Legislative Platform Approved

The Legislative Platform for 1983/1984 has been approved. The Joint Legislative Committee whose task it was to form a platform that would address the most pressing needs of park, forest preserve and conservation districts in Illinois made its recommendations to the IAPD Board of Directors at the Annual State Conference. These recommendations represented a culmination of efforts that took over eight months of surveying the membership and exploring issues. It is a platform with exciting and challenging proposals — one that without question will provide every agency with a realistic and responsible set of issues upon which to approach their legislators for support. We encourage you to examine and discuss each issue with your board, director, and staff in order to determine how these platform items will assist your district in the conduct of its business and the benefits which will inure to it as a result. Specific examples of how these proposals will assist the district in providing recreational services and opportunities to your community should be drawn up and used as a basis for communications with your representative and senator.

The IAPD/IPRA Boards have approved the following legislative platform for 1983/1984.

LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM

I. A. Amendment to the Open Space Lands Acquisition Act (OSLA) to provide the authority to fund capital development projects. This legislation would address the situation faced by many Illinois communities which are for all practical purposes land locked, but would still like to qualify for state funds designated for the development of recreational opportunities in Illinois.

B. Establish a permanent source of funding for the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development program.

II. A. Clarification of the tax exempt status of park district property. This was the original intent of Ill. Rev. Stat. 1981, CH. 120, par. 500.18. However, in 1975, schools added language to this Section which cast ambiguity on its intent and it has subsequently been read and interpreted by some taxing officials to no longer hold as tax exempt those park district properties generating revenue.

7. Authorization for the state to provide a property tax exemption to private and public entities leasing land to a park district for not more than $1.00 a year. This legislation is designed to encourage those individuals and businesses which hold undeveloped open space to release this resource for the recreational use of their community.

III. Concession Agreement Authorization — Amendment to provide park districts express statutory authority to enter into concession agreements with private entities in order to carry out and effectuate the purposes of the district.

IV. Civil Rights Indemnification and Insurance. This amendment would provide park boards authority to insure against civil rights claims and mandate indemnification of park board members, employees and voluntary personnel in the event insurance does not cover a given case.

V. Authorization to grant easements to private utilities.

While park districts do have the authority under the provisions of the Municipal Transfer Act and under their intergovernmental powers to grant easements to public entities for utilities, at this time they technically do not have the authority to grant easements to private corporations.

VI. Provide for the issuance of General Obligation Bonds, pursuant to referendum, to pay off Outstanding Revenue Bonds on Ice Rinks and Racquet Centers.

VII. Removal of referendum requirements from paving & lighting tax. This proposal would amend Section 5-6 of the Park District Code and put all park districts on an equal basis by removing the referendum requirement that park districts organized before July 1, 1963, must comply with before levying a tax of not to exceed .005% for the purpose of paving and lighting streets.

VIII. Removal of referendum requirements from police tax.

This proposal would amend Section 5-9 of the Park District Code to remove the referendum requirements from those districts organized before July 1, 1973. This would enable all park districts to levy a tax of not to exceed .025% for the purpose of organizing and maintaining a police system on an equal basis.

IX. Amend Special Recreation Authority to provide that a single park district and municipality may form an S.R.A.

X. Amendment to Motor Fuel Tax. If the legislature provides for an increase in the motor fuel tax, then authority will be sought to include park districts in the distribution of these monies.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 11 January/February 1983