ROCHELLE — Outgoing commissioner Bud Norcross was recognized during Monday night’s Flagg-Rochelle Community Park District board meeting after eight years of service.

Park director Jackee Ohlinger presented Norcross with a plaque and thanked him for the time and dedication he gave to the district.

Norcross was first elected in 2011 and won a second term in 2015. His early goals were helping turn around the district’s financial problems and later focusing on improving the quality of various park facilities.

“I enjoyed my eight years on the park board and there have been many improvements accomplished during that time period” he stated. “I want to thank everyone for their support and wish the commissioners the best of luck with their future endeavors.”

Following the presentation, the newly elected commissioners were sworn in and installed on the board, including incumbents John Dobbs and Dale Wells and newcomer Jodie Hart.

An election of officers was then held with Tim Hayden remaining as president of the board and Mic Brooks voted in as vice-president. Dobbs will serve as secretary of the board and Wells was voted in as treasurer. Brent Carmichael will serve as assistant treasurer and Hart was voted in as assistant secretary.

Hayden then announced his appointments for the following committee assignments:

Budget and Finance- Hayden and Brooks

Planning and Capital- Wells and Lenkaitis

Public Relations and Ethics- Wells and Carmichael

Personnel- Dobbs and Carmichael

Programs and Recreation- Hart and Lenkaitis

Hart, who is starting her first term on the park board said she is excited to get started.

“My goal is to represent the entire community and I’m happy to work with this current board and staff on the upcoming projects and as a whole,” she stated.

Project updates

Ohlinger gave the board updates on the Spring Lake improvement project and the Kids Ground rebuild project.

“Spring Lake Pool opens this weekend through Labor Day and once we close for the season we will get started right away on that project,” Ohlinger said. “We hope to get the splash pad and some other aspects of the project done in late summer and fall to be ready for next spring.”

The district received up to $310,000 in matching grant money to add the splash pad at the pool, update the marina, add new fishing piers to the lake, improve the pool landscaping and add several parking spaces.

Ohlinger also discussed the upcoming Kids Ground building project set for June at Cooper Park.

“We have several sponsorships available for families and businesses to help fund the project,” she said. “There may be people who provided labor with the original community build in the early 90s and this time can still help by purchasing an engraved picket fence panel or sponsor a portion of the project.”

Ohlinger said the district is still looking for crew leaders and more volunteer workers, but believes people will step up to fill roles for the five-day project.

“Once we get closer to starting up, I think we will see more individuals sign up to help,” she said.

Rec center

District financial advisor Tom Chapman addressed the board on Monday night and suggested a plan for using a combination of general obligation bonds and alternate revenue bonds for funding the new recreation center.

Chapman’s plan calls for bonding all of the nearly $14 million upfront while interest rates are dropping, and using both methods of bonding in order to keep tax increases in line with initial projections.

Chapman suggested issuing $6 million in general obligation bonds and $7.6 million in alternate revenue bonds. He also suggested the board raise its annual January bond from $810,000 to $1.1 million to pay the interest on the bonds.

“This plan will keep the tax increase at 26 cents, which is what you told the public before the referendum and it will give you flexibility and enough funding with other future capital needs,” he explained.

The commissioners will look at other possible options presented by Chapman and are expected to hold a special meeting in the next couple of weeks to finalize the financing plan.

Ohlinger said the public can expect to see some preliminary work being done at the Helms South property (west of Walgreen’s) with actual ground work and digging starting in September.