Park Board Retains Officers

David McDevitt and Dennis Carie have been re-elected President and Vice-President of the Effingham Park Board.

McDevitt has served on the Board since 1993 and is in his fourth six-year term. Carie was first elected to the Board in 2007 and is in his second term.

The Board reappointed Tony Siemer as Park District attorney, Park District Director Jeff Althoff as Park Board secretary, Anita Broom as Park District treasurer, and Carol McDevitt as Park Board recording secretary. The Board also agreed to continue meeting at 6:30pm on the first Wednesday of each month.

Board members selected Commissioners Russ Sehy and Chris Huelsbusch to serve on the budget committee along with Althoff and Broom.

Althoff reported that dirt work has been done by contractor Poettker Construction in preparation for landscaping work by Park District employees at the Workman Sports and Wellness Complex. He said that the plantings are in storage, awaiting a stretch of drier weather to allow the planting to get underway, and said he hopes grass seeding can be done in the next few days.

Althoff also shared that participant numbers in Park District programs are varied for 2016; in some programs, participant level is higher, but in others it's much lower. He is considering a survey of those who didn't sign up again this year to find out why they didn't return, and also to survey those who did sign up to see things they like and don't like about programs.

Park commissioners heard from Workman Complex General Manager Jake Junghanel on numbers of participants. Junghanel said there are 1245 memberships at the Complex, which translates to about 3960 members. He said he would have additional information for the June meeting.

Park Commissioner Ron Mietzner was not present for the meeting.