Today, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County’s Board of Commissioners approved a new transparency plan to provide residents easy access to information about the agency’s operations. According to Forest Preserve District President D. “Dewey” Pierotti Jr., “This plan will place our agency on the forefront of transparency efforts compared to similar agencies in northern Illinois.”
Pierotti went on to note that the District’s website already contains much of the information mentioned in the plan and that the new structure will be easier to locate and offer new features. “Taxpayers will have an easy way to understand the District’s overall operations and the outstanding conservational, recreational and educational values provided by the 25,000 acres of DuPage County’s forest preserves,” he added.
The approved plan’s 10 recommended developments include:
- Transparency Portal on Website — A transparency button on the front page linking to the content outlined in the plan’s additional points
- Open Checkbook — A function displaying District expenditures and receipts
- FOIA Center — A page describing how to make a request through the Freedom of Information Act and listing previous requests and their dispositions
- Elected and Administrative Officials’ Contact Information — An expansion of contact information to include not only the commissioners but also top administrative staff
- List of Vendors and Contractors — Information on vendors and contractors as well as their contracts
- List of Lobbyists — A page outlining the District’s lobbyists and contracts
- Additional Board Minutes — An expansion from five to 10 years of minutes from past meetings of the Board of Commissioners
- List of Taxes and Fees — A page of easy-to-understand descriptions of taxes and fees that fund District activities
- Link Salary Information to Existing Databases — Allowing salary information to be added to searchable Internet databases
- New Transparency Committee — Establishment of a non-paid Transparency Committee to make recommendations for new transparency measures
Using the plan as a blueprint, District staff will work to implement these measures over the coming year.
Established in 1915, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County manages over 25,000 acres of prairies, woodlands and wetlands. Each year, over 4.3 million visitors enjoy the District’s 60 forest preserves, 145 miles of trails, five education centers, and scores of scheduled programs and events. To learn more, call 630-933-7200 or visit dupageforest.org.
Media Contact: Bill Weidner, Office of Public Affairs, 630-871-6406
News Release Date: Jan. 17, 2012