Thanks. >> Ready? We're live. I'd like to call the Grand Rury Park and Rec Board meeting for Tuesday, April 7th to order at 4:53. Uh, all members are present except for
Chair Halrich who is now an excused absence. Uh, any additions to the distributed agenda? I should mention there are at least two. One is new business uh for an event in the park and there
are two of those. Any other additions to the meeting agenda? >> With those additions and not descent, it's approved as circulated and amended. Any comments on the March minutes
which were distributed? except the length of the meeting which was 1 hour and 59 minutes which I think is a record and there are no typos. Any other comments or amendments to the
minutes? Otherwise they are approved as circulated. Uh Paul's not here. Dave, do you want to give a report about golf? >> Yeah, thanks Bob. So I was just trying to get Paul on the screen. Unfortunately, we're having technical difficulty as we miss still missing our
uh communications manager and producer, but we doing the best we can. So luckily it's April. We don't have a lot to report from the golf course as we're still under snow. Um, but following up on last month's meeting where we did have quite a discussion on
equipment, Paul found out from that colleague at the course down the road that the all the used carts had been sold to members. >> So, sort of what we imagined a deal too good to be true was in fact just that. >> Um, so he went ahead and ordered three
new carts >> and expects a miday delivery. So, kind of a good news, bad news. We won't be able to purchase the used carts for like $3,000 a piece. >> Yeah. >> But with our $20,000 allowance, we're able to get three more new carts,
>> so that motion was for 20. So that fell within that. >> Yep. Yep. Yep. Because those are running just over 6,000 a piece. So good news there. We'll have new three more new carts adding to a fleet of what would be I think six in the last, you know, three
years. he's been able to this will make it nine. So, the fleet's definitely being updated. Uh there was some question as to what'll happen to the oldest of old carts and we imagine those going into the um kind of a public bid
process for liquidation along with some other old equipment we've got around the shop. I think there's a couple old trucks up there as well. So, when we get old gear, it's available to the public for I believe sealed bids. So, city hall will handle that. But uh yeah, the course obviously under
snow. We've sent out recall letters to last year's staff. We've had great response, great return on some real core members up at the course, so we're in good shape for staff. And we've also got a good application for a clubhouse attendant as we knew that was needy. But I've got a good app on my desk and we'll
hopefully pick that person up. Um I asked Paul, you know, any ideas when we'd opened? He gave me the average of like the 15th through the 20th is a typical window for opening. The earliest we've been open is around the 5th. You know, that would take a miracle of warm
weather in April. So, I would expect a midMay opening. Memorial Day weekends the 22nd. Hopefully, we're open by then. But, uh, we'll start to staff the clubhouse and the, you know, grounds will get into duty May 1st or so. Um,
season passes will be available for sale. I just approved an ad for uh in Northern Wilds for season passes coming out in May. So, we'll get those get the word out. And in place of Steve's absence, I'll be sure to circulate the
discount for city residents. We'll try to get that out as much as we can. I know Steve's a big advocate for that. So, >> did the grinder purchase go through? >> I haven't done paperwork on that yet. It's just a matter just the formality
getting that in front of city council this month. That can that can definitely happen. >> So that's a capital investment by the city then. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Yep. Yeah. We'll do just I think an all-in-one memo. We were waiting to find out the results of the card. So >> yeah,
>> now that we know, we'll put that memo together for council. They'll take a look at it at the end of the month >> because we raised the rates, we bought grinders, we bought carts. All goes to the state. >> We're on it. >> Yeah.
Anything else on Gulf? >> Okay. Moving on to the city council report. >> Yeah. Um, >> you're on kind of had a short meeting on uh March 25th.
I guess uh one of the things uh let's see we just had a uh approved alliance club raffle permit. Um, the only other thing that was really kind of a major change or somewhat of a
change is our regular scheduled meetings are going to be, I believe, starting in May are going to start falling on the first Wednesday and the third Wednesday of each month to accommodate the fact that
we're going to be um attending our Simpa meetings that fall on um that I can't remember what day it falls on that first the second. Yeah, the second Wednesday.
>> Mhm. >> So, we won't we didn't want to interfere. We want to have a presence at the Sima meetings. In order to do that, we have to adjust our regular schedule meetings, which isn't a big deal for a lot of us.
But anyway, that that meeting that was the second reading of that. So those meetings will start I believe in May. Our council meetings will change dates. >> Simpa being the southern minist power.
>> It's who we buy our power through >> on their board. And they're actually going to have one of the regional meetings in grammar. I don't know what month that is though. >> I'd heard that too, but I don't know the details. it's may or it's pretty soon
when they have the regional meeting. It'll be here. It it it it goes from the the the areas that buy power from them. It rotates. And this year happens to fall up here, which would be kind of nice for them to come up and see what what
we're doing up here, what's going on up here, and stay attentive to where we buy our electricity from. So we are on the edge cutting edge anyway of knowing what our rates are going to be and try to you know it's good to be involved in that
instead of just be a recipient of it all the time. We can actually be have a presence on that board. >> We are the most farflung member of Sima by a lot. >> Yeah that's correct. >> By maybe 150 miles.
>> It's quite dramatic. And then we did talk about our standing items for 2026 goals. Wastewater treatment plant. We're still moving ahead um trying to secure funding for that and lobbying for that and being
active at the state level in researching that. Uh would be a major project for us that we do need to get um going as soon as we can and you know follow the steps that we have to go through to put that project together.
And also we talked about capital improvement plan for other projects that are going on within the city. So that's about everything I have for that last uh city council meeting. >> There's a lot of activity for
infrastructure and water down at the capital. >> Yeah. >> I mean I was down there and Grand Marray was down there the week before and the week after. I mean it's really everybody wants a waste treatment plan.
>> Yeah, >> you know. Yeah. >> And as of this morning, nobody's getting along with anybody down there. >> It's really really unpleasant again. Just as long as we all can get together
and be a, you know, be get along with each other in our own little town up here, that's uh that's a positive >> point for all of us. So, we'll we'll get there. Just takes time. And we had good presence down there. I
think I don't know who all went down there other than Tracy and Mike, >> Linda. Chamber >> from the chamber. >> Chamber in forest. Yeah. >> Yeah. So, we had good representation down there and talked to had a chance to
talk to a lot of people that were involved >> in making those decisions and um just letting them know that hey, here we are. These are our needs. >> Um and it helps to be present. >> Yeah. And the chamber lobbyist was
present in force. >> Y >> uh the week before, the week of, the week after. >> It's it's old home week. It's really social. And that's a good thing. >> What were you done for? The g >> for the gauge trail. Yeah.
>> Uh which looks silly compared to infrastructure for water, but maybe. So, sure, why not? Every year, every year we pitch it. And showing up is the thing. >> Mhm. Yep.
>> Being there. >> So, that's all I have. >> Okay. Thank you. Uh Dave Parks. >> All right. Thanks, Bob. So, good updates based on our long meeting last month, right? We had the Superior Cycling Association presenting their ideas on a
possible move of the pump track and skills course to the wreck park. Great great discussion around that. Great community discussion as well. I think you know after our meeting I saw the radio picked it up was in the paper. Uh, so it it was out there enough to spur
the original founders or writers of the grant for the equipment. Paul Nordland was the very active member of the Superior Cycling Association a couple years ago. He and Tim Kennedy were the brainchild behind that equipment grant
request. It was a legacyfunded request. And so Paul called me that week after the meeting and really told me what everything I needed to know about this about this skills course and this pump track. And now he and Tim and the grant
writers were really deliberate when they wrote the grant considering locations. The recre park was on that list. the initial consideration for the park uh had very similar concerns that we had as far as congestion,
traffic, kids crossing 61. These were all things Paul considered as, you know, detrimental to the placement in the rec park park and that the community center being much more youth focused, outdoor sports, the skate park, the playground,
the ball field, the tennis courts, the YMCA, everything about the community center was better for this track and the hockey rink arrangement was thought out. He thought it was understood that these pieces and parts were modular and able
to be moved. He worked with the manufacturers and distributors that assured him, oh, this stuff's robust. It's not, you know, wooden flimsiness. It's fiberglass and steel. And able to be taken apart and put back together multiple times. And, you know, really
sort of reassured me that the community center is the best location and that the taking it apart, putting back together shouldn't wouldn't be that big a deal if it was done right. Paul himself volunteered to become re-engaged with the equipment. He is a contractor out of
Luden that has a Bobcat and help and really kind of stepped up or stepping back up to help with the track and the keeping it up at the community center. So I believe that is the >> the final answer on where will the pump
track live where it started. >> Got it. as it made the most sense for at the time and it continue to be that way. So it is great the power of community discussions. >> There is no land out there for the contract
>> not in its own self you know not I don't believe that's something you know Shane and J >> can't tuck it in behind the building or >> Yeah. No but the seasonal arrangement in the hockey rink seems to be sustainable >> or at least they're going to try it.
You know, I can't speak to whether or not there's new land or available land or what the future holds, but they're going to keep it up there. >> So, will this be year three? >> Two. >> I think just two. >> I think it was new last summer. >> So, just two.
>> Yeah. >> Summer. >> Yeah. And it was that sort of fall disassembly >> that spurred all this. >> Yeah. >> Right. >> But again, Paul wasn't involved with that. Sounds like he's going to be in on the spring putting it together and the
fall taking it apart and they got it. So that's the update from the pump track folks. The Arrowhead Outdoor folks or sorry Arrowhead AED uh we met with Rich Furlong. Mike Roth and I met a couple weeks after our meeting last month and
you know Mike as the city administrator was very honest about this being a great idea but that to be placed in the public space there's the due diligence and the just the process that we need to go through as a board and a council that
would you know not necessarily result in a no but slows the process down so that the message to rich and the group was, you know, if you want this up sooner than later and you want to sort of skip all the red tape, put it on a private business, right? And
you know, we looked at the model of the example of the pedestal. We couldn't help but notice Lakes Trading Post branding on the pedestal as they were a found I think in on this early. They did the fundraising early. The Flash Hacker
shirt company was also in with initial fundraising. So their branding was on the pedestal as well. That was kind of a initial concern for Mike was like, "Yeah, we don't really do ads in Harbor Park. You know, if we do this as a pedestal, as a standalone pedestal, like, have you already ordered this?
Like, can we cover up these businesses?" And I don't believe the unit was ordered yet. Rich put a hold on it just based on the outcome of our meeting. Um, and the message was, you know, you can do a wall-mounted unit for le a lot less
money and put it on the trading post if you know they're okay with that obviously. Um so that was our sort of message to the group was >> we support this. We think it's a good idea. We just have to
take our time evaluating it and if the park board agrees on a location. The city council still needs to get involved with the decision to accept it as a donation. The city attorney is going to be involved in reviewing all the terms and conditions for the maintenance plans
and the connectivity plans and the the responsibility and sort of the you know hierarchy of who's going to check it and all that becomes a a bigger thoughtful process than a placement on a private business. So, we left that with the
group to go and talk amongst themselves and talk to the business owners downtown and um that's that's basically where that project's at now. I know they're planning for a big fundraiser, I think, coming up this weekend. So, today I think >> Yeah, that's where their energy is now.
You know, I reached out to Chris Smith about our meeting this week and if there's any updates or anything we need to be aware of, and she just said, you know, we're going to work on the slobber dabber first. And >> and they they know we're not opposed to it. >> Right. >> Just it's got to be present, easily
maintained, no liability. It's just got to be clean. That's all. >> Right. >> Yeah. >> And that the process is what it is. >> Yeah. So, I'm confident we'll have one downtown somewhere outdoors, whether in
the park on a business. It's a good idea. >> I think the front of the tavern, >> we'll see. >> Yeah, >> we like the trading post because of the beach, right? People on the beach skipping rocks. There's kind of more
activity around the Harbor Beach than >> other areas downtown walk through. >> Mhm. >> But again, it have to be well signed and obvious and like maybe it doesn't have that same appeal as like front and center in Harbor Park, >> but like we talked about last month,
Harbor Park's got that natural and scenic quality to it where the aesthetics is, you know, something to consider. >> Yeah. And there are going to be a number of these around town. >> Locations will be publicized,
>> so everybody in town will know where the nearest one is. >> Hopefully eventually. >> It sounded like that was their goal. >> They're they've got a lot of momentum. Fundraising's been strong. I believe they are planning on more than one unit. >> Yeah. Remind me if you have one at the park.
>> We do in the office. >> In the office? >> Indoors available? >> Ever locked? >> No. >> No. Okay. >> I mean, the park office locks up at 8:00 p.m. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> It's It's available to get a hold of
when the office is open. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Just like here in city hall. There's one in the lobby here that's open when the liquor store is open. >> Yeah. >> Libraryy's got one when the library is open. Golf course clubhouse has one. When the clubhouse is open. >> I mean, as a city, we've been >> So, when when the public volume is up,
the place is open >> for sure. >> Right. And yeah, we, you know, as a city organization, we've had these for years and years. We train on them annually with our monthly safety training. There's a dedicated month of AED and first aid training for all city
employees so that we're comfortable with, you know, using them and um we definitely respect the power of these AEDs and offer them in our public spaces and are trained in using them. That's another I think a
something we've talked about out loud is like if there's an outdoor AED and you have been trained in using it, would you go for it? Would you use it? Who's to say? But yeah, >> I think there's enough critical care people out there, nurses and doctors and
>> city workers that are trained that it's it's a moot point, but it's it's one of those issues of comfort, you know, would you be comfortable pulling this thing out and putting it to work if you'd never done it before? >> Yeah. I I tried to resuscitate somebody
on I35 southbound by Rush City in Holiday Traffic once just because I looked over and they were thumping. And I thought maybe I ought to stop. And I rode the ambulance into Rush City and
the person did not survive. But it took about an hour and it was easier indoors than outdoors. And it was the middle of winter, you know. I was sort of half-dressed in the car. And >> you were doing CPR or >> Yeah, I was I was I was calling the code and
>> I had the panels and the whole business. And it's much easier indoors. >> Yeah. >> You know, you just get a cleaner shop. >> I can imagine. >> Yeah. >> So, yeah, for sure. This is good idea. We'll continue to work with the group as needed. >> Yeah.
>> So, what else we had? Marc insurance adjuster came up. Bob, really good guy out of Marina on St. Croy is just >> kind of gave us the car launch to make whatever repairs necessary. We do have a $20,000 deductible. We pretty sure we're
going to meet that. Um, now it's starting to really melt out down there. I'm getting excited to get in there and start to pull try to pull some of the bent pipes. In the past, we've just used like a high boy jack and a strap to get these things out in and out of the what we call the hard pan.
>> Um, but given the angle of some of these, I'm less confident that we're going to be able to handle this by hand. And uh kind of got a plan B of a big crane coming up from Duth >> really >> for big money, which will meet that $20,000 deduct.
>> The big big crane reach it. Well, >> no. Greg Olsson crane's not big enough. No. >> Okay. But the big big crane that came up to get the out. >> It's huge. It's huge. >> Well, I've got pipes 100 foot offshore. So >> that's the >> Oh, that's the problem with the reach.
>> Yeah. So it looks like, you know, sunny and 40 on Thursday and Friday. And so we'll be down there giving it the old college try. >> Don't get the big big crane stuck in the driveway. >> No. Again, like it was last time. >> That was Yeah, I remember that. That was
end of December and the big crane was stuck >> between the park and the corner >> 61 >> and it's a big big crane. >> That was a mess >> and it cost per hour. >> Yeah. So is are any of the docks need replacing or
>> two finger peers the on the end of a dock the two smaller finger peers that are just not the main head pier but the little ones >> have got the most damage where the the the sleeve for the pipe has really sheared off of the ends of the aluminum
caps of those peers. The one on the end of a do is not as badly cracked. Like the second one in is is clearly cracked like back inside the superructure kind of past the point of you know
welding. Um the the very end one could be welded but I feel like with this just kind of fix it right the first time attitude I'll be ordering two new finger pairs. So, I'm working with Shore Master on that. Got Russell Steel out of Proctor
lined up for new pipes. Um, >> 6 to8 $8,000 in pipes depending on how many are bent. >> So, I think >> Good and a lot worse. >> Yeah, a lot worse. >> But the total loss is about 20,000. >> No, the deductible for insurance is
20,000 and total spend on repairs could is going to go over that. But I mean what the city has to face is about 20,000. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Which considering the mess is >> Yeah. >> Not terrible. >> Not the worst. >> Besides fabrication and all the things,
your crew will do the work. >> Yeah. And and our labor is accountable for the deduct towards the deductible. >> So we'll be there and we'll be, you know, thoughtful,
diligent, and patient. We don't have a great need for all these docks in the beginning of May is kind of the good news. The marina of all our operations while like golf is slow to become popular where >> yeah the fuel docks in good shape that'll be fine. We get that in place in
May able to service some you know delivery boats that need fuel or pump out. Uh B dock's in pretty good shape as well. So any of the really early boats that need to get in will have slips for them. Ad do's the one that's going to take a little more time and if the
weather isn't cooperating this month, you know, we'll have some time in May to get that put together. We don't really get full and busy down there till summer sol, you know, mid June. So time and demand is on our side.
>> Cool. >> So, uh, more fun news here. James Everest, I don't know who was anyone on the board like in 2018 when we did the sound garden. I don't think so. So, I you maybe have a chance to look at James' stuff online. >> No, I can. >> And I will.
>> It's brilliant. It's brilliant. He's a Twin Cities artist. Multimedia is sort of his specialty. Sound and senses and culture and history and poetry and dance and he's just a brilliant man. And he's over the years come to town twice for
these sound garden productions. And he sets up little speakers in birdhouses and they as you stroll through the park you get a little snippet of sound here and a little snippet of sound there and it's very immersive and personal experience of like sitting in Harbor
Park and taking in this sound and it's you know birds and light strings and I would say very ambient sound but he also embedded like spoken word poetry historic like Stacy Dullard talking about Chipua fall or Chipua Church and
the the you know Ojiway coming down and being on the shore. Uh he's got a Gene Ericson interview that's just precious on the history of Harbor Park and ownership and how Gan, you know, planted that red pine tree.
>> There's a picture of folks who walked the mile from Chipoa City. >> Yeah. And so he did these, you know, in celebration of Harbor Park and he was just he's just such a fan. This is the 20th year of Harbor Park, believe it or
not. The park was created in >> ' 06 >> and so as a kind of a celebration or a, you know, tribute to 20 years, he now has the ability to present a lot of the pieces of his installation virtually
through this Echo app. Okay. So I met James down there last week. It was a snowy day. It was nice out but but cold. Um and I, you know, scan the QR code and boom, the phone just sort of takes care of it. You have to say yes to, you know,
location because it's a geobbased app that knows you're in Harbor Park and and as you stroll and so you put on your headphones, you scan the app and you say yes to you can track me and it's it's it's all there. It's like you're in the
sound garden again. And as you walk through the park, it in this little bench, you hear Jean talking. And then you walk over here and you hear Stacy talking, >> you know, and and it's really, I would say, one of a kind experience, passive
experience for the world to explore and share. And I think it's James' request now would be to put up little signs, little QR code signs, small non-trusive. Maybe piggyback them with our dog bag posts that are already down
there, right? We've got them on sort of east and west side of the park is the pick up after your pet sign and the dog bag dispenser and the garbage. And so on that same post, we could host this this idea of a sound garden, explore for yourself, scan the QR code, right? You
need like, you know, headphones um and a phone and then boom, you're off to the off to your own little world. And so I demoed it with him. I was really impressed. It's got a few glitches with just the the layering of the sounds that
he's, you know, working on. So you're not like, you know, looping or getting like two people talking at once because it's it's like crazy. You can look on your phone and it like tracks you as you walk >> and there's like little bubbles that
when you enter into them, you get a different voice or a different experience. Does it cost anything? >> No. I >> mean, who's paying for the install? >> There's not a lot of overhead. >> No, but I mean, it's his project.
>> Yeah. >> He's got a grant or something behind it or >> initially. Yeah. When he set these up, he was it was, you know, grant funded and I would I presume he's got the same funding behind the production of the, you know, Echo app. I I >> He saw the pictures of the tech and
that's 200 birdhouses with >> Yeah. sound. >> Yeah. Well, he was working off of Legacy Grounds back in the day. >> So, those don't have to go back up. The bird houses, it's all just done on the app now. What was there before? >> Yeah. >> Interesting.
>> Yeah. Yeah. I think it's super cool. >> Um, just kind of FYI tonight cuz he's developing the sign the signage or it just be a simple little sign. And so we hope with Memorial Day weekend and the that was when the original spring sound
garden was produced. And so we'll look at a possible sign to approve next month. >> And in the meantime, it's there now. Like if you'd like, I could I'll send you out the QR code. >> So if you want to check it out in the next month or so, just on your own, like
it's it's it's live right now. So that's not what these links are, too. >> No. Okay. >> These are like a >> just examples. These are >> examples. Okay. >> Of his previous shows. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> They're pretty in there. So >> you have to kind of want to be there. It's interesting.
>> Yeah. Super cool. But yeah, I'll follow up with that QR code if you want to go down check it out on your own. I think, you know, we can definitely bundle this in with like Vizica County and a little bit of marketing around it where, you know, people got to know about it to really experience it, but it's a super
value added thing and especially the history, you know, the the verbal, you know, word history is really >> something that's important. So, we copied the new um newish director at the historical society on this, Katherine. haven't met her yet, but we want to make
sure they're included in this as well because it's such a vital piece of the history down here. >> She was involved last time, too, right? >> No, she was new or she is newish. The Katie was involved last time. >> Okay. >> Yeah, >> cuz somebody gave a speech from the
historical society. >> Yeah, I think that was Katie. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. And then a last minute add on to this report. I wish or could have should have got it out. But this open house is now
we're pushing this hard cuz it's Monday. It's this coming Monday, week from yesterday. Monday the 13th open house here in city hall. This room we're calling it the Harbor Resilience Sees Resilience Project. And I've talked
about this on and off over the last year because we've been working on it with uh grant money from the Great Lakes Cities Initiative and National Wildlife Fish and Wildlife Federation funded the city about $120,000
to study this corner of Boulder Park where you see this canoe and this seaw wall that's right at that sheet piling meets the rip wrap rocks off the >> north corner of the harbor here where Boulder Park is on the backside. Uh the
initial sort of brief was you know look at a scenario of coastal resiliency shoreline erosion. We knew in the past this wall would get toppled over by big big waves coming in from the southwest. We were when the lake was record or near
record high 10 years ago we had quite a bit of shoreline erosion on the back side of this wall. So, it's an area we've had to go into in the past and like re-establish and put down more rocks. And, you know, it's a very popular walking space. And so, our
project with Stantech are the engineers and then this Great Lakes Cities initiative has now developed three draft concepts that we just want public review of of what should we do in this corner, right? And we talked about this last
month. There's kind of the replace the sheep piling with a bigger sheep piling. Uh take the sheep piling away and do rip wrap which is called rebetment and native plant species kind of a vegetative buffer and then a hybrid like
wall and vegetative buffer are the three options. All three are very focused on pedestrian accessibility. They feature like a sidewalk on the back side of this area for like a formal walk space. And really all three are designed to
integrate into a larger plan for Boulder Park, Coastg Guard Parking lot, Coastg Guard facility, right? like Mayor Benson's been a on this committee as well as Mike and I and Shane Steele, our sustainability coordinator and and we've always been really upfront about this
whole area needing planning and that this is kind of a smaller piece but a technical piece when it comes to wave analysis. They did the, you know, wave studies of like how big can the waves get in this corner and then they've applied that to the landscape design
solutions for how to mitigate shoreline erosion and do a little storm water management. But all three concepts are very drafty right now. We're just purposely putting them out for public review. Get folks into city hall next Monday night, 5 to roughly 7:00 p.m.
There isn't a formal agenda with like a PowerPoint show starting at 5. It's going to be a lot like our open house last summer in the wreck hall when we were reviewing bath house plans where we'll have big poster boards of the different concepts and the science kind
of wave analysis and the just a general overview of the project for public review and comment. So very informal. We'll have it posted as a public meeting so y'all can come down. City councilors can come down. Um hopefully kind of like
we did the rec park do postits and stick them on the map and tell us what you like and tell us what you don't like and >> move from there to like a one of those solutions or concepts will be further refined but only to like a 30% plan
which in the world of engineering and funding and all that is very preliminary. But that plan again would be dovetailed into the larger picture of Coastg Guard Point. So come on down next Monday night 5:00
p.m. >> I'll be out of town. I'm sorry to miss it. >> Your excuse. I can send out the drafts if that would help. >> Sure. >> Yeah, I'd be curious. >> We'll do. >> Thank you.
A couple just other off the top of my head things. Of course, we've had good response on our recall letters. Core teams coming back. Got some gaps. Youth especially. A couple of our team members that are graduating this summer are not going to return. So, that's going to put
a big hole in our summer staff for, you know, they were really clutch house cleaners. So, got some ads out now. Had some good response. Did a great interview today. It's great. got I think two more apps in my inbox right now downtown here. So, it's great to see apps coming in. I'm fairly confident
we'll be okay. I'm super confident because we got a great core team adults coming back. Uh we'll get things going here end of the month getting the water on, getting deep cleaning into the bathous again. Target date for water and bathous is Friday, May 1st. Weather
dependent and you know staged opening will be kind of soft opening. We're not that busy in the first couple weeks of May. We'll only have a couple bathous open, usually the east and west sides. We call bath house one by the marina, bath house 4 by the ball field. Um, high school girls
softball season's gearing up. The home opener is this Friday. >> Not I know baseball was supposed to be today. >> Snow on the field, frost on the ground. It's it's always a tough season. >> The polar league. It will not seed.
>> Yeah. But they plant up at Papyright Field now, or at least they did last uh spring, >> which is a little warmer. >> Yeah. >> But there's a lot of moisture coming off the hillside up there. So until the frost comes out of the ground, it's just quick sand.
>> So it's almost I mean can't imagine they would play this Friday, but then they've got kind of a bigger gap where they're on the road for the next couple weeks and then the next home game's like the end of the month around the 28th. So >> it's stuck.
>> Dave, how many FTEEs to run the park >> full-time? Three of us. Office manager, facilities manager, and park manager. >> And then our seasonal team. >> Mhm. >> 15ish. >> So 15 FTEs.
>> No, I wouldn't call those full-timers. >> So 15 staff. >> Yeah. Seasonals are some full-time, some parttime. >> Driving and picking and cleaning and talking. >> Yep. Harris, you probably saw my >> Yeah. >> announcement last week. Harris Mills retired. >> Yeah.
>> Again. Yeah. Clutch player there. He's part-time head gardener. Took care of the annuals, took care of Harbor Park. He did 20 hours or less. >> We're really looking for his replacement. Um, but yeah, full-time seasonal
probably about six. Part-time seasonal, six or eight or 10. >> So, a lot of people really >> Yep. Throw on the golf course we're well over 20. >> Yeah, >> cuz golf course has Paul full-time and then seasonal full-time
three for sure. Part-time another three to five. So the 20,000 tourists do not tend themselves. >> Not so much. >> Okay. >> Not so much. They have a good time, but we pick up the mess.
>> Yeah. Got it. >> We sell fun. But no, I it's been good to see applications coming in. That to me was in the past when we run ads, we just get nothing. So I was lucky we had the full retention last year. >> Yeah.
>> But now, like I say, we got a few gaps. >> Yeah. Are we going to talk about the location of the new bath house? >> I didn't want to do it without Steve and I thought we could be there and like
tour the site itself is, you know, >> perhaps May when it's nice out if it's nice. That's I'm glad you brought that up, Kate, because we've been alluding to this where we're not carved in stone on where we have kn you know, we originally proposed it on the north side of the
road in with the campsites, but then wait a minute, we're taking away valuable sites. We're sort of congesting a busy camping area. We've got that corner of group one that's unprogrammed and >> maybe a better spot, but let's go out and look at it. Okay?
>> Like, let's physically go to the site. I can put out little stakes for a 2,000 square foot building >> so you can visually see like, oh yeah, that fits better here. >> But yeah, I think that's let's plan on
that if everyone's okay with that in May. >> Steve is not here, but he would like that idea. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. So, you know, we'll keep if it's, you know, rainy and 38 degrees, we're not going to do it, but >> we'll see where we're at in May. We'll
let you know kind of leading up to that week. >> It's a good idea cuz I go back and forth honestly like both locations have advantages and disadvantages and we'll be on site. It' be easier to talk about. >> So if you were to move it,
what would happen to the the current site which >> if you were to move it to the group site? >> Mhm. What would happen to the uh the one that the existing one that just stay up and running? >> Bath house 2. >> Yeah.
>> Yes. That's always been the plan. It would still go away eventually >> once the new one was open. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. We would close in demo two and add a couple of highv value sites there. >> That's what that's my question. Yeah. So high value sites. >> Gotcha. Excuse me.
Okay. Um, special events. >> Yeah. So, these came in very last minute. I kind of knew they were coming because the groups reached out to me over the last week and were like, "We need those applica." You know, when's the meeting? Tuesday. Great. We'll get them to you. So, I got them just this
morning. But, fortunately, they're two known events. They're easy to approve because we've done it in the past. Uh we got the North House Folk School looking to use our marina area for a wooden boat show demo display on Saturday, June
20th, 10 to 4. Like I said, this will be the third year doing this. It's fit in really well in the last two years. Um the marina's just getting started this weekend. We're not that busy with day users or slip holders. So, there hasn't
been any friction amongst the marina guests and the boat show guests. So, no reason not to go for this. No changes from last year's format. Doesn't require any extra work from us. We maybe clear out the picnic tables from the
underneath the picnic pavilion, but it's easy to slide those over. And then the Cook County Community Pride Celebration. This too has been going on for a number of years now. It's downtown. Request for Harbor Park.
Saturday, June 13th, 10 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Uh, no additional work on our behalf. Maybe a few extra picnic tables. It looks like garbage is always down there. Electric's there. Water's there. Looks like they're going to borrow the
stage from the lions. Take care of their own portaotties. All good. >> Is that a lion stage? Is that a big deal or >> It's takes some volunteers to set up. Yeah. >> Somebody has to haul that around.
>> Yeah. We We wouldn't That's nothing we would get involved with, but >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Do you need anything to accept those? >> No. >> Motion. >> Motion to approve. >> I'll make a motion to approve these. >> I'll second it.
>> It's been moved and seconded to approve both applications. >> Yes. >> All in favor? >> I opposed. It's unanimous. >> Nice. Thank you.
Uh, the only bit of old business is I purchased a sky quality meter which allows you to determine how dark it is. So, as soon as we start having guests at the rec park, I will be wandering around
with my dark checker to see how dark it is and we'll report back to you. >> Oh my gosh. Big mag light flashlight. Huh? It's a little It's a little gadget that actually measures uh scientifically how
dark it is. >> Oh boy. >> And >> I'm afraid I don't want to know. >> What's the report going to be? >> What? It's not dark enough. >> Well, we got a problem. We got to go around turn off the lights. >> That's what I'm afraid. >> The light. >> Cut the wires. >> Cut the wires. Yeah. Take the bulbs out.
>> This is This is good news, Bob. >> Sky quality. >> So, we're going to follow up that proposal on Dark Skies. Yeah, >> with a little bit of checking to see if it is as dark as we think it is and can we monitor that periodically to see what's going on.
>> Rob, >> this is great. This will be variable based on occupancy and >> great. Yeah. >> And not a big deal. It's just did you know and here's your feedback. >> Yeah. No, this is great. >> See what happens. >> I presume you'll do this at other
locations around town. Um the the Dark Sky Group wants to put a permanent one on the water intake where it's really really really dark, but I think the rest of the park would be interesting. >> Yeah. >> Uh as you get close to the city, it
lightens up. But it's, you know, I went out behind my house at the top of the hill out in the forest. It's pretty black when you get away from the road. >> Yeah. So, I think we're in competition for being a dark a reliably dark place and we can prove
that. >> Yes. >> And maybe put in a permanent monitor if that's convenient. >> Interesting. Yeah. And I kind of imagine different areas of the park like the primitive loop. >> Yeah. >> Or Sweethearts blop is, you know, dark. >> It's dark.
>> Marina, we've got overhead security lights. It's not dark. >> Yeah. who are behind the water intake toward the lake. >> Yeah. >> Away from lights. It's 20ish on the scale. And that's that's pretty good. Anyway, I'll let you know what I find
and we'll keep in touch on the feedback on that. >> That's great. Thanks, Bob. >> Cost nobody anything. >> Even better. >> Any other business in Steve's absence? when we get to the adjournment and there are no other items
for that.