August
23, 2019
To
the Honorable Members of
The Illinois House,
101st General Assembly:
Today, I return House
Bill 3222 with specific recommendations for change. Among other
provisions, the legislation directs that the Illinois Medical District
Commission – a public corporation – execute and deliver a
quitclaim deed for valuable property it owns at no cost.
Granting this land
conveyance would not be the best policy for Illinois or taxpayers. Allowing
this conveyance would amount to unfair practice to the other organization that
use property in the Illinois Medical District. I am returning this bill with
specific recommendations to address these concerns, while still ensuing the
remaining land transfers continue per the intent of the General Assembly.
Let me be clear: the
recipient organization (Urban Autism Solutions) does important and valuable
work, and my administration is strongly committed to working
with this and the other worthy nonprofits located in the
Illinois Medical District to support their viability and efforts to continue
their work.
However,
transferring public property with a significant fair
market value at no cost to a single private foundation – no matter
how worthy – is unfair to other nonprofit organizations located in
the Illinois Medical District who are paying full cost for their property. The
proposed transfer of this property lacked the safeguards that the State
typically uses to ensure a fair deal.
Other
provisions of House Bill 3222 that my administration supports include
authorizing the Department of Human Services to grant and convey a permanent
conservation easement to the Chicago Park District; authorizing the Director of
the Department of Natural Resources to terminate the State’s interests in an agreement
between the State and the City of Pana, for the purpose of funding the
construction of a dam and water reservoir to create the Pana Lake Project; and
authorizing the Director of the Department of Natural Resources to execute and
deliver a quitclaim deed to the Forest Preserve District of Will County .
Therefore,
pursuant to Section 9(e) of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I
hereby return House Bill 3222, entitled “AN ACT concerning civil law,” with the
forgoing objections and with the following specific recommendations for change:
On
page 36, immediately below line 10, by deleting the following:
Section
4-5. The Illinois Medical District Commission, on behalf of the State of
Illinois, is hereby authorized and directed to execute and deliver to the Julie
and Michael Tracy Family Foundation, Chicago, Illinois, doing business as Urban
Autism Solutions, a not-for-profit organization organized and existing under
the laws of the State of Illinois, of the County of Cook, State of Illinois, a
quitclaim deed to the following described real property, comprising
approximately 1.1 acres, commonly known as the Growing Solutions Farm:
Lot 1
in Campbells Subdivision of Block 2 in Morris and other's subdivision of the
West half of the Southwest quarter of Section 18, Township 39, Range 14 East of
the
Third Principal Meridian in Cook County Illinois (Parcel 17-18-306-028-0000)
Lot 2
of the subdivision of Lot 12 in Campbells Subdivision of Block 2 in Morris and
other's subdivision of the West half of the Southwest quarter of Section 18,
Township 39, Range 14 East of the Third Principal Meridian in Cook County
Illinois (Parcel 17-18-306-017-0000)
Lot 3
of the subdivision of Lot 12 in Campbells Subdivision of Block 2 in Morris and
other's subdivision of the West half of the Southwest quarter of Section 18,
Township 39, Range 14 East of the Third Principal Meridian in Cook County
Illinois (Parcel 17-18-306-016-0000)
Lot
13 in Campbells Subdivision of Block 2 in Morris and others' subdivision of the
West half of the Southwest quarter of Section 18, Township 39, Range 14 East of
the Third Principal Meridian in Cook County Illinois (Parcel 17-18-306-015-0000)
Lot
14 in Campbells Subdivision of Block 2 in Morris and others' subdivision of the
West half of the Southwest quarter of Section 18, Township 39, Range 14 East of
the Third Principal Meridian in Cook County Illinois (Parcel 17-18-306-014-0000)
Lot
15 in Campbells Subdivision of Block 2 in Morris and others' subdivision of the
West half of the Southwest quarter of Section 18, Township 39, Range 14 East of
the Third Principal Meridian in Cook County Illinois (Parcel 17-18-306-013-0000)
Lot
16 in Campbells Subdivision of Block 2 in Morris and others' subdivision of the
West half of the Southwest quarter of Section 18, Township 39, Range 14 East of
the Third Principal Meridian in Cook County Illinois (Parcel 17-18-306-012-0000)
Section
4-10. The conveyances of real property authorized by Section 4-5 are subject
to: (1) existing public utilities, existing public roads, and any and all
reservations, easements, encumbrances, covenants, and restrictions of record;
and (2) the express condition that if said real property ceases to be used
for public purposes, it shall revert to the State of Illinois, Medical District
Commission.
Section
4-15. The President of the Illinois Medical District Commission shall obtain a
certified copy of the portions of this Act containing the title, the enacting
clause, the effective date, the appropriate Section or Sections containing the
land descriptions of the property to be conveyed, and this Section within 60
days after its effective date and shall record the certified document in the
Recorder's office in the county in which the land is located.
With
these changes, I will approve House Bill 3222. I respectfully request the
General Assembly accept these recommendations.
Sincerely,
JB
Pritzker