database to build these costs. The suggestion to build a
brand new building was mentioned. Mr. Parisi went over some of the infrastructure that would be
needed to build a new building.
V. Approval of FY21 Golf Fees
Vince Juarez, General Manager went over the State of the Industry-National Golf Foundation. The
number of golfers and rounds has declined with junior golfers. He went over the golf course
happenings in communities around Lake Forest. Some courses are closing. Total rounds are down
1.4% in Chicago. Our revenue and EBITDA has increased despite the rounds being down nationally.
Mr. Juarez went over the Utilization Charts he created for weekends and weekdays. Deerpath Golf
Course is about 17% higher than similar facilities utilization.
Mr. Juarez went over some of the projected increases. The largest increase is projected to be seen in
the 9 hole rounds on the weekend. Mr. Juarez went over the FY21 Proposed Fee Overview. They
would like to increase the ceiling by about 8% on the weekends and 3% on weekdays. There will be
no change on 18 hole golf cart pricing. 9 hole cart fee will increase to $14.00 per person. The driving
revenue of the Golf Course is outings, permanent tee times, clinics, community events and dynamic
pricing. Mr. Juarez described some of the events and clinics that were held this last season.
Controlling costs at the Golf Course is done through flexible payroll, cross utilization of employees,
preventative maintenance on equipment by in house mechanic, inventory monitoring and head
count.
Mr. Juarez talked briefly about the IDOT Project and some of the impacts to the Golf Course. In
Conclusion; without construction there will be a 5% blended green fee and cart fee increase.
Without construction you will see weekend and all price increase and a 5% blended green fee and
cart increase. With the IDOT project the EBIDA will be affected by a drop in revenue by at least 12%.
Approximately, a 6% revenue drop from price increase from current year projections and a 13%
utilization drop depending on timing during “prime time”.
A motion was made by Board member Adams to approve the Proposed FY21 Golf Fees. The
motion was seconded by Board member Rhoads. The motion was passed.
VI. Approval of FY21 Fitness Fees
Jason Busdeker, Facility Manager gave a brief overview of the recommended FY21 Fitness Center
Fees. Staff is asking for a 4% increase to all resident and non-resident membership fees.
Board member Reimer inquired about the 4% increase. Director Swarthout answered this has been
the target increase in the past and including staff increases each year. Current membership is
showing a $12,792 FY21 revenue projected increase. He touched on the Silver Sneakers and
AARP/Renew Active Programs which in not reflected in the projected revenue.
A motion was made by Board member Duffy to approve the Proposed FY21 Fitness Fees and to
proceed to City Council for approval. The motion was seconded by Board member Walsh. The
motion was passed.
VII. Approval of FY21 Permit Fees
Joe Mobile, Superintendent of Recreation went over the staff recommendation to freeze the permit
fees at the FY20 rates for FY21. Superintendent Joe Mobile went over the current fees for the
various park pavilions.
A motion was made by Board member Rhoads to approve the freezing of Permit fees at the FY20
rates for FY21. The motion was seconded by Board member Adams. The motion was passed.
VIII. Approval of FY21 Lakefront Fees
Joe Mobile, Superintendent presented to the Board the staff recommendation to freeze the
lakefront permit fees at the FY20 rate for FY21. After the last four seasons of prorated fees this
seems to be the right thing to do. Mr. Mobile went over the FY21 projected revenue increase.
A discussion followed on the proposed fee structure and how the funds are reinvested into the
various Recreation programs.
A motion was made by Board member Reimer to approve the freezing of Lakefront fees at the
FY20 rates for FY21. The motion was seconded by Board member Walsh. The motion was passed.
IX. Approval of FY21 Parks & Public Land Projects
Chuck Myers, Superintendent of Parks and Forestry and Joe Mobile, Superintendent of Recreation
talked about the Parks and Public Land Projects. They each gave a brief description of the project
and the justification for these projects.
1. Deerpath Golf Course Drainage Improvements ($50,000)
Additional drainage improvements will build upon the improvements made in 2017 and will
provide support of an existing revenue stream by allowing golfers to play the course even
with wet conditions.
2. Waveland Park Tennis Surface Maintenance ($35,000)
The courts at Waveland Park were last resurfaced in 2012 and are overdue by three years.
This project will involve striping and replacing the top acrylic layers of four tennis courts and
one basketball court. This resurfacing will extend the life of the base asphalt layer and
reduce cracks.
3. Forest Park Trail/Addition/Boardwalk ($300,000)
The new trail will provide access from upper Forest Park to the beach and will include a
section of boardwalk and will be installed in a new location along the South Beach Access
Road and will provide a safer pedestrian walkway to the beach and will be ADA compliant.
4. Waveland Park Bridge Replacement ($75,000)
This project will include replacing the current wooden bridge on the main path and repairing
the stream bank under the bridge. The current bridge is over fifteen years old and has
exceeded its estimated useful life. The new bridge will be ADA compliant.
5. West Park Hockey Rink Replacement ($75,000)
This includes the purchase of a new portable hockey rink made of a composite material that
will require less annual maintenance and take less time to install every year. The current
hockey rink is a wooden structure over 25 years old and is difficult to assemble every year
and requires regular painting and repairs.
6. Veteran’s Park Redesign ($100,000)
This project is to develop a passive, open space that will serve as a gateway park that leads
residents and visitors into the central business district. The main objective is to develop a
comprehensive master plan for the park that will identify opportunities to achieve a balance
between the recreational use and the protection and interpretation of the cultural, natural
and scenic resources of the park.
A motion was made by Board member Walsh to approve The Deerpath Golf Course
Drainage Improvements, Waveland Park Tennis Surface Maintenance, Waveland Park
Bridge Replacement, West Park Hockey Rink Replacement, Veteran’s Park Redesign and
postpone the Forest Park Trail/Addition/Boardwalk to a future date. The motion was
seconded by Board member Rhoads. The motion was passed.
X. Comments by Director
Director Swarthout talked about the following events coming up in October and November.
Croctoberfest- October 20th & 27th from 10am – 4pm at the Wildlife Discovery Center
Go Lake Forest Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital Walk Around the Waterfall-
October 17th from 11am – 2pm
Go Lake Forest Forest Park Nature Walk- October 24th at 10am
Go LF Walk on September 12th at 8:00am at Lake Forest College
Halloween Tricks & Treats- October 25th from 5pm – 730pm at the Lake Forest Recreation
Center
Lake Forest Halloween Spectacular Regatta- October 26th and 27th at Lake Forest Beach
Lake Forest Tree Lighting Ceremony- November 29th at Market Square
XI. Comments by Chairman
Chairman Best went over the idea of having one meeting per quarter in a different location and
facility within the City. This is a great way to get members familiar with other facilities and their
offerings.
XII. Comments by Board Members
Board member Reimer mentioned adding the forecasted total projected revenue column.
XIII. Other Comments
Next month’s board meeting will be held at Stirling Hall Art Center.
XIV. Adjournment
Board member Reimer motioned for adjournment and Board member Adams seconded.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:16p.m.
Respectfully Submitted
Dani Spann
Administrative Assistant