Agenda
Transcript
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Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. Welcome to the happy place. Chicago Park District Board hearing. Let's see, whatever one please, join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance.
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held at 9.57 AM. This Wednesday, December 11, 2024, regarding the supplemental appropriation
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ordinance of the Chicago Part District for additional 2024 revenues and expenditures.
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Notice how this public hearing was published on Wednesday, November 27, 2024,
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in the Chicago Sun Times. A newspaper of general circulation within the Chicago area
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and was also made available on Chicago Part District's website,
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additionally, three copies were available for public inspection in the office of the
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sit secretary. Will the secretary please take a roll call of the commissioners?
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Commissioner Puzzle, Commissioner Casinata,
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President, Commissioner Garrett, Commissioner Jackson, Commissioner Jackson is not present,
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Commissioner Bush, Vice President Baiye, President, and President Everett,
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President.
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Quorum is present.
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However, please be advised that this hearing is informational and for the purposes of hearing
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public input.
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But the record reflect that the General Superintendent and CEO Rosa Escarino is also in attendance.
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This hearing is hereby called to order.
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We will now open the hearing to public discussion.
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Well, Secretary, call the names of those who have signed up to speak for the public hearing.
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Please note that those who signed up to speak at this regular board at this
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Some military meeting will be called to speak during the regular board meetings.
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We ask that you please limit your comments to two minutes.
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Our first and only speaker today for the public hearing, Kenneth Newman.
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If you could please proceed to the podium.
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Welcome, Ken.
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Good morning, commissioners.
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President of a different tend to ask where we know.
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I have taken a very interesting look at this and look at all the financials.
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And all I'll say is, while there are many separate financial categories that this money could have spent been spent on, I believe the greatest use of it would have been for lighting athletic fields, ice rinks or tennis courts.
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There are numerous tennis courts, many of which I taught tennis on this past summer, through
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the USDA for the Park District Day camps, and those courts are only usable until seven
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eight o'clock at night during the summer, and as darkness falls, but the weather is still warm
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enough, because I used to play tennis when it was 45-50 degrees outside, there were numerous
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courts throughout the city. Starting with, I'm in I park, both Harold Washington Park and
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Nichols Park, both have tennis courts that are unlighted. I taught at Marquette Park,
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both courts are unlighted. At Abbott Park, Graver Park, Fernwood Park, and there are parks
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throughout the city that could use lights. The ice skating rinks need much brighter
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lights, including the midway, which I have both worked at, and has been skating on since
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I was a toddler.
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Now we have of course we have a much better rink there with a pipe underneath a zambony.
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So all I'd say is that capital improvements for supplemental money, and I believe there will
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be future more supplemental money as some of the things that I want to see done in parks.
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I believe that more income will be coming to the Park District, and I hope that it's used for
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capital improvements. Thank you.
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Thank you.
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I appreciate your comments, I agree. I hope you are right about future supplemental income coming
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to the Park District because we need it. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Newman. At this time,
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the Director Scott Green from Budget and Management will address the commissioners.
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Good morning President Everett Vice President by Board of Commissioners.
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My name is Scott Green and I'm the Director of Budget and Management for the Chicago
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Park District.
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In front of you today is a request to approve a supplemental order.
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For fiscal year 2024's annual operating budget for $10 million to increase the FI-24 budget from $575.9 million to $584.9 million.
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The appropriation per poses at the corporate fund increases from $379 million to $389.9 million.
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In Schedule 1, estimate A of the ordinance, the additional revenues is classified as other
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revenues, however, the increase in revenue is due to manage assets over performing their
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original FY24 budget estimates.
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Solge your field, golf, and sports centers, mainly at McFetch Ridge, are the main drivers
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of this additional revenue.
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I would also like to note that these additional revenues in managed assets have also led to additional costs that have decreased the amount of year-end non-personals salvage that could be utilized in a transfer of appropriation or ordinance, which I will speak about later today.
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The additional revenues will cover the district,
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will cover, sorry, additional costs for the districts as we're estimating our close out for FY204,
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which in schedule 2, appropriation A of the ordinance,
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you will see there is a recommendation to increase the corporate fund personnel services line by $10 million
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do to increase costs and salaries and wages and health benefits. Thank you for your consideration
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of this ordinance and I'm have a answer and any question that you may have.
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I understand historically
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since I've been on this board that these adjustments take place every year. As you prepare the
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budget for 2025, how has this right-sizing impacted the bigger budget that's coming to us for approval?
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Thank you for the question. This year an estimating has helped in former F.L.I. 25
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budget recommendation. Part, particularly, I spoke to the rising costs and health benefits.
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You'll hold notice in F.L.I. 25 where we're proposing a $3 million. And increase our 12%
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and increase on that line. And we have much more predictable per person outclass
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coming in for the next year too.
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Yeah, the commissioners.
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Okay.
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Thank you.
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Thank you, Scott.
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Okay.
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This will conclude our public hearing.
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Can I please have a motion to adjourn?
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It's all moved.
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Back and done.
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Motion has been moved in second.
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There's no debate.
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Motion carries.
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Oh, take that back.
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All in favor.
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Okay, motion carries.
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Okay, very good.
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This concludes the public hearing.
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This hearing portion of the meeting is now adjourned.