Politics & Government
Plainfield Park Board Eases Up On Budget Cuts
The new budget includes increased salary costs of 25 percent, plus upgrades and repairs to Plainfield Park District facilities.
Prior to a 3-2 vote approving the Plainfield Park District’s $11.2 million budget, residents sounded off Wednesday on the document, criticizing planned cuts in some areas and spending in others.
But the cuts to the park district’s contingency fund — set aside for emergencies and unforeseen expenses — were not as deep as some feared.
In a press release posted to Plainfield Patch last month, Executive Director Garrett Peck cited $800,000 in cuts.
But at a meeting held Wednesday at the Plainfield Police Department, newly elected board member Janet Silosky noted that, after reviewing staff salaries and some much-needed repairs, the $800,000 in cuts was pared down to a $300,000 reduction in the fund.
“We’re not cutting the $800,000 that we had wanted to,” Silosky said. “Like a new owner of a home, we found that there were so many repairs and necessary things that needed to be done.”
According to Silosky, things that needed to be done included security upgrades, such as surveillance cameras at the Ottawa Street Pool, plus the replacement of rusty, moldy lockers at the pool; purchases needed to repair horse paddocks at the Normantown Trails Equestrian Center; and salary increases for staff.
Expenditures at the equestrian center included about $20,000 for drainage tile and supplies to revamp the paddocks, Peck said, and another $20,000 for a tractor that will be used to rake the paddocks.
According to Peck, other expenses dipping into the contingency fund are:
- IT upgrades such as new servers and WiFi for all buildings and the Ottawa Street Pool
- $17,000 to replace the administration center HVAC system after the air conditioner broke down
- Replacing broken windows and repairing a rotting wooden patio at the administration center
- The purchase of a horse trailer for the equestrian center
In the end, this 2013-14 budget didn’t prove to be a reduction from last year's $11.22 million budget. Board president Peter Hurtado, Silosky and Peter Steinys voted to approve the budget, while Mary Kay Ludemann and Larry Newton voted no.
“It shows on the budget, you’re not saving us money, you’re spending money,” resident Debra Bostjancic told the board.
Hurtado called the revised budget solid, adding, “It will rely less on the taxpayers ...
“I’m proud to live in Plainfield,” he added. “We need to be proud of who we are, and we need to be proud of where we live.”
The park district’s total contingency fund is at $1,612,765, according to Business Manager Maureen Nugent.
Increased salary, legal costs
The new budget includes about a 25 percent overall increase in salary costs for administrators and park maintenance staff, which includes the hiring of two new park maintenance staffers, to the tune of $48,000, and a 50-cent per hour raise for each year that existing maintenance staff has been with the park district. According to Nugent, all full-time staff also received across-the-board 3 percent raises.
“[Maintenance staff] have been undermanned as well as underpaid,” Peck said. Superintendent of Parks Gene Coldwater said without the increases, he ran the risk of losing seasoned staff members.
The park district’s budget for legal expenses also more than tripled, increasing from $20,000 to $70,000.
“It seems every board meeting we have, a complaint is filed,” Peck said, referring to the numerous Open Meetings Act complaints filed against the board since May.
Read: ‘Disgusted’ Park Board Member Files Open Meetings Act Complaint
“Essentially, we have to pay our attorney to handle each complaint, whether they’re founded or unfounded,” Peck added. “Basically, the public has the ability to create legal fees for the park district.”
Controversial decisions
The new budget contains $66,000 for the salary of the new director of communications. The position was filled in May by park district treasurer Doug Booth. Click here for a list of park district salaries.
Meanwhile, the position of public information coordinator — held by Marianne Ryan since 2005 — has been eliminated. Ryan, who made $57,582, was laid off at the end of June.
Peck will take in a salary of $110,000. The man Peck replaced, Greg Bott, made $164,000. Peck's hiring also meant that former Superintendent of Planning Cameron Bettin — who was slated to take over after Bott's retirement, was made the assistant executive director.
Silosky hinted at the controversy faced by the board after hiring Peck, who is also a village trustee, and Booth.
“I know there are some people who feel we’re running roughshod,” she said. “ … We have had some difficult issues to deal with. We’re trying to get over the more major hills so there’s a smoother road going forward.”
Related:
- Change of Venue for Plainfield Park District Budget Meeting
- Plainfield Park District Fires Public Information Coordinator
- Plainfield Park Board Passes New Public Comment Rules
- Booth Says New Plainfield Park District Role is Temporary — for Now
- It's Official: Park Board Votes to Make Peck Executive Director
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