The April 21, 2026, Batavia Park District Board meeting kicked off just a hair past 7:00 p.m., bringing together the board for a night of community updates, local government business, and a surprisingly high volume of wordplay. Whether they were discussing a “wheelie” successful bike rack fundraiser, joking about a historic building being “plastered” in Wi-Fi, or making puns while discussing state representatives, the team kept the mood light.
Administrative Items and Public Correspondence
The meeting began with the call to order, roll call, and the establishment and approval of the consent agenda. An executive session was added to the agenda to discuss real estate matters. The board also reviewed public feedback and correspondence, including excitement over park projects and letters sent to state representatives.
- The meeting was called to order at 7:02 p.m. on April 21, 2026.
- An executive session regarding real estate purchase or lease (122C5) and setting a price for sale (122C6) was added to the agenda.
- The consent agenda was approved, which included a new 2026 Chrysler Pacifica minivan purchase and a lease agreement for the Lodge at Laurel.
- During public comment, a resident expressed excitement about the visible progress at Michael Wilde Park.
- Correspondence included a thank-you note from Casa Kane County and a resident’s voicemail praising Superintendent Alex Macias and the Parks team.
- The Executive Director, alongside staff members Josh and Kim, sent letters regarding the Michael Wilde project to local representatives, with Representative Hirshire expressing interest and Senator Villa acknowledging receipt.
Parks Foundation Update
The Batavia Parks Foundation provided an update on their recent fundraising efforts and upcoming park improvement initiatives. A recent event successfully raised initial funds for a new bike rack project.
- The Pedal Park Play fundraiser took place on Friday, April 10th at Sturdy Shelter Brewing.
- The event raised approximately $2,000 to initiate a new bike rack project.
- A popular raffle item at the event was a Hall Quarry Beach deck rental for ten people.
- The Foundation is proposing to install five total bike ramps at H. Michael Wild, Saratoga, Braeburn, Hartfield, and Fox Trail parks.
Technology Update
Max Czech from ConsultNet delivered a comprehensive IT update, detailing the proactive measures and cybersecurity improvements implemented since taking over the district’s IT support. The presentation highlighted successful infrastructure moves, strong employee satisfaction, and future technology strategies.
- ConsultNet handles IT support via an employee-accessible ticketing system.
- IT takes a proactive stance by monitoring internet connectivity, server availability, and performing daily automated backup restores at 5 a.m..
- Cybersecurity measures include a 24/7 Security Operations Center monitoring Endpoint Detection Response software, mandatory staff training, and phishing tests.
- An internal survey of 32 employees showed 90% satisfaction with IT services, though 41% of staff requested better training and knowledge sharing.
- In 2025, the district successfully moved to the Callahan Community Center, aided by municipal fiber, managed access, and surveillance deployments.
- Disaster recovery was improved by implementing cloud backups with “insider protection” against ransomware, and moving network-attached backup targets to the maintenance depot.
- Future plans include dividing the two physical servers to separate locations and evaluating the recreation management software.
General Announcements
The board shared several upcoming events and programmatic deadlines for the spring and summer seasons. This included program registrations, facility openings, and community events.
- Summer program registration is officially open for activities like swim lessons, camps, and tennis.
- Hall Quarry Beach passes are currently available at their lowest rate until April 30th, with opening day set for Saturday, May 23rd.
- A 21-and-over event called “Cheers to the Years,” featuring a historic downtown bar tour, is scheduled for May 1st.
- “Touch a Truck” will return on May 15th from 10 a.m. to noon at the Eastside Community Center parking lot.
Departmental Staff Reports
Various department heads provided operational updates covering human resources, recreation, parks maintenance, and finance. Key highlights included hiring progress, facility renovations, program enrollments, and an award for financial reporting excellence.
- Human Resources: The department is vetting approximately 50 applicants for the executive assistant role, hoping to introduce the hire in June.
- Human Resources: Staff safety training is shifting to an in-house video module format with quizzes.
- Human Resources: Seasonal staff onboarding is scheduled for May 4th and 14th under the theme “one summer, one team”.
- Recreation: Returning Kids Club registration began with over 200 sign-ups, and the New Horizons preschool will offer a full-day pre-K program next year.
- Parks: A youth baseball training session led by Matt Axamad successfully trained about 40 engaged coaches.
- Parks: Peter Henneberry is revamping the South Plaza landscaping, and the Hall Quarry Beach is receiving epoxy borders and new slides.
- Finance: The district received a GFOA award for its 2024 financial report, marking 15 straight years of this achievement.
- Finance: An IDNR Park Grant passed initial review, with reimbursement funds expected in two to three weeks.
Executive Director’s Report
The Executive Director updated the board on resident requests, pending state legislation, recent events, and ongoing facility projects. The report detailed efforts to collaborate with community members and push back against potentially costly state regulations.
- Staff met with a resident requesting amenities like a dog park or playground at Peter Frieder’s Park; the resident was invited to present to the board to demonstrate community need.
- The district is opposing pending IL state legislation that would replace DCFS with IDEC, as it could mandate costly licensing for all park district youth programs.
- A strategic master plan visioning workshop was held with staff on March 27th to evaluate mission statements and programming needs.
- The Hound Dog Egg Hunt on March 28th featured the Batavia Police Department’s therapy dog, River, who also supported staff following the loss of a long-time enrichment teacher.
- Depot Museum curator Jessica Meis won the Illinois Museum Professional of the Year award, and a 2025 exhibit won an Award of Excellence.
- A pilot for a full-day New Horizons pre-K option is launching for the fall, and spots are filling quickly.
- Hawthorne Beach concessions underwent a full renovation to install new countertops, cabinetry, and epoxy floors.
- Waste and recycling cans are being standardized and relocated district-wide, starting at the Riverwalk.
- A community input meeting for the Fox Trail Park playground replacement is scheduled for next Tuesday.
Business Items and Adjournment
The board addressed a final business item regarding playground maintenance materials before adjourning into an executive session.
- The board approved a $25,605 contract to Lavin Companies for the blown installation of ASTM playground safety mulch for 2026.
- A motion passed to enter into an executive session to discuss real estate matters, concluding the public portion of the meeting.
Author: Jim Fahrenbach
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