HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 09/27/1990 - City CouncilSPECIAL MEETING
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1990 7:30 P.M.
A Special Meeting of the McHenry City Council was called to order by
Mayor Busse on Thursday, September 27, 1990 at 7:30 P.M. in City Hall.
At roll call the following Aldermen were present: Bolger, Teta,
Lieder, Serritella, Patterson. Donahue arrived at 8:55 P.M. Absent:
McClatchey, Smith. City Staff in attendance were Clerk Gilpin, City
Administrator Peterson, Park Director Merkel.
The purpose of the meeting was to review the Parks and Recreation
Department's Attitude and Interest Study as prepared by Management
Learning Laboratories of Champaign, IL. In attendance to review the study
and explain how it was conducted were Dr. Joseph Bannon, Management
Learning Laboratories Founder and Dr. Lynn Barnett -Morris, Project
Coordinator for the McHenry study. Spectators in attendance were Bill
Cross, Gary Gray, Dorothea Rodiek, David Stickling, Jerry Benes, Sam
Spasojivich and Mike Bohne.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Bannon told the Council that the study
revealed residents are very supportive of the Parks and Recreation
programs. Citizens expressed great satisfaction with what is being done
now by the Park Department. They felt they were well informed about what
the Parks and Recreation Department is doing, and they attend the parks
frequently. They felt the City Parks were well maintained and that the
conditions in the parks were very good. The residents said that they
approved of the Parks and Recreation staff, who were very cooperative,
polite and well qualified.
Dr. Bannon reported that two separate surveys were designed to
achieve the objectives of the study. One was specifically designed for
the adult community, and the other focused on the high school age
population. The adult survey was distributed to a random sample of 2200
residents by first class mail. There was approximately a 27% response
from the adult surveys. The youth survey was distributed to the two
public high schools with 638 students being polled. There was a 93%
return on the youth surveys.
The findings revealed that the adults had the highest degree of
interest in having concerts in the parks, swimming and water -based
activities, golf, and art fairs and arts and crafts classes. Teens were
most interested in swimming activities, as well as water slides, horseback
riding and volleyball. Parents responded that the recreation programs in
which their children would most want to participate were swimming,
pre-school programs and after school programs.
When community residents were asked their opinion about a variety of
potential new services and facilities for McHenry, a multi -purpose
recreation fitness center received the most support. There was also
support for building an indoor swimming pool and for improving public
access to McCullom Lake.
The one thing that stood out strongly in the study was that residents
do not want a tax increase to pay for any new Park and Recreation
programs. They felt they were getting a good bargain for their tax
dollars, and generally felt that non-residents should be charged a higher
fee than residents to participate in Parks and Recreation Department
programs.
There were four major areas of recommendations taken from the adult
and youth survey data. They are Recreation Programming, Facilities,
Promotions and Evaluations. Dr. Barnett -Morris explained in detail each
recommendation and what it entailed.
At the conclusion of her presentation, Dr. Bannon outlined eight
recommendations that he believed the Council should consider as a result
of this Attitude and Interest Survey. He suggested that the Park
Department should:
1) Pursue providing program opportunities for fitness,
health and wellness related activities for its
residents.
2) Establish programs for physically, emotionally, and
mentally handicapped and disabled individuals.
Thursday, September 27, 1990
Page 2.
3) Appoint coordinating committees to assist in the
design of recreation programs by forming youth
advisory boards and adult advisory boards.
4) Study the feasability of constructing an indoor
swimming pool.
5) Conduct several open hearings to determine the
public's response as to whether a multi -purpose
recreation/fitness center should be built.
6) Study the possibility of establishing a golf driving
range in some of the park open areas, and also study
the feasability of building a golf course that could
be self-sustaining and self-liquidating.
7) Re-evaluate planning efforts to construct an indoor
tennis facility or make an attempt to accomodate
the interest shown in tennis through cooperative
arrangements with neighboring communities and/or
facilities.
8) Review the Park and Recreation Land Use Plan, and
acquire open space for future recreational use
which could be left open or developed in the future.
Alderman Lieder asked Dr. Bannon and Dr. Barnett -Morris if they would
be willing to return at a later date after the Council has reviewed all
their recommendations and studied the report further to see if the Council
had correctly interpretted the recommendations as outlined in the study.
Dr. Bannon said they would be willing to return to review the priorities.
In other business, a request was received from the McHenry Community
High School District asking for permission to use the City Garage for
construction of Homecoming floats from October 1, 1990 through October 4,
1990. This has been a normal practice in the City for several years.
Motion by Lieder, seconded by Teta, to grant permission to McHenry
Community High School to use the City Garage for the construction of
Homecoming floats from October 1, 1990 through October 4, 1990.
Voting Aye: Bolger, Donahue, Lieder, Teta, Patterson, Serritella.
Voting Nay: None
Absent: McClatchey, Smith.
Motion carried.
Motion by Teta, seconded by Donahue to adjourn.
Voting Aye: Bolger, Donahue, Lieder, Teta, Patterson, Serritella.
Voting Nay: None
Absent: McClatchey, Smith.
Meeting adjourned at 9:32 P.M.
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