The Board accepted and approved the Elmhurst Park District Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the year ending December 31, 2017 at its June 11, 2018 board meeting. The report was presented to the Board by the District's independent auditing firm, Lauterbach & Amen.

The financial statements report that the District continues to maintain a sound financial condition, reporting total net assets of $45.1 million. This is an increase of $1,655,520 from the prior year.

With school out of session, the Park District is beginning work on the redevelopment of Conrad Fischer Park playground, which will receive new structures and play surfacing this summer. On June 4, the old playground structures were removed by Kids Around the World, a non-profit agency that repurposes playgrounds and rebuilds them in developing countries. Elmhurst Park District has worked with them previously to repurpose playground equipment from several parks, including most recently at Plunkett Park.

One of the values the Park District emphasizes is being Community Focused – at the end of the day, it’s all about the community we serve. Improving the accessibility of our parks and facilities for all community members is an important part of maintaining that focus.

Plans for the redevelopment of Conrad Fischer Park playground moved forward at the Monday, February 26 Park Board meeting, with the Board approving the Playground Redevelopment Project and Safety Surfacing Project. The playground plan includes replacing the existing playground with new equipment which allows for more climbing opportunities, providing additional seating, replacing the wood chips with a new unitary surface and constructing a barrier around the playground. Modern, green and blue equipment will be installed and be designed for the 2-5 age group.

Installed in 2008, the two existing synthetic turf sports fields at Berens Park are popular sites for soccer, football and lacrosse. However, after ten years of use, replacement is necessary to continue to provide a safe and functional surface for play and to meet the high demand for field usage, by both the Park District and affiliate athletic groups.

Maintaining the parking lots and paths at District parks helps visitors access the parks safely and is an important task that aligns with the District’s goal of maintaining amenities.

At the February 12, 2018 board meeting, the Park Board approved a bid of $195,415 for a paving, seal coating and striping project for the west parking lot of Berens Park as well as the parking stalls along Oaklawn Avenue. The work will also entail repaving deteriorating paths at Conrad Fischer Park.

In an effort to make accessing Park Board documents more streamlined and user-friendly, Park Board meeting agendas, minutes and related material will now be available electronically through Board Docs.

This cloud-based service improves the District’s governance processes and its communication with the community, while saving staff time and taxpayer dollars. The easy-to-use service allows immediate publishing of Board meeting documents and policies, giving community users quick access to the most up-to-date information.

Visitors to Berens Park and East End Park will soon have more room to run, play and picnic. Green space will be added to both parks this fall as part of the Park District’s goal to improve and maintain open space for Elmhurst residents.

Two single family properties recently acquired by the Park District, 447 W. Armitage Avenue (located adjacent to Berens Park) and 207 N. Hampshire Avenue (located northeast of East End Park), will be demolished and restored to open space during the week of October 10, 2017.