THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION took off to an exciting and fast-paced start when it began on January 11, 1999. For the remaining session calendar, see page 15.
Governor Ryan also hit the ground running by quickly retaining some directors and making new appointments for the state departments. Top on our list of notables is Ill. Department of Natural Resources director Brent Manning, who will continue serving the DNR in the fine manner he has in the past.
Of note as well are the first-time awards for the new Illinois Public Museum Grant Program, which were distributed prior to Governor Edgar leaving office in January. For more on that program and the grants given, seepage 17.
A new legislative session means new initiatives and your associations have made the following items part of the 1999/2000 Legislative Platform. The full platform can be found at the front of this issue of the magazine as a special insert. Here are some highlights.
• Clarify statutory authority to lease parcels of up to 20 acres of property with tax exempt status.
• Restore bonding ability to those park districts without existing authority or with severely limited authority when tax cap bonding amendment was enacted.
• Permit park districts to statuterily accumulate funds for specific capital projects.
• Seek legislation permitting park districts to lease park property to a for-profit corporation if it will be used exclusively for recreational purposes.
• Seek to initiate an increase in funding levels of OSIAD as advocated by Governor Ryan.
• Support efforts of the Illinois Sports Authority to establish a grant program for youth sports facilities.
• Clarify that the use of a referendum approved bond issue does not eliminate a park district's non- referendum bonding ability.
• Seek legislation to exempt the tax for Joint Recreation Programs for the Handicapped from the Property Tax Extension Limitation Act.
• Seek amendment to allow municipalities to use drug seizure money for programs designed for youth at risk.
• Permit park districts to transfer interest earnings from one fund to another at discretion of the board.
• Raise rate ceilings in the corporation and recreation fund levies without referendum (only in tax cap counties) to enhance flexibility in budgeting.
In addition to this exciting and aggressive legislative program we will also be reacting to new bill introductions by other groups and legislators. Some of the more notable of these to date are included in Bill Watch.
Bidding
HB 1372 (Hoffman)
Creates the Second
Lowest Bidders' Protection Act. Provides that
the second lowest bidder
on a public works project
and any person who
entered into a contract
with the second lowest
bidder who suffers
damages as a result of
the rejection of a bid for
the public works project
because the successful
bidder violated certain
labor Acts may bring an
action for damages
against the violator/
subject to specified
restrictions.
Bingo
SB 32 (O'MALLEY,
WALSH)
Amends Bingo License &
Tax Act; provides that a
park district may provide
a premise for the conduct
of bingo without
obtaining a license from
the Department.
Computers, Donated
HB 497 (Names,
Mathias)
To create a program to
refurbish and upgrade
donated computers as
high quality computers
for use by children in
schools, park district
programs, and community centers; requires
Corrections Dept. to start
a correctional industry
whereby donated
computers are refurbished by prisoners.
Computer Immunity
HB 293 (Frifrchey)
Creates the Local
Government Computer
Immunity Act and
amends the Court of
Claims Act, State Lawsuit
Immunity Act and the
Local Governmental and
Employees Tort Immunity
Act; provides that no
cause of action may be
brought against the State
or any of its agencies or
against a local public
entity or employee on the
basis that a computer or
other information system
produced/ calculated or
generated an incorrect
date, regardless of the
cause of the error; other
related provisions.
Conservation Congress
HB 463 (Novak,
Brunsvold)
New Act; the Conservation Congress Act;
establishes such in the
Natural Resources Dept;
provides that Dept. shall
14 Illinois Parks and Recreation
adopt rules to administer such; defines congress composition.
Criminal Code
SB 7 (O'Malley)
Amends Criminal Code;
provides that it is a Class
4 felony for sex offenders
to be present in a public
park building or grounds,
or to loiter on a public
way within 500 feet of
any of those places when
persons under 18 are
present in the building or
grounds.
HB 408 (L. Long)
Amends Criminal Code;
provides that the offense
of threatening a public
official includes conveying
the threat by radio or
computer.
Debt Reform
HB 473 (Schoenberg)
Amends Local Government Debt Reform Act;
provides that, with
authorization of the
governing body, the
treasurer of a governmental unit may join with the
treasurers of other
governmental units to
jointly invest funds in the
treasurer's custody.
DNR Appropriation
HB 289 (Hartke)
Appropriates $350,000
to Dept. of Natural
Resources for the City of
Effingham to develop and
construct recreational and
athletic facilities.
HB 296 (Feigenholtz)
Appropriates $10 million
to Dept. of Natural
Resources for a grant to
the Chicago Park District
for repairing the Lake
Michigan shoreline.
Emergency Vehicles
HB 1396 (Scott)
Amends the Illinois
Vehicle Code to provide
that the Local Governmental and Governmental
Employees Tort Immunity
Act shall not be superseded by provisions of the
Illinois Vehicle Code
requiring public employees who are driving
emergency vehicles to
drive with due regard to
the safety of all persons.
Family and Medical
Leave
HB 2 (M. Madigan)
New Act; the Family
and Medical Leave Act;
similar provisions to
those in the federal Act
of 1 993, except that it
applies to employers
with 25 or more
(instead of 50 or more)
workers, and some of
the provisions of the
federal low regarding
federal workers and
federal matters have
been deleted or
changed.
Flex-lime Rights
HB 3 (M. Madigan)
New Act; the Flex-time
Rights Act; provides that
an employer of 25 or
more persons must
grant leave of up to
total of 24 hours during
any calendar year to
workers who meet
specified eligibility
criteria.
Freedom of
Information
HB 538 (Hamos)
Amends Freedom of
Information Act;
provides that information that is requested to
further a commercial
enterprise or purpose is
exempt from public
copying and inspection.
IMRF
HB 441 (Giglio)
Amends IMRF Pension
Article to compound
automatic annual
increase in retirement,
incremental, disability,
and survivor annuities.
Amends State Mandates Act.
SB 100 (Burzynski,
R. Madigan)
Amends IMRF Article of
Pension Code; provides
a program of group
health benefits for
retired employees and
their dependents/
survivors. Provides that
Fund defray part of cost
of participation; active
employees shall
contribute 1 % of
earnings and employees
1.25% of payroll to
subsidize participation
costs. Amends State
Mandates Act.
Intergovernmental
Cooperation
SB 351 (Geo-Karis)
Amends the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act.
Amends the provision
governing intergovernmental agreements by
providing that agencies
created under that
Section are not intended
to become separate
suable entities. Provides
that the amendatory Act
is not intended to create
additional liability
exposure for the
individual agencies
participating in the
agreement.
Lease of Land
SB 311 (Link)
Amends the Civil
Administrative Code of
Illinois. Provides that the
Department of Transportation may grant a lease of
land or property to a
governmental unit for a
period of not longer than
99 years (now for a
period no longer than 5
years.)
Municipal Code
HB 390 (Skinner,
Lindner)
Amends Municipal Code;
provides that if property
in a municipality also lies
within a park district and
is being taxed for
recreation purposes by
both muni. and park
district, then corporate
muni. authorities may pay
all or part of park district
tax to the County
Treasurer. County clerk
shall abate in proportionate amounts for each
parcel the tax extension
of the park district.
Open Space
HB 211 (Slone,
Winters, Lindner,
Scott, Lawfer)
Creates the County and
Municipal Open Space
Law; authorized the
acquisition of open space
areas for the preservation
and maintenance of open
land, scenic roadways,
and pathways; provides
for hearings; authorizes
bonds issuance and tax
levies; creates the
Farmland Development
Rights Law.
SB 1087 (Karpiel)
Creates the Illinois Open
Land Trust Act. Allows the
DNR to develop and
administer a program to
acquire real property for
conservation and
recreation purposes, to
make grants and loans to
units of local government
and not-for-profit
corporations for such
purposes.
Prevailing Wage
HB 1375 (HoffmanLang)
Amends the Prevailing
Wage Act and the State
Finance Act. Provides
that the Deportment of
Labor shall complete its
investigation of a
complaint alleging a
violation of the Prevailing
Wage Act within 90 days
after it is filed. Provides
that, if the Deportment of
Labor has not made a
final determination on a
complaint within 1 80
days after it is filed, the
Director of labor shall
refer the complaint to the
Attorney General, who
shall then determine
whether to sue to
enforce the Act and
prosecute violations.
Requires contractors and
subcontractors covered
by the Act to post the
prevailing wage rates at
a location that is easily
accessible to employees
engaged on the project.
Provides that failure to
complete with a
subpoena is a violation of
the Act. Creates the
Prevailing Wage
Enforcement Fund as a
special fund in the State
treasury. Provides that
penalties collected for
violations of the
Prevailing Wage Act
shall be deposited into
the Fund and moneys in
the Fund shall be used to
conduct investigations
under the Act.
Property Rights
HB 110 (Lawfer)
New Act; the Properly
Rights Preservation Law
& the Relief for Diminished Property Value
Law; requires Attorney
General to provide to
SPRING SESSION DATES
Illinois House of Representatives
March 2-5, 9-13, 16-20, 22-26
April 14-16, 20-23, 27-30
May 3-7, 11-21
Illinois Senate
March 2-4, 9-11, 16-19, 23-26
April 14-16, 20-22, 27-29
May 4-7, 11-14, 18-21
IAPD LEGISLATIVE
CONFERENCE
May 4-5
Springfield Hilton
March/April 1999 15
STATE HOUSE INSIDER
state & local agencies guidelines to assist in identifying and evaluating state-local government actions that may result in taking of private property such that compensation to the owner is required under the state of U.S. Constitution; requires such agencies to assess whether a government action may result in such a taking of private property; provides a cause of action for owners and enforcement by the Attorney General.
SB 26 (Petka)
Limits the eminent
domain activity of units
of local government.
Prohibits the taking of
property for recreational
purposes if owner
occupied.
Property Tax Code
SB 37 (Peterson)
Amends Property Tax
Code regarding filing of
tax objection complaints
in counties under 3
million; provides that
county clerk shall notify
each taxing district that
may be affected by the
complaint of the reason
for the tax objection;
exempts Mandates Act;
other provisions.
SB 104 (Radogno)
Amends Property Tax
Extension Law in
Property Tax Code;
provides that for levy
years before 1999,
taxing districts reducing
their aggregate
extension for the
preceding year shall use
the highest aggregate
extension in any of the
last 3 years for computing the limited rate. For
1999 levy year and
after, if the aggregate
extension is less than the
amount authorized, the
difference may be added
to the numerator in
computation of the
limiting rate for
succeeding years.
HB 109 (Lindner,
Skinner)
Amends Property Tax
Code; provides if
governing authority of a
taxing district determines
that a surplus of funds is
available for a special
purpose, the authority
may abate all or part of
the extension for that
special purpose for the
year.
HB 263 (Giglio)
Amends the Property Tax
Code; provides that
beginning with the 1999
levy year, assessor may
not increase the value of
a tract or lot of land by
more than 5% over the
assessed value of the
previous year, unless the
value increase is due to
new or added buildings,
structures, or other
improvements or if the
amount of increase in
value exceeding 5% was
established in the sale of
the property in an arms
length transaction.
HB 1327
(Cowlishaw)
Amends the Property Tax
Code. Provides that a
taxing district may
intervene in any case in
which an objection is
filed against the taxing
district's levy by filing an
appearance in the case
with notice. Provides that
the taxing district is then
responsible for defending
the levy and the State's
Attorney is relieved of the
defense. Provides that the
taxing district may also
then participate in the
court conference with the
objector. Effective
immediately.
Speed Limits
HB 482 (Scott)
Allows a park district, city,
village, incorporated
town, or county board to
adopt an ordinance
which changes the
maximum speed limit on
roads within their
jurisdiction by publication
of notice in a newspaper
of general circulation at
least 3 times, with the last
publication coming not
less than 30 days prior to
the implementation of the
change.
Tux COD
SB 345 (Parker)
Amends the Property Tax
Extension Limitation Law
in the Property Tax Code.
In the definition of
"aggregate extension"
for taxing districts that
were not subject to the
law before the 1995 levy
year (except those taxing
districts subject to the law
by referendum) excludes
extensions made to fund
the district's expenses to
provide recreational
programs for the
handicapped under the
Park District Code.
Truth in Taxation
SB 36 (O'Malley)
Amends Truth in Taxation
Law; requires taxing
districts to hold public
hearings on their
intention to adopt an
aggregate levy; sets
uniform dates for the
public hearings of local
taxing districts; exempts
Mandates Act.
Vehicle Code
SB 101 (Parker)
Amends Vehicle Code;
For liability purposes,
provides that bicyclists
are intended users of all
streets and highways in
Illinois except those
where bicycles are
prohibited.
SENATE
LEADERSHIP
Senate President James
Philip announced the
following Republican
leadership appointments: Sen. Stanley B.
Weaver, majority leader;
Sen. Adeline J. Geo-
Karis, Sen. John W.
Maitland, Sen. Laura
Kent Donahue, Sen.
Frank Watson and Sen.
Walt W.Dudycz,
assistant majority
leaders; Sen. Doris C.
Karpiel, caucus chair;
Sen. Edward F. Petka, majority whip. Minority Leader Emil Jones announced the following Democratic leadership appointments: Sen. Vince Demuzio, Sen. Miguel del Valle, Sen. Patrick Welch, Sen. William Shaw and Sen. James DeLeo, assistant minority leaders; Sen. Margaret Smith, caucus chair; Sen. Evelyn Bowles, deputy caucus chair; Sen. Debbie Halvorson, minority whip; Sen. Louis Viverito, minority whip.
PHILIP
APPOINTS
COMMITTEE
CHAIRMEN
Sen. James Philip has
appointed the following
chairmen and vice
chairmen to the Senate
standing committees:
Agriculture & Conservation, Sieben (Ch.), Noland (VC); Environment & Energy, Mahar (Ch) Maitland (VC); Executive, Klemm (C) Petka (VC); Judiciary, Hawkinson (Ch) Dillard (VC); Local Government, Dillard (Ch) Lauzen (VC); Rules Weaver (Ch) Dillard (VC).
HOUSE
LEADERSHIP
House Majority Leader
Michael Madigan has
announced the
following appointments
to the Democratic
leadership: Rep. Barbara
Currie, majority leader;
Rep. Ralph Caparelli
and Rep. Art Turner,
deputy majority leaders;
Rep. Kurt Granberg,
Rep. Gary Hannig, Rep.
Lou Jones, Rep. Chuck
Hartke, Rep. Joel
Brunsvold and Rep.
Lou Lang, assistant
majority leaders; Rep.
Edgar Lopez, majority
conference chairman.
House Minority Leader Lee Daniels has announced the following appointments to the Republican leadership: Rep. Art Tenhouse and Rep. Tom Ryder, deputy minority leaders; Rep. William Black, Rep. Kathleen Wojcik, Rep. David Leitch, Rep. Ron Stephens, Rep. Dan Rutherford and Rep. Tom Cross, assistant minority leaders; Rep. Patricia Lindner was named Republic conference chair.
$10 MILLION
IN MUSEUM
GRANTS
Grants totalling $10
million were awarded in
January to 30 public
museums in Illinois to
help expand facilities
and create new exhibits.
They represent the first
awards through the
five-year, $50-million
Public Museum Capital
Grants Program created
by the Edgar administration last year.
Each dollar in state funding requires an additional $2 in matching funds through local public or private support. The capital grant program is
16 Illinois Parks and Recreation
ISSUES & INSIGHTS FROM THE LEGAL / LEGISLATIVE SCENE
administered by the Dept. of Natural Resources and is available to Illinois museums operated by or located on land owned by a unit of local government.
For additional information, contact the Illinois State Museum, Spring and Edwards, Springfield, Illinois 62706-5000, 217.782.7388.
Adler Planetarium &
Astronomy Museum
(Chicago)
$75,000 to renovate
and expand the addition
of the "Sky Pavilion,"
including the world's first
Star Rider virtual reality
planetarium theater.
Arlington Heights
Historical Museum
$10,000 for the initial
phase of a four-phase
project to design and
implement climate control
systems for the museum's
three historic buildings.
Art Institute of Chicago
$850, 000 to expand
and renovate the historic
1893 Allerton Building.
Batavia Park District
Depot Museum
$50,000 for a project
that includes the addition
of a classroom, research
area and archival
storage space to the
Depot Museum.
Buffalo Grove Park
District Raupp Memorial
Museum
$150,000 fora planned
addition to the museum
for new exhibits, added
programming, and
storage space for
collections.
Burpee Museum of
Natural History
(Rockford)
$450,000 for a museum
addition to house new
paleontology, biology and
ethnology exhibits, as
well as new classroom and
collection storage areas.
Chicago Academy of Sciences Peggy
Notebaert Nuture Museum
$33, 000 for a project
that includes construction
of exhibits for the Peggy
Notebaert Nature
Museum.
Chicago Athenaeum -
Museum of Architecture
and Design
$200, 000 toward this
museum campus in
Schaumburg which will
educate a new audience
about the vitality of
Chicago as an international art center and the
significance of art,
architecture and design in
the human environment.
Chicago Botanic Garden
leaching Center
(Glencoe)
$850, 000 toward this
project, which will include
the construction of "The
Enabling Garden" for
people with disabilities;
redevelopment of the
existing Teaching Center
as an educational facility;
and the addition of a new
Education and Administration Hall.
Chicago Historical Society
$550, 000 for the
renovation of the Sewell
Visitor Center.
Chicago Zoological Park
Brookfield Zoo
$850, 000 for a new 3.6-
acre exhibit, "Habitat
Africa! The "Forest" will
include outdoor trails and
a building that features
unique animals of the
central African rainforest.
Elk Grove Village Park
District Farmhouse
Museum
$50, 000 for a project
that includes the
construction of a visitor
center and classroom,
new exhibits and the
exterior-interior restoration of the circa 1856
farmhouse.
Field Museum of Natural
History (Chicago)
$850, 000 for a project
that will include
preparation and
exhibition of a rare
Tyrannosaurus rex fossil
dating bock 65 million
years.
Glenview Park District,
The Grove National
Historic Landmark
$20, 000 for the
construction of a new
greenhouse adjacent to
The Grove Interpretive
Center will provide a
programming area to
explain wetlands ecology
and function.
John G.Shedd
Aquarium (Chicago)
$850, 000 for a project
that includes the
redesign of all galleries
in the original building
and the addition of two
new wings.
Lake County Forest
Preserves, Lake County
Museum
$250, 000 for a new
permanent exhibition
presented as "The Lake
County Mall of History"
will include 1 1 unique
store environments that
will tell the story of Lake
County settlement and
development from
ancient native Americans to current social
Lincoln Park Zoo
(Chicago)
$850, 000 to rebuild
the 30-year-old Sea Lion
Pool, making it into a
contemporary facility.
Madison County
Historical Museum
(Edwardsville)
$25, 000 toward the
purchase and restoration of the building
adjacent to the current
museum.
Mexican Fine Arts
Center Museum
(Chicago)
$320, 000 for the
expansion will increase
cultural opportunities for
youth and families as it
promotes tourism in the
Pilsen-Little Village
Community.
Midway village and
Museum Center
(Rodcford)
$200, 000 to provide
quality care of collections
and eligibility for high
quality traveling
exhibitions.
Museum of Science and
Industry (Chicago)
$850, 000 for three
new permanent exhibits:
"Enterprise," which
includes a management
learning lab and the
National Business Hall of
Fame; and "Networld."
Park District of Oak
Park Eartg Shelter
Interpretive Center
$100, 000 for construction of an Earth Shelter
Interpretive Center to be
located adjacent to the
historic 1929 Oak Park
Conservatory.
Oregon Park District
Chana School Museum
and Education Center
$15, 000 for moving and
restoring an 1883 two-
room schoolhouse to its
original design; restoring
sand hill prairie on the
site to integrate
ecological and historical
roots; development of
exhibit space which will
enable the museum to
present programs and
exhibits; and establishment of learning links to
other museums to support
the rural education focus
of the curriculum.
Riverfront Museum Park
• Rockford Art Museum
and Discovery Center
Museum
$150, 000 to create
science exhibits,
renovate a science
classroom, establish a
new interactive information area, and create an
accessible vestibule
connection to an
underground tunnel
between Riverfront
Museum Park and the
Burpee Museum of
Natural History as part of
the development of the
museum campus.
Skokie Park District
Emily Oaks Nature
Center
$100, 000 for a new
interpretive exhibit,
"Woodland Wander
Inn," will include 17
interpretive stations in
the discovery room and
interpretive signs along
nature trails.
Smith Museum of
Stained Glass Windows
and American Art
(Chicago)
$ 100, 000 toward the
establishment of a
museum at Navy Pier.
Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum (Rodcford)
$100, 000 to restore the
Tinker Swiss Cottage and
place the museum within
its 19'1' century context.
Urbana Park District
Anna Purves Nature
Center
$25, 000 for new
exhibits to enhance
educational programs at
the facility.
Village of Addison
Historical Museum
$55, 000 toward the
purchase of the historic
1 892 Balzar house.
West Chicago City
Museum
$50, 000 for the
Expansion 2000 project,
which includes renovation of the existing
facility.
CORRECTIONS • Clarendon Hills Park District's bond proposition was in the amount not to exceed $4.9 million. • The Oakbrook Terrace Park District did not have a referenda on the ballot. • Both propositions by the Urbana Park District failed. |
March/April 1999 ¦ 17