Clark Co. Park District holds Special Meeting –

Clark Co., IL. (ECWd) –

Update: 5-29-2015 – added the audio recording to the bottom of the article. It is about 1 hour and 41 minutes long.

Just two days after having to cancel a committee meeting because there were no appointed committee members, the Clark County Park District Board of Commissioner held another meeting.

This meeting was a Special Meeting of the Board and the agenda consisted of appointing standing committees and committee chairs, reviewing the budget, taking action on the budget and appropriations ordinance, and public comment.

During public comment, I asked to the board to do something with their employee that treats people bad during meetings.

After public comment, the Chairman recommended members to the various standing committees and the Board approved all of them as laid out in their policy manual.

There was a lengthy discussion on the budget and a laundry list of changes to be made, including placing the actual cash balance at the beginning of the fiscal year into the budget ordinance. The board approved placing the temporary budget and appropriations ordinance before the public and made it available for public inspection for the next 30 days.

The Illinois Park District Code contains special requirements that must be followed prior to taking final action on the budget and appropriations ordinance.

Section 4-4 of the Park District Code specifically states:

Such budget and appropriation ordinance shall be prepared in tentative form by some person or persons designated by the governing body, and in such tentative form shall be made conveniently available to public inspection for at least 30 days prior to final action thereon.

At least one public hearing shall be held as to such budget and appropriation ordinance prior to final action thereon, notice of which shall be given by publication in a newspaper published in such Park District, at least one week prior to the time of such hearing.

PRIOR to taking final action on the budget and appropriations ordinance, the tentative budget must be open for inspection for 30 days, there must be at least one hearing, and the hearing notice(s) must be published in a newspaper at least one week in advance of the hearing.

This meeting went better than the last one, but there is still work to do.

Audio recording of the May 28, 2015 meeting: