Geauga Park District Approves 2025 Budget with Many Specifics Not Discussed
Geauga Park District Board - June 17, 2024
Meeting: The Geauga Park District (GDP) Board met on Monday, June 17, 2024 at 8:30 am at Big Creek Park Meyer Center, 9160 Robinson Rd, Chardon, OH 44024. This meeting was in-person only with no virtual attendance option.
Public Comment Policy: The Park District Board does not have a formal policy and in practice never permits public comment.
Board Attendance: Commissioners Howard Bates, Jolene Carnabuci, Ray Guarino, Les LaGatta and Frank Stein were present.
Staff Attendance: John Oros, Executive Director; Dawn Sweeney, Finance Director; Matt McCue, Deputy Director, and Jessica Alpers, Administrative Assistant. Also in attendance were John Kolar, Chief Naturalist; Dennis Sloan, Chief Ranger; Sandy Ward, Marketing Manager, and Geauga Park District Attorney Todd Hicks from the firm of Thrasher, Dinsmore and Dolan.
Public Attendance - Members of Protect Geauga Parks, reporter from Chagrin Valley Times, this observer and Kaci Krukow, a representative from Enterprise Rental.
Approval of Agenda/Addendum Items - There were no items added to the Agenda. The Agenda was approved.
Minutes: Minutes from the April 15, 2024 meeting were approved and are posted online here.
Financial Report: Dawn Sweeney, Finance Director, verbally reported these individual fund balances as of May 31, 2024:
· Beginning balance as of 5/1/24 in the General Fund: $5,305,848
· Ending balance as of 5/31/24 in the General Fund: $4,657,459
· Beginning balance as of 5/1/24 in the Land Improvement Fund: $1,857,748
· Ending balance as of 5/31/24 in the Land Improvement Fund: $1,912,802
· All Funds beginning balance on 5/1/24: $7,163,596
· All Funds ending balance on 5/31/24: $6,570,261
There were no questions and no discussion.
Presentation of Payment Report for March, 2024: There was no discussion about the balances. There was one question about Liability insurance as to whether payments were once a year or monthly; Mr. Oros stated that it was once a year.
Observer Note: There was no vote on this payment report as the payments have already occurred.
Old Business - Planning Update.
Planning Update: Mr. McCue reported on several items:
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They have finished the internal work on the upper dam at Claridon Woodlands and improvements around the Lodge
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Construction is ongoing at Swine Creek
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The Rookery and Orchard Hills will have asphalt improvements in the coming weeks
There were no questions or comments on the planning updates.
New Business
The Board packet stated the proposed agreement would establish a fleet management program that would manage the procurement and maintenance of vehicles through a lease and maintenance agreement over a period of 10 years. This would eventually cover all 37 vehicles of the GPD. Mr. Oros said that there was one change that would have to be made, according to the attorney review, and that was to remove the indemnification clause. Mr. Oros also said that another question about permitting Enterprise to dispose of current vehicles was decided and that because the GPD is a 1545 Park District, they are permitted under Ohio Revised Code (ORC) to take any actions they wish in regards to disposal of their property.
Enterprise employee Kaci Krukow said that she would answer questions. She briefly described the options, especially the 10-year model, which would anticipate a 10-year contract with 5 vehicles being leased the first year of the contract. The contract was not contained in the Board packet. She said, “...you are not locked into anything at any point.”
Mr. Oros said that there had been concerns about what happens at the end of ten years if they used the lease option. Ms. Kurkow said each vehicle would have a value assigned when GPD received it and would be used if they wanted to buy the vehicle. Observer Note: There was no contract to review, but this Observer assumed that this means that for every year there would be a different pay out value, which would be stated up front.
She added that, if after the first five years with the first five vehicles the GPD decided that they didn’t want to be part of the agreement going forward, they would simply buy out those vehicles and the partnership would end. She said this could be put in the Agreement.
Mr. Oros noted that GPD has faced challenges in obtaining vehicles. He said that this program could potentially save money. He said that if the Board wasn’t ready to decide at this time, that he would like a decision at the next meeting.
Mr. Guarino said that he still had a lot of questions and asked if they could discuss this in an Executive Session. Mr. Oros said that was a question for their attorney. Mr. Guarino said that he wanted to look at it in more depth before deciding.
A motion was made to table the resolution, which was approved unanimously.
There was a short presentation of the proposed 2025 Tax Budget by Finance Director Sweeney.
She stated the following:
Total 2025 Revenue expected: $7,158,503
General fund expenditures: $7,164,511
Revenues (per the Board packet) consisted of $6,741,988 from real estate taxes (three levies)
as well as licenses, permits and fees ($255,000), earnings on investments ($30,000) and miscellaneous items ($131,515, not detailed).
Observer Note: According to the materials in the Board packed, Expenditures in the General Fund are listed first by type of salary, then as a category of “other.” This category was associated with each type of salary expense, e.g. Police Protection Salaries $431,512; Police Protection Other $276,531.00. There is also an “Other Other” expense at the end listed in the amount of $585,460.00. None of the expenses were discussed by the Commissioners or explained.
Land Improvement Fund: $200,000 to be transferred in from the General Fund to cover expenses
Land Improvement expenditures: $1,005,000
There was no discussion of the levies, although the summary of amounts to be received in 2025 was included in the Board packet. Observer Note: It appears that one of the levies will expire in 2025.
Mr. Guarino asked about grant revenue. Mr. Oros said that grand funds are not included in the budget if they are not awarded.
Mr. Bates asked about carryover. Ms. Sweeney said that carryover in the General Fund is expected to be $3,160,514.32 and land improvement carryover is expected to be $1,127,432.
Observer Note: Adding the expected revenue to the carryover in the General Fund would indicate that there is over $3 million not projected to be utilized for 2025.
Waders were going to go to scrap and an Enviroscape was to be donated.
Commissioner’s Time
Chief Naturalist Kolar gave a presentation about the park “Treasures.” He stated that the Geauga Park District oversees over 10,000 acres and contains many treasures. He outlined some of these treasures and reported on the various endangered, threatened, and rare species of birds, trees, plants, and amphibians that inhabit some of these areas. These include:
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Mature Beech/Maple Forests- home to the largest Tulip tree in Northeast Ohio, wild rose azaleas, Cerulean warbler, and other birds
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Gorges - such as Ansel’s Cave and Welton’s Gorge - home to the black throated warbler and blue headed vireo
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Swamps - Eldon Russell Park - home to to the prothonotary warbler
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Glacial Wetlands - Lake Kelso - home to rare sundew plants and the northern water thrush
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Wetlands - various locations - home to close to 110 species of dragon and damselflies and Sandhill Cranes, which are making a comeback in Northeast Ohio, as well as many types of salamanders and frogs
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Headwaters - home to nesting Bald Eagles
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Meadows - Home to the monarch and Bobolink (at Frohring Meadows). In the winter, these areas have the rough legged hawk and short eared owls
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Brook Trout protected areas - including the project underway at Veterans Legacy Woods
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Streams - home to smaller fish, such as the rainbow darter
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Falls - such as Affelder Falls, which has the greatest diversity of salamanders in the park system
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Historic areas such as Ansel’s Cave and the Sugarbush at Swine Creek
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Observatory Park - This is an internationally designated Dark Sky Park
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He also mentioned the numerous recreational programs available
A new planner was introduced - Ms. Meredith McKeon, a graduate of Chardon High School and OSU.
Mr. Oros announced that the Geauga Park District was awarded the Great Lakes Restoration Grant for their project for planting 2400 trees and shrubs at Veterans Legacy Park. He said that the project to create a special habitat for the endangered Brook Trout is well under way at Veterans Legacy Park.
During the prior week at Observatory Park, a new earthquake sensor was put online and its data can be viewed here.
In May the NatureScope program ended for 5th graders in 10 schools; 883 students and teachers were involved, and the students were permitted to keep their binoculars at the conclusion of the program.
In May there were a total of 131 programs with 4,546 patrons in attendance.
There were no comments from the Board members.
Executive Session - Mr. Oros stated that there was no need for an Executive Session.
Public Comment - Per Geauga Park District Policy, no public comment permitted.
Next meeting – Monday, July 15 at 8:30 am
Motion to adjourn was made and approved unanimously at 9:13 am.
See the GPD Website for Additional Information and Minutes
Observers: Gail Roussey
Editor: Anne Ondrey
Reviewer: Sarah McGlone
Date Submitted: June 21, 2024
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