Park District of Oak Park

3 OUR MISSION: In partnership with the community, we enrich lives by providing meaningful experiences through programs, parks and facilities. Dear Residents, BOARD OF PARK DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS Park Board meetings are generally held at 7:30pm on the third Thursday of each month at the Hedges Administrative Center, 218 Madison Street. Committee of the Whole meetings are generally held at 7:30pm the first Thursday of the month at the Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield Street. Public comment is welcome at these meetings. 3 Kathleen Porreca Kathleen.Porreca@pdop.org Paul Aeschleman Paul.Aeschleman@pdop.org Victor Guarino Victor.Guarino@pdop.org Sandy Lentz Sandy.Lentz@pdop.org David Wick David.Wick@pdop.org Creating partnerships with other governmental and community agencies to provide services is the key to achieving and maintaining an excellent parks and recreation system. One example of this type of collabo- ration is on a recent initiative to develop all-weather fields in collaboration with School District 97. One of the continued needs identified in our comprehensive plans is the need for additional field space. Oak Park has consistently scored lower in the amount of available field space as compared to our benchmark communities. Limited land resources can result in overused athletic fields and a consistently high demand for field space. Recognizing the need to better utilize these precious resources, the Park District completed a Field Turf Study in March 2013 to evaluate our existing fields and to develop potential improvements. One of the key findings in this study was the need to incorporate a minimum of 3 synthetic turf fields into our existing parks system. Since the study in 2013, two all-weather fields have been incorporated into the Oak Park system. One synthetic turf field was installed as part of the Ridgeland Common Recreation Complex renovation in 2014. In addition, the Park District partnered with School District 97, Irving School PTO, AYSO Soccer and the Chicago Edge Soccer Club in 2014 to install a synthetic turf field at Irving School. Another community collaboration is currently underway through the joint efforts of the Park District and School District 97, and other community organizations including the Good Heart Work Smart Foundation, AYSO, Chicago Edge Soccer and Oak Park Youth Baseball/Softball Association to support two additional synthetic turn fields at Julian and Brooks Middle Schools. Both fields will use Nike Grind (ground up tennis shoe soles) as the infill, which has been identified as a more environmentally-friendly option. An agreement has been put into place between the Park District and School District 97 to install the fields and lights at Julian. The addition of all-weather fields at these schools will help us meet the community's demand for quality outdoor field space while providing outdoor space for physical education and sports programs and a place to socialize during lunch breaks. These fields will also be available for the enjoyment of the general public when school is not in session. As this program guide goes to press, two community meetings are scheduled, on April 13 and 15, to provide information and collect feedback regarding this project. Non-Tax Revenue The Park District consistently works to find additional revenue sources to offset our dependency on property taxes. Earned revenue, in the form of fees and charges for services, are the district's second largest revenue source. The Comprehensive Master Plan, approved by the Board of Commissioners in December 2014, set a goal for the district's revenue to be 50% property taxes and 50% earned revenue by 2020. The district is well on its way to reaching this goal with 44% earned revenue for 2014, up from 29% in 2010. The district continues to look for new program offerings to better serve our residents and to help us reach this goal. Free Community Fitness Classes It's time to get fit. There's no excuse! The Park District is offering FREE fitness classes all summer long at three different park locations. You can "Re-Boot" every Saturday morning beginning May 23 at 7am at Ridgeland Common. On Sunday evenings, just before our summer concerts in Scoville Park, you can "Move Before You Groove" starting at 4:30pm. In Mills Park, enjoy "Yoga in the Park" on Thursday morn- ings at 9am starting on May 28. Getting started is easy. Just pick a class you like and show up. There is no registration required and classes are open to all fitness levels. See page 18 for more details. Thank you to the Parks Foundation of Oak Park for sponsoring this Fit & Fun Under the Sun Program. Have a wonderful summer! Jessica A. Bullock, Outgoing President Board of Park Commissioners

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