Rec center, KidsGround top park agenda

Russell Hodges
Posted 4/17/19

Discussions regarding financial planning for a new community center in Rochelle headlined the Flagg-Rochelle Community Park District Board of Commissioners meeting at Rochelle City Hall on Monday.

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Rec center, KidsGround top park agenda

Posted

ROCHELLE — Discussions regarding financial planning for a new community center in Rochelle headlined the Flagg-Rochelle Community Park District Board of Commissioners meeting at Rochelle City Hall on Monday.
On April 2, Flagg Township voters approved a tax increase proposal to finance the construction of the $14 million facility on the south property of the Helms Park Athletic Complex and the park district will be selling bonds to fund the project.
Financial advisor Tom Chapman led discussions about possible financial avenues for the park district to pursue, including the choice of issuing either general obligation bonds, alternate revenue bonds or both.
“Whatever would be the best and most cost-effective for the park district, that’s what we’re going to pursue,” Chapman said.
Chapman presented a preliminary calendar to the board, which detailed a potential plan for putting the $14 million in place. Chapman said a request for proposal to bond underwriting firms will be sent out on Tuesday, and he said potential proposals would be reviewed in April. Reviewed proposals could be presented to the board during a special meeting prior to the next regularly-scheduled meeting on May 20.

Chapman said the board could pass a parameters ordinance that day, which would lay out the overall structure and maximum interest rates, approved by the board, that underwriters could market within. Chapman said the hope would be for a finalized financial plan to be approved by the board near the end of May, with closing coming by the end of June.
“I think we could meet that target,” Chapman said. “If we need to push the target back a little bit because [the park district] doesn’t need the funds yet, we could do that too. That may be beneficial for the underwriters as well.”
KidsGround
Executive Director Jackee Ohlinger said Monday that the park district is moving forward with plans to revamp the KidsGround at Cooper Park on the west side of Rochelle.
In cooperation with Kishwaukee College and the Rochelle Fire Department, the park district allowed Kishwaukee fire science students to train at the old KidsGround on April 6, with the students taking away pieces from the original structure for use in future exercises.
The training began the first phase of the park district’s plan to replace the original KidsGround with a new and improved structure. Ohlinger said she and committee members met with Play By Design’s Lee Archin on Monday for a pre-construction meeting that included a step-by-step description of the required building materials and how the Rochelle community will pitch in.
“I was really excited that was a way to end the original KidsGround,” Ohlinger said. “The momentum is really building up, especially with the community chairs, and I think we’re ready and armed to go out into the community and get people involved… I’m really excited for what’s going to come over the next eight weeks, and there’s a lot to be done.”
Maintenance
In other news, Ohlinger told the board on Monday night that the Rochelle Fire Department will be doing controlled burns at Skare Park from April 22-23. Ohlinger also said that routine maintenance projects are continuing at facilities around the area, and that about 40 maintenance corrections have been completed.