TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF JANUARY 19, 2017
COMMITTEE ON REAL ESTATE
Mr. David St. Pierre, Executive Director
Title
Authority to issue a five (5) year permit extension to EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc. to continue to use the access road and boat ramp located on an approximately 50' x 8' area of District Main Chanel Parcel 15.05 in Lockport, Will County, Illinois, to launch and retrieve boats. Consideration shall be an annual fee of $5,000.00
Body
Dear Sir:
On March 1, 2012, the District issued a five (5) year permit to EA Engineering, Science and Technology, Inc. ("EA") to use an approximately 50' x 8' area of District Main Channel Parcel 15.05 located in Lockport, Will County, Illinois to launch and retrieve boats used to collect and analyze aquatic species in the Main Channel. EA is a contractor of Midwest Generation, LLC, which is conducting a fisheries monitoring program in relation to its electrical plant operations in the Lockport area. The program monitors the effectiveness of the electronic barriers and the impact of its discharge effluent into the Main Channel and whether it has any adverse effect upon the local fish populations. EA anticipates using the site once in May and early June and twice monthly in July, August and September of each year for its monitoring program.
Since 2009, the District's Board of Commissioners has authorized the use of Parcel 15.05 by several government agencies to launch boats into the Main Channel for the purpose of enabling them to conduct surveys of fish populations and to collect fish species to determine the present effectiveness of the electronic nuisance barriers. Main Channel Parcel 15.05 comprises 22.38 acres and is under lease to ACBL Transportation Services, LLC ("ACBL") to operate a barge transportation company. The lease commenced in 2016 and expires in 2055. The annual rent under ACBL's lease is $61,360.00. The District reserved the right under ACBL's lease to renew these permits from time to time for these limited purposes. EA will be responsible for implementation of safety protocols for the boats and its crews, and for coordination of its schedules with ACBL and with other entities also authorized to use this site for boat launching purposes.
The District's technical departments have reviewed this request and have no objections thereto. Since EA's use has little impact on the overall use of the site and encompasses such a small area (400 sq. ft.), a fair market value fee would yield less than the District's minimum $5,000.00 fee. It is therefore recommended that the District's minimum annual fee of $5,000.00 be assessed.
It is requested that the Executive Director recommend to the Board of Commissioners that it authorize and approve the issuance of a 5-year permit extension to EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc. to continue to use the access road and boat ramp located on an approximately 50' x 8' area of District Main Chanel Parcel 15.05 in Lockport, Will County, Illinois, to launch and retrieve boats. Consideration shall be an annual fee of $5,000.00.
It is also requested that the Executive Director recommend to the Board of Commissioners that it authorize and direct the Chairman of the Committee on Finance and the Clerk to execute the permit extension agreement on behalf of the District after it is approved by the General Counsel as to form and legality.
Requested, Ronald M. Hill, General Counsel, RMH:STM:nhb
Recommended, David St. Pierre, Executive Director
Respectfully Submitted, Mariyana T. Spyropoulos, Chairman Committee on Real Estate Development
Disposition of this agenda item will be documented in the official Regular Board Meeting Minutes of the Board of Commissioners for January 19, 2017
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