The bill sponsored by State Senator Pam Althoff that codifies the Illinois Supreme Court decision on the District 155 Crystal Lake South High School bleacher case has been sent to Govenror Bruce Rauner.
Bleachers at South High School’s football field.
Here’s what it did as it left the State Senate:
Provides that a school district is subject to and its school board must comply with any valid local government zoning ordinance or resolution that applies where the pertinent part of the building, structure, or site owned by the school district is located (instead of where the pertinent part of the school district is located).
Amends the Counties Code, Township Code, and Illinois Municipal Code.
Provides that, with respect to school districts, a county, township, or municipality shall act in a reasonable manner that neither regulates educational activities nor frustrates a school district’s statutory duties.
Provides that, in processing zoning applications from school districts, a county, township, or municipality shall make reasonable efforts to streamline the zoning application and review process for the school board and minimize the administrative burdens involved in the zoning review process.
Effective immediately.
There was one House amendment that does the following:
Provides that a unit of local government must streamline the zoning application and review process for a public school district by reducing application fees and other costs associated with a school district project to the greatest extent practicable and reflective of actual cost (in the engrossed bill, only to the greatest extent practicable).
State Rep. Mike Tryon was the House sponsor.
No one voted against the bill in either chamber.
More Progress!
Well done.
Great job at creating another layer of beaurcracy.
Senate Bill 2186 (SB 2186) in the 99th General Assembly.
The unanimously passed legislation (no legislator voted against the bill) is not surprising given the Illinois Supreme Court ruled against Crystal Lake High School District 155 in erecting 51 feet tall bleachers 41 feet from residential property without Village of Crystal Lake zoning approval.
Gee, just thinking Pam Althoff could have
Spent her time doing something else much
More substantial than this.
Many other priorities for state legislators
Than this issue.
In terms of zoning compliance the legislation adds verbiage to make it crystal clear that school districts must comply with municipal zoning regulations.
Some school districts were playing games with zoning law, for example they might ask the county for their opinion when in fact the site is under city jurisdiction.
Or the school district would claim they are exempt from municipal zoning law.
Which gets back to the point made many times previously, CHSD 155 should videotape and indefinitely archive board meetings so their is a trail of what was discussed at board meetings.
Obviously CHSD 155 does not want a trail, they prefer secrecy.
Why taxpayers put up with that is a mystery.+
CHSD plays game with the IMRF compensation report that should be posted on its website.
The intent is for the IMRF compensation report to be posted on school district websites, CHSD 155 just has their own interpretation which few school districts share.
Obviously to the best of their ability they are hiding compensation of employees earning over $75,000 and contributing to the IMRF pension; there is no good reason to not post the report on the district website.
Not enough people watch school districts and the result has been high costs and less than desirable results overall.
Again, where was the Regional Superintendent of Schools?
JOB WELL DONE!
Regional superintendent job is a waste of taxpayers money.
That woman is useless.