It took awhile?#34;between 15 and 40 years depending on the estimate?#34;but last Wednesday Oak Park’s village government and park district agreed in principle to a formal transfer of village owned land long managed by the park district.
The unusual joint meeting of the village and park boards involved discussion of that property transfer, the continuation of annual funding for the park district under an intergovernmental agreement between the two boards, and the reconvening of a Council of Governments with representatives from all local governing bodies.
The decision on the property transfer represents a sea change in relations between the two boards. Under the previous administration of Village President Joanne Trapani, relations between the two boards were strained at best, and at times hostile. Wednesday night, however, Village President David Pope told the assembled park commissioners that when his board sat down to formulate a list of priorities following the April election, “Resolving the issues with the park district came up as one of the highest priorities on our agenda.”
Except for the details and fine print, Pope and the trustees expressed unabashed willingness to turn over the land and buildings to the park district with a few minor caveats. One trustee after another praised the park district’s progress in assuming full stewardship of its properties.
“This is the easiest decision we’ve ever had to make in the last two-and-one-half-years,” said Trustee Robert Milstein.
Park board President David Kindler began the evening by telling the assemblage that he believed the time had come to resolve an issue that has been around for four decades. That issue, he said, has remained unresolved up to now, “to the detriment of quality park services.”
Kindler noted that there had been an agreement back in 1990 to transfer park property, but that in 15 years it had failed to be fulfilled.
“Which even by Oak Park standards is a long time,” he added to general laughter.
The transfer would involve a total of six recreation centers. Four parks are currently owned in total by the village, including Anderson, Barrie, Carroll and Field. The village owns the buildings at Fox Center and Longfellow, while the park district owns the Randolph and Wenonah tot lots in total, along with Stevenson Center.
One cloud still hanging over the transfer is the need to address long deferred maintenance work on numerous park district buildings. Both side agreed that needed to be a priority.
“We’re sensitive to the need to be able to play financial catch up,” said Pope. “We’re more than sensitive to the need for capital development.”
The property transfer decision is just part of an ongoing process of change within the district as it assumes full political and operational independence. Park District Vice President Tom Philion told trustees that the park district believes it must “reinvent itself, and focus more on customer service.” As part of that, Philion said, the district was getting its financial house in order. He referred to the April tax hike referendum as evidence that Oak Park voters are supportive of that process, saying, “I think the public saw we were making a good case.”
Philion also said the park district needs to set out on what he termed “a new path of governance,” one more in line with the independent manner in which the majority of Illinois park districts are operated.
Yet while the park district emphasized independence, it also said it welcomed cooperation and even interdependence with other village governing entities.
There was broad general agreement on the third agenda item, “Intergovernmental Coordination Issues,” with both village and park officials concurring that there needed to be closer coordination and collaboration on such issues as senior and youth services. Such cooperation, all agreed, would include the Oak Park Township.
“I think there’s an expectation by the public that we as public bodies will find a way to work together,” said Pope.
Philion said he supported the concept of individual organizations taking lead roles in specific efforts, with other village entities providing support as needed when asked.
Trustee Martha Brock made a personal plea for greater attention to festering problems among the village’s youth, particularly African American youth. Brock called for doing whatever it takes to address such pressing issues as the high degree of minority involvement with the high school’s disciplinary process.
“I’m saying tonight, whatever it takes to get things moving, I’m going to clear my schedule to get this done.”
“I don’t want to sit here as an African American and see those numbers,” said Brock. “Those numbers are disheartening.”
Trustee Ray Johnson urged that officials take a “wholistic approach” to building synergies between different agencies in the village.
“I do want us to take a leadership role (in that process) as a village,” he said.
Trustee Geoff Baker urged that the village board “seize the moment” and establish dates certain in the immediate future for discussion of the issues. Saying that the actions that village government takes on such issues involve “deliberately weaving the fabric of the community,” Baker told his colleagues that the question wasn’t whether village leaders can do it, but rather, “whether we will do it.”
“The hardest part is getting (all the governmental entities) together for discussion,” he said.