The Parks and Recreation Board met on Sept. 10 and discussed park restrooms, programming and the Booker T. Washington Building. President Lou Starkey, board members Kevin Banks, David Malson, Eric Harpring, Jennifer Vogel,  interim parks director Kathi Jackley, and secretary Kim Rathz were present. 

Interim Parks Director’s Report

Jackley reported the parks department personnel are the same. With the season slowing down, there has been a small cut in employee hours. 

The upgrades to the park bathrooms are still in progress. The renovation of the North Veterans bathroom has been finished, while the South Veterans bathroom still requires lighting installation. The West End Park bathroom is nearing completion, and work has recently begun on the Carol Jenkins Davis Park bathroom.

Jackley is currently collaborating with Greg Shook to prepare the pumps for the pool for the winter season. Additionally, some minor maintenance will be conducted on the pool building. The Splash Pad closed early due to a water sample failure caused by a malfunctioning UV light that kept tripping. It was discovered that the transformer for the light was out, so a replacement part has been ordered. The Splash Pad will remain closed for the rest of this year and will reopen next year.

Jackley has launched a Master Naturalist program in collaboration with Soil & Water and Purdue Extension. The program will occur on the second Sunday of every month until April. The classes will be held either in the Work One building or Riverside Park.

The Tot Time event has seen great attendance, and the Sister Circle recently hosted a Crescent Moon wreath workshop on Sept. 14 at Riverside Park. During the workshop, participants used flowers and grasses from the prairie to create beautiful wreaths.

In addition, Jackley is currently developing a workshop or classes focused on gardening to recruit volunteers for the community garden for the upcoming year.

All the mulching work for the Splash Pad was completed on Sept. 10. Thirty-five employees from Beacon Ag contributed their time and effort to lay down the mulch. The Parks Department was approached by Beacon Ag, which was looking for a project for its employee volunteers, and the Splash Pad project was a perfect fit.

Report from other Committees and Boards

Rathz reported the Absolute Queen concert on Sept. 7 was a great success, and everyone had a wonderful time despite the cooler weather. The upcoming and final show of the Riverside Park Concert Series will take place on Saturday, Sept. 21, showcasing Boys in the Band, a tribute to the music of Alabama.

Unfinished Business

The parks department has recently completed resurfacing two pickleball courts, with the department covering the second court’s cost. Additionally, the mayor has offered to cover the expenses for refinishing a third court. The company responsible for the resurfacing is providing its services at a reduced cost to the city.

New Business

Jackley announced that the arts council has officially ended their lease of the Booker T. building and had handed over all relevant documents and accounts to the parks department. Furthermore, Jackley called for a meeting to discuss the revival of the arts council, which took place at the end of August. Seven individuals who attended the meeting expressed their interest in holding a board position, and they are currently working on putting together a slate of officers to present at their September meeting. Jackley will serve as a member of the arts council, representing the parks department. Additionally, the Ccuncil is in the process of organizing a poster contest for Halloween on Main. Moreover, two volunteers are diligently working on creating a permanent display dedicated to Booker T. Washington, which will be showcased in the lobby of the Booker T. building.

The meeting also included a discussion about the closing day for the Splash Pad in the future. While it has been scheduled to close after Labor Day weekend for the past two years, it has had to close early due to maintenance issues. Jackley questioned whether the Splash Pad should remain open past Labor Day. Still, the parks board expressed that Labor Day was an appropriate time for closure.