Title
AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER VIII OF
THE CODE OF THE CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT
Body
To the Honorable Board of Commissioners of the Chicago Park District:
I. Recommendation
It is recommended that the Board of Commissioners grant authority to amend Chapter VIII of the Code of the Chicago Park District.
II. Explanation
Section 7.02 of the Chicago Park District Act, 70 ILCS 1505/7.02, enables the Board of Commissioners to “establish by ordinance all needful rules and regulations for government and protection of parks…”
Chapter VIII of the Code of the Chicago Park District (“Chapter VIII”) addresses the rules and procedures for operating the Chicago Park District harbor system. Originally written in the 1980’s, there have been few changes to Chapter VIII since that time, and some provisions in it need to be updated to enable a more efficient management of the harbor system and to better meet the needs of the boaters.
Some of the updates to Chapter VIII, set forth in Exhibit A, include: 1) revising the schedule for billing for and assigning mooring permits; 2) allowing installment instead of lump sum payments for mooring permits; 3) allowing boaters to purchase their mooring permit on a multi-year basis; 4) streamlining the mooring revocation process; 5) streamlining procedures for disposing impounded and abandoned boats; 6) expanding the harbor season to May 1 to October 31 from May 15 to October 15; and 7) replacing the Director of Park Services with the Director of Revenue to reflect the current Park District harbor system oversight management structure.
Implementing these updates to Chapter VIII would mean, among other things, 1) boaters could pay their mooring fees in installments rather than in a lump sum payment at the beginning of the year, as currently required, 2) boaters could pay in advance for their mooring permit on a multi-year basis rather than currently being limited to purchasing mooring permit on an annual basis, 3) slip assignments can be made on a weekly basis throughout the year, 4) billing for slips could occur earlier in the calendar and along with installment payments, the Park District would now know much sooner which slips are available and could process transfer requests and new boater slip assignments in December or January. For example, a boater who purchases a new vessel at a winter boat show in January or February will no longer have to wait until March or April to know whether there’s an available slip in the harbor system. Currently, boaters take their newly purchased vessel to marinas outside the Park District’s harbor system, because they don’t want to wait a few months to know if there’s an open slip in the Park District’s harbor system.
It is therefore recommended that Chapter VIII of the Code of the Chicago Park District be amended. The amendment will become effective upon approval of the Board of Commissioners.
The General Counsel shall prepare and publish copies of the Chapter VIII of the Code of the Chicago Park District that have been revised by reason of this amendment.