Why James Hemmings' Resignation Should Matter to You: An Analysis of WPD and Village Council Dysfunction

Happy and Healthy New Year to our Winnetka Community!

Buried in the holiday break was the abrupt resignation of Winnetka Park District Commissioner James Hemmings. Why should it matter to you, the Winnetka citizen?

Hemmings' resignation -- and his scathing resignation letter detailed in an article in The Record -- is a "canary in the coalmine" moment regarding the total dysfunction between the Winnetka Park District and the Village Council. Losing one of the most "flexible voters who has sided with both commissioner factions" on the Park District Board is a tremendous step back for our community and to opening our beloved beaches!

Sadly, Hemmings' frustrations have been echoed by several Winnetkans who have tried to selflessly serve our town only to be faced with an outdated, over-regulated, broken process that appears to be run by a small minority. Let's take a look back to see how we've gotten to this point and what we can do in the future to keep Winnetka prospering and prevent disenfranchising talented citizens.

This is Our Town ... let's celebrate the past but push forward together for a bright future!

In this email, we are going to outline:

• What does the Winnetka Park District (WPD) do and why is their work important?
• What is the WPD Strategic Plan, including the Waterfront 2030 Plan -- and the elephant in the room -- the Property Exchange?
• A timeline of Village Council Actions: Disruptive Ordinances, Delay Tactics, Overreach of Power -- and what led to Hemmings' resignation.
• The overriding question to ponder: What prompted the Village to unnecessarily impose new regulations upon the Park District?

What Does the Winnetka Park District (WPD) Do ... and Why Is It Important?

The Park District has been a wonderful steward of open space and recreational land use in Winnetka for 100+ years -- combining both fun and function. From paddle to hockey, from beach to summer camps, the WPD does an incredible job in making Winnetka special for all of her residents -- young and old!

Over the last several years, the WPD, working in cooperation with the Village of Winnetka, helped solve one of the most intractable problems with major improvements to the Par 3 and 18-hole golf course that were instrumental to providing a solution for stormwater management in southwest Winnetka. The WPD has done a remarkable job maintaining and continuously improving 26 parks comprising more than 230 acres throughout Winnetka.

Now, this is very important to note as we dive deeper into the issues at hand: The Winnetka Park District is an independent, taxing body. Translation: The WPD works WITH the Village Council, but the Village Council DOES NOT have the authority to regulate any other taxing body unnecessarily.

Our community expects intergovernmental cooperation for the betterment of Winnetka, across ALL boards. For many years this expectation has been met and surpassed for our residents until now ... so what changed?

WPD Strategic Plan, Including the Waterfront 2030 Plan

The WPD 2012 Strategic Plan identified the need to improve the lakefront, parks, and beaches. From there, a 2014 lakefront advisory committee, including the 10-member Lakefront Advisory Board, was developed. In 2016, Winnetka formally adopts the Lakefront Master Plan, also known as Winnetka Waterfront 2030.

The Board's Waterfront 2030 Plan is a generational, community-focused improvement. It leverages one of our greatest community assets, the lakefront. The Waterfront 2030 Plan accomplishes multiple goals:

• Beautification
• New conveniences
• Public safety
• Universal access for residents of all abilities
• One continuous beach, connecting Elder and Centennial, and includes stormwater infrastructure improvements for southeast Winnetka

Perhaps most importantly, the Park District had budgeted money for this project -- without raising your taxes or taking away from any future capital projects.

So ... one is led to question: Why is this project not moving forward?

The Elephant in the Room: Centennial Property Exchange Agreement

A single private residence, 261 Sheridan, has sat between Elder and Centennial beaches since it was built in 1947. And since the founding of Centennial Park in 1969, the WPD and Village Council have expressed interest in unifying the parks and beaches -- so that all residents can enjoy one continuous beach.

In July 2020, a private resident purchased 205 Sheridan, the home situated at the south border of Centennial beach. In October 2020, the same private resident closed on the purchase of 261 Sheridan, a private home situated between Elder and Centennial Beaches, with the expressed intent to enter into a property exchange agreement with the WPD.

In the property exchange agreement, the WPD would gain a valuable piece of lakefront property to unite Elder and Centennial beaches so that Winnetka residents could enjoy one continuous beachfront of nearly 1000 feet. On the flip side of the agreement, the private resident would receive an equal amount of beachfront land along the north side of his property adjoining Centennial Park.

Separate and apart from the property exchange, the same private resident has pledged $3 million towards defraying the cost of construction of the proposed improvements at Centennial Park.

Two important facts about the property exchange:

• This agreement violated NO laws and was done with input from several residents and committee members.
• The property exchange and the donation are separate agreements, both intended to enhance the Winnetka Lakefront for generations to come.

Where it stands today: The property exchange agreement remains pending, subject to ongoing litigation by one private resident. While all three claims were dismissed in favor of the Park District -- two out of three "with prejudice," which means the plaintiff cannot refile the same claim again in that court -- the plaintiff resurrected the third claim. The Park District is presently in settlement discussions with the plaintiff on the outstanding claim.

A Donation Agreement has been approved by the Park District, which contains provisions that will ensure the dog beach will be maintained as proposed, occupying the southernmost 240 feet of Centennial Beach for the next fifty years. The Centennial Dog Beach, founded 30 years ago, was the first of its kind. The proposed plan brings the dog beach into conformance with current regulations while ensuring public access to and along the lakefront.

A Timeline of Village Council Actions: Disruptive Ordinances, Delay Tactics, Overreach of Power -- and What Led to Hemmings' Resignation

It is easy to see why Mr. Hemmings is frustrated: The Village Council changed the rules. In Mr. Hemmings' resignation letter, he cites that the Village Council continuously took away the WPD's authority and independence -- limiting their ability to implement what they were empowered to do by the citizens of Winnetka.

In 2024, 61% of the community surveyed in the WCC requested an Intergovernmental Agreement between Village and Park Boards to get the beaches improved and reopened. It is the opinion of Our Town Winnetka that our Village Council is being obstinate and IS NOT following the wishes of the entire community. Ignoring the request for intergovernmental cooperation with the Park District -- and setting a poor leadership example for our community -- is another evidence point.

Winnetka NEEDS a Village Council that gets things done for its community.

Winnetka Can Do Better

Good citizens -- like James Hemmings -- are being "run off" due to small-minded, not-in-my-backyard village leadership. The fact that a few voices can question/judge/impede/stop a project that has been vetted by subject matter experts and is supported by a majority of Winnetka residents -- is an example of "Progress without Change" to the highest degree.

What is happening with the 2030 Masterplan is what has happened repeatedly:

• The Post Office Site
• The One Winnetka Site
• And other proposed improvements, both civically and privately, in Winnetka

Winnetka Deserves Better! Don't "Post Office" our Waterfront!

What YOU Can Do

Let's Get Elder and Centennial Beaches Open. Email and/or call the Village Trustees to ask them to place the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) to facilitate the required permits for Elder and Centennial with the Winnetka Park District as Priority #1 on their Agenda.

• Phone: (847) 501-6000
• Email: contactcouncil@winnetka.org

We need the entire voice of our community to activate the #1 issue of the Winnetka Caucus Survey and make it come to life!

Thank you, Our Town Winnetka