PK PACKET 12022019 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Parks and Environmental Commission Regular Meeting Minutes September 9, 2019 Page 2 1 A. Three Rivers Park District Programming, Updates and Activities. 2 3 Ms. Alyssa Baguss, Silverwood Park Supervisor, introduced herself to the Commission. She 4 has been at Silverwood for ten years. She teaches with a more hands-on method. Ms. Baguss 5 stated the park has been open for ten years with the Fall Festival occurring this coming 6 Saturday. There are 550 programs going on year-round through the education department. She 7 provided a summary of the types of programs held. There is also a facilities department that 8 handles 110 banquets a year. The artists displaying their art were reviewed. The new things 9 for the fall are a sound design workshop and a teen arts council. Some improvements have 10 been made at the park. This winter there will be a shoreline restoration project. There are 11 310,000 that came through the park last year. Flyers describing the programs were distributed 12 to the Commission. The Fall Festival will be held from 11am to 5pm. 13 14 B. Wilshire Park & Emerald Park Fence Project and Other Improvements. 15 16 Mr. Al Bates, representing St. Anthony Sports Boosters Softball, stated recent errant batted 17 (and thrown) balls on the Mixed-Use Fields at Wilshire Park and Emerald Park have led to a 18 revived push to make some field improvements for the enhancement of player and spectator 19 safety, infield integrity and field access (at Wilshire Park), and neighbor-relations (Emerald 20 Park). Steve Munson, Field Coordinator was also present. 21 22 Mr. Bates summarized comments that provide the consensus of Field Visits by Boosters 23 Softball (SABSA) President Al Bates, Boosters Softball President Joe Wax, and Boosters 24 Baseball/Softball Fields Coordinator Steve Munson. Inherent in some of the comments 25 regarding “Spectator Safety” are elements of the discussions regarding the makeup of the 26 “Spectators” which includes siblings younger than the 10U Players, including toddlers & 27 infants, and non-attentive parents and grandparents. 28 29 The initial items were reviewed – Wilshire Park Elementary School Field (School District 30 Field): 31 Field Access Opening Deflection Fencing (or Gates – additions to the existing “dugouts-to-32 field” access points on the field. Initially discussed as fixed pieces of fencing, it was 33 concluded that Gates should be pursued for these openings. These “dugouts-to-field” openings 34 at Wilshire Park are approximately the size of Gate Openings. Gates should be the heights of 35 the existing adjacent fencing (in front of the dugouts), and ideally be able to swing 360 36 degrees and be able to be “secured” to the existing fencing in front of the dugout, should that 37 prove desirable). If a 360-degree swing is not possible, or up against the existing fencing in 38 front of the dugout would suffice. The ability of the gates to swig back to stop against the 39 existing fence would allow School Personnel to affix the gates to the fence during school. 40 These gates would provide enhanced player safety (when in the dugouts, or preparing to enter 41 the field from what could be described as an “in the hole” position), and would provide 42 enhanced spectator safety back on the grass behind the field openings, as the gates would 43 provide a stop/deflection shield from errant batted and/or thrown balls. 44 45