11-128 Resolution No. 11-128
RESOLUTION
NAMING CITY PARK
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ELGIN,ILLINOIS,that
the park property located at 4600 Plank Road,Elgin,Illinois,commonly known as the regional park,
be and is hereby designated and named Jack E. Cook Park and Forest Preserve.
s/David J. Kaptain
David J. Kaptain, Mayor
Presented: July 27, 2011
Adopted: July 27, 2011
Omnibus Vote: Yeas: 6 Nays: 0
Attest:
s/Kimberly Dewis
Kimberly Dewis, City Clerk
TO M:AMAYOR & MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL E LG I N
THE CITY IN THE SUBURBS
AGENDA ITEM: E
MEETING DATE: July 13, 2011
ITEM:
Naming of the Regional Park
(No Cost to the City)
OBJECTIVE:
To provide an official name for the city's regional park located on Plank Road.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the regional park officially be named the Jack E. Cook Park and Forest
Preserve.
BACKGROUND
In 2006 the city purchased the 224-acre parcel on Plank Road that is currently referred to as the
regional park, at a total cost of $4,383,210. Once the property purchase was made the city
then sold 93.393 acres to the Kane County Forest Preserve (KCFP) at a total cost of$1, 821,163.
Concurrently the city entered into a 99-year license agreement with KCFP for their parcel,
which allows the city to develop and operate the county's parcel along with the city's parcel.
The following year the city received a $750,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Natural
Resources to further help defray the cost of the park.
The regional park remains undeveloped and has never been officially named. The Kane County
Forest Preserve has recently asked that the city consider naming it after Jack Cook, who recent-
ly passed away. Mr. Cook was the president of the Kane County Forest Preserve for eight years
and a County Board representative for 15 years. During his tenure on the Forest Preserve he
was responsible for initiating the Forest Preserve's land acquisition and improvement pro-
grams.
At the June 28, 2011 Park and Recreation Advisory Board meeting the Board discussed the nam-
ing of the regional park. The Park and Recreation Advisory Board made a unanimous recom-
mendation to the City Council that the regional park officially be named Jack E. Cook Park and
Forest Preserve.
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OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS
All city parks receive an official name to help identify it, market it and provide consistency in
discussions related to it. The city has a park naming policy, passed as a resolution in 2001,
which requires all park names be considered first by the Park and Recreation Advisory Board,
who in turn makes a recommendation to the City Council. It is the City Council's responsibility
to make the final decision on the naming of all city parks.
The park naming policy includes criteria to follow when naming parks. That section reads as fol-
lows.
A. The name shall reflect: historical events, great causes and ideas, prominent persons,
geographic or archeological places, names of schools or adjacent subdivisions, or donors
of park land.
Prominent Person: Persons after whom a park can be named may be living or
deceased. However, living persons can be considered only if significant long-
term contributions to the community can be demonstrated. Names of for-
profit businesses or organizations cannot be used.
The city was recently notified that it would be receiving a $400,000 grant from the Illinois De-
partment of Natural Resources to help fund the development of phase I of the regional park.
This park development will not be started until 2012 and will probably take close to a year to
complete. Kane County has indicated that they would like to erect a temporary sign in the mean
time that would reflect the new park name and the area as a future park site.
INTERESTED PERSONS CONTACTED
The Kane County Forest Preserve and the City of Elgin Park and Recreation Advisory Board
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
The Kane County Forest Preserve has agreed to create the temporary signage and have it post-
ed along Plank Road, adjacent to the park site.
BUDGET IMPACT
FUND(S) ACCOUNT(S) PROJECT#(S) AMOUNT AMOUNT
BUDGETED AVAILABLE
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
41)
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LEGAL IMPACT
None.
ALTERNATIVES
If the city council chooses not to name the park Jack E. Cook Park and Forest Preserve the Park
and Recreation Advisory Board would need to make a recommendation of an alternative name
for the regional park.
NEXT STEPS
1. Inform Kane County Forest Preserve of the official name.
2. Work with them on the design and installation of appropriate signage at the park site.
Originators: Randy Reopelle, Park and Recreation Director
r. Final Review: Colleen Lavery, Chief Financial Officer
William A. Cogley, Corporation Counsel/Chief Development Officer
Richard G. Kozal, Assistant City Manager/Chief Operating Officer
Sean R. Stegall, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
None.
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