Park District of Oak Park

6 www.pdop.org 6 Board of Park District Commissioners Regular Park Board Meetings are generally held on the third ursday of each month and the Committee of the Whole (COW) Meetings are generally held on the first ursday of the month. All meetings are held at 7:30P at the John L. Hedges Administrative Center, 218 Madison Street, Oak Park. Public comment is welcome at these meeting. ere is no COW meeting in August. Kathleen Porreca Commissioner Kathleen.Porreca@pdop.org Paul Aeschleman President Paul.Aeschleman@pdop.org Victor Guarino Vice-President Victor.Guarino@pdop.org Sandy Lentz Secretary Sandy.Lentz@pdop.org David Wick Treasurer David.Wick@pdop.org Dear Residents, Sustainability is not just a catchphrase at the Park District; it is one of the Park District of Oak Park's core values. We are making major strides to preserve our natural resources and protect our environment in several facets of our District. We are saving over 1,000,000 gallons of water and $68,000 annually due to the installation of four cisterns in our parks system. We recently purchased 10 additional solar panels for the Longfellow Center roof bringing the total number of panels to 30, allowing the District to draw nearer to the net-zero point for energy consumption in this facility. e District is awaiting word on certification of the Austin Gardens Environmental Education Center (AGEEC) as a net-zero building. Once certified, the AGEEC will be the first commercial building certified net-zero in the state of Illinois. For all of these efforts and more, the Park District was recently recognized by the Village of Oak Park's Environment & Energy Commission to receive a 2017 Green Award. CRC Update In July 2017 the elected boards of the Park District of Oak Park, the River Forest Park District and the Oak Park River Forest High School District 200 approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore partnership opportunities for construction of a Community Recreation Center (CRC). e MOU specified a December 1, 2017, deadline for all parties to agree to all the elements necessary for the collaboration to move forward, or the MOU would expire. Concurrently with the exploration of a community recreation center, the Oak Park River Forest High School organized the Imagine OPRF Work Group who will make long-term facility recommendations to the District 200 Board of Education in mid-2018. In November the River Forest Park District Board of Commissioners and District 200 School Board members voted not to extend the MOU. While the MOU was not extended, both agencies stated they are open to continuing conversations once the Imagine OPRF process is completed in 2018. Our community spoke and we listened. e exploration of a Community Recreation Center (CRC) is in response to survey results from Oak Park residents indicating a need for this type of facility. is need was repeated during the 2016 community recreation center feasibility study. Residents acknowledged the value such a facility would bring to Oak Park by connecting our diverse community through shared participation in the many recreation activities to be offered at the CRC. e Park Board looks forward to continuing the CRC discussion with our fellow board members and with the community in the months ahead. Attend the New Resident Meet & Greet (below) to learn more about the CRC exploration process. New Resident Meet & Greet New Oak Park residents are invited to learn more about your Park District at our New Resident Meet & Greet on Wednesday, April 18 from 6:00 to 8:00PM at Cheney Mansion. You will have the opportunity to learn about the thousands of Park District programs offered annually as well as the variety of facilities and services we offer. You will also have the opportunity to establish a household in our registration system. If you register for a program at the Meet & Greet, you will receive $10 off your first program. We hope to see you there. See you in the parks, Paul Aeschleman, President Park District of Oak Park Board of Commissioners Congratulations To ... Commissioners Sandy Lentz and David Wick for achieving the designation of Master Board Member from the Illinois Association of Park Districts for committee involvement, attendance at educational opportunities and achievements at the local, state and national level.

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