As you’re aware, the stay-at-home order has been extended through the end of May. The District continues to monitor information and waits for additional guidance from the Governor, CDC, and Illinois Department of Public Health, but because social distancing and restrictions on groups larger than 10 will remain in place throughout the summer months, a number of important decisions had to be made. As a result, the following changes will occur as we continue to focus on safety, security and sanitation for park users and staff.
- Outdoor pools will not open for the 2020 season. Everyone who purchased a season pass will be able to carry the pass over to use during the 2021 season. More information on the outdoor pools will be shared tomorrow.
- Registration will remain closed for all summer programming. When we are able to safely reopen, the focus will be on programs and offerings that best meet the community’s needs, including day camps, adult fitness and use of the parks. Then, as soon as it’s safe and reasonable to do so, we will offer additional programming. We will continue to post updates on www.epd.org related to programming.
- No picnic rentals or facility rentals will be taken for June.
- Golf at Sugar Creek Golf Course will still be allowed and will follow all required safety guidelines, including online pre-payment.
- All community events through the end of June have been cancelled, including Adventure Day and Movies in the Park. It is our hope to reschedule the 100th Anniversary Community Picnic, scheduled for June 6, to a later date.
- Parks and trails will remain open for walking, jogging, and biking under the current social distancing guidelines. However, playgrounds, tennis courts, basketball courts, the skate park and athletic fields remain closed at the current time.
- Seasonal brochures will be available online only until further notice to provide maximum flexibility and cost savings.
During this stay-at-home order, the District is not able to provide the majority of services and programs to the community, and we project the losses to be more than $6 million in non-tax dollars. More than half of the District's overall funding is generated from user fees, memberships and facility rental fees. As a result, we have instituted a hiring freeze, frozen any vacant positions, deferred more than $1 million in capital projects and will need to furlough many full-time and nearly all of our part-time staff on May 31 who make those programs and offerings possible.
We greatly look forward to the lifting of the stay at home order so that the District, along with everyone else, can begin to transition back to a new "normal", which we anticipate will allow for greater use of the parks and a gradual re-introduction of programs and services. It is our hope that when we come out on the other side of this, we will all emerge stronger as a community, and the Elmhurst Park District looks forward to getting back to Enriching Lives While Having Fun.
