On top of addressing a major issue with the Waterloo Community Splash Pad along with several other items, the Waterloo Park District Board also accepted the resignation of board member and former president Shelby Mathes at its meeting last week.

With park board president Mary Gardner and commissioner Keith Buettner both absent, Mathes announced his resignation at the very end of the meeting during commissioner comments, receiving thanks for his service from vice president Michael Nolte and commissioner Gina Pfund.

Following the meeting, Mathes offered some explanation for his rather abrupt departure, saying he hoped to allow someone else the opportunity to get on the ballot and contribute to the community.

“I just got to the point that I think I’ve done as much as I could do for my community,” Mathes said. “I have never served my country, so I thought I’d do the best I could to serve my community… I thought I’d give them the opportunity for somebody else to come in and get on the ballot, be able to do some good.” 

Regarding the splash pad, the biggest topic of discussion for the board was prompted by Don Prater, who reported that food continues to be a problem, clogging up the facility’s filters as people fail to obey the added signs around the splash pad.

One anecdote brought up during the meeting concerned an individual who was told to take their food to the table set up outside the facility’s fencing only to go back onto the splash pad once the person who warned them had left.

“It’s really kind of almost to the point where it’s getting out of hand,” Prater said. “They think it’s a picnic area, and when you tell them, ‘You can’t have no food,’ they kind of throw a little fit.”

Prater and members of the board, particularly Pfund, stressed that members of the community need to obey the rules presented at the entrance and around the splash pad, including the banning of food, coolers and animals from the facility.

“We love the idea of having a free splash pad, but we really need the community to follow the rules and support it so that we don’t have to make it a cost to anyone,” Pfund said.

Another splash pad point of discussion came from Waterloo Citizens for a Pool President Amy Grandcolas, who spoke about the organization’s efforts to collect plastic caps to contribute furniture to the splash pad.

“We are pretty much close to or about at weight for our goal for the cap collection for benches and tables,” Grandcolas said. “However, we have discovered it will probably be hard to get people to stop donating caps, and they’re coming in quite rapidly now. So if any of you, residents or commissioners, know of another group that would like to do something that would benefit the park district, we could easily hand over the infrastructure of what we’re doing.”

Grandcolas noted that a number of products beyond just benches and tables are available, including trash cans.

Elsewhere in the meeting, Prater spoke about using Hawkins, Inc. as a source for the splash pad’s chemicals starting next year as the company would be able to provide a cheaper supply of chemicals for the facility which wouldn’t need to be resupplied through the operating season.

The board approved this proposal.

Pfund offered an update on the features still missing from the splash pad – namely the barn – saying that her contact with Rain Drop Products had apologized for the delay, explained that there had been issues with the projection of some of the feature’s pieces and assured further communication as the feature is put together.

A closing date for the splash pad was also discussed, though the board generally decided to hold off on an official announcement as of now.

During his report, Prater also spoke about the canopy at William Zimmer Memorial Park which had been removed due to storm damage.

He said that the board had previously purchased the canopy and frame for $15,000 six years ago, but the shade alone is set to cost over $9,000 with a $12,000 bid to put it up.

It was noted that an insurance claim had been filed for the replacement, and Prater added it would seem to make sense to hold off on the installation until spring, though  he recommended it be installed as it arrives in the fall as members of the community have expressed disappointment with the canopy being taken down.

Prater also spoke about fish restocking and potential dredging of the lake at Konarcik Park. While he will be ordering the fish in the next month or two, he recommended holding off on the dredging for some time as he learned that the process would be particularly involved, requiring a partial draining of the lake for some months.

Waterloo Park District Attorney Paul Schimpf offered an update on the Waterloo Park District Foundation, a non-profit meant to provide support for the district.

Gardner and Nolte are set to serve on the foundation’s board along with community member Lisa Pecha.

Another notable item addressed at the meeting came from Schimpf, who spoke about correspondence received from Tony Grasso.

Schimpf explained that Grasso had sent in four letters questioning the cost of the splash pad project and alleging that some “kickbacks” had taken place, further requesting an audit of the project.

The board elected not to take action as Schimpf and Park District Treasurer Julie Bradley noted the project had previously been audited.

Schimpf offered further comment following the meeting.

“The Waterloo Community Splash Pad’s bidding and construction process has already been the subject of a review by a CPA firm that was completed in June and submitted in July to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources as part of the application for the final (Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development) grant payment,” Schimpf said. “Furthermore, all records  – through April of 2024 – associated with the Waterloo Community Splash were reviewed in conjunction with the district’s annual audit that is completed by an independent accounting firm.  Therefore, the Park District Board declined to initiate a subsequent audit of the facility as requested by Mr. Grasso.”