The Aurora Finance Committee on Oct. 30 heard Parks and Recreation Superintendent Gio Santana outline proposed 2025 investments for parks, including irrigation at Wilder Park, replacement of an obsolete greenhouse ventilation control system and initial funding to conserve Mastodon bones displayed at Mastodon Lake.

Santana told the committee the department completed several 2024 projects, including tennis court repairs at Salversburg Park, infield renovations at Hunt South baseball field and a GIS tree inventory of 10 legacy park sites. "They're self enclosed. They prevent a lot of flyaway litter, but they also have smart capabilities that enable notifications when they need to be serviced," Santana said of recently installed solar compacting trash bins at Phillips Park.

The department presented several decision packages for 2025. The ventilation control request would replace an obsolete automated system that manages temperature in the Phillips Park greenhouse, where staff grow between 35,000 and 40,000 plants annually. Santana said the new system would preserve plants and include a mobile app for remote monitoring and control. The committee heard a proposal to install irrigation at Wilder Park beyond the promenade beds; staff said irrigation would reduce staff time spent hand-watering and save fuel costs from repeated truck trips.

Santana also described a request to fund conservation work for Mastodon bones displayed at Mastodon Lake. "Cleaning and stabilization of the bones would be the first part in 2025, but then also updating the cases so that they're more controlled as far as temperature and humidity for long lifelong preservation of the bones," Santana said. When asked about outside funding, Santana said parks staff are coordinating with the city grant-writing team and the GAR Museum to explore grants and other funding sources.

Committee members asked technical and implementation questions. Alderman Franco pressed for detail about the baseball infield material and maintenance; Santana explained the 2023–2024 infield work removed the top layer and mixed new infield material to improve drainage and playability. Alderman Bug asked whether the proposed reservation app could use the city27s existing TrackIt platform; Alex Alexander, chief management officer, said current scheduling apps are evolving quickly and that TrackIt was intended as more of an enterprise platform. Alexander said staff would provide aldermen with an update on TrackIt27s capabilities and limitations.

Santana said staff are working with the city attorney and outside counsel to reestablish a Friends/Foundation structure to support fundraising and volunteer activity for Phillips Park, the greenhouse, golf and the zoo. He said the revived group would be designed to include fundraising and volunteer subcomponents tailored to each facility.

The department said work tied to the parks master plan will continue in phases. Alex Alexander told the committee that the city hired the consulting firm White & Company to draft master plans for the park, the golf course and the zoo. He said those three efforts will likely be phased because of cost and practical constraints, and that staff expect to bring recommendations in 2025.