Worth Park District - Worth Park District

History

The Worth-Palos Park District was formed by a referendum in 1965 and it consists of a five-member Board of Commissioners. The measure passed by a slim margin of just 26 votes.

The park district's first meeting was held at the village hall on May 3, 1965. The first tax money received by the newly formed district was in June of 1966. Through its 40 plus years the park district continues to grow with 10 parks to serve its residents and a staff dedicated to serving the community's changing needs.

Looking back through the years...

• 1966 – A 5-acre parcel of land was donated by contractor, Wayne Peak, which is known today at Peak's Park located at 107th and Oak Park Ave.
• 1967 – The village turned over 2 half-acre parcels to the park district, which later became known as Worthwoods Park, at 109th & Oketo and Penny Park, at Home Ave. & Normandy. Penny Park was named for the early promise given to tax payers that the park district would only cost them pennies each year. Also a 2-car garage was given as a gift to the park and moved to Peak's which was then converted into a three-room community building known today as the Helen Goy Community Center.
• 1970 – The triangular piece of land across the street from Peak's Park was purchased and is now used as our Maintenance Garage. A 5-acre wooded tract of land located at 109th and Nordica was also purchased. It was dedicated to the memory of Gale Moore in 1974.
• 1975 – 1976 – Development of Smile, at 114th & Neenah; Stahlak, at 112th & Natchez; and Altman Parks took place along with the maintenance of 3 ball fields at Worthwoods School. The Altman Park had been just south of the Terrace Center where the village-owned ball fields are today.
• 1977 – Baldwin Park, at 109th & Nashville, was donated by Jack Baldwin in honor of his son.
• 1982 – The park district signed a lease with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District for a 13-acre parcel of land for a period of 39 years. The park, located at 116th and Oak Park, was named after Frank Homerding in 1983.
• 1985 – Worth Terrace School, located at 11500 Beloit, was purchased. It was renamed the Charles M. Christensen Terrace Centre in 1989.
• 1990 – The official name of the park district was changed from Worth-Palos Park District to Worth Park District. The popular Recreation After School (RAS) program began. The football field at Peaks Park was named the Harold Choot Field.
• 1993 – The Veterans Memorial Park, at 111th & Harlem, was unveiled.
• 1995 – The first Worth Park District Historical Museum was opened at the Terrace Centre. The Board of Commissioners also formed the Worth Historical Society.
• 2004 – A new Historical Museum was opened. The Department of Natural Resources Illinois State Museum's Public Museum Capital Grant primarily funded the expansion.

Behavior Policy / Photo Disclaimers / Registration / Refund Policy

Behavior Policy

Appropriate behavior is expected from all participants and observers in programs and in facilities to protect the enjoyment and safety of all patrons. Behaviors that will not be accepted include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Endangering the health and safety of other participants, patrons or staff.
• Disrupting a program or creating a disturbance at a facility.
• Continuous refusal to follow program and/or facility rules and guidelines.
• Use of verbal harassment, profanity, vulgarity, obscenity or racial slurs.
• Blatant disrespect of staff and program or facility rules and guidelines.
• Blatant disrespect of staff and program or facility rules and guidelines.
• Damage, vandalism or theft of private or Park District facilities, equipment or supplies.
• Possession or use of illegal substances or medication, including the use of alcohol or smoking where prohibited.
• Inappropriate or offensive dress, including, but not limited to dress which is too revealing and clothing which displays obscene or offensive words or pictures.
• Possession or threat of a weapon.
• Gang activity including display or possession of symbols, hand signals, soliciting membership, intimidating or threatening any individual, wearing or displaying colors or items of dress, etc.
• Inappropriate display of affection, including but not limited to prolonged kissing and touching of any private area of the body.

The following outlines steps that may be used with patrons who are not behaving appropriately. Membership or program fees will not be refunded for any person removed from a program or facility due to violation of this behavior policy. Some programs or facilities may have stricter or more detailed behavior policies.

Program Participants
All program participants are expected to behave appropriately and follow the rules of the program and facility. A participant will receive written notice for inappropriate behavior, and in the case of a minor, a copy of the notice will be provided to such minor's parent/guardian. If a participant receives three notices of inappropriate behavior, or if the participant is involved in one severe incident, as determined by District staff, the participant may no longer participate in the program until a meeting is scheduled and held. The participant, a parent / guardian if the participant is a minor, the program instructor, the program supervisor and any other persons, whom the District considers necessary for a resolution of the inappropriate behavior, shall be present at such meeting. At the meeting, the question of continued participation in the program will be considered and, primarily for minor participants, a Behavior Contract may be prepared as a condition of continued participation. Such a Behavior Contract will be personalized to the circumstances and the participant, and will include specific expectations and consequences for failure to meet such expectations, including possible suspension and /or termination from program participation. Inappropriate behavior by adults may result in more rapid progress toward suspension or termination from program participation. Any participant that receives a suspension and is permitted to return to the program does on the "zero tolerance" basis. Any further incident will result in immediate termination of that individual. Termination of participation may carry from program to program pending the severity of the issue as determined by the District.

Facilities
All facility participants are expected to follow the rules of the facilities. Disregard or abuse of facility rules may result in removal by staff or police from the facility for a designated length or time or permanently.

Observers
Observers of programs are also expected to behave appropriately. Parents, friends and any observers are held to the same standards of behavior as participants. If inappropriate behavior of a program observer is reported to or observed by a staff person, the observer will be asked to leave by the staff or police, if necessary.

Appeals
Any participant who is suspended or terminated from program participation shall have the right to appeal to the Executive Director within fourteen days of any notice of suspension or termination. The Executive Director shall thereupon schedule a meeting concerning such appeal, and the appellant shall be entitled to present his or her version of the facts at such meeting. Within five days after such meetings, the Executive Director shall notify the appellant in writing that the suspension or termination has been affirmed, modified, or reversed. The Executive Director shall notify the Board of Park Commissioners of the meeting and the decision.

It is a vision of the Worth Park District to provide safe and wholesome programs in well-maintained facilities for our residents and guests. Rules must be followed and policies such as this must be established to protect this vision for all involved. Our goal is not to remove patrons from programs or facilities, but to work together with participants and / or parents/ guardians to the best of our ability to correct or deal with a problem. The Worth Park District asks for your cooperation in behaving appropriately and teaching your children the importance of appropriate behavior and following rules.

Photo Disclaimers

Registrants and participants permit the taking of photos and videos of themselves and their children during Park District activities. These photos or videos are for Park District use only and may be used for publications and promotional materials as the Park District deems necessary.

Registration Information

All registration is processed on a first come, first serve basis. Registration for the programs and events listed within are accepted as of the first day of open registration. Any registration that is submitted prior to the start of open enrollment will be processed no later than 6pm on the first day of open registration.

Registration is accepted only at Terrace Centre location at 115th and Beloit between the hours of 9am and 6pm or by filling out the registration form online and emailing to the address provided. Registration will not be entered until payment has been received.

For your convenience we accept registration in the forms of WALK-IN, DROP-OFF, MAIL-IN, E-MAIL, FAX and PHONE. There will be a fee of an additional $3 for each registration taken via the fax or phone. Payments may be made with cash, check, VISA, MasterCard or bank debit cards. Checks should always be made payable to the Worth Park District.

Refund Policy

To request a refund on a program, a Refund Request Form must be completed and submitted at Registration Counter at the Terrance Centre. Administration approval must be received before a refund will be issued.

1. A full refund will be given when the Park District cancels a trip/program or a refund is requested because of being placed on a waiting list.
2. A refund minus a service charge will be given when a request is received a minimum of four days before the start of the registered program.
3. A prorated refund with a service charge may be granted when a refund request is received with less than four days before the start or after the start of the registered program and the reason is approved. Documentation or medical back-up may be requested with your refund request in order to be approved. The prorated refund will be based on the date the request was received, not the last attended class. No refunds will be issued for individually missed or forgotten classes.
4. No refund requests will be granted that are made more than:
   
   1. two (2) business days after a one day program or special event.
   2. After the first full class of the session.
5. Refunds for trips will not be given unless one of the following occurs:
   1. Park District cancels the trip.
   2. A replacement is found to take the trip.
6. Deposits for certain programs and trips that are identified as nonrefundable and therefore the refund policy does not apply.
7. The cost of purchased individual supplies or equipment, such as t-shirts, uniforms, trophies, costumes, etc. will be deducted form your refund. No reimbursements will be given for required equipment or supply purchases made by the participant or parent.
8. Please allow 3-4 weeks for your refund to be processed. If originally paid by check or cash, a check will be mailed to you. If paid by VISA, Mastercard, or Discover Card, we must credit the card with which payment was made.
9. Any programs with special policies void the preceding.

Service Charge Policy

All refunds issued which are not results of a Park District cancellation will be assessed a service charge. The service charge for programs with fees of $10 or more will be $5; programs with fees less than $10 will be charged 50% of the program fee.

Class Cancellations

Every effort is made to avoid canceling classes. However, a minimum number of participants must be registered. Notification of class cancellation may be made with as little as 24-hour notice. In cases where a program is canceled, you will be notified before the start of the program and a full refund will be issued.

Transfer Policy

1. All transfer requests will be honored if there are openings in the class requesting to be transferred to and the participant is the appropriate age for the program.
2. If additional payment is due, this must be made at the time of the transfer request. For a refund see #8 under Refund Policy.

Pursuant to the fundamental philosophy of the American constitutional form of government, it is declared to be the public policy of the State of Illinois that all persons are entitled to full and complete information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts and policies of those who represent them as public officials and public employees consistent with the terms of this Act. Such access is necessary to enable the people to fulfill their duties of discussing public issues fully and freely, making informed political judgments and monitoring government to ensure that it is being conducted in the public interest.

More information regarding the FOIA may be obtained by clicking below.

-Illinois Freedom of Informatino Act, 5 ILCS 140/1 (Illinois General Assembly)

-Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act Seminars, FAQ & More (Illinois Attorney General)

The Worth Park District has 2 FOIA officers on staff. Freedom of Information Act requests may be may through this website by clicking below.

FOIA Compensation Statement

In compliance with the Open Meeting Act you may obtain Worth Park District financial statements and audits.

P.A. 97-0609 IMRF Disclosure

The Park District is required by PA-97-0609 to disclose a list of employees expected to receive compensation greater than 150,00 six days prior to approval of its annual budget. Within 6 business days after approving the annual budget, the Park District is required to provide a list of all employees that are expected to receive compensation of greater than $75,000. Compensation includes salary, the cost of all employer provided health insurance programs, employer pension contributions, car allowances, bonuses and any other form of compensation.

Information

The Worth Park District Board of Commissioners recognizes the right of members of the public to have access to public records in accordance with the provisions of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”), and affirms that it is the policy of the Worth Park District to comply with FOIA. Link to FOIA Act: http://foia.ilattorneygeneral.net/

The FOIA officers for the Worth Park District are Carlo Capalbo, Director of Parks & Recreation and Sarah Redmond, Finance & Personnel Manager. All requests for public records should be sent to either one of their attention at:

Worth Park District

11500 S. Beloit Ave

Worth, IL 60482

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FOIA Requests