McLean County Parks reports prairie burn planned, 51 more shelter reservations and beach upgrades

McLean County Parks & Recreation Director Mr. Steffa told the Property Committee on Jan. 6 that the department is preparing for the warm season and has a prairie burn scheduled for the following day if weather permits.

"We're just basically in prep mode, prepping for the upcoming warmer season. We are gonna do a prairie burn tomorrow if the weather holds out," Steffa said, identifying the planned burn at the south end of the park near the T intersection of 2300 North and 1300 East, by the small drainage that feeds the lake and adjacent to Pheasant Run Trail.

The director also highlighted a notable increase in facility use: "from 2024 to 2025, there was a jump in 51 shelter reservations," Steffa said, adding that outreach on Facebook and favorable weather were likely contributors. Committee members asked whether the county had run new advertising; Steffa said outreach so far has relied largely on Facebook and that the department hopes to expand to local electronic billboards this year.

Steffa addressed a recent beach closure and its impact on attendance, describing overall visitor flow as "pretty much a static flow," and said the department has made on-site improvements, including bringing in newer sand and installing a new playground. He framed staff performance as central to those gains: "I've been blessed with great staff... The staff people have been are really polite and respectful to people. We care about people," he said.

Committee members praised the department's work and encouraged additional advertising to build on rising shelter use. The Parks presentation closed with no public commentators and the committee moved to its next agenda item.

Provenance: topicintro SEG 023; topfinish SEG 181