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| Public Act 099-0003 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning State government.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Park District Aquarium and Museum Act is | ||||
amended by changing Section 1 as follows:
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(70 ILCS 1290/1) (from Ch. 105, par. 326)
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Sec. 1. Erect, operate, and maintain aquariums and museums. | ||||
The corporate authorities of cities and park districts having | ||||
the
control or supervision over of any public park or parks, | ||||
including parks located on formerly submerged land, are hereby | ||||
authorized
to purchase, erect, and maintain within any such | ||||
public park or parks under the
control or supervision of such | ||||
corporate authorities, edifices to be used
as aquariums or as | ||||
museums of art, industry, science, or natural or other
history, | ||||
including presidential libraries, centers, and museums, such | ||||
aquariums and museums consisting of all facilities for their | ||||
collections, exhibitions, programming, and associated | ||||
initiatives, or to permit the directors or trustees of any | ||||
corporation or
society organized for the construction or | ||||
maintenance and operation of an
aquarium or museum as | ||||
hereinabove described to erect, enlarge, ornament,
build, | ||||
rebuild, rehabilitate, improve, maintain, and operate its | ||||
aquarium or
museum or museums within any public park now or | ||||
hereafter under the control
or supervision of any city or park | ||
district, and to contract with any such
directors or trustees | ||
of any such aquarium or , museum or museums relative to
the | ||
erection, enlargement, ornamentation, building, rebuilding,
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rehabilitation, improvement, maintenance, ownership, and | ||
operation of such aquarium or museum. Notwithstanding the | ||
previous sentence, a city or park district may enter into a | ||
lease for an initial term not to exceed 99 years, subject to | ||
renewal, allowing a corporation or society as hereinabove | ||
described to erect,
enlarge, ornament, build, rebuild, | ||
rehabilitate, improve, maintain, and operate its aquarium or | ||
museum, together with grounds immediately adjacent to such | ||
aquarium or museum, and to use, possess, and occupy grounds | ||
surrounding such aquarium or museum as hereinabove described | ||
for the purpose of beautifying and maintaining such grounds in | ||
a manner consistent with the aquarium or museum's purpose, and | ||
on the conditions that (1) the public is allowed access to such | ||
grounds in a manner consistent with its access to other public | ||
parks, and (2) the city or park district retains a reversionary | ||
interest in any improvements made by the corporation or society | ||
on the grounds, including the aquarium or museum itself, that | ||
matures upon the expiration or lawful termination of the lease. | ||
It is hereby reaffirmed and found that the aquariums and | ||
museums as described in this Section, and their collections, | ||
exhibitions, programming, and associated initiatives, serve | ||
valuable public purposes, including, but not limited to, | ||
furthering human knowledge and understanding, educating and | ||
inspiring the public, and expanding recreational and cultural | ||
resources and opportunities and operation thereof. Any city or
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park district may charge, or permit such an aquarium or museum | ||
to charge,
an admission fee. Any such aquarium or museum,
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however, shall be open without charge, when
accompanied by a | ||
teacher, to the children in actual attendance upon grades
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kindergarten through twelve in any of the schools in this State | ||
at all
times. In addition, any Any such aquarium or museum, | ||
however, must be open to persons who reside in this State | ||
without
charge
for a period equivalent to 52 days, at least 6 | ||
of which must be during the
period from June through August, | ||
each year.
Notwithstanding said provisions, charges may be made | ||
at any
time for
special services and for admission to special | ||
facilities within any
aquarium or museum for the education, | ||
entertainment, or convenience of
visitors. The proceeds of such | ||
admission fees and charges for special
services and special | ||
facilities shall be devoted exclusively to the
purposes for | ||
which the tax authorized by Section 2 hereof may be used. If
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any owner or owners of any lands or lots abutting or fronting | ||
on any such
public park, or adjacent thereto, have any private | ||
right, easement,
interest or property in such public park | ||
appurtenant to their lands or lots
or otherwise, which would be | ||
interfered with by the erection and
maintenance of any aquarium | ||
or museum as hereinbefore provided, or any
right to have such | ||
public park remain open or vacant and free from
buildings, the | ||
corporate authorities of the city or park district having
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control of such park, may condemn the same in the manner | ||
prescribed for the
exercise
of the right of eminent domain | ||
under the Eminent Domain Act. The changes made to this Section | ||
by this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly are | ||
declaratory of existing law and shall not be construed as a new | ||
enactment.
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(Source: P.A. 97-187, eff. 7-22-11.)
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