PETITION FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AT THE CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT

General Superintendent Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners, Chicago Park District Office of Inspector General​, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Governor Pritzker, ​Illinois Attorney General – Public Access Counselor (PAC)​

We are Chicago residents and Park Advisory Council (PAC) volunteers from across the city.
We are the people who set up chairs, recruit instructors, write grant applications, coordinate cleanups, and bring free programming to our communities—often after work, on weekends, and with no pay—because we care about our neighbors.
We are simply asking for clear answers and an immediate remedy to the unfair treatment of community volunteers who are working in good faith to build a brighter future for our children.

THE PROBLEM

What happened here matters beyond one park. If a volunteer can be sanctioned under an unpublished or newly announced rule—without clear written standards, documented notice, and a fair review of the evidence—then any PAC volunteer anywhere in the city can be treated the same way. That is the core problem: without transparent procedures and a written record tied to specific allegations and disclosed evidence, decisions become effectively unreviewable, accountability disappears, and the public is left with “trust us” instead of governance. This Suspension Letter shows how quickly a volunteer can face punitive action without a clear cited rule, without disclosed evidence, and without a meaningful opportunity to respond—creating the appearance of retaliation rather than a fair, accountable process. If leadership allows this to be brushed aside, it sets a precedent that discourages volunteer service, chills grant-seeking and programming, and ultimately harms the communities our parks are supposed to serve.

These practices raise serious compliance concerns under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140), the Illinois Open Meetings Act (5 ILCS 120), and the due process and equal protection guarantees of Article I, Section 2 of the Illinois Constitution, and they warrant immediate corrective action and transparent, written procedures.

ASKS:

Transparent, Fair, and Consistent PAC Governance


No surprise rules. CPD should maintain a single public PAC policy page with effective dates. If a rule is not posted, it should not be enforced.

Written decisions, not silence. When CPD denies, delays, or restricts a PAC request, CPD should provide a brief written response within 5 business days citing the specific policy, its effective date, and the path to review.

Fair process before sanctions. Before suspending or materially restricting volunteers, CPD should provide written notice of the concern, a reasonable window to respond (10 days), and a written determination after reviewing relevant records.

Service timelines that respect volunteer labor. Acknowledge PAC submissions within 2 business days; decide within 10 business days or issue a dated extension with an escalation contact.

One accountable point of contact. Each PAC should have a designated CPD liaison with published contact information to prevent requests from being lost or bounced.

Safe participation and independent reporting. Volunteers should be able to ask questions, request clarification, and raise concerns without fear of retaliation, with a clear independent channel for unresolved issues.

Public accountability metrics. CPD should publish annual, easy-to-read metrics—response times, approval rates, and sanctions by region—so residents can track consistency and equity across the city.

ACCOUNTABILITY NOT CONFLICT

This is not about blaming individuals. It is about clear rules, written decisions, fair process, and measurable service—so volunteers can serve and the public can trust the system.

WHY THIS MATTERS

SEIU Local 73’s State of the Parks Revisited: 2025

The report above explains why community-programming work matters on the South Side: even though 98% of Chicagoans live within a 10-minute walk of a park, higher-poverty areas have under 4.5% of land devoted to park space (vs ~10% citywide) and some “parks” are effectively empty lots with few amenities—so the places that most need cultural programming often have the least; the report also shows a massive programming gap, where in 2024 North Region Area 4 delivered 5,044 programs (51,595 enrollments) while South Region Area 2 delivered 587 programs (6,661 enrollments)—nearly 10× fewer opportunities for families; and arts/culture capacity has been cut (specialized instructor positions 55 → 39 since 2018), while the District’s Financial Assistance Fund dropped from $1.5M to $500K in 2025—meaning in Black, historically disinvested communities like South Shore, blocking volunteer-led outreach and cultural activation deepens an already documented citywide inequity in programming, arts access, and family support.

This lack of accountability is also showing up in another urgent issue: the installation of parking gates and parking fees at lakefront parks. We also demand the removal of these gates and fees. Residents already pay for these public spaces through their taxes, and charging them again to access the beach is double taxation, plain and simple. These gates hit low income families, seniors, and people with disabilities the hardest, placing yet another burden on South Side communities that already have too few affordable public spaces. For many residents, these parks are among the only places for peace, exercise, family gathering, and connection to the lake. Public space should not be turned into a paywall, especially with no transparency about where the money is going or what the public is getting in return.

CALL TO ACTION

The irony is hard to miss: Chicago Park District’s 2026 budget shows grants make up less than 1% of total revenue, yet the District has more energy for prosecuting volunteers and charging residents for parking than for pursuing outside funding or supporting volunteers who are trying to bring resources in. That is not stewardship. It is poor, insensitive leadership that shifts the burden onto residents instead of building real support for public parks. And communities lose in the most concrete way possible: fewer programs, fewer improvements, and more barriers to the public spaces families depend on.

Please do this ASAP:

  1. Sign and share the petition.

  2. Drop a quick comment: what park are you in, and what happened (no replies, last-minute rule, delay, canceled program, unfair sanction)?

  3. Call or email any of the following contacts:

  • Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners: commissioners@chicagoparkdistrict.com
  • General Superintendent: (312) 742-4200; superintendent@chicagoparkdistrict.com
  • Chicago Park District Office of Inspector General: (312) 742-9500
  • Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson: (312) 744-5000; (312) 744-3334
  • Governor Pritzker: (217) 782-0244; (217) 782-6830; (312) 814-2121; (312) 814-2122
  • Illinois Attorney General – Public Access Counselor (PAC): (877) 299-3642
  • Robin L. Kelly - U.S. Representative for Illinois’s 2nd Congressional District: (202) 224-3121
  • Jonathan L. Jackson – U.S. Representative for Illinois’s 1st Congressional District: (202) 224-3121


Petition by
Gravatar
Ana Marija Sokovic
Chicago, Illinois

To: General Superintendent Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners, Chicago Park District Office of Inspector General​, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Governor Pritzker, ​Illinois Attorney General – Public Access Counselor (PAC)​
From: [Your Name]

Dear General Superintendent Ramirez-Rosa and Honorable Officials,

We are Chicago residents and Park Advisory Council (PAC) volunteers. We are the people who set up chairs, recruit instructors, write grant applications, coordinate cleanups, and bring free programming to our communities—often after work, on weekends, and with no pay—because we care about our neighbors and our parks.

We are writing to request immediate, written action to establish transparent, consistent PAC governance standards across the Chicago Park District, and to seek review of a sanction process that—based on the written correspondence we are providing—appears to impose serious consequences without the basic safeguards that make public decision-making accountable.

Why this matters beyond one case
What happened here matters beyond one park. If a volunteer can be sanctioned under an unpublished or newly announced rule—without clear written standards, documented notice, and a fair review of the evidence—then any PAC volunteer anywhere in the city can be treated the same way. Without transparent procedures and a written record tied to specific allegations and disclosed evidence, decisions become effectively unreviewable, accountability disappears, and the public is left with “trust us” instead of governance. The correspondence we are attaching shows how quickly a volunteer can face punitive action without a clear cited rule, without disclosed evidence, and without a meaningful opportunity to respond—creating the appearance of retaliation rather than a fair, accountable process.

Legal and governance concerns
These circumstances raise serious compliance concerns under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140), the Illinois Open Meetings Act (5 ILCS 120), and the due process and equal protection guarantees of Article I, Section 2 of the Illinois Constitution. We are not alleging individual wrongdoing. We are requesting system-level corrective action so that volunteer service and public programming can proceed under clear rules and fair process.

Requested corrective actions (citywide standards)
We respectfully request the Chicago Park District adopt and publish the following PAC governance standards:

Prospective, posted policies only
Maintain a single public webpage of PAC policies with effective dates. If a rule is not posted, it should not be enforced.

Written determinations within 5 business days
For any denial, delay, or restriction, provide a brief written notice citing the specific policy relied upon, its effective date, and the review/appeal pathway.

Basic fair process before serious sanctions (Ill. Const. Art. I, § 2)
Before suspending or materially restricting a volunteer: provide written notice and supporting information, allow at least 10 days to respond, review relevant records, and issue a written determination.

Service timelines that respect volunteer labor
Acknowledge PAC submissions within 2 business days; decide within 10 business days or issue a dated extension with an escalation contact.

One accountable point of contact per PAC
Assign and publish a designated CPD liaison for each PAC.

Safe participation and independent reporting
Adopt a written non-retaliation statement for good-faith requests for clarification, records, or review, and provide an independent reporting channel (including referral to the CPD Office of Inspector General as appropriate).

Annual transparency metrics
Publish annual response times, approval rates, and sanctions by park/region to monitor consistency and equity.

Why equity is at stake
These governance failures have predictable downstream impacts: programming gets canceled, grants go unapplied for, and communities—especially historically disinvested South and West Side neighborhoods—lose services that families rely on. This is not theoretical; it is a direct result of unclear rules and unreviewable enforcement.

Specific requests to recipients

To the Chicago Park District (General Superintendent and Board): Please provide a written response within 14 days stating whether CPD will adopt these citywide standards, and what interim steps will be taken immediately to ensure posted policies, written determinations, and fair process.

To the CPD Office of Inspector General: Please advise whether the attached correspondence warrants review for potential retaliation, abuse of discretion, or failure to follow basic procedural safeguards.

To the Illinois Attorney General Public Access Counselor: We request guidance on appropriate next steps to ensure compliance with transparency obligations related to PAC policies, communications, and decision records.

To the Mayor’s Office and Governor’s Office: We request your leadership in ensuring public institutions apply clear, consistent standards so civic volunteers can serve without arbitrary barriers.

To Representatives Kelly and Jackson: We request your assistance in elevating the need for transparent governance standards and equitable access to park programming.

We are seeking accountability without conflict: clear rules, written decisions, fair process, and measurable service—so volunteers can serve effectively and the public can trust the system.

Thank you for your attention. We are available for a meeting and can provide additional documentation upon request.

Respectfully,

Concerned Citizens