Chicago Park District parks budget requests This page is presented by the Parks Committee of the Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference and its website in www.hydepark.org. Committee Chair Gary Ossewaarde. Join HPKCC and support our work.

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See the Parks budget now at http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index/.cfm/fuseaction/departments.budget

Below: August 2007 Reporter article, Asking for the Parks: Jackson and Nichols

Final hearing December 5 at headquarters.

FOTP says:
CPD is proposing no property tax increases in 2008, but an increase in fees for park programs, harbors and permits are programmed to increase by 3%. The Park Districts OPEN, ACTIVE, GREEN, and CONNECTED Plan needs public input and direction on how best to meet the public's specific park and recreational demands.

Link to Park District hearing dates site:

http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/events.results/object_id/67ef5802-3f67-405e-aaaa-59c9b1aae989.cfm

Some requests by parks at preliminary 2008 budget hearings, July 2007

Jackson

For the Council Gary Ossewaarde thanked the district for expansion of youth programming, for budgeting repairs of certain drives and parking lots, and for the new playground on 67th--with encouragement to find ways people can feel safer using these facilities and the park. He asked for increased budget for maintenance and physical upgrades, including to paths. JPAC is taking a cautious approach to anything new or large for the park.

Rosalind Moore of Alderman Hairston's office asked for improvements to the harbors--inner harbor, Southern Shores, west seawall railing, 59th/Lake Shore Dr. pillar repair; also reduced permit fees for small, family events.

Vernita Jones of the JPAC park visitation committee asked for renewed landscape east of the Drive, especially at the 63rd overpass, which has acknowledged poor grades and design. Sand needs to be removed by guard rails especially on the boardwalk south of 57th more than once a week. Other paths t were cited for renewal as were the stairs by LaRabida on Promontory Circle, and missing mileage signs on the Lakefront bike path (Lakefront Director Alonzo Williams said the latter and the Driving Range path and Cornell/Hayes lot are in progress). The base of the Wallach fountain at Promontory Point needs proper repair, Jones said.

Queen Sister focused on problems at 63rd Street beach and bathing pavilion. Needed are benches, play equipment, a pay phone for safety backup, and posting of faces and names of sexual predators living in the area, she said. The washrooms are closed too early, she said. She asked that the craft room be fixed up and open for community and group use.

Rainbow improvements were asked.

South Shore Cultural Center. Council president Ray Davis submitted a letter. Main request was space buildout for programming (3rd floor and theater) and for the District to repair windows, doors etc. as it's supposed to. Also weekend staffing. (Full letter will be in the South Shore page.

Nichols, led by Stephanie Franklin, asked for additional staffing so that kids can attend competitions without stretching the staff too thin and for some physical improvements, especially to water systems (sprinklers, buffalo boxes) Nichols seeks implementation of the framework plan especially at the south fountain area, including restoration of the sculpture, and a spray pool near 54th St.. General maintenance needs upgrading, and the supervisor needs to know when trades are coming.

Don Nash Center asked for many improvements and fast progress on fixing the pool.

Harris Center asked progress on the grant from Rep. Durkin, more areas to be air conditioned, improved water program, staffing for upper story programming, an a better outdoor playground.

Mammie Till Playground in the 6300 block of Ellis asked for complete remake--on PD horizon.

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From August 2007 Reporter:
Asking for the Parks: Jackson and Nichols

by Gary Ossewaarde

T’is the season for guardians and users of parks to tell the Park District how they want scarce resources spent. Boundaries divide the neighborhood, making it hard for those seeking a global sense of where our parks are heading to attend all the relevant first-stage hearings, or even the second round of hearings for the whole city, coming in September, as Hyde Park Boulevard is the boundary. New for 2008 and 2009 is a total of $122 million in additional capital dollars from the lease of Loop city garages, spread around the city. Some of the projects are nearby (for example at South Shore Cultural Center), but as far as is known yet not in Hyde Park.

For Jackson Park:
· For the Advisory Council Gary Ossewaarde thanked the district for expansion of youth programming, for budgeting repairs of certain drives and parking lots, and for the new playground on 67th--with encouragement to find ways people can feel safer using these facilities and the park. He asked for increased budget for maintenance and physical upgrades, including to paths. JPAC is taking a cautious approach to anything new or large for the park.

· Rosalind Moore of Alderman Hairston's office asked for improvements to the harbors--inner harbor, Southern Shores, west seawall railing, 59th/Lake Shore Dr. pillar repair; also reduced permit fees for small, family events.

· Vernita Jones of the JPAC park visitation committee asked for renewed landscape east of the Drive, especially at the 63rd overpass, which has acknowledged poor grades and design. Sand needs to be removed by guard rails especially on the boardwalk south of 57th more than once a week. Other paths t were cited for renewal as were the stairs by LaRabida on Promontory Circle, and missing mileage signs on the Lakefront bike path (Lakefront Director Alonzo Williams said the latter and the Driving Range path and Cornell/Hayes lot are in progress). The base of the Wallach fountain at Promontory Point needs proper repair, Jones said.

· Queen Sister focused on problems at 63rd Street beach and bathing pavilion. Needed are benches, play equipment, a pay phone for safety backup, and posting of faces and names of sexual predators living in the area, she said. The washrooms are closed too early, she said. She asked that the craft room be fixed up and open for community and group use.

Nichols Park , led by Stephanie Franklin, asked for additional staffing so that kids can attend competitions without stretching the staff too thin and for some physical improvements, especially to water systems (sprinklers, buffalo boxes) Nichols seeks implementation of the framework plan especially at the south fountain area, including restoration of the sculpture, and a spray pool near 54th St.. General maintenance needs upgrading, and the supervisor needs to know when trades are coming.

Watch for dedication of the refurbished basin with its new sculpture in Harold Washington Park.

Plan to get involved with park councils this fall. Here’s the schedule of those that meet monthly:
· Burnham Nature Sanctuary. Workdays 1st Saturdays, 9 a.m., north of 47th west of the Drive. George Davis, 773 268-4856.
· Jackson. 2nd Monday (day after in October), 7:30 p.m., 6401 S. Stony Island. Ross Petersen, 773 486-0505. Call also about volunteer workdays in the natural areas 2nd and 4th Saturdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
· Kenwood. 4th Wednesday, 7 p.m., fieldhouse, 1350 E. 50th St., 312 747-6285.
· Nichols. 2nd Thursday, 7 p.m., fieldhouse, 1355 E. 53rd. St. Stephanie Franklin, 773 955-3622.
· Washington. 3rd Wednesday, 7 p.m., fieldhouse, 5531 S. King Dr. Cecilia Butler. Their Olympic Committee meets 1st Saturdays, 9 a.m., fieldhouse.

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This page section presents budget constraints and park asks for recent years, starting with those for the 2007 budget. Budget briefing and hearing dates and link to budget (except capital).

Note: From the average property tax bill, 7.41% goes to the park district. On per each $100,000 in valuation taxed at 0.443 for th district (5.981 total in 2005) or total bill of 2,315.36, that property pays to the park district $171.49, which pays for 11 hours of work by a physical instructor.

Jackson is one of most parks that received substantial increases for programming (12 percent) and maintenance and upgrade. Some cuts to natural resources and its budgeted staff were restored after strong protest. Many repairs and capital upgrades were approved. For example, South Shore received a $2 capital commitment for program space, from Millennium Park revenues.

(It may take years to get what you need--General Superintendent Mitchell said at September 2006 hearings that without help from governments, donors and communities, facilities such as playgrounds would be on a 100 year cycle; now its about 30 years--he said they should be on a 10 year cycle. Also, the District will commit the "final third" for facilities such as field houses if they are brought the rest.) The district's budget is a bit over a billion a year, with only about 30 million going to capital currently.

Here's what many of the councils and supporters of local parks asked, and responses, at the September 26, 2006 South Side hearing:

Bessie Coleman:

• A complete reconfiguration of the park, including play equipment, benches and wrought iron fencing. The council is raising monies and has several institutional supporters.
• But what was approved for 2006 has been not been done--funders are asking what's happening and why don't we get progress reports--we thought we gave for things we expected to be done in 2006.

Dyett

• Want to be able to use the pool at night, have it staffed, and in condition so it doesn't have to be going out of service. The pool must be made disabled-accessible.
• Returned to being a full recreational program.
• Garbage issues in the parking lot and park need to be addressed.

Harris Recreational Center and Woodlawn parks (Ald. Troutman):

• Asked for a replacement social agency for leaving YW--being signed.
• Pool still down, air conditioning still down--being addressed.
• Need second floor filled with programming.
• 63rd Ellis park- needs lighting, play equipment.
• 64th Kenwood park- ditto
• 62nd Kimbark park- no longer a playlot but an eyesore--either make it a playlot or sell it for development.

Jackson:

• Wooded Island and surrounding corrective and ongoing maintenance plan and commitment. (Meetings and planning are in progress with the Park District).
• Replacement landscaping and stabilization at the underpasses and Lake Shore Drive (in progress and to be done.)
• Only such new facilities as are low or self maintaining or whose maintenance the district is willing to fund.
• A backlog list that includes paths, Iowa building....
• Tim Mitchell wrote back that repairs to paths and Wooded Island would be given out with directives to the departments. There is a commitment to tree replacement, a cooperative project on natural areas template, and a forest maintenance plan.

Don Nash:

• Pool needs an ADA pool lift. The pool keeps leaking and repairs are sporatic. Lights. Need more attendants.
• Sewage backups

Nichols

• Emphasis was on lack of maintenance and staff, poor communications. A backlog list of upkeep issues was presented. Suggested was not putting in facilities, such as the desired spray pool, if there is not commitment to keep them up. (This was repeated to park district officials at the December 14 2006 council meeting.)
• The council was written by Supt. Mitchell that the following will be done or evaluated in Nichols (asked by various sources):
  • New energy efficient lighting fixtures will be installed
  • Replacement trees (will be a walk through)
  • Increased staff at the fieldhouse
  • Sidewalks in the south end will be fixed or redone
  • South fountain work (mostly prune back--need to bring money to change the plantings, changes will be looked into)
  • Various pruning, especially shrubs and hedges
  • Plumbing and water distribution repairs

Rainbow:

• The leaky fieldhouse roof and the parking lot need repair. (They are in the radar.)
• Tennis court restoration.
• They praised the district for busing kids to various parks to spread the opportunities of different parks around.

South Shore Cultural Center

• Show us the build out cost out so the council can start fundraising and not lose the interest of those who have inquired. Need commitment for the vacant floors.
• Need facility access upgrade.
• South Shore was one of the jackpot parks, garnering a commitment of $2 million from the park district for program-area build out.

Washington:

• General renewal and top quality for/after the Olympics. (Not said here, but council prefers the Olympics south of 55th rather taking up the playing fields in Harold Washington Common Ground and creating disruption for adjacent residential areas.)
• Maintenance overall has to be improved, especially to the ball fields, that also need lighting and correct mounding and grading. There has to be more personnel.
• More and better comfort stations; fix such facilities as the running path, fieldhouse.
• The ball group said the festivals shredded their season and completely wrecked the park.

Union:

• More cultural programming
• Restore hours of hourly employees and fill vacancies.
• Each park needs their supervisor there; supervisors shouldn't be tearing around a dozen parks each.
• Concern about rumors of selling the harbors--and what's next?
• There are some privatized services that can be done more cheaply in-house.

Note, parks from Grand Crossing and Rainbow several miles south have banded together in a consortium.

The District is generally tardy (especially for capital) in getting the budget on line (in http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com) and is difficult to break out, especially by parks and programs provided. The administration says it will provide some of the improvements in transparency asked for by Commissioners, councils, Friends of the Parks. Supt. Mitchell also said September 20 2005 that the district will comply with Chapter 13 which provides for an analysis of distribution of resources city wide.

• 2005 budget revenue sources and expenditure categories.
• The General Superintendent's remarks at the South hearing, September 20, 2005
• General requests and matters
• Requests by representatives for specific area parks

2005 Park District revenue and expenditure breakdown:

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