REPORT OF THE FINANCE REAL ESTATE AND BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SUBCOMMITTEE

 

October 21, 2009

 

The Honorable,

The Board of Commissioners of Cook County

 

ATTENDANCE

 

Present:

Chairman Pro Tem Butler, Commissioners Peraica, Reyes, Schneider and Steele (5)

 

Absent:

Chairman Goslin, Vice Chairman Beavers, Commissioners Gorman and Moreno (4)

 

Also

Present:          Commissioners Collins, Daley, Silvestri, Sims and Suffredin          

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

        Your Committee on Finance Real Estate and Business and Economic Development Subcommittee of the Board of Commissioners of Cook County met pursuant to notice on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at the hour of 11:00 AM in the Board Room, Room 569, County Building, 118 North Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois.

 

        Your Committee has considered the following item and upon adoption of this report, the recommendation is as follows:

 

302909

A RESOLUTION ACQUIRING LAND AT 159TH AND CICERO (PROPOSED RESOLUTION).  Transmitting a Communication, dated September 23, 2009 from Raymond Muldoon, Director, Real Estate Management Division:

 

respectfully requesting that this Resolution be placed on the October 6th Board Agenda for consideration and approval.

 

Submitting a Proposed Resolution sponsored by

 

TODD H. STROGER, President, Cook County Board of Commissioners

 

The following is a synopsis of the Proposed Resolution:

 

PROPOSED RESOLUTION

 

WHEREAS, Cook County is a home rule unit of local government pursuant to Article VII, Section 6(a) of the 1970 Illinois Constitution, and as such may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs; and

 

 

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AS FOLLOWS:

 

The foregoing recitals are incorporated herein as findings of the Board of Commissioners of Cook County, Illinois.

 

a.                  The Property Defined.  The Lake Parcel and the Crawford Parcel are hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Property”.  The property on which the Oak Forest Hospital of Cook County and other County-owned facilities are located, immediately west of the Lake Parcel, is referred to herein as the “Oak Forest Hospital Campus”.

 

b.                  Conveyance Authorized.  The Board hereby determines that the conveyance of the Lake Parcel and the Crawford Parcel to the District is in the public interest.  The Board hereby authorizes the conveyance of the Property to the District by quit claim deed, in consideration of a total purchase price of $15,050,000.00 (the “Purchase Price”), for the public purposes of preserving the existing burial areas in an appropriate manner and as required by applicable laws, protecting and preserving historic sites, and protecting and preserving the flora, fauna and scenic beauties, in accordance with the District’s authority.  It is hereby acknowledged that the County has already received $13,261,066.00 from the District pursuant to District Resolution No. 07-R-02-07-05, which funds shall be applied to the Purchase Price.  Such conveyance shall be subject to restrictions, covenants and easements shown of record, easements for an existing pipeline, water line, sanitary and storm sewer lines, and an easement for continued access by an existing roadway, and shall be “as is”, without warranties of any sort.

 

 

c.                  Execution of Documents.  The Board hereby authorizes the President of the Board to execute, and the Cook County Clerk to attest to, a quit claim deed or deeds to effectuate the conveyance described in this Resolution.  The Board further authorizes the President or his designee to execute any and all documents and take all actions necessary to effectuate the conveyances described herein and receive the balance of the Purchase Price, in a timely manner and in accordance with customary terms and conditions, subject to this Resolution; to execute, deliver and record proper conveyances or agreements regarding the easements; and to provide for the payment of closing costs customarily borne by sellers out of the proceeds at closing.

 

d.                  Joint Planning Effort.  The Board hereby recognizes that the history of the Property’s use by the County and the history embodied on the site require careful consideration and planning of future uses, and should be appropriately preserved and commemorated in a manner conducive to education of the public, and that such planning and preservation is the responsibility of both Cook County and of the District.  The Board further recognizes that access to and uses of the Property require ongoing planning and cooperation and will impact the County, Oak Forest Hospital of Cook County, and the District.  Therefore, the Board hereby authorizes the President and his designees to engage in a joint planning effort incorporating historic preservation, investigations, environmental restoration, and planning for the District’s proposed use of the Property and the impacts of such use on the Oak Forest Hospital Campus.  Further, the Board hereby directs the Comptroller to set aside from the proceeds of closing $150,000.00 to be utilized to pay one-half the cost of such efforts, including the retention of consultants, planners and other experts, it being understood that the District will likewise pay one-half the cost.

 

*Referred to the Subcommittee on Real Estate and Business and Economic Development on 10/06/09.

 

Commissioner Peraica, seconded by Commissioner Schneider, moved to discharge Communication No. 302909 from the Real Estate and Business and Economic Development Subcommittee, and further request that it be placed on the Cook County Board Agenda of  November 4, 2009 for approval.   The motion carried.

 

Public Speaker

 

1)       George Blakemore – Concerned Citizen

2)       Benjamin Cox – Concerned Citizen

 

Commissioner Peraica, seconded by Commissioner Steele, moved to adjourn the meeting.  The motion carried and the meeting was adjourned.

 

 

 

YOUR COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING ACTION WITH REGARD TO THE MATTER NAMED HEREIN:

 

Communication Number 302909                                         Discharged from the Real Estate & Business & Economic Development Subcommittee, and further request that it be placed on the Cook County Board Agenda of November 4, 2009 for approval.                 

 

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Finance Real Estate and Business and Economic Development Subcommittee

 

 

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Jerry Butler, Chairman Pro Tem

 

 

Attest:

 

 

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Matthew B. DeLeon, Secretary