Left with a vacancy on the board at the end of last month’s meeting, the Waterloo Park District welcomed a new commissioner last week on top of discussions about a booming addition to its Veterans Memorial.

Following the recent departure of park district board member Curtis Haentzler in January, Peggy Smith was brought on to fill this seat.

It was noted by Waterloo Park District Attorney Paul Schimpf that Smith will serve the remaining term until the spring 2027 election.

Speaking further on Smith’s appointment, Schimpf offered response to some comments made on social media expressing concern over the process.

“There is no process specified per se in the Illinois Park District code. In the past, vacancies have just been filled by commissioners asking to find somebody to serve,” Schimpf said. “This is an unpaid position, as everybody knows, so it’s not like there’s a line of people fighting to get this position.”

He added the board could consider making an addition to the district ethics policy regarding the appointment process, though he didn’t expressly recommend such an addition.

Haentzler’s departure also left the board position of vice president open. Commissioner Gina Pfund was nominated and unanimously appointed.

The lengthiest discussion stemmed from a presentation offered by Waterloo Mayor Stan Darter, who spoke during public comment to share the city’s plans concerning the acquisition of a military cannon to be placed at the Veterans Memorial in Lakeview Park.

As noted in his presentation, the cannon is a light, towed Howitzer from the U.S. Army, manufactured for service in World War II.

Darter offered pictures which showed the cannon is heavily rusted and worn, though he suggested that, after some work, it should ultimately look similar to another memorial armament elsewhere in the county.

“Once it arrives, then we would either have city employees or someone else actually sandblast it, renovate it completely and paint it back to what color the military says it should be, which should be similar to the one that’s in Valmeyer,” Darter said. “That one’s been at the Valmeyer American Legion for quite a few years.”

Darter explained the city has been pursuing some sort of military equipment to be used as a memorial for some time. The earliest application was in 2016 in pursuit of a small tank.

Waterloo was recently and finally extended an offer for this cannon, prompting his and the city council’s interest in working with the park district.

The cannon would be placed near the edge of the Veterans Memorial’s central circle. To prepare the space, a concrete pad would need to be set up among the rocks before the cannon is actually delivered.

Darter further spoke about replacing or adjusting the shrubs grouped around the memorial as they’ve grown significantly since originally planted.

With apparent agreement among park district commissioners, Darter noted there is currently no proper timeline for acquiring and placing the cannon; he simply wanted to properly establish a partnership between the city and park district on this project.

Speaking at the end of the meeting, Waterloo Alderman Jim Trantham also spoke briefly on the project, noting support among the city council when it comes to working with the park district.

Also offering public comment was Bob Dittman, who introduced himself as a member of the NOFA Jeep Army – a nonprofit group which hosts fundraisers throughout the year to raise awareness and support those in the community battling cancer.

Dittman explained to the board that the group previously hosted a “Hike a Mile in Their Boots” Hike-A-Thon in Columbia last year, and members were curious about bringing this event to Waterloo.

“We have another board member who is also a resident, and he is an active hiker, and he thought it would be really neat for them to hike their last mile on an actual trail, so his idea was to have it at Lakeview and hike the Turtle Creek Trail,” Dittman said.

Waterloo Park District President Mary Gardner encouraged Dittman to send more information after the meeting, though it was noted park district and city ordinances pertaining to food trucks could cause an issue for the event as they intend to have food trucks at the Lakeview Park pavilion.

Lisa Pecha with the Waterloo Park District Foundation also spoke, noting supplies left over from last year’s “Family Fun Day in the Park” event.

Pecha described plans to host another such event toward the end of May this year. She also hopes to host another stargazing event in July as well as a general nature-themed event in September, likely involving a craft project like birdseed feeders.

Waterloo Park District Superintendent Don Prater’s report remained small this month thanks to the winter quiet, though he did speak about the state of the heat pump at the Waterloo Community Splash Pad – saying it was under control following defrosting and a filter change – and talk among local athletics teams to make use of the park district’s fields.

Concerning the district’s budget process, Schimpf explained that a public hearing on the tax levy and budget ordinances for the year would be required before the April board meeting.

Additionally, the board discussed a request from Three Tails Parlor and Pantry to host an Easter egg hunt at the dog park in Lakeview, though commissioners – particularly Pfund and Scott Davis – ultimately spoke against the proposal, citing policy regarding the use of district property for commercial purposes as well as parking and traffic concerns.

“I mean, I love Three Tails, I love the idea of it, but unfortunately it’s not meshing with our policy,” Davis said.