CLARK CO., IL. (ECWd) –
It is simply amazing the things people will say to push their personal agendas when it comes to the Clark County Park District Board.
During the Clark County Board meeting this morning, the new interim director of the park district was presenting the plans for leasing lots for county board approval of the plat plan. A county board member asked her if this plan of theirs violated the original agreement set forth when the park district was originally formed. The answer he received? “No, because our board approved it.” Why didn’t she simply say something like “Some people think so, but we found an attorney that agreed with us so we approve it at a meeting“? It would have been a whole lot closer to the truth.
Just for the record here, the original agreement set forth that the property was to be use solely for public recreational purposes – not for private home sites. The park board fished around and finally found an attorney that would give them the opinion they were looking for, then they voted to move forward with the project at their own meeting.
What is fascinating about this is they are now lying about the impact of leasing the lots and the violations of the original binding agreement. Just because a board approves something does not mean it is legal, correct, or enforceable, it simply means the board approved it – and the attorney’s opinion is just that, his opinion. The attorney will never sign their name pledging its truth nor will an attorney issue a warranty that their opinion is correct.
The Clark County State’s Attorney stated the situation correctly, that this is something the court will end up deciding and the board is only there to approve the plat if it is in compliance with the Plat Act – whether it is lawful to lease the property or not is not a decision of the County Board. I suppose the county board could end up with more votes against it than for it, after all, they cannot force any board member to vote a certain way.
