COMMISSIONERS VOW TO SAVE 1954 GLEN ELLYN ARCHITECTURE

A Special Meeting of the Glen Ellyn Park District Board of Commissioners was called to Order at approximately 7:00 PM on Tuesday, April 6. This meeting was prior to the regularly scheduled Workshop Meeting. Among those in attendance included Sally Goggins, formerly of Gain Ground, Thomas Waters and the Daily Herald.

The Special Meeting was for the sole purpose of discussing and voting on the Glen Ellyn Park District’s Intergovernmental Agreement with District 87 with regard to artificial turf at Memorial Field. District 87 sent the Agreement back to the Park District with changes. Among those changes included the time of the agreement from 8 years to 10. Cory Atwell, Executive Director also requested weekly turf inspections with a minimum of a monthly inspection recap from District 87.

Commissioner Jay Kinzler commented that he wanted additional August dates at Memorial Field for Golden Eagles football. Kathleen Esposito, Superintendent of Recreation stated that in their discussions with Golden Eagles football, Golden Eagles did not require additional space at Memorial Field in August as their needs were being met at Newton Park. Commissioner Kinzler’s son is a Golden Eagle.

After further discussions, the Board unanimously passed the Intergovernmental Agreement with District 87 regarding renting artificial turf space at Memorial Field. This Agreement will now go back to the District 87 Board for their final approval.

The regularly scheduled Workshop Meeting of the Glen Ellyn Park District Board of Commissioners was called to order at approximately 7:45 PM. Platform Tennis was originally scheduled to present a proposal for a Platform Tennis Warming Hut at Maryknoll Park but that will be rescheduled at a later date.

During Public Participation Mr. Thomas Waters approached the Board to state his continued opposition to artificial turf at Memorial Field. Mr. Waters thinks turf is against the Park District’s Environmental Policy and that it is bad. Superintendent of Parks Dave Scarmardo provided information from the turf manufacturer indicating that today’s turf product is 100% recyclable in addition to the environmental benefits of not using water and fertilizer. At that point Mr. Waters got up and walked out.

Dave Phillips from Speer Financial approached the Board with an opportunity to re-finance the bonds at Maryknoll Park for a $25,000 savings. This proposal would reduce the Park District debt which is being paid from the Recreation Fund. Mr. Phillips will provide a more detailed presentation to the Board, for approval at the May Board Meeting.

The Board discussed the Ackerman Sports and Fitness Center Financial Recap. Commissioner Melissa Creech blamed Board President Ed Hess, along with Commissioners Sandra Minogue, Ron Aubrey and Bill Dallman for not letting her have her way by approving a Forensic Audit last fall. Creech said that she can’t trust the numbers the Board is getting, and that she is concerned with the amount of money PBS is getting.

In spite of all Pay Requests in the last year being approved unanimously by the Board Creech than stated throughout this part of the meeting that she is not disputing what the vendors, including PBS, (Professional Building Services) are due. Creech said that she knows these vendors did the work, completed their projects but that she just does not care for how it was reported to the Board

Superintendent of Finance Laurie Woods stated the cost of a Forensic Audit would be $30,000 to $50,000. Despite the fact that Creech’s disciples have been complaining ad nauseum about the cost of an ongoing Forensic Audit at the DuPage County Water Commission, which, according to a March 23, 2010 Daily Herald article is costing $364,000 “so far, and there is no immediate end in sight”, Creech continued to complain that if items were left out of the building specifications, than the District could have recourse.

This is spite of a previous conversation at the December 1, 2009 Workshop Meeting originally reported in the December 11, 2009 issue of the Glen Ellyn Park Bench, “But They Were Not Scheduled to Discuss the Budget”:

Creech demanded to know who is culpable and what are the legal options for the loss to the Park District and the residents. (Park District Legal Counsel Steve) Adams replied those are fair questions but the Court will ask what are the damages. In theory you did not receive what you asked for but these were several inches thick of documents, bids, surveys, permits and contracts. Yes, you have errors, but these are errors without real injury. You did not overpay, it is the difference between paying now and paying before. Paying now is known as betterment of the facility and the Courts will not award you for that. You cannot prove damages for the error.

In any event Board President Hess asked the Board if they wanted to renew the discussion for a Forensic Audit at Ackerman. The consensus of the Board is that an independent audit of the Glen Ellyn Park District is already taking place. The Park District specifically requested that special attention be paid to Ackerman. The auditors are pulling all invoices and vouchers over $5,000 and are checking them against bank statements, checks and are physically checking every payment.

Commissioner Melissa Creech stated throughout this part of the meeting that she is not disputing what the vendors, including PBS, (Professional Building Services) are due. Creech said that she knows these vendors did the work, completed their projects but that she just does not care for how it was reported to the Board.

Chairman Hess stated that some of the confusion is due to the fact that many aspects of the Ackerman construction process, including the PBS contract was handled by a prior Board and that the scope of services changed along with the size of the building. Hess also stated what appears to be continued confusion regarding construction reimbursable expenses such as port-a-lets and dumpsters, expenses that have been paid by the Park District throughout the construction process.

Hess concluded that Creech has been demanding a final cost on Ackerman. Any cost provided now may not be accurate as they still have contractor’s bills trickling in, credits are due in some instances and the roof issue is still being resolved. As a result the final cost will be an estimate. He further commented that with foresight and with no malice intended, so close to the completion of Ackerman and with the results of the Park District audit forthcoming, the Board can always discuss the need for the Park District to expend the additional cost of $30,000 to $50,000 for a forensic audit if the Board chooses to.

Commissioner Melissa Creech stated throughout this part of the meeting that she is not disputing what the vendors, including PBS, (Professional Building Services) are due. Creech said that she knows these vendors did the work, completed their projects but that she just does not care for how it was reported to the Board.

With that Executive Director Atwell discussed a proposal to demolish dilapidated, boarded up Park District owned homes on Lenox Road and at Churchill Park. Park District Legal Counsel Steve Adams interjected that there are Risk Management advantages to not having abandoned and boarded up buildings on Park District property. Atwell remarked that this project has been on the books for awhile, and as a result of the economic downturn, it is in the financial interest of the Park District to have these homes demolished as the demolition rates are currently the lowest they have seen.

The Churchill property was already the subject of Board Meeting discussion and referenced in the June 14, 2009 issue of The Glen Ellyn Park Bench article, “Residents Get To Speak Out About Churchill”:

"One resident wanted to know why a house currently on the property would be demolished and not renovated. The average cost to renovate this 1954 ranch was approximately $650,000 to $860,000 in order to bring it up to code and ADA regulations. Furthermore there are issues concerning asbestos abatement and the basement ceiling height."

These are the numbers provided by the Glen Ellyn Park District to make the Churchill home ADA accessible and up to Village and Fire Codes. In spite of the costs involved, Commissioners Creech and Julia Nephew vowed to save this example of 1954 Glen Ellyn Architecture and no doubt Citizens for Glen Ellyn Preservation will be weighing in as well. Commissioner Creech has no issue with the Park District razing the boarded up, dilapidated building on Lenox Road across the street from her own home.

Finally, Superintendent of Parks Scarmardo introduced Pay Request #16 for the Ackerman Sports and Fitness Center in the amount of $153,669.84 and requested that it be placed on the Consent Agenda for the April 20 Board Meeting. The meeting adjourned at 9:18 PM.

The next Board Meeting of the Glen Ellyn Park District is scheduled for Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at 7:00 PM. The meetings are held at the Spring Avenue Recreation Center (SARC) 185 Spring Avenue. As with all meetings, the public is invited and welcome to attend.