Greeting from the 2004 IAPD and IPRA Chairman

Jane Hodgkinson, CPRP
1PRA Chairman
Director/ Western DuPage Special Recreation Association

As the chairman of the Illinois Park and Recreation Association, I sometimes hear comments about the value of association membership. Some people question whether they receive value from their membership in the IPRA or IAPD. Many of these people do not belong to other associations, and they have no other comparison. Let me share some thoughts with you about involvement in the association and one of the benefits that it brings.

My involvement with IPRA started in 1971. Since then, I have met hundreds of people who are interested in the field of parks and recreation, conservation and special recreation. Some of those people are paid and some are volunteers who give their time and talents. There is no professional network that is like the park and recreation one — not doctors, or lawyers, or teachers or architects. I would be hard pressed to name an area of the state where our associations don't have people concerned with community park and recreation opportunities. Recently, that networking ability helped with the passage of SB83 and SB1881 (now officially known as Public Act 93-601 and Public Act 93-612).

Senate Bill 83 was a multi-year effort to restore non-referendum bonding authority to park districts that lost that ability under the property tax caps of the 1990s. Senate Bill 1881 was an initiative to help communities throughout Illinois provide special recreation services to their residents with special needs. The network and coalitions that formed to help with the passage of these two bills was one of the most involved and effective coalitions I have witnessed in my professional career.

Partnerships were developed with IPRA members, IAPD and the Chicago Park District to work on the strategy to pass the special recreation bill in the spring and then to override the governor's veto in the fall. Steve Hartman of the Skokie Park District hosted a meeting to define the best way to address the rising costs of providing inclusion services. The recommendation was to exempt the special recreation tax from the tax cap.

From there, the IAPD/IPRA Joint Legislative Committee endorsed and sought a sponsor. Recognizing that the Chicago Park District was also working on a similar bill, the process was united in the spring with Representative Julie Hamos from Evanston and Senator Don Harmon from Oak Park stepping into the lead sponsorship roles. Monthly strategy sessions were held, legislators were contacted, media was notified, and the bill passed both houses in the spring. After the surprising veto by the governor, the process shifted into a higher gear for the fall veto session. Peter Murphy of IAPD likened that fall effort to "getting ready for a marathon that ends on November 20."

Similarly, for several years, park districts have sought relief for their bonding authority that has prevented or reduced the ability to care for the infrastructures of the districts. With Senator Terry Link as the lead Senate sponsor, the partnership of the Cook County Forest Preserve, the Brookfield Zoo, IPRA, IAPD and the Botanic Gardens was formed.

The passage of these two bills in the fall veto session illustrates one of the greatest values that networking brings to us: The ability to find allies and partners that can help with the passage of legislation. The networks were in place because our state associations have worked to create and nourish them. Both bills were helped by the coalitions that were formed. As a result of these bills, agencies will have money for their infrastructure needs and every community in Illinois can provide special recreation services. This great field had a united effort come together. There really is no business like ours.

Clint Hull IAPD Chairman Commissioner/ St. Charles Park District Greetings!!! My name is Clint Hull and I am honored to serve as your chair for the upcoming year. Let me start by introducing myself. I live in St. Charles and have been a park board commissioner since 1996. I am in the middle of my second four-year term. My wife, Amy, and I have three children, T.C. (7), Brent (5), Christina (2), and Amy is expecting our fourth in June, just in time to make an appearance at Park District Conservation Day at the Illinois State Fair in August. When Im not attending IAPD or park district meetings, I am a prosecuting attorney in DeKalb. I have served as a prosecutor in Kane County and DeKalb County for most of the past ten years. Unfortunately, in that time, I have had too many opportunities to prosecute juveniles or young adults. Additionally, and just as unfortunately, I have heard these same youthful offenders tell the police and the court that they made the wrong decision because they were influenced by the wrong person, the wrong crowd or were under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. 36 | Illinois Parks and Recreation Clint Hull Continued Why do I share that experience with you? Because I know that as commissioners from across the state of Illinois, we are all committed to promoting the benefits of parks and recreation. Parks and recreation mean different things to each of us. To some, parks and recreation mean hunting, fishing or athletics. To others, parks and recreation may mean hiking, biking, conservation or numerous forms of passive recreation. And, still, to others, parks and recreation mean the arts, music and other educational opportunities. Whatever we think, EVERYONE should have the opportunity to enjoy our programs. The IAPD, IPRA, our own park districts and each of you, through your dedication and leadership, provide the citizens of Illinois the access and opportunity that makes a difference in people's lives. Whether it be a 4-year-old attending pre-K classes, a teen skating at a skate park, an adult taking an educational class or a disabled athlete participating in special Olympics, all share in the benefits that you help deliver. My goals and hopes for the following year are as follows: • As your chair, I want to be accessible to you. Thoughts? Ideas? Contact me so we can discuss how we can continue to improve the IAPD. • As a member of the board, I want to assist the IAPD in continuing its incredible successes like the Park District Youth License Plate Program and the PowerPlay! grants. These grants support and will continue to support after-school programs that lead to a decrease in criminal activity and alcohol and drug abuse throughout the state. I also want to continue to see IAPD's ever-increasing membership grow and to provide more opportunities and programs for you, the board member, to meet other commissioners and expand your ability to be a more effective board member. • Finally, I hope to continue the outstanding legislative successes by our very own commissioners that have led to the restoration of bonding authority for sixteen local park districts (Public Act 93-601) and additional funding opportunities for special recreation associations providing critical services to disabled persons throughout Illinois (Public Act 93-612). And, as a husband, dad and fan of parks and recreation, I hope my family and I can lead by example by richly sampling all the different types of recreational opportunities that our park districts have to offer. My family and I look forward to visiting park and forest preserve districts throughout the state. Do you have a program or a facility you would like to share? Let me know, my family and I will do our best to visit and report back all of our fun at the end of my term. I look forward to a busy and rewarding year !!!

February 2004 | 37