Politics & Government
Bill to Expand Plainfield Park Board Passes
Bill will add two new commissioners to the board.
Despite opposition from some members, House Bill 5593, which will expand the Plainfield Park District Board of Commissioners from five to seven members, passed the state Senate on Thursday.
The measure passed in a 36-18 vote, with two members voting present. The bill was sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-Shorewood) and in the House, where it passed last month, by State Reps. Tom Cross (R-Oswego) and Natalie Manley (D-Joliet). See the full Senate vote here.
The legislation will allow for two new members to be appointed — one by Bertino-Tarrant and one by Cross — to the non-partisan board. The appointees will serve until the 2015 consolidated election, at which point the posts will be up for election.
Bertino-Tarrant said she took action after residents came forward to voice their concerns.
"This was an issue that was brought to me by the community," she said, adding that residents in a group known as "Park Truth" have worked to combat issues on the board, to no avail. " ... I am there to support [residents]," Bertino-Tarrant said.
She said controversies since a new board majority took office last spring have created the need for additional representation, referring to allegations of ethics violations, labor violations and an investigation by state police. She also cited the hiring of Executive Director Garrett Peck, a Plainfield village trustee, which she called a "political patronage job."
Peck, who ran against Bertino-Tarrant in 2012, has since resigned from the park district but remains a village trustee.
Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, opposed the bill Tuesday, saying, "On the surface, this looks like the classic political insider [saying], 'We don't like what the voters did, so we're going to start hand-picking people and put them on the board.'"
Righter said the legislation "sets a nightmarish precedent" adding it essentially says "the voters must be so off-the-charts stupid" that the state must step in.
"Do we get to fix this, or do the voters get to fix this?" Righter asked.
Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Peru) agreed with Righter, saying she has not received any calls or emails from constituents asking the state to step in and take action on the park district board. "Clearly, this does set a terrible precedent," she said.
Plainfield resident Vicky Polito disputed Rezin's assertion that no residents contacted her regarding the issue — saying she called and emailed the senator.
"She’s not my senator, it’s true, but I called and wrote ALL 59 of them," Polito said.
Sen. Linda Holmes (D-Aurora), however, said she's heard from numerous residents upset with the goings-on at the park district. She urged members of the Senate to take action "while there's still money left in the park district."
Holmes also noted that the appointments are temporary. "It will be up for public for general election" in 2015, she said. The bill itself expires in June 2017.
“This is a difficult proposal for me to present but it is evident that our community needs it,” Bertino-Tarrant said in a press release issued after Thursday's vote.
“Today brings us one step closer to finalizing reforms to improve accountability and restore public trust with the Plainfield Park District Board," Cross said in a press release. "I would like to thank my colleagues, Sen. Bertino-Tarrant and Rep. e Manley, for their hard work and dedication in helping to make sure this issue is resolved. I also want to thank members of the Park Board for their support and encouragement of these reforms. I am hopeful the Governor will take swift action on the legislation."
The measure now awaits Gov. Pat Quinn's signature.
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