Full Text of HR0244 96th General Assembly
HR0244 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 |
| Representatives are pleased to congratulate Wheeling Park | 4 |
| District Board President Tom Webber on the occasion of his | 5 |
| retirement after 20 years of service as an elected park board | 6 |
| commissioner, including 16 years as Board President; and
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| WHEREAS, As a Wheeling resident, with his wife Cindy for | 8 |
| over 20 years, Tom Webber built a thriving business in | 9 |
| Wheeling, helped raise two children, Joe and Shelley, coached | 10 |
| youth sports, served as Park District Commissioner, and has | 11 |
| been a spokesperson and advocate for other Boards and causes, | 12 |
| including the local school district, Chamber of Commerce, | 13 |
| public library, Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD), | 14 |
| and various other citizen groups; and
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| WHEREAS, Some of the highlights of his tenure at the | 16 |
| Wheeling Park District include spearheading the Friends of the | 17 |
| Parks Committee to garner support to build a new recreation | 18 |
| center that, over a decade later, remains a cornerstone of | 19 |
| activity in the Wheeling community; construction of an | 20 |
| award-winning Aquatic Center; completion of a new Fitness | 21 |
| Center and indoor aquatic center; passage of a referendum to | 22 |
| save and renovate the historic clubhouse at Chevy Chase Country | 23 |
| Club that averted its demolition; and completion of a major |
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| renovation of Traditions at Chevy Chase Golf Course; he also | 2 |
| has been instrumental in the updating of several parks, | 3 |
| acquiring property for open space, and the development of | 4 |
| Pleasant Run community park in conjunction with the Prospect | 5 |
| Heights Park District; and
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| WHEREAS, Tom labored tirelessly and passionately to | 7 |
| resolve the issue when the land that encompasses Chevy Chase | 8 |
| Country Club and Golf Course was involuntarily annexed by a | 9 |
| neighboring village in 2004; after a lengthy process that | 10 |
| included litigation, the Board, under his leadership, was able | 11 |
| to reach a settlement agreement to return its Wheeling identity | 12 |
| back to Chevy Chase; to ensure this could not happen to another | 13 |
| Illinois park district, Tom worked with the Wheeling Park | 14 |
| District staff, IAPD, and State legislators to gain support and | 15 |
| enactment of Senate Bill 1826, which sets forth the principle | 16 |
| that there can be no annexation of park district property by | 17 |
| another unit of local government without the approval of the | 18 |
| park district board; and
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| WHEREAS, Within the past several years of his stewardship, | 20 |
| the Park Board has undertaken several processes and | 21 |
| negotiations that have set the direction for the future of the | 22 |
| Wheeling Park District, such as the partnership and land | 23 |
| exchange with the Village of Wheeling to develop a Park | 24 |
| District/Municipal Campus that also increased the total |
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| acreage of Heritage Park; in addition, when the Park District's | 2 |
| acquisition of a ten-acre parcel from an adjacent property | 3 |
| owner was threatened by a last-minute bidder, Tom enlisted the | 4 |
| help of local and State officials, and thus preserved the land | 5 |
| for open space and retained for the Agency a $400,000 OSLAD | 6 |
| grant that would have been forfeited; through this property | 7 |
| acquisition and expansion, the 98-acre Heritage Park is now | 8 |
| positioned for a complete renovation; its redevelopment | 9 |
| represents the largest single project undertaken by the | 10 |
| Wheeling Park District since construction of the CRC in 1994; | 11 |
| and
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| WHEREAS, Tom is a true public servant who is devoted to | 13 |
| enriching the lives of people in the community, he encourages | 14 |
| and supports staff and other Board members, demonstrates | 15 |
| exemplary leadership qualities, and backs his words with | 16 |
| actions; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 18 |
| NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 19 |
| thank Tom Webber for his dedication to the people and the | 20 |
| communities served by the Wheeling Park District and wish him | 21 |
| all the best in his future endeavors; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 23 |
| presented to Tom Webber as a symbol of our respect and esteem.
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