70 ILCS 1205/8-1

(70 ILCS 1205/8-1) (from Ch. 105, par. 8-1)

Sec. 8-1. General corporate powers. Every park district shall, from the time of its organization, be a body corporate and politic by the name set forth in the petition for its organization, the specific name set forth in this Code, or the name it may adopt under Section 8-9 and shall have and exercise the following powers:

(a) To adopt a corporate seal and alter the same at pleasure; to sue and be sued; and to contract in furtherance of any of its corporate purposes.

(b)(1) To acquire by gift, legacy, grant or purchase, or by condemnation in the manner provided for the exercise of the power of eminent domain under the Eminent Domain Act, any and all real estate, or rights therein necessary for building, laying out, extending, adorning and maintaining any such parks, boulevards and driveways, or for effecting any of the powers or purposes granted under this Code as its board may deem proper, whether such lands be located within or without such district; but no park district, except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, shall have any power of condemnation in the manner provided for the exercise of the power of eminent domain under the Eminent Domain Act or otherwise as to any real estate, lands, riparian rights or estate, or other property situated outside of such district, but shall only have power to acquire the same by gift, legacy, grant or purchase, and such district shall have the same control of and power over lands so acquired without the district as over parks, boulevards and driveways within such district.

(2) In addition to the powers granted in paragraph (1) of subsection (b), a park district located in more than one county, the majority of its territory located in a county over 450,000 in population and none of its territory located in a county over 1,000,000 in population, shall have condemnation power in the manner provided for the exercise of the power of eminent domain under the Eminent Domain Act or as otherwise granted by law as to any and all real estate situated up to one mile outside of such district which is not within the boundaries of another park district.

(c) To acquire by gift, legacy or purchase any personal property necessary for its corporate purposes provided that all contracts for supplies, materials or work involving an expenditure in excess of $30,000, or a lower amount if required by board policy, shall be let to the lowest responsible bidder after due advertisement. No district shall be required to accept a bid that does not meet the district's established specifications, terms of delivery, quality, and serviceability requirements. Contracts which, by their nature, are not adapted to award by competitive bidding, such as contracts for the services of individuals possessing a high degree of professional skill where the ability or fitness of the individual plays an important part, contracts for the printing of finance committee reports and departmental reports, contracts for the printing or engraving of bonds, tax warrants and other evidences of indebtedness, contracts for utility services such as water, light, heat, telephone or telegraph, contracts for fuel (such as diesel, gasoline, oil, aviation, or propane), lubricants, or other petroleum products, contracts for the use, purchase, delivery, movement, or installation of data processing equipment, software, or services and telecommunications and interconnect equipment, software, or services, contracts for duplicating machines and supplies, contracts for goods or services procured from another governmental agency, purchases of equipment previously owned by some entity other than the district itself, and contracts for the purchase of magazines, books, periodicals, pamphlets and reports are not subject to competitive bidding. Contracts for emergency expenditures are also exempt from competitive bidding when the emergency expenditure is approved by 3/4 of the members of the board.

All competitive bids for contracts involving an expenditure in excess of $30,000, or a lower amount if required by board policy, must be sealed by the bidder and must be opened by a member or employee of the park board at a public bid opening at which the contents of the bids must be announced. Each bidder must receive at least 3 days notice of the time and place of the bid opening.

For purposes of this subsection, "due advertisement" includes, but is not limited to, at least one public notice at least 10 days before the bid date in a newspaper published in the district or, if no newspaper is published in the district, in a newspaper of general circulation in the area of the district.

(d) To pass all necessary ordinances, rules and regulations for the proper management and conduct of the business of the board and district and to establish by ordinance all needful rules and regulations for the government and protection of parks, boulevards and driveways and other property under its jurisdiction, and to effect the objects for which such districts are formed.

(e) To prescribe such fines and penalties for the violation of ordinances as it shall deem proper not exceeding $1,000 for any one offense, which fines and penalties may be recovered by an action in the name of such district in the circuit court for the county in which such violation occurred. The park district may also seek in the action, in addition to or instead of fines and penalties, an order that the offender be required to make restitution for damage resulting from violations, and the court shall grant such relief where appropriate. The procedure in such actions shall be the same as that provided by law for like actions for the violation of ordinances in cities organized under the general laws of this State, and offenders may be imprisoned for non-payment of fines and costs in the same manner as in such cities. All fines when collected shall be paid into the treasury of such district.

(f) To manage and control all officers and property of such districts and to provide for joint ownership with one or more cities, villages or incorporated towns of real and personal property used for park purposes by one or more park districts. In case of joint ownership, the terms of the agreement shall be fair, just and equitable to all parties and shall be set forth in a written agreement entered into by the corporate authorities of each participating district, city, village or incorporated town.

(g) To secure grants and loans, or either, from the United States Government, or any agency or agencies thereof, for financing the acquisition or purchase of any and all real estate, or rights therein, or for effecting any of the powers or purposes granted under this Code as its Board may deem proper.

(h) To establish fees for the use of facilities and recreational programs of the districts and to derive revenue from non-resident fees from their operations. Fees charged non-residents of such district need not be the same as fees charged to residents of the district. Charging fees or deriving revenue from the facilities and recreational programs shall not affect the right to assert or utilize any defense or immunity, common law or statutory, available to the districts or their employees.

(i) To make contracts for a term exceeding one year, but not to exceed 3 years, notwithstanding any provision of this Code to the contrary, relating to: (1) the employment of a park director, superintendent, administrator, engineer, health officer, land planner, finance director, attorney, police chief, or other officer who requires technical training or knowledge; (2) the employment of outside professional consultants such as engineers, doctors, land planners, auditors, attorneys, or other professional consultants who require technical training or knowledge; (3) the provision of data processing equipment and services; and (4) the purchase of energy from a utility or an alternative retail electric supplier. With respect to any contract made under this subsection (i), the corporate authorities shall include in the annual appropriation ordinance for each fiscal year an appropriation of a sum of money sufficient to pay the amount which, by the terms of the contract, is to become due and payable during that fiscal year.

(j) To enter into licensing or management agreements with not-for-profit corporations organized under the laws of this State to operate park district facilities if the corporation covenants to use the facilities to provide public park or recreational programs for youth.

(Source: P.A. 101-304, eff. 8-9-19; 102-999, eff. 5-27-22.)