February Local Government Efficiency Committee Meeting – Residents Welcome!
Wildwood Residents are welcome and encouraged to attend the second of three required Decennial Committee on Local Government Efficiency Meetings that will be held at Rule House (33325 N. Sears Boulevard) on Tuesday, February 20th, 2024 at 6:00pm. An agenda for this meeting will be posted at the Wildwood Park District office and on our website no later than 48 hours before the meeting, per statute.
Overview
The Decennial Committees on Local Government Efficiency Act, 50 ILCS 70/1, et seq., requires units of local government that levy any tax, including park districts, forest preserve districts, and conservation districts, to form a committee to study local government efficiencies and issue a report to the county board in which the unit of local government is situated.
Committee Composition
Each committee must include:
- The elected or appointed members of the governing board of the governmental unit;
- At least two residents of the governmental unit appointed by the board president and approved by the board; and,
- The chief executive officer or other officer of the governmental unit.
- The Committee is made up of the Wildwood Park District Board of Commissioners, Park District Manager, and two Board-appointed Resident Committee Members.
Note: The chairperson may also appoint additional members to the committee as he or she believes appropriate. Committee members serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for incurred expenses with the approval of the governmental unit.
Duties of the Committee
- The Committee will study the Wildwood Park District’s governing statutes, ordinances, rules, procedures, powers, jurisdiction, shared services, intergovernmental agreements, and interrelationships with other governmental units and the State of Illinois.
- The Committee will also collect data, research, and analysis as necessary to prepare a written report that includes recommendations with respect to increased accountability and efficiency.
- Provide a written report delivered to the administrative office of the Lake County Board no later than eighteen months after the formation of the committee (formed May 2023).
Committee Meetings
The committee is required to meet at least three times. The committee may, but is not required, to meet during the regularly scheduled meeting of the governmental unit if the following conditions are met:
- Separate notice is given in conformance with the Open Meetings Act;
- The committee meeting is listed as part of the board of the governmental unit’s regular meeting agenda; and.
- At least a majority of the members of the committee are present at the committee’s meeting.
Each meeting of the committee must be public and held in accordance with the Open Meetings Act. The committee must provide an opportunity for any person to be heard at each meeting for at least three minutes. At the conclusion of each meeting, the committee must conduct a survey of residents who attended the meeting and ask for input on matters discussed at the meeting. Although not a required method, a survey conducted by email to all residents who attended the meeting and provided a valid email address is one way to satisfy this survey requirement. Pursuant to the Open Meetings Act, all public bodies must keep written minutes of the meeting.
Committee Report
After the report is provided to the administrative office of the county board of each county in which the governmental unit is located, the committee will be dissolved until it is reestablished with newly appointed members in 10 years.
Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) requests that member agencies provide a copy of their final report to IAPD so that we can utilize this information in future advocacy efforts.
Why It Matters
The purpose of the Local Government Efficiency Committee is to gather resident feedback, study, and report on the Wildwood Park District’s efficiency. The goal of the Wildwood Park District and the Local Government Efficiency Committee’s joint efforts is to improve efficiency and accountability, and continuously improve our effectiveness as a local government agency that contributes to the overall quality of life for the people who reside in the Wildwood community.
Questions?
Please direct inquiries to Wildwood Park District Manager, Brandon Magnini, at bmagnini@wildwoodparkdistrict.comor 847.223.7275.
