After initial resistance, Kewanee Park Board puts term limit proposal into action
When newly-elected commissioner Paula Kapacinskas brought up the idea of limiting park board terms to four years, not many commissioners offered their support of the idea. Currently elected park board members serve for six years.
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At the time, Kapacinskas said she thought the change would make the commissioner seat more attractive to members of the community and could attract more talent to the board.
Commissioner Jim Heberer, however, went on record, stating that he had researched the suggestion and in his opinion, “four years wouldn’t have been enough.” He noted that reducing terms would reduce the time between elections and that he believed longer terms promoted board continuity.
But at the board meeting Thursday, Parks Executive Director Andrew Dwyer presented his research on the issue, and commissioners will push ahead.
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Dwyer said he had spoken with an attorney from the Illinois Association of Park Districts and the reduction in terms can be done by passing a resolution. Next year, two commissioners would be up for re-election, including Commissioners Andrew Verstraete and recently-appointed Nichelle Morey. If elected in 2023, the two board members would serve for only four years.
“If you make this conversion, all terms will line up at the most opportune time,” Dwyer told the board.
This time, Heberer threw his support behind the idea.
“It really makes sense,” he said.
A motion was made and seconded to proceed ahead with all of the necessary documentation to reduce the term to four years. Dwyer said he would write up the resolution for approval next month.
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In the director’s report, the board received an update on the recent decision to ban vandals from the Kewanee Park District, as well as more recent acts of vandalism.
Dwyer said that there was a DUI crash at Northeast Park that damaged a gate. The driver was arrested and the park district will seek restitution, he said.
Another juvenile who was caught shooting a gel-ball gun at swimmers at the Oasis has been issued a one-year ban. The police were called over the incident, the director said.
Three of the youths issued bans were repeat offenders and some of their vandalism acts included being involved in a fight at Northeast Park, breaking into the shelter house and the destruction of the Christmas lighting display at Northeast.
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Dwyer also informed the board that the older teens involved in the “fish prank gone wrong,” where five fish were placed throughout the men’s bathroom at Windmont, had been caught. Last week, the board released a video of four males carrying a fish towards the Windmont bathrooms. After the surveillance video was released by the district on social media, Dwyer received several tips.
The Kewanee Police are looking into possible charges of either vandalism or a city ordinance violation, Dwyer said. One of the vandals reached out to him and apologized for the incident, going so far as to offer help to clean up the park.
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Dwyer gave credit to the district’s newly-installed surveillance system. The district has added multiple cameras in the parks and spent funds to ensure that the system is connected to the internet. The move allows for live-stream viewing of the cameras.
Dwyer said he plans to purchase two more cameras and will be in contact with the KPD to offer them access to all of the cameras.
This article originally appeared on Star Courier: After resistance, Kewanee Parks puts term limit idea into action
