HR0422

LRB096 12968 GRL 27042 r






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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
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Representatives are pleased to congratulate Frank M. Paris on 
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the occasion of his retirement from the Village of River 
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Forest; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Frank M. Paris is a lifelong resident of River 
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Forest and a graduate of Oak Park and River Forest High School; 
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and

 
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    WHEREAS, Frank M. Paris served with the Village of River 
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Forest for 20 years; he served for 4 years as a trustee from 
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1989 to 1993 and 16 years as Village President from 1993 to 
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2009; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Frank M. Paris aided the development of the 
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Village of River Forest by streamlining the development process 
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through the creation of the Development Review Board; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Frank M. Paris pushed for development of the River 
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Forest Town Center, which opened in the mid-1990s, and for the 
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second phase of the Town Center, which opened in the early 
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2000s; these developments benefited both River Forest and Oak 
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Park; and

 
 


 






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    WHEREAS, Frank M. Paris advocated for a Tax Increment 
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Financing District to aid development of the Town Center; he 
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later advocated for keeping excess dollars in the TIF funds 
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locally by entering into inter-governmental agreements with 
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the River Forest School District #90 and OPRF #200 to transfer 
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some of the excess funds to help the schools; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Frank M. Paris worked for inter-governmental 
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cooperation at all levels of government, particularly with the 
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Village of Oak Park and the Cook County Forest Preserve 
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District, through various inter-governmental agreements and 
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the creation of the Consolidated Dispatch Center, which serves 
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River Forest, Oak Park, and Elmwood Park with medically trained 
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dispatchers; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Frank M. Paris worked consistently with Concordia 
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University and Dominican University to assist the schools with 
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development efforts to improve their campuses with new 
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facilities; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Frank M. Paris worked to bring new businesses to 
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River Forest and to make the designs of their developments 
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compatible with the neighborhoods they were located in; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Frank M. Paris worked to improve the quality of 
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new housing stock, particularly multi-family housing, in River 
 


 






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Forest while attempting to maintain the open, residential 
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character of the Village; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Frank M. Paris was instrumental in assisting the 
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Park District with the development of Priory Park and the new 
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homes along the edge of the park; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Frank M. Paris worked hard to keep the government 
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of River Forest lean and keep property tax assessments as low 
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as possible to benefit the residents of River Forest; 
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therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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congratulate Frank M. Paris on the occasion of his retirement 
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from the Village of River Forest and wish him happiness and 
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success in his future endeavors; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to Frank M. Paris as a symbol of our esteem and 
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respect.