Board of Commissioners

There is an acknowledgment excellence for the Chicago Park District Water Polo club for the program’s recent achievements in the Brenda Villa Midwest Zone awards. A speech is presented by Club Coach Heriberto Garcia. https://t.co/hQC7VSyRiE

Additional accomplishments by the club: https://t.co/ndz2XvqtZn

There is recognition of Mayor Harold Washington’s Centennial Birthday. Under his term, the Park District gained 7 new parks and 5 newly constructed field houses.

There will be an Earth Day celebration that will be held in his honor at Harold Washington Park in Hyde Park and several other locations. More info on their website: https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com https://t.co/zMD7zvi0rE

As part of the public comment, a member of the Oz Park council asks the Board to oppose the bike path in the park which Lincoln HS students as part of their daily trajectory to school and it poses a danger to the community. …

There is also mention of an unpaid lobbyist that lobbied Ald. Smith and used PAC meetings to rally supporters for the project and CDOT. There is another public commenter which is a local resident of the 33rd ward that asks the Board to reestablish authority over Oz Park.

There is a public commenter about a North Lawndalian that has tried to host events in Douglass park but has been pushed out by other events. She is asking for more transparency and for the profits that come from the music festivals to be put back into the park and community.

There is another public commenter addressing the disinvestment in Douglass Park and the need of additional funds and care to come in to the park.

A public commenter says she is opposed to the closing of Douglass Park for the summer smash festival because of the reduction in summer programming for local students and the inability to celebrate Mexican Independence and Juneteenth.

A cofounder of summer smash talks about park cleanups leading to the festivals, investment in the park and local sports teams, and new apprenticeship programs for students. He says Summer Smash wants to be prioritize being a good neighbor in North Lawndale.

There is a public commentator from Friends of the Park that is addressing the recent harassment scandals about lifeguards. There is mention of new regulations and rules to bring more trust. She says Southside aquatic areas are understaffed and some are at risk of closing…

She says friends of the park want to help recruit new lifeguards however don’t know enough about the training.

There is public commenter from the Midway Place that wants a representative of the organization to be represented on the board to advocate for the midway and east side parks

There is another public commenter that wants protection and preservation of a borough tree in Washington Park, as well as additional investment in the park.

There is a public commenter talking about the lack of green space and field house for Chinatown. She said the previous one was built and paid off, and then handed off the CPS. She said the this is an environmental injustice.

There is a public commenter who called the Park District racist and adamantly and passionately asked the Board why there is no investment in Black communities.

Code amendments of the board: https://t.co/WEy68On9sv

Moving forward, the board emphasizes that the Office of Prevention and Accountability will be vital as they continue to turn the page.

Authorization to enter a contract with Inter-city supply Co. Inc. has been approved.

The authorization to enter a contract with community + design for development of the Washington Park Framework plan. These are some of the slides that describe certain aspects of the planned developments: https://t.co/DeaqtlalM4

The request to officially name Kilmer Park in honor of Gertrud Kolmar was approved. Gertrud Kolmar was a German-Jewish lyric poet. She was captured and murdered in Auschwitz’s. To honor her legacy, her grand-nephews gave a presentation on the story of her life and family.

Meeting adjourned at 1:03pm.