Over 1,600 Guests Enjoyed Park District’s Annual Sap’s-a-Risin’ Sundays in February
Geauga Park District Board Regular Meeting – March 25, 2025
Meeting Details: The Geauga Park District (GPD) Board met on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, 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, and Frank Stein were present. Commissioner Les LaGatta was absent.
Staff Attendance: John Oros, Executive Director, Dawn Sweeney, Finance Director and Jessica Alpers, Administrative Assistant. Also in attendance were Senior Park Planner Daniel McConnaughy and Chief Ranger Dennis Sloan. Matt McCue, Deputy Director, was absent.
Architect Seth Trance from Latus Studio and Attorney Todd C. Hicks from the law firm of Thrasher, Dinsmore & Dolan were also present.
Public Attendance: Members of Protect Geauga Parks and this Observer were present.
Pledge of Allegiance – Recited.
Approval of Agenda/Addendum Items - There were no items added to the Agenda. The Agenda was approved.
Minutes: Minutes from the February 18, 2025, meeting were approved and are posted online here.
Financial Report: Dawn Sweeney, Finance Director, verbally reported these individual fund balances as of February 28, 2024:
-
Ending balance as of 2/28/25 in the General Fund: $5,011,083
-
Beginning balance as of 2/01/25 in the Land Improvement Fund: $1,352,935
-
Ending balance as of 2/28/25 in the Land Improvement Fund: $1,539,938
-
All Funds beginning balance on 2/1/25: $5,591,788
-
All Funds ending balance on 2/28/25: $6,551,022
There were no questions and no discussion.
Presentation of Payment Report for February 2025.
There were no questions and no discussion.
Observer Note: There is no approval or motion regarding the payment report as the payments have already occurred.
Old Business
Mr. Oros reported on the following project:
The following items were not discussed at the meeting but were on the list of planning department construction projects pending better weather:
-
Sunnybrook Preserve asphalt improvements - original bid award for $49,830.00 to Cunningham Paving Co. (Original construction budget of $80,000)
-
Beartown Lakes improvements - original bid award for $209,709.92 to GPD Construction Crew together with Kompan/Romtec. (Original construction budget of $450,000)
-
Veterans Legacy Woods Cuyahoga River Reforestation - original bid award for $149,860.00 to Enviroscience. (Original construction budget of $149,860.00)
New Business
-
2025 Aggregate Stone Materials Proposal Award to Arms Trucking. The proposal lists various types of limestone ranging in price from $20.95/ton to $54.70/ton. In recent payment reports which list Arms, the entries do not list the type of limestone or the tons used, just a total amount.
Approved by Ms. Carnabuci, Mr. Guarino, and Mr. Stein. Mr. Bates abstained.
Observer Note: Mr. Bates is the owner and President of The Arms Group, and Arms Trucking is one of the companies in the group.
Reviewer Note: In the Board packet, provided by request to Mr. Oros, it was stated that three firms were were sent a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Aggregate Stone - Arms, The Shelly Company (closest location Twinsburg) and The Green Dream International (closest location is Erie PA). Only Arms submitted a proposal. It is not known why other closer companies were not asked to submit an RFP. Ohio bidding policy requires competitive bidding only for projects over $77,250. See Ohio Chamber of Commerce here. Responding to an email request, Matt McCue, Deputy Director, estimated that the total that would be paid to Arms Trucking for 2025 for Aggregate Stone would be $35,000 to $50,000.
Approved unanimously.
Ms. Sweeney explained that the revised budget reflects $694,482.27 received from the Ohio Water Development Authority from a Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program grant. Mr. Oros noted that this dovetails with the Coldwater Stream restoration GPD is doing.
Approved unanimously.
Commissioner’s Time
Mr. Oros introduced Dan McConnaughy, Senior Park Planner, who provided background and an overview on the GPD’s plans to update the 23-year-old West Woods Nature Center. Observer Note: There was no estimate of total cost for this project or when it would be undertaken. Mr. McConnaughy noted that the design was a collaboration among the park planning department, John Kolar, Chief Naturalist and Seth Trance, an architect and designer, with Latus Studio, a Columbus-based design firm.
Mr. Trance then gave a presentation about the renovation’s goal to revitalize the “aging interior” of the building, giving it new flexibility, more natural light and transparency. He highlighted proposed changes that would open and brighten current spaces, particularly the main lobby and exhibit space by adding windows and removing and reconfiguring walls. Among the specific changes proposed are removing the water feature in the main lobby, relocating the information desk and improving the bird watching area.
The Board had no questions about the presentation.
Jessica Alpers, Administrative Assistant, presented an update on Visitor Services and shelter reservation trends. She noted that she is one of 4 visitor services representatives who handle such duties as: lodge, shelter, camping and program reservations, boating permits, department and special event scheduling, and general customer service.
Ms. Alpers said they also track attendance numbers, providing feedback to park departments about popularity and use.
She said, except for boating and camping, park use activities are now higher than pre-Covid numbers. Boating and camping have held steady. She noted that boating permits are limited to 10 a day in order to preserve fish stocks.
Some 2024 reservation totals include:
-
Facility reservations: 3,655
-
Camping Site Rentals: 2,439
-
Estimated Total # of Campers: 8,953
-
Boating Permits: 1,314
Ms. Alpers also noted the following 2024 “most popular” rankings by reservation:
Lodges:
Shelters:
-
Swine Creek lakeside shelter
-
Orchard Hills pondside shelter
-
Walter C. Best. (Best’s proximity to Chardon and fishing option make this site popular.)
Campsites:
-
Headwaters, Campsite G (by far the most popular; booked for the entire year in the first two hours of registration)
-
The West Woods Campsite B
-
Chickagami Campsite J (popular with Boy and Girl Scouts)
Mr. Oros complimented Ms. Alpers and the other visitor services staff for their good work. There were no comments from Board members.
Mr. Oros reviewed more park accomplishments:
With this training, the GPD ensured that an active trainer will be working during ranger shifts. He noted that, as a result of the training, Rangers Rose and Sloane implemented a new field training manual specific to the GPD.
-
Last week, the Natural Resource Management Department and Operations staff, led by Park Biologist, Paul Pira, conducted prescribed fire and meadow management on more than 20 acres at Frohring Meadows and Observatory Park with the help of Portage County park staff, Ohio Division of Natural Areas and Preserves and Western Reserve Land Conservancy. The group was mindful of weather conditions such as wind, temperature and humidity and worked closely with the Bainbridge and Montville fire departments. GPD also notified neighbors in advance that this burn technique would be used in March and April. Mr. Oros provided diagrams and photos of the burn locations.
-
The Naturalist Department again sponsored their popular, free Sap’s-A-Risin’ Sundays at Swine Creek Reservation. The February 23rd kickoff weekend attracted 1,050 guests. There was no gathering on March 2nd as conditions were too icy for sugaring. The third Sunday had perfect, “wall to wall sunshine” for the 583 attendees, as shown in pictures Mr. Oros provided.
-
The astronomy-themed course work of the Nature Scopes binocular program concluded in February with all 817 Geauga County fifth graders having participated. GPD conducted 103 programs in February with a 2,512 total attendance.
Review Comment: See Nature Scopes program funded by the Geauga County Parks Foundation.
Executive Session – 9:12 am
The Board adjourned to Executive Session to discuss pending court action, personnel matters to consider the employment of public employees and the purchase of property.
No action was reported out of the Executive Session.
Public Comment - Per Geauga Park District Policy, no public comment was permitted.
Reviewer Comment: Without public discussion by the Board of Agenda items or the opportunity for members of the public to comment and ask questions, the ability of the public to fully understand the business of the Geauga Park District and its use of Geauga County taxpayer funding is hindered.
Next meeting – Monday, April 21 at 8:30 am.
Meeting adjourned at 9:46 am.
See the GPD Website for Additional Information and Minutes.
Observer: Rooney Moy
Editor: Gail Roussey
Reviewer: Carol Benton
Date Submitted: 3/24/2025
The League of Women Voters of Geauga is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. They do not support or oppose individual candidates or parties. Learn more about the LWVG at www.lwvgeauga.org.