HR0918 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0918 LRB100 21246 MST 37457 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Mark Peterson on the occasion of his retirement as City Manager of Normal after 20 years; and

WHEREAS, Mark Peterson began serving the citizens of Normal as Assistant City Manager in 1988; he became City Manager in 1998; and

WHEREAS, Mark Peterson was instrumental in the planning and successful redevelopment of Uptown Normal; he directly supervised the restoration of the Historic Normal Theater as a catalyst for development of the Uptown; under his administration, Normal saw the development of Uptown Circle, including the Children's Discovery Museum and Uptown Station with a new rail platform, waiting area, bus bays for Connect Transit and regional buses, and all related development such as the Marriott Hotel and Convention Center and the Hyatt Place Bloomington/Normal Hotel; and

WHEREAS, Under Mark Peterson's administration, the Shoppes at College Hills rose from a virtually abandoned indoor shopping mall into a thriving modern retail center, and the Constitution Trail system has grown to almost 50 miles of hard surfaced trail running through cities of Normal and Bloomington for walking, hiking, jogging, and biking, providing the community with an outstanding linear park for the entire family; and

WHEREAS, Mark Peterson assisted in helping to create programs and participated in task forces to encourage the success of and retain jobs at the Mitsubishi Motors auto assembly plant in Normal; upon the closing of that facility, he worked tirelessly to ensure its preservation for new jobs, resulting in the purchase of the plant by Rivian Automotive for future vehicle production; and

WHEREAS, Mark Peterson has served on the governing boards for a variety of public and community organizations including the MetCom Emergency Communications Center, the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council, the Central Illinois Regional Broadband Network, the Mclean County Regional Planning Commission Executive Committee, the Community Development Corporation, and the BN Advantage Leadership Council, Connect Transit; and

WHEREAS, Mark Peterson has overseen a period of tremendous growth in the town of Normal, while maintaining a Triple-A bond rating, serving as independent confirmation of the town's fiscal health and stability; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Mark Peterson on his retirement as City Manager of Normal after 20 years and we wish him the best in all his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Mark Peterson as a symbol of our respect and esteem.