The Park Governments of Chicago 59 



SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS OF PART ONE 



Board Meetings. 



1. The Bureau believes that all meetings of the Park 

 Boards should be held at the respective park offices. Prior 

 to 1909, the Lincoln Park Board held most of its regular 

 monthly meetings in private offices down town. During 

 the last five years special meetings of the Lincoln and 

 South Park Boards and also many adjourned regular meet- 

 ings of the latter have been held in various down town 

 offices. Matters of much public importance were often 

 acted upon at these adjourned and special meetings, to the 

 practical exclusion of the public. 



2. The Park Boards and Committees thereof often 

 hold executive sessions. Practically all of the delibera- 

 tions of the West Park Board are conducted behind closed 

 doors. Having determined in executive session what ac- 

 tion is to be taken, the formalities of adoption are gone 

 through in open session. With rare exception there should 

 be no need for such secrecy. The Bureau contends that 

 public business should be transacted publicly. 



3. The West Park Board publishes its proceedings as 

 recorded in printed pamphlet form. The South and Lin- 

 coln Park Boards are the only public governing bodies in 

 Chicago spending any considerable amount of money that 

 do not publish official proceedings of meetings. The ex- 

 pense to these boards of currently publishing their pro- 

 ceedings would be comparatively small, and the Bureau 

 suggests that it be done. At present the proceedings do 

 not receive that degree of publicity desirable for public 

 business. 



4. Ordinances have frequently been passed by each of 

 the three large Park Boards on first reading at the first 

 meeting at which they were presented. Many of these 

 park ordinances are of much public importance and such 

 hasty action prevents the public from becoming informed 

 as to the proposed action until too late to voice objection 



