There were 15 visitors who provided comments during the Public Comments portion of the Board Meeting. To view a transcript of these comments please click on the Complete Meeting Minutes attached below. After the comments, Board President Ubriaco thanked visitors for attending the meeting and voicing their concerns and opinions. She invited guests to stay for the Board’s stormwater management discussion agenda item. She further stated that the City’s vote on stormwater prioritization is important for the City but the lack of a to prioritization to date has not held the Park Board back in its pursuit of answers for good solutions and addressing the issue.
Unfinished Business - Storm Water Discussion and Subcommittee Report
Committee Comments:
- Commissioner Spaeth stated that the subcommittee has been spending hundreds of hours on the stormwater issue in order to conduct due diligence in reviewing overall strategies and obtain a solution that will have minimal impact on operations and frequency.
- Although, the proposed York Commons detention basin will not help as many homes on Washington, it will help all homes on Crescent. Does not want to develop a solution that will negatively impact other residents.
- The City has drawn up a draft of an intergovernmental agreement.
- The subcommittee continues to consider all options.
Executive Director Rogers added.
- A meeting of the subcommittee has been set for Monday, August 18 and the City’s public meeting for residents at Cayuga will be held that same day in the evening.
- The City approved their prioritization by a 12 to 0 vote. The Park District has not received official notice.
Executive Director Rogers stated that the Park Board’s goal is to help the City in meeting stormwater needs while ensuring the detention sites retain their recreational value and function as well as not adversely impact park neighbors. The District wants a solution to relieve flooding for an appropriate number of homes but not at the cost of other homes. Commissioner Spaeth proposed a detention site at Madison School to resolve Washington Street stormwater detention needs. Executive Director Rogers clarified that the City’s prioritization is not the Park District’s. York Commons has been the Park District’s focus at the City’s request because of the number of homes it can impact. Commissioner Spaeth disagreed and would prefer that all proposed stormwater sites be reviewed parallel.
Executive Director Rogers asked Director of Marketing & Communications Wade unveil the newly added webpage to the Park District’s www.epd.org website developed to improve communications to the community in regards to the stormwater issue. The webpage can be easily accessed with links to supporting documentation, contact information, communication between the Park District and the City, Park Board stormwater discussions, and a frequently asked questions page. The public was encouraged to provide feedback.
Executive Director Rogers recommended that the District host a public meeting after Labor Day to inform the community on each proposed stormwater detention site, one by one, with the help of staff and engineers. Board President Ubriaco stated that a public meeting could not be done earlier in the process because designs were conceptual and the issue required more discussion. Whenever alterations are made to the parks such as new playgrounds, public meetings are held to gather public feedback. The District is quickly making progress. The Board consensus was that a public meeting would be in line with the District’s theme of transparency and an opportunity to gather public opinion and allow the District to respond to the residents’ questions. The proposed site for the public meeting would be at The Abbey.
Executive Director Rogers stated that a draft intergovernmental agreement was provided by the City but he has yet to present it to the Park Board because it is not known that the Board will enter into an agreement with the City for stormwater mitigation in the parks. A copy was sent to District attorneys at Tressler, Ltd. for a preliminary review. Commissioner Spaeth suggested V3 help develop a draft and possibly include a term limit for use of the parks.
Commissioner Kubiesa asked what happens once the City formally requests use of Park District property and what exactly will the District vote on. Executive Director Rogers stated that the Board’s response to the City will be dependent upon what is specifically asked. The City has indicated that it does not want to move ahead with spending more money until the Park District commits; however, the Park District will not be in a position to make a firm commitment until more detail is provided and Cayuga residents’ concerns are addressed. Spaeth recommended the Board make multiple approvals at multiple intervals during the process before a final sign off.
Executive Director Rogers introduced Greg Wolterstorff of V3 Engineering. Commissioner Kubiesa asked Greg Mortenson if the detention basin will help a 1 or 2 inch rainfall such as the recent rain in June 2014. Mr. Wolterstorff responded no, that a storm of that size would bypass the proposed detention basin. A detention basin would not help those types of storms.
Board President Ubriaco ended the discussions by saying that the Park District has focused on York Commons but not without considering the other detention sites. The Board has never announced that they have opposed detention. The District has worked with the City and engineers with a spirit of cooperation and problem solving. She stated that rumors that the three major entities (City, School District, and the Park District) in the community do not play well together are untrue.
