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Minutes of a Meeting of the <br />North Olmsted Parks and Recreation Commission <br />December 4, 2006 <br /> <br />they are put forth. Mr. DiSalvo then asked if the Skate Park not being in the Plans was the major <br />cause for concern. The visitors responded that it was, because they saw the prints, too. <br /> <br />Mr. Crider then asked if the Rec Department maintained the Skate Park. Mr. DiSalvo replied that Rae <br />Ann manages the Skate Park. If anything needs to be done, she is the first one to contact the Rec <br />Department. Since the Commissioner has been with the Rec Department, that Skate Park has not <br />been treated as well as it could be. Mr. DiSalvo continued by saying that it is the Rec’s Skate Park, <br />not Rae Ann’s Skate Park. Fortunately for the Rec, she volunteers to manage it. If the Park is <br />managed and controlled, the problems go away. Hopefully, those problems have been reduced in the <br />last few years. Ms. Thomas agreed that they had. Mr. DiSalvo said that if the Skate Park does not <br />receive attention, it will turn into a problem spot. As long as it’s managed (and not just by Rae Ann) <br />by the Rec Department, it has not been a problem since the Commissioner has been with the Rec. The <br />Commissioner was asked if the Maintenance Department handled the Skate Park. Mr. DiSalvo said <br />that it is part of the property but, for some reason (and the Commissioner has spoken with Rae Ann <br />about this), it is not treated like part of the facility, and Ms. Thomas said this would attract people to <br />see other parts of the facility which, in turn, could generate more funds for the Rec Department. Ms. <br />Thomas said she did not mean to take up the Commissioner’s time on this matter; Mr. DiSalvo said a <br />lot of work has been put into the Skate Park, and he said that Rae Ann, and the City, deserves more <br />than what they’re getting. It was noted that Rae Ann has carried the ball for the Skate Park (Rae Ann <br />said it took five years to raise the money). The Commissioner admitted this was not fair to Rae Ann, <br />and agreed with Mr. Crider that it takes an exceptional person to work for five years. Mr. Crider said <br />that his son was a contributor to the Park, and that the stone by the Park was in memory of Julie <br />Crider, his grand daughter. Mr. Crider is also speaking as a citizen of North Olmsted and said that he <br />worked for the City for 35 years. He knows Tom Stein and asked if he would be the immediate <br />supervisor for the Park. Mr. DiSalvo said that falls under the Maintenance Department, and the <br />Commissioner said he did not know why the Skate Park gets overlooked. <br /> <br />Ms. Thomas said that her biggest concern with the Master Plan is not only maintenance, but she is also <br />concerned that that land would be utilized in a different way. She did not want to see some prefab <br />ramps put in, because that is not the way to go. If the Skate Park must be filled in and moved to <br />another location because it’s more feasible for that property to be used in another way, that it should <br />be drawn by an architect and done just as well as it is now. Mr. DiSalvo said that he knows the <br />current plans are that there would be the new parking lot for the new Rec Center, and the Skate Park <br />would stay where it is; there would be a parking lot and ball complex behind it. For as much money <br />that’s been invested, it’s foolish to do otherwise. <br /> <br />Mr. Garrity asked (and this was just an observation) why the architects hired by the City overlooked <br />what’s there? The City paid them to research the Rec Center; is there anything else that might have <br />possibly been overlooked, if they dropped the ball on the Skate Park. That’s their business. Mr. <br />DiSalvo said he understood that point. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelley then asked the visitors and the members of the commission to continue the meeting, and <br />the commission will open the floor when the Rec Commissioner has the floor. <br />Page 2 <br /> <br />