2024 Efficiency Report - Kankakee Valley Park District

EFFICIENCY REPORT 2024

Approved by the Park District’s Committee on local government efficiency on March 25, 2024.

I. PURPOSE

The Kankakee Valley Park District (“Park District”) formed its Committee on Local Government Efficiency on March 27, 2023, to study efficiencies and report recommendations regarding those efficiencies and increased accountability pursuant to 50 ILCS 70/1, et seq (the “Committee”)

II. COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

The Committee consisted of the following individuals:

Decennial Committee Chairman

Superintendent of Business

Superintendent of Recreation

Board President/Commissioner

Don

Michael

James

Raymond

Board Vice President/Commissioner

Board Treasurer/Commissioner

Board Secretary/Commissioner

Board Commissioner

Resident Member

III. COMMITTEE MEETINGS

The Committee met as follows:

Minutes of these meetings are available on the Park District’s website or upon request at the Park District’s administrative office.

IV.GENERAL OVERVIEW OF GOVERNING STATUTES, ORDINANCES, RULES, PROCEDURES, POWERS, JURISDICTION

The Park District was established by a referendum initiated and approved by the voters of the Park District in 1925 All Illinois park districts, including the Kankakee Valley Park District, are governed by the Park District Code, 70 ILCS 1205/1 et seq.

Established in 1925, The Kankakee Valley Park District mission is to acquire, develop and maintain parks; promote the conservation of natural and historical resources, and provide recreational facilities, programs, and services for the benefit of all District residents. The Park District is located 1 hour, 60 miles from the City of Chicago. The district is responsible for 664 acres of land and serves 28,250 residents of Aroma and Kankakee Townships within its jurisdiction The Park District has the authority to levy a property tax on all real and personal property within its boundaries The Park District operates under a board-manager form of government. The board consists of five Commissioners who are elected from the park District at-large to serve four-year staggered terms. The Commissioners elect officers from among themselves. The board is vested with all policymaking and legislative responsibilities The board’s more significant responsibilities include approval of the budget, the tax levy, ordinances, and long-term financial and capital planning as well as the appointment of the Park District’s Attorney and hiring and overseeing the Executive Director.

Having a separate and distinct taxing body for parks, recreation, and conservation within the local community, which operates apart from general purpose governments, is extremely beneficial to the community for many reasons, as detailed further in this report.

Elected, non-partisan, non-compensated board.

The Park District is governed by a board of Five (5) commissioners Commissioners must reside within the boundaries of the park district and are elected at the Consolidated Election in oddnumbered years. Pursuant to state law, commissioners are nonpartisan and serve without compensation.

Accessible and focused representation.

Having a dedicated board to oversee these essential facilities, programs, and services provides the community with increased access to their elected representatives and allows those elected representatives to remain focused solely on those facilities, programs, and services This is contrasted with general purpose governments where elected representatives are responsible for broad oversight on a wide range of issues. This special purpose benefit is particularly advantageous when it comes to budget and finance oversight.

Increased transparency.

Having a dedicated unit of local government to provide park and recreation services also improves the relationship between the park district and its residents because of the transparency and openness related to the board and park district operations. Having detailed agenda and action items allows taxpayers to be better informed about the inner workings of their local government When individual units of government are responsible for providing specified services like park districts, transparency is increased because action items and budget procedures are more detailed. Additionally, these items and budgetary decisions are subject to more scrutiny by locally elected officials than is the case with larger, multi-purpose governments with a multitude of departments

Protection of revenues.

Because the Park District is a separate unit of local government, the revenues it generates can only be used for park district purposes. This assurance is contrasted with general purpose governments like cities, villages, and counties that provide a multitude of services such as fire, police, public works, economic development, etc , where revenues that are generated specifically for parks and recreation can be expended on these other services with limited, if any, input from voters.

Protection of assets.

Public parks and other real property owned by the park district is held in trust for the residents of the park district, and, subject to very limited exceptions, can only be sold or transferred if residents approve of the sale or transfer by a referendum This is contrasted with general purpose units of government, which have authority to sell or dispose of property by a vote of the governing board.

Providing the Community More with Less.

The Park District does more with much fewer funding options. Unlike other units of local government that receive direct state funding, and income, sales, use, hotel/motel, motor fuel and other numerous taxes, the Park District’s only tax revenues come from a modest portion of a resident’s overall property tax bill In fact, despite its limited funding options, the Park District share is only 4.9% (2022) of the local tax bill.

Source: Kankakee County 2022 Tax Rates (actual) (2022 Tax Levy collected in 2023)

As part of good governance and implementing best practices in the management of day-to-day operations, the Park District has also adopted the following ordinances, rules, policies, and procedures:

Board of Commissioners Policies & Bylaws

New Board Member Orientation & Overview

Annual Report

Annual Comprehensive Financial Report

Behavior Policy for:

Participants, Parents Guardian’s and Spectators

Registration Policies & Procedures

Facility & Room Rental Procedures

Parks, Band Shell & Pavilion Rental Procedures

Park Rules & Regulation Ordinances

Personnel Policies/Employee Manual

Part-Time/Seasonal Personnel Manual

Employee Job Description Manual

Department Manuals:

Administration, Ice Valley, Maintenance, Rec Center, River Road, Splash Valley, Safety

Safety and Risk Management Policy Manual

Crisis Management & EAP Action Plan

Membership in SRA.

The Park District is part of the River Valley Special Recreation Association (“SRA”) Special recreation associations are a form of intergovernmental cooperation among units of local government that are authorized under the Illinois Constitution, the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act, the Park District Code, and the Municipal Code. Their formation is rooted in a fundamental belief and recognition that “Recreation is for Everyone ” They are shining examples of local government efficiency

By partnering together, local communities are able to effectively and efficiently deliver more successful program opportunities to community members who have special needs. Furthermore, by participating in the SRA, the Park District networks with 2 (two) other local governments to provide many more program opportunities for our community members who have special needs and offers a choice between participating in the SRA’s programs or in programs that are provided by the Park District.

The Park District and the SRA also achieve efficiency by utilizing existing facilities that are owned and operated by the SRA’s members, including the Park District Utilizing these existing facilities allows the SRA to deliver services to its member communities at a lower cost. Currently the Park District provides the SRA access to the following facilities for their program offerings:

Civic Auditorium

The Park District’s cost of providing these services would be much greater without its participation and partnership in the SRA.

In 2023, the SRA successfully served 66 residents in 260 programs The Park District is very proud of the ongoing collaboration with the SRA. By working cooperatively with other local governments, not only are we better able to collectively serve all citizens within our communities, including persons with disabilities, but we are able to do so in the most efficient and effective manner possible There are three-member district that are part of the RVSRA: Bourbonnais Township Park district, Kankakee Valley Park district and Limestone Park district.

IAPD – Illinois Association of Park District

Bourbonnais Township Park District

Kankakee Valley Forest Preserve

Limestone Park District

Momence Park District

Intergovernmental agreements with other units of local government.

Village of Manteno

City of Kankakee

Kankakee County

Kankakee Community College

U of I Extension

Intergovernmental agreements with the State of Illinois.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)

Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO)

US Army Corps of Engineers Chicago Division

Partnerships or agreements with athletic or similar affiliate organizations that operate sports or other leagues.

National Softball Association (NSA)

Kankakee Youth Hockey League (KYHC)

Kankakee Valley Model Flyers

Kankakee Trinity Academy

Kankakee Jaycees

Kankakee County Soccer Academy (KCSA)

Nuscotomek Youth Baseball

Kankakee Colts Football & Cheerleading

Chicago Blackhawks

Kankakee Girls Shock Softball League (KGSSL)

Kankakee Area YMCA

Kankakee Women s Club

Kankakee County Historical Museum

Acting Out Theatre Co.

Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra

Municipal Band

We Stand for Christ Jesus Ministries

Adopt A Soldier

Kankakee Riverfront Society (KRS/The Currents)

CIRKA

Kankakee Community College Foundation

Catholic Charities

Project Headspace & Timing

Potawatomi Paddlers Association

Northern Illinois Anglers Association (NIAA)

Kankakee Valley Theatre Association

Kankakee County Convention & Visitors Bureau (KCCVB)

River Front Trail – Kankakee Community Foundation

Partnerships with for profit organizations.

Kankakee Valley Boat Club (KVBC)

St Mary’s Hospital

Riverside Hospital

TG Real Estate

Landmark Holding

River Valley Metro

Informal cooperation with other units of local government and/or local businesses which save taxpayer dollars by eliminating redundancy

City of Kankakee

Shared Equipment, Shared Vehicles, Leaf Programs, Use of Facilities.

Kankakee County Soil & Water Conservation

Shared programming services.

Kankakee County

Cooperative agreement for purchase of fuel and election facilities.

Com Ed

Energy efficiency lighting projects.

Kankakee County

Cooperative agreement for purchase of fuel and election facilities

Kankakee County States Attorney Office Partner on programs

State of Illinois

The Illinois Funds, created in 1975 by State statute (15 ILCS 505/17), is the State’s Public Treasurers’ Investment Pool, administered by the Illinois State Treasurer, offering another investment opportunity for custodians of “Public Funds” for “Public Agencies”.

Collaborations

Collaboration for the park district to attend Job Fairs for seasonal employees at Kankakee Community College, Daily Journal, Kankakee School District 111

VI. OTHER EXAMPLES OF EFFICIENT OPERATIONS

Use of Volunteers

One way in which the Park District reduces the burden on taxpayers is through the use of volunteers and community service workers. Last year, 154 individuals volunteered 6,669 hours of service to the Park District. KVPD partnerships (sponsors) and affiliates made an impact on children and families from our area.The affiliate sponsor groups had 162 volunteers with an accumulated total 9,720 hours These partnerships as a whole serviced 2,525 children and families

Youth Employment

The Park District is a major employer of youth in the community. Last year, the Park District employed 110 youth. Not only is this an efficient way to deliver services, but youth employment serves as a valuable training tool for the future workforce

Joint Purchasing

(if not listed above)

TheParkDistrictparticipatesinjointpurchasingcooperatives pursuanttotheGovernmentalJointPurchasingAct(30ILCS 525/0.01etseq.)therebysavingtaxpayerdollarsthrough economiesofscale Theseinclude:

NationalCooperativePurchasingAlliance(NCPA)

OMNIAPartners

(previouslyTCPNTheCooperativePurchasingNetwork/NationalIPA IntergovernmentalPurchasingAlliance/USCommunities

Sourcewell

(previouslyNJPA–NationalJointPurchaseAlliance)

Reliance on Non-Tax Revenue

Unlike most local governments that rely on a wide range of sales, use, and income taxes, the Park District is not permitted to assess these types of taxes Additionally, although the Park District is an economic engine for the community and generates much revenue for the state and our community in the form of hotel/motel, sales, and motor fuel taxes, our Park District does not receive any of these revenues. Also, unlike Illinois cities, villages, counties, and school districts that received billions of dollars in direct financial assistance from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), our Park District did not receive any such direct federal aid. Our Park District also does not receive state funding under the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF) or General State Aid (GSA) that these same cities, villages, counties, and school districts receive through the State budget

Instead, the Park District provides all of the programs, facilities, and services to the community with a very modest amount of property taxes and from non-tax sources such as memberships, program registrations, and other user fees as well as private donations and grants

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Multi Park Improvements

ARPA City of Kankakee

Bird Park Redevelopment

Senator Sims – Majority Caucus Appropriations Leader

Mayor RJ Bailey Park Redevelopment Representative Smith

TheParkDistrictoffersresidentsmanyopportunitiesto providefeedback Theseinclude:

TheboardofcommissionersmeetseveryfourthMondayof eachmonth.Residentsmayprovidepubliccommentatevery meeting.

The following information about the Park District may be obtained by citizens in the location listed Please note: Location(s) available include website, administrative offices, county clerk, state website, etc

TheParkDistrict’sannualBudgetandAppropriation Ordinanceisavailableintentativeformatleast30daysprior toitadoptionatanopenmeetingoftheParkDistrictboard. Additionally,atleastonepublichearingisheldpriortofinal action,andnoticeofthehearingispublishedintheDaily Journalatleastoneweekpriortothehearing.

TheParkDistrict’sannualpropertytaxlevyisapprovedatan openmeetingoftheParkDistrictboardinaccordancewiththe OpenMeetingsAct.TheParkDistrictfollowsallpublicnotice andhearingrequirementsundertheTruthinTaxationLaw priortotheadoptionofthisannualtaxlevy TheParkDistrict’s annuallevyisalsosubjecttothelimitationsoftheProperty TaxExtensionLimitationLaw.

ResidentsmaycontactorrequestinformationfromthePark Districtbyphoneat8159391311oremailatinfo@kvpdcom

Additionally,theParkDistricthassolicitedcommunityinput throughthefollowing:

VII.DISTRICT AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

The district’s achievements have been recognized in numerous ways. Staff attends continuing education to ensure efficient and effective means and methods for conducting parks and recreation services are being implemented to best serve its residents Awards, trainings, recognition and education are offered through various organizations. A few noteworthy:

IAPD/IPRAAnnualConference–Variousstaffand Commissionersattendtheannualconferenceonvarious topics

IAPDLegalSymposium–Staffandlegalcounselattendthe annualIAPDLegalSymposium

ConferenceinSpringfield

KANKAKEE VALLEY PARK DISTRICT I EFFICIENCY

2020-2021

IVC equipment replacement (2 of 3 year program)

Cameras at the Harbor

Computer equipment replacement (1 of 5 year program)

New campground playground

New Bird Park Fields playground

Tree Beautification Project

Park and facility signage

2021-2022

IVC equipment replacement (final purchase year)

IVC landscaping and beautification project (3 year program)

IVC flooring, duct work, awnings improvements

IVC updates to compressor room

Zamboni replacements

Jeffers Park improvements

Rec Center improvements

Refinished floors at the Rec Center

Charlton Banquet room upgrades

Computer equipment replacement (1 of 5 year program)

Park and facility Signage

Goselin upgrades and renovations

Pioneer upgrades and flooring

Maintenance vehicles and stake bed

Renovation prep work at Washington, planting of trees

Tree Beautification project

Bird Park building roofs

Levasseur clearing, Path Paving Phase I

Fisherman’s clearing of growth

Campground improvements to camp store, basketball hoop/net, finished playground

Beckman received air conditioning

Splash Valley concession stand improvements, new chairs, shade structures

River Run Dog Park Parking Lot

2023-2023

Quarry building renovation completed

Bird Park Barn renovation and roof

Tree Beautification Project

Facility equipment for rental buildings

New fleet vehicles

Campground Showers

Phase II Levasseur Trail Paving Project

IVC Skate Replacement

Splash Shade Structures (3)

River Road Roadway Project Phase II

River Road Storage Barn

Steve Hunter Parking Lot

Beckman Pickleball Courts

Washington Park Playground & Park Revitalization

Governor Small Walking Path

Pottawatomi Park Playground

Bert Dear Park Playground

Bridal Suite

Civic Auditorium Kitchen remodel

Bird Park Deck

y

Programs

The Park District offered the following programs last year Registration numbers are also provided

Aquatics

Athletics

Birthday Parties

RVSRA Special Recreation

Fitness & Wellness

Nature programs

Senior & Active Adult

Arts & Culture

Special Events

Free Special Events

Leagues

Preschool

The Park District’s program offerings are published four times per year in digital and two times per year in printed format. Programs are mailed to those who request. The Park District’s offerings include dozens of free programs annually, as well as inperson options

In fiscal year 2019-2020 the district had over 7821 engagements in program registration, facility visits, and other forms of participation with 139 programs offered. The Park District facilities were rented 218 times, creating $43,917.50 in revenue.

During Covid 2020-2021 the district hosted virtual programs as well as social distancing activities within our parks The district had 3,819 recordable engagements of participation with 511 programs offered. The Park District facilities were rented 91 times, creating $13,050.00 in revenue.

In 2021-2022 the district had over 33,298 engagements of participation with 1,182 programs offered The Park District facilities were rented 201 times, creating $63,630.00 in revenue.

In 2022-2023 the district had over 30,302 engagements of participation with 928 programs offered. The Park District facilities were rented 203 times, creating $62,092 00 in revenue

CityofKankakeeWardAlderpersons(MeetingSpace)

KRS(MeetingSpace)

Women’sClub(AdditionalMeetingSpace)

ChildrensLunchSummerProgram(disadvantaged) (ProvideParkBuilding)

ProvideTicketBoothsforMusicFestivals

PerformingArtTheatreGroups(ProvidePerformanceSpace)

ProvidePicnicTablestoKankakeeBusinesses (OutdoorDiningduringCovid)

Other Benefits

While the Park District is a special purpose district, its impact to the community is multi-faceted and far reaching. For example, the Park District’s parks, recreational programming, and other opportunities improve the community’s overall physical and mental health and wellness, thereby reducing health care costs. The Park District’s open space and trees help improve air and water quality and mitigate flooding

district’s ability to deliver programs, facilities, a at the least possible cost.

PermittingwithStateagencies

StateandLocalLiquorLicenses

ElevatorLicense&Inspection

FireInspections

Backgroundchecks

PoolPermits

StateandLocalConstructionPermits

BuildingPermits–TheCitywaives50%ofth thedistrict,ifdistrictpersonnelaredirectlyd work.TheParkDistrictreciprocateswithprov alderman&alderwomenfreeuseofparksan neighborhoodmeetings.Thisisagreatexam collaborationbetweentheCityandthePark

HealthDepartmentPermits

CityofKankakeeLiftstationHookup

Other units of local government should recogniz intergovernmental fees often lead to inefficienc expenditure of taxpayer dollars through extra bu administrative costs In many cases, the unit of g assessing the fee ultimately benefits from the p meaning it can recoup its costs through the extr other revenue that will be generated. Where suc absolutely necessary, general-purpose units of should offset the fee by crediting the park distri benefits they will receive from a project, event, o example, open space that is protected and main Park District helps mitigate stormwater manage assessing stormwater management fees on the only leads to inefficiency, but it is also shortsigh

Governmental units should be discouraged or p charging more than their out-of-pocket costs a the activities covered by a fee that is assessed t local government with the same taxpayers Put a unit of local government should not profit by tax Eliminating local permit fees is a way to reduce

requested paperwork to the state in a timely manner therefore delaying receipt of project grant funding

State grants are often overly complicated to apply for and staff at the state level are not routinely available to answer questions or provide guidance, which causes delays for the Park District attempting to apply for grant funds Once grant funding is obtained, cumbersome and time-consuming reports are due on a monthly or quarterly basis

Unfunded Mandates

Unfunded state mandates are another cost driver. While the Park District recognizes that there are benefits to some of these mandates, modifications could help alleviate some of the burden to the park district

Non-resident FOIA Requests

In 2023-24 fiscal year, the park district received eight FOIA requests, the staff have spent numerous hours of time to fulfill FOIA requests Often the individuals/businesses submitting the FOIA requests are from outside of the park district boundaries, and they appear to be serving a specific agenda, rather than assuring better local government.

Under current law, resident taxpayers end up footing the bill for these non-resident or commercial requests In order to help alleviate the burden for these non-resident requests the law could be amended to: (1) add a requirement that nonresidents identify/explain the purpose of the request for information; (2) add a time limit on how far back a nonresident can request information; (3) staff time and costs could be included in the amount that is reimbursable for nonresident and commercial requests; (4) move back the deadline for non-resident requests 10 business days so that the park district does not have to delay services to its residents in order to comply with a non-resident request.

Sunshine laws are supposed to protect taxpayers by allowing them to shed light on any issue that is not exempt from FOIA However, local government can be burdened by having to drop everything to rearrange priorities to meet FOIA deadlines, particularly if it has limited resources. Since local residents ultimately bear the expense of complying with FOIA, treating resident and non-resident requests differently would be justified

government is forced to charge its taxpayers to comply with a state mandate when the State made the determination to impose the mandate Put another way, if the State has determined that criminal background checks are necessary for public safety, the State should assist with compliance.

The Park District recommends studying whether there can be a more efficient background check process implemented to reduce the time and expense it takes for background checks. Another suggestion is to waive the fee for checks on minors or waive all fees for name checks If there is a “hit” from a name check, the fee could be charged for the more costly fingerprint check. Since it is a state mandate, perhaps the fee structure for park districts should also be reviewed to determine whether the fee being charged exceeds the actual cost of doing the check and, if so, perhaps they could consider reducing its cost to local governments costs without impacting overall pub Local government best serves the people when it and works together Some communities recognize not charge fees to other units. All communities sh encouraged to follow that model to receive the be local taxpayers and to promote governmental effi

Prevailing Wage

One way to reduce burden on local government staff i prevailing wage requirement to larger capital contrac free up tracking of the paperwork on small repairs and reason for creating a threshold requirement is the cos administrative burden relative to the cost of the actua example, eliminating prevailing wage on smaller proje those less than $50,000, will result in more local bids a the overall cost for these smaller public works project

Newspaper Publication

The newspaper is no longer the most effective way to notice Websites are cheaper and reach more people park district to post the information on its website in l newspaper publications would reduce costs.

Class A Commercial Driver s License

In order to obtain a commercial driver’s license – Class A, as of 2023, there is a new training requirement that applies more to standard truck drivers nationally, and therefore has negatively impacted the Park District. This new requirement of extensive and costly training prior to taking a CDL-A written test puts a new training burden including 4 weeks of staff time and often costs associated with signing up for this training Due to this new burden, staff is investigating the need for a CDL-A license in order to operate park maintenance equipment and may consider downsizing some equipment and possibly eliminating the requirement for this Class A-CDL license for many park staff

Minimum Wage

The minimum wage increases have put a burden on the Park District’s operating budget, and have caused the district to increase fees to the taxpayers. An analysis completed in 2019 showed the estimated effect due to the increases from 2020-2025 is about $476,321 00

COVID-19

American Rescue Plan Act – During the pandemic, the park District was counted on to provide services for all ages, when allowable, under the Centers for Disease Control, Illinois Department of Health guidelines, and Kankakee County Department of Health regulations.While other units of government were closed or solely operating remotely, Park Districts were turned to for individuals seeking respite in our

parks, activities when the schools were closed, and many other recreation services. When the U.S. Senate approved the final version of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, Park Districts were left out of this funding. The Act included $360 billion for states, territories, tribes, counties, and cities and Illinois was estimated to receive approximately $13 2 billion of this state and local funding The plan did not include dedicated funding for special district, which include Park District. The Act allowed funds to be used to provide government services affected by a revenue reduction during the pandemic relative to revenues collected in the most recent full fiscal year Again, the Act left out special districts

The Park District incurred approximately $67,658.07 on COVID-19 related expenses. In addition to the thousands of unbudgeted dollars spent on COVID-related expenses, the district lost approximately $358,160.47 in revenues from programs and services over the year The district drastically cut expenses, including furloughing dedicated staff to mitigate the loss The only COVID-19 resources the district received was $18,923.68 from DCEO Cures.The district’s ability to recover from COVID-19 in the operating funds has been extended to date.

Exhibit D – Annual Comprehensive Financial Report

Exhibit E – Behavior Policy for Participants, Parents Guardian’s and Spectators

Exhibit F – Registration Policies & Procedures

Exhibit G – Facility & Room Rental Procedures

Exhibit H – Parks, Band Shell & Shelter Rental Procedures

Exhibit I – Park Rules & Regulation Ordinances

Exhibit J - Personnel Policies/Employee Manual

Part-Time/Seasonal Personnel Manual

Exhibit K - Employee Job Description Manual

Exhibit L – Department Manuals

- Administration, Maintenance, Safety, Splash Valley, Rec Center, Ice Valley, River Road

Exhibit M – Safety and Risk Management Policy Manual

- Crisis Management and EAP Action Plan