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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to congratulate Wheeling Park
4 District Board President Tom Webber on the occasion of his
5 retirement after 20 years of service as an elected park board
6 commissioner, including 16 years as Board President; and
 
7     WHEREAS, As a Wheeling resident, with his wife Cindy for
8 over 20 years, Tom Webber built a thriving business in
9 Wheeling, helped raise two children, Joe and Shelley, coached
10 youth sports, served as Park District Commissioner, and has
11 been a spokesperson and advocate for other Boards and causes,
12 including the local school district, Chamber of Commerce,
13 public library, Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD),
14 and various other citizen groups; and
 
15     WHEREAS, Some of the highlights of his tenure at the
16 Wheeling Park District include spearheading the Friends of the
17 Parks Committee to garner support to build a new recreation
18 center that, over a decade later, remains a cornerstone of
19 activity in the Wheeling community; construction of an
20 award-winning Aquatic Center; completion of a new Fitness
21 Center and indoor aquatic center; passage of a referendum to
22 save and renovate the historic clubhouse at Chevy Chase Country
23 Club that averted its demolition; and completion of a major

 

 

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1 renovation of Traditions at Chevy Chase Golf Course; he also
2 has been instrumental in the updating of several parks,
3 acquiring property for open space, and the development of
4 Pleasant Run community park in conjunction with the Prospect
5 Heights Park District; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Tom labored tirelessly and passionately to
7 resolve the issue when the land that encompasses Chevy Chase
8 Country Club and Golf Course was involuntarily annexed by a
9 neighboring village in 2004; after a lengthy process that
10 included litigation, the Board, under his leadership, was able
11 to reach a settlement agreement to return its Wheeling identity
12 back to Chevy Chase; to ensure this could not happen to another
13 Illinois park district, Tom worked with the Wheeling Park
14 District staff, IAPD, and State legislators to gain support and
15 enactment of Senate Bill 1826, which sets forth the principle
16 that there can be no annexation of park district property by
17 another unit of local government without the approval of the
18 park district board; and
 
19     WHEREAS, Within the past several years of his stewardship,
20 the Park Board has undertaken several processes and
21 negotiations that have set the direction for the future of the
22 Wheeling Park District, such as the partnership and land
23 exchange with the Village of Wheeling to develop a Park
24 District/Municipal Campus that also increased the total

 

 

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1 acreage of Heritage Park; in addition, when the Park District's
2 acquisition of a ten-acre parcel from an adjacent property
3 owner was threatened by a last-minute bidder, Tom enlisted the
4 help of local and State officials, and thus preserved the land
5 for open space and retained for the Agency a $400,000 OSLAD
6 grant that would have been forfeited; through this property
7 acquisition and expansion, the 98-acre Heritage Park is now
8 positioned for a complete renovation; its redevelopment
9 represents the largest single project undertaken by the
10 Wheeling Park District since construction of the CRC in 1994;
11 and
 
12     WHEREAS, Tom is a true public servant who is devoted to
13 enriching the lives of people in the community, he encourages
14 and supports staff and other Board members, demonstrates
15 exemplary leadership qualities, and backs his words with
16 actions; therefore, be it
 
17     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
18 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
19 thank Tom Webber for his dedication to the people and the
20 communities served by the Wheeling Park District and wish him
21 all the best in his future endeavors; and be it further
 
22     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
23 presented to Tom Webber as a symbol of our respect and esteem.