Boards & Commissions Supporting Documents - 08/01/1991 - Bath & Tennis Members' Committeeb
BATH & TENNIS MEMBERS' COMMITTEE
July 5, 1991
To: Village of Oak Brook Trustees
Subject: Village Ordinances
This committee was asked to support Sports Core management and
staffs efforts in enforcing rules which were described to us as
Village Ordinances. Most of these rules are found on a large
board posted near the pool area. Again they are described as
Village ordinances. We agreed because we believed that
compliance with Village ordinances was mandatory.
Because some members questioned what "No picnicing" meant, we
decided to read the ordinances ourselves for guidance. What an
eye opening experience that was. We discovered two things.
1.The ordinances pertaining to member conduct were not what we
had been told they were.
2.We discovered that there were also a number of ordinances
pertaining to the operation of the B & T and management's
responsibility to members.
We believe that there have been numerous violations of the
ordinances pertaining to the operation of the B & T. In fact a
number of the complaints members have raised, and other residents
have raised, should not have been treated as complaints. Rather
they should have been treated as possible violations of
ordinances by Village employees. Recent instances are so serious
to us and indicate the situation is deteriorating rather than
improving, that we are asking you to look into these matters
immediately and take appropriate action. It is also our opinion
that the contract that exists between the Village of Oak Brook
and members of the B & T may have been violated.
1.On Monday, July 1, 1991, a corporate outing for employees of
Quaker Oats, Gatorade division was held on the grounds of the
Bath & Tennis. Members of the B & T were denied the use of the
six bottom clay courts for the entire day. members playing on
the 3 upper clay courts were asked to leave because others were
waiting. The gazebo was reserved for this outing and the grass
area was set up to serve lunch. The number of tables and chairs
indicated approximately 100 participants. They were allowed
complete access to and use of the pools all afternoon, identified
only by their orange Quaker Oats T- shirts. They used the locker
rooms to change in and parked their cars in our lot. A large
Quaker Oats banner was hung on the Oak Brook Road entrance to the
B & T.
In our opinion this is the most blatant violation of members'
rights ever. We refer you to page 837 of the Oak Brook Code,
section (f) (1) which says that "The pools may be utilized by
family or individual season members and their registered guests."
p.839 section (g) (1) which says, "The tennis courts may be
utilized by family and individual season members and their
0 0
registered guests."
p.840 section (3) (g) on the tennis courts operating rules and
regulations. "There are no priorities. Everyone has an equal
right to use the courts."
p.843 (i) "Bath and tennis grounds rental. Any use of the
grounds of the bath and tennis club in the off season (after
Labor Day and prior to ... Memorial Day) may be authorized by the
sports core manager...
Both Mr. McAdams and Trustee Krafthefer were aware of this prior
to its start and Mr.McAdams told Mrs. Pitsch he had made all the
arrangements. They both seemed quite pleased. None of the
members were, we can assure you.
2. In May, Mr.McAdams asked Mrs. Pitsch if the committee would
agree that a group of Polo players and their families should be
given a discount on B & T memberships. Although they were non-
residents, Mr. McAdams suggested that if ten families joined,
they should be given a discount. When Mrs. Pitsch mentioned the
problems this could create and the precedent it would set,
Mr.McAdams told her he had the authority to do this and had done
it before. When she questioned why this group should be given a
discount when so many residential groups had asked for a break in
the fees because they were golfers or Sr. Citizens or
grandparents or whatever and had all been turned down? He said
it was because there were ten of them. She agreed to poll the
committee.
The committee unanimously agreed this should not be done. Some
members of the committee raised the issue again at a meeting to
be sure it had not been done. Trustee Krafthefer and Mr. McAdams
both agreed that the justification was that it would have been
$8000 straight to the bottom line. We were told it had not been
done because we were so upset about it.
Since the code is quite specific as to what the rates are and who
qualifies for each rate (p. 834 (b) Season membership and fee
schedule), we question why they have the authority to give
discounts and who has received a preferential discount?
3. On Saturday, June 29, 1991, B & T members were asked to leave
the Terrace outside the restaurant because there was a wedding.
This was the second Saturday in a row this happened. The bar was
also closed to members for the day for the same reason.
The Code states on p. 836 (e) "Operation of clubhouse. The bath
and tennis club facilities will be open pursuant to the schedule
established annually by corporate authorities." p.841 (h)
Clubhouse rental: (1) "The clubhouse may be rented for private
parties or events subject to availability and so as not to
conflict with scheduled membership events and commitments."
In the 1991 Sports Core brochure, on the page title 111991 Bath
and Tennis Clubhouse Schedule" under "Club Food April 8th
through September 20th, Hours of Operation, Luncheon" it says,
"daily -11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday food service on the
terrace and east patio only." Bar Service - "from May 24th
through September 2nd 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m."
When the members asked why they couldn't have lunch there, they
were told by Restaurant staff that wedding parties didn't want to
look at people in bathing suits. This same member had recently
abandoned her picnic lunches at our request and our assurance
that the facility would be available. Later that afternoon, a
guest at this wedding "mooned" a family of residential members in
the circle in front of the Clubhouse.
There have been at least three Saturdays this season when the
restaurant and Terrace were unavailable to members. This was a
very important issue to the members and we were promised by Mr.
McAdams that it would not happen.
4. According to these,same ordinances, member events have
priority over outside events. Yet during the winter, when Mrs.
Pawlowski and Mrs. Pitsch sat down with Mr. McAdams to schedule a
member social event, Mr. McAdams told them point blank that they
could not have a Saturday night. Without checking a calendar or a
specific date, he told them that he would not give up a Saturday
to the members when he might be able to rent the facility out.
5. We also believe that ordinances concerning use of the
Clubhouse by Oak Brook organizations have not been followed.
This is based on our own experiences and on the number of
complaints we have heard and received on this subject. It is
very unfortunate that so many Oak Brook organizations needlessly
bear us ill will.
While it is certainly within your power to change these
ordinances or any others, we do not believe it is within any
Trustee's power or any staff members power to choose to ignore
Village ordinances currently in effect. If some of you want to
turn the Sports Core into another Oak Brook Hills you certainly
have the power to do that. But it won't be done this year. When
members joined they made an agreement with you and we expect that
agreement to be honored.
These attitudes go to the heart of the problems at the B & T,
problems we have tried time and again to bring to your attention.
We expect you to take action now. We await your response.
The B & T
Starr Pitsch, Chairman
Faye Elbaz
Kathy Manof sky
Members' Committee
Renee' Cronin
Scott Krueger
Pam Pawlowski
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