The Niles Park District and the Village of Niles have adopted a new Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) providing for the ongoing maintenance of Golf Mill Park, at Church St. and Cumberland Ave. The agreement calls for the Park District to provide maintenance of Village-owned property adjacent to Golf Mill Park, commonly referred to as the Greenwood Stormwater Basin. As part of the IGA, and in exchange for the cooperative maintenance at Golf Mill Park, the Village will convey the title to the Village-owned portion of Oak Park to the Park District.
In recognition of this new agreement and the completion of the Greenwood Stormwater Basin project, the Village’s annual Arbor Day celebration will be held at Golf Mill Park this year. The ceremony is tentatively scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on April 28, 2023, and will include a ceremonial signing of the IGA with Park District and Village representatives, a ceremonial ribbon cutting for the stormwater basin project, and an Arbor Day celebration planting of a White Oak at Golf Mill Park in memory of Niles resident Fred Kudert.
“The Village Board is proud of this important stormwater project, and proud of this collaborative agreement with the Niles Park District,” said Niles Mayor George D. Alpogianis. “Governments can work together and accomplish great things for residents, and what better place to demonstrate that than right here in our own backyard in Niles. I want to personally thank Scott O’Brien, the entire Park District Board, and Executive Director Tom Elenz for their partnership on this project.”
“This agreement is a win-win for the Park District, the Village of Niles and, most importantly, the residents of Niles,” said Park District Board President Scott O’Brien. “It provides the Village the benefit of the Park District’s maintenance expertise, and allows the Park District to make the best use of Oak Park.”
Details of the maintenance agreement for the Village-owned property at Golf Mill Park are as follows:
- The Park District agrees to perform routine maintenance on the property for a period of 50 years.
- Routine Maintenance is defined as, maintenance due to everyday use, including but not limited to, watering, grass seeding, mowing, trimming, weeding, pruning, bush trimming, flower and planting bed mulching, and flower maintenance.
- Routine Maintenance will also include snow removal, regular trash cleanup, and emptying of garbage cans.
- In the event the Village is not using the grass area on its property the Park District may use the space for programming with permission from the Village.
- The agreement stipulates that the Village convey the Oak Park properties to the Park District within 30 days of the execution of the IGA.
This collaboration will improve the Village-owned Golf Mill Park property, by allowing the parties to coordinate services, share resources and maintain property. The Greenwood Stormwater Basin project, located on the site of a former bank building, includes underground stormwater storage vaults, open space, and adjacent streetscape improvements, in addition to the main basin.
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