The Aurora Park Board learned Tuesday night what the breakdown of costs for pool repairs will be and approved spending $25,000 for those repairs.
Richard Werner of Werner and Associates Architects, L.C. put the repair estimate at $23,300. Werner suggested putting the total at $25,000 to include the unforseen items that seem to surface in normal repair projects.
The five most expensive parts on the 24-item list include:
• relocating new chlorinating system into existing equipment building - $10,000
• replacing centrifugal pump - $3,500
• replacing strainer (if required) - $3,200
• replacing Victaulic-type coupling cap - $1,500
• replacing six-inch gate valve - $1,000
Other items range down to a minimum cost of $100. Werner noted in his letter the items are “immediate steps ... to place the existing pool back into functional service.” (A complete list is available at city hall for viewing during normal office hours.)
Noelle Harmon, finance director, met with the board to review the balance in the park fund. She noted there is $121,479 in unencumbered funds available -- enough to cover the repairs and provide for others items in the parks system this year.
Little League
The board reviewed a contract with members of the Little League Board. Members of both boards discussed mutually beneficial ways to best serve the youths of the community and have the ball fields ready in a timely manner.
An updated contract should be available for the park board’s meeting in March. Items will detail items the city will do and items for which the Little League will be responsible. One of the changes will involve having seasonal park employees varying their schedules to work later in the day to prepare the fields for games, especially at times when it rains early in the day.
Other Business
In other business, the board:
• accepted a resignation from Mike McKay, a board member who is moving to Marionville
• looked at wording from the original ballot issue for the park’s tax in anticipation of a ballot issue for this fall
• reviewed Thompson’s one to three year plan of immediate needs for the parks. Members will do some homework and prioritize individual lists for review at the next meeting.
Thompson pointed out that he has had conversation with Superintendent Dan Decker about the possibility of the city using Lowell School for parks programs. The school board has a few items to check before making a decision, according to a report from that board meeting.
• interviewed Melissa Briggs, Mark Hulett, Russell Harbaugh and Bob Moffitt for positions on the board. The board selected Briggs and Moffitt to recommend to the city council to fill the two positions currently open.
• reviewed the monthly financial statement
Final Item
One final item of business was the acceptance of a letter of resignation from Raeanna Keckler, board secretary.
Keckler, a city staff member, took the position on January 11. Donna Ellery, another city staff member, had held the position for several years prior to that. Keckler cited the following in her letter as her reason for resigning: “... too much turmoil and confusion within the board. The contention among the board is not to help the Park Department but to rid it of the director.”
“No one here is interested in [the position],” said Interim City Manager Tom Palmer when asked at the city council meeting Tuesday night about the situation.
He noted he had received “a range of answers” when asking other staff members about serving as the secretary. He added that he could not repeat some of the answers he received.
The next regular meeting of the park board is March 8.
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The Aurora Park Board learned Tuesday night what the breakdown of costs for pool repairs will be and approved spending $25,000 for those repairs.
Richard Werner of Werner and Associates Architects, L.C. put the repair estimate at $23,300. Werner suggested putting the total at $25,000 to include the unforseen items that seem to surface in normal repair projects.
The five most expensive parts on the 24-item list include:
• relocating new chlorinating system into existing equipment building - $10,000
• replacing centrifugal pump - $3,500
• replacing strainer (if required) - $3,200
• replacing Victaulic-type coupling cap - $1,500
• replacing six-inch gate valve - $1,000
Other items range down to a minimum cost of $100. Werner noted in his letter the items are “immediate steps ... to place the existing pool back into functional service.” (A complete list is available at city hall for viewing during normal office hours.)
Noelle Harmon, finance director, met with the board to review the balance in the park fund. She noted there is $121,479 in unencumbered funds available -- enough to cover the repairs and provide for others items in the parks system this year.
Little League
The board reviewed a contract with members of the Little League Board. Members of both boards discussed mutually beneficial ways to best serve the youths of the community and have the ball fields ready in a timely manner.
An updated contract should be available for the park board’s meeting in March. Items will detail items the city will do and items for which the Little League will be responsible. One of the changes will involve having seasonal park employees varying their schedules to work later in the day to prepare the fields for games, especially at times when it rains early in the day.
Other Business
In other business, the board:
• accepted a resignation from Mike McKay, a board member who is moving to Marionville
• looked at wording from the original ballot issue for the park’s tax in anticipation of a ballot issue for this fall
• reviewed Thompson’s one to three year plan of immediate needs for the parks. Members will do some homework and prioritize individual lists for review at the next meeting.
Thompson pointed out that he has had conversation with Superintendent Dan Decker about the possibility of the city using Lowell School for parks programs. The school board has a few items to check before making a decision, according to a report from that board meeting.
• interviewed Melissa Briggs, Mark Hulett, Russell Harbaugh and Bob Moffitt for positions on the board. The board selected Briggs and Moffitt to recommend to the city council to fill the two positions currently open.
• reviewed the monthly financial statement
Final Item
One final item of business was the acceptance of a letter of resignation from Raeanna Keckler, board secretary.
Keckler, a city staff member, took the position on January 11. Donna Ellery, another city staff member, had held the position for several years prior to that. Keckler cited the following in her letter as her reason for resigning: “... too much turmoil and confusion within the board. The contention among the board is not to help the Park Department but to rid it of the director.”
“No one here is interested in [the position],” said Interim City Manager Tom Palmer when asked at the city council meeting Tuesday night about the situation.
He noted he had received “a range of answers” when asking other staff members about serving as the secretary. He added that he could not repeat some of the answers he received.
The next regular meeting of the park board is March 8.
