[remote or in person] Board of Commissioners
Chicago Park District
Parks
Wednesday, July 10, 2024
10:00 a.m. — 1:30 p.m. CDT
4830 S Western Avenue Chicago, IL 60609 (Directions)
Chicago Park District Administration Building
You have the option to document this meeting in person or remotely, via live stream. If you attend the meeting in person, an additional hour will be added to your pay for this assignment.
For this assignment, you will be documenting two back-to-back meetings:
- 10 a.m. Special meeting: It is likely that most of this meeting will be in closed session, but the board is still required to offer a public comment period and conduct any official votes during open session. The duration of closed sessions will be included in your total assignment pay hours.
- 11:30 a.m. Regular Board of Commissioners meeting
If you plan to document remotely, check the corresponding meeting row for a video livestream link at https://chicagoparkdistrict.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx in around the start time. If you do not see a video link you may be early or the meeting may be starting behind schedule. Wait a few moments and refresh your Internet browser tab, repeating until a link appears. If you don’t see a video link by 5 minutes after the scheduled start time, let us know by replying to your assignment email.
Check the source website for additional information
Reporting
Edited and summarized by the Chicago - IL Documenters Team
Note-taking by
Angela Ybarra
Riot Fest and Sueños music festivals, Fundraising for kids in the parks, Douglass Park, Washington Park
Live reporting by
Monique Petty-Ashmeade
Riot Fest and Sueños music festivals, Fundraising for kids in the parks, Douglass Park, Washington Park
mo✨
@parttymewriter
Good morning everyone I’m Monique Petty and I’ll be live-tweeting today’s Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners Meeting for #CHIDocumenters @CHIdocumenters. A special closed meeting will begin at 10AM with public comment after. Regular board meeting will start at 11:30AM
09:52 AM Jul 10, 2024 CDT
Meeting has began at 10:13AM with roll call of commissioners currently beginning.
No requests for public comment have been made. No further items of business will be voted on during the special meeting. The meeting has now been adjourned at 10:15AM for a closed session
Any sign-ups for public comment during the regular meeting will take place when that session opens at 11:30AM
First order of business is a resolution honoring Commissioner Myetie Hamilton who the President of the Board of Commissioners for Chicago Park District
Attendees are providing their love and support for President Hamilton for the work she has to done to transform the city’s park district program and catering to the youth of city
“No matter how hefty the lift there was a need to rebuild and restore…” President Hamilton is sharing her time in this position and how her upbringing has influenced her need to serve the city as a South Shore native
One of her many accomplishments was establishing a Center of Accountability within the Chicago Park District
Hamilton will be stepping down after serving 3 years as the president for Chicago’s Park District Board of Commissioners
August 14,2024 meeting has been cancelled and meeting minutes from June 12,2024 has been adopted
Presentation from New Business Development is taking place concerning funding on youth programming
The Financial Assistance Program for Day Camp and Park Kids provides assistance for low-income families to provide youth with accessible programming below you can see their progress in 2023 and growth from 2018-2023. Last year 1 out 5 kids received funding for programs
The projection for this years programming is listed below with an anticipation of 15% growth in youth participation l. The current amount raised is $217,642 out of the $709,000 needed. Below is an explanation of what funding/donations can do
Alderperson Jeannette Taylor has taken the stand and is currently expressing why this presentation was not presented to alderpeople as it is her first time seeing this. An urgency for connecting neighborhood parks and elected officials
She also expressed why the city’s sports teams Chicago Bears and Bulls aren’t pouring into this. She also expressed that amount of vacant lots in her area of Washington Park yet little connection from Park District has been offered to use vacant parks in the area for programs
“I am a partner of the park district” Alderperson Jeanette Taylor (20th Ward)
Overall an emphasis on connecting disinvested communities with Chicago Park Districts to ensure safety & programming for growth of youth and overall community
People in the Park are next up to speak for public comment which is set to last 2 minutes per person
Lack of investment in Douglas Park is being addressed. Outside of painting roadways nothing has been done to update it. Despite Riot Fest relocating there are areas of the park that have seen patchy grass, no bathrooms etc.
CORRECTION: paving of the walkway is the only update that has been done to Douglass Park in the past 8 years
Accountability for Chi Park District putting community members in a “boxing ring” with Riot Fest promoters when community members were pushing for the festival to move due to the damage, health, and safety that was residents have had to endure is what has been brought up
Privatization of the park is also another issue for example the mini golf course is only open to public for little hours. Douglas Park is also facing staff shortages
Privatization is being corrected by board as partnerships that happen within the park. Promise of follow-up with community members has been put on the table concerning hours of operation
President of the Garfield Park Advisory Council is currently speaking. Addressing the water gardens, the deteriorating interior of the Gold Dome, NE & SE playground facing illicit actions on grounds, destruction of natural resources w/ people driving on grass areas
The Gold Dome is a historic landmark in Garfield park and there is an urgency to help rebuild. An ask for air conditioning as room 104 the main conference room cannot be used. With many summer events passed and occurring this is an urgent need
Garfield Park Advisory Council (GPAC) is taking action providing cleanup and sending out surveys to community members. The historical landscape and natural resources have slowly seen a depletion and GPAC is urging for a landscape design to preserve the green space
Ask for 400 meter track in both Garfield and Washington Park is an ask. There is also an urgency to not let Chicago Bears build and expand their sports facilitations near Lake Shore
Sueños Festival organizers want to enter a long agreement that will allow for the festival to continue its residency in Grant Park for 5 years. Below you can see revenue information and the plans moving forward
Below you can also view the community impact the Sueños has brought to the city offering job fairs and uplifting of local Latinx-owned businesses
The motion has been moved and adopted. Sueños festival has entered a 5 year contract with Grant Park with chances of expanding the festival from 2 days to 3.
A proposal for Touhy-Herbert Park and development funding has been moved and passed. Below you can see the development plans
Rehabilitation of the Garfield Park Bandstand is currently on the table as the project will cost a little over $1 million dollars. Below you will find how the Bandstand looked in 1860 when first constructed vs. now
After rehabilitation of marble pannings additional structural repairs were discovered (below) with further deterioration found. Motion has been moved and adopted
Proposal for Park 517 in Edgewater (5914-24 N Sheridan) to renamed to Interfaith Park honoring the lasting influence of the Shawlmans and Edgewater community who have promoted inclusivity and care in their neighborhood
Resolution for public participation in Chicago Park District to be updated is currently on the floor. Proposal to provide general info for the public, open access to meeting times and details per the Open Meeting Acts
Accommodation for ASL and translators for public comments that aren’t in English is another point presented by Secretary of the Chicago Public Park District
Motion to approve has been met with one objection however the matter has adopted with majority rule in favor
Settlement for Jane Doe vs. Chicago Park District for $275,000 has been carried and adopted
Meeting has adjourned at 1:14pm. August 12 meeting has been cancelled. This is Monique Petty for #CHIDocumters @CHIdocumenters if you are looking for upcoming meetings find them at
documenters.org
Attachments
Agency Information
Chicago Park District
To govern the Chicago Park District, setting policies, governing operations, and charting the direction of current and future programs.
Remote meetings are live-streamed at https://chicagoparkdistrict.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx.
