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92_SB1627eng SB1627 Engrossed LRB9210721BDdv 1 AN ACT concerning zoological parks in forest preserve 2 districts. 3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 4 represented in the General Assembly: 5 Section 5. The Forest Preserve Zoological Parks Act is 6 amended by changing Sections 1 and 2 as follows: 7 (70 ILCS 835/1) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 6801) 8 Sec. 1. The corporate authorities of forest preserve 9 districts, containing a population of 140,000150,000or more 10 located in counties of less than 3,000,000 inhabitants, 11 having the control or supervision of any forest preserves, 12 may erect and maintain within such forest preserves, under 13 the control or supervision of such corporate authorities, 14 edifices to be used for the collection and display of animals 15 as customary in zoological parks, and may collect and display 16 such animals, or permit the directors or trustees of any 17 zoological society devoted to the purposes aforesaid to erect 18 and maintain a zoological park and to collect and display 19 zoological collections within any forest preserve now or 20 hereafter under the control or supervision of such forest 21 preserve district, out of funds belonging to such zoological 22 society, or to contract with the directors or trustees of any 23 zoological society on such terms and conditions as may to 24 such corporate authorities seem best, relative to the 25 erection, operation and maintenance of a zoological park and 26 the collection and display of such animals within such forest 27 preserve, out of the tax hereinafter in this Act provided. 28 This Act applies to any forest preserve district that 29 maintains a zoological park that was established under this 30 Act prior to 1964, regardless of whether the population 31 requirements continue to be met. SB1627 Engrossed -2- LRB9210721BDdv 1 Such a forest preserve district, or the directors or 2 trustees of such zoological society when so authorized by the 3 forest preserve district, may (a) police the property of the 4 zoological park, (b) employ, establish, maintain and equip a 5 security force for fire and police protection of the 6 zoological park and (c) provide that the personnel of the 7 security force shall perform other tasks relating to the 8 maintenance and operation of the zoological park. Members of 9 the security force shall be conservators of the peace with 10 all the powers of policemen in cities and of sheriffs, other 11 than to serve or execute civil processes, but such powers may 12 be exercised only within the area comprising the zoological 13 park when required to protect the zoological park's property 14 and interests, its personnel and persons using the facilities 15 or at the specific request of appropriate federal, State or 16 local law enforcement officials. 17 Such forest preserve district may charge, or permit such 18 zoological society to charge an admission fee. The proceeds 19 of such admission fee shall be devoted exclusively to the 20 operation and maintenance of such zoological park and the 21 collections therein. All such zoological parks shall be open 22 to the public without charge for at least one day each week 23 and to the children in actual attendance upon any of the 24 schools in the State at all times, except that charges may be 25 made at any time for special services and for admission to 26 special facilities within any zoological park for the 27 education, entertainment or convenience of visitors. 28 (Source: P.A. 91-817, eff. 6-13-00.) 29 (70 ILCS 835/2) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 6802) 30 Sec. 2. For the purpose of constructing and maintaining 31 and caring for any such zoological park and the buildings and 32 grounds thereof and of securing and displaying zoological 33 collections thereon the corporate authorities of any forest SB1627 Engrossed -3- LRB9210721BDdv 1 preserve district containing a population of 150,000 or more 2 but less than 3,000,000 are authorized to levy annually a tax 3 of not to exceed .0058% of value as equalized or assessed by 4 the Department of Revenue, upon all the taxable property in 5 the district; provided however, in a forest preserve district 6 located in a county with a population in excess of 140,000 7150,000but less than 200,000 and contiguous to the 8 Mississippi River, the annual tax may be at a rate not to 9 exceed .01%. This tax shall be levied and collected in the 10 same manner as the general taxes of the forest preserve 11 district and shall be in addition to the maximum of all other 12 taxes and tax rates which the district is now or may 13 hereafter be authorized to levy upon the aggregate valuation 14 of all taxable property within the district and shall be 15 exclusive of and in addition to the maximum amount and rate 16 of taxes the district is now or may hereafter be authorized 17 to levy for general purposes under Section 13 of "An Act to 18 provide for the creation and management of forest preserve 19 districts and repealing certain Acts therein named", approved 20 June 27, 1913, as amended, or under any other law which may 21 limit the amount of tax which the district may levy for 22 general purposes. The proceeds of the tax herein authorized 23 shall be kept as a separate fund. 24 (Source: P.A. 85-1352.)