Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1990 [PAGE 127]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1990]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

115

Additional funds totalling approximately $900,000 will be provided by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and the College of Agriculture from several income-producing farm accounts and available gift funds. Accordingly, the president of the University, with the concurrence of the appropriate administrative officers, recommends: (1) the purchase of approximately 257 acres of the Grein farms in Champaign County; and (2) the exchange of the Elwood tract to the Stepan Company as outlined herein.

On motion of Mrs. Gravenhorst, these recommendations were approved by the following vote: Aye, Mr. Boyle, Mrs. Calder, Mr. Grabowski, Mrs. Gravenhorst, Mr. Hahn, Ms. Reese, Mrs. Shepherd, Mr. Wolff; no, none; absent, Dr. Bacon, Governor Thompson. (The student advisory vote was: Aye, Mr. Forbes, Ms. Kelly; no, none.)

Disclosure of Executive Session Actions under Open Meetings Act

(2) Under an amendment to the Open Meetings Act passed by the General Assembly, effective July 1, 1989, public bodies subject to the Act which conduct business under exemptions specified in the Act must, at least every six months, determine whether the need for confidentiality still exists with respect to each item considered under such exemption. T h e attached copies of the minutes of the executive sessions of January 1990 through May 1990 are marked to indicate which items considered in executive session are recommended for continuing confidential status, e.g., items of employment of staff members in January and February. Neither of these has yet been resolved. (Attached materials are filed with the secretary of the board for record.) T h e university counsel and the secretary of the board, having consulted with appropriate University officers, recommend that the indicated items retain confidential status at this time and that the president of the University be authorized to release those items when appropriate. It is further recommended that all other matters considered in executive session for the period be made available to the public. I concur.

By consensus, the trustees approved of the recommendation as submitted, formal action to be taken subsequently when the board convenes in open meeting.

Acquisition by Condemnation, 1201 South Halsted, Chicago

(3) T h e parcel of land located at 1201 South Halsted (Roosevelt and Halsted) was occupied by a commercial building which was destroyed by fire in the spring of 1990. Subsequent to the fire, University representatives attempted to contact the owners of the property concerning possible sale of the parcel to the University. T h e property is held in trust with the Superior Savings Bank of Oak Brook, Illinois, as Trustee. T h e r e was no reply to the University inquiries. Within the past month, clearance of the damaged structure and other preconstruction activities have been observed at the site. It is believed that an application for a building permit has been submitted to the City of Chicago. This property is essential to the University's campus development. An additional attempt to contact the owners for the purpose of acquiring the property is in progress. The vice president for business and finance recommends that the board authorize purchase of this property at a price not to exceed its appraised fair market value of $63,000 plus costs. If good faith negotiations prove unsuccessful, it is further recommended that the board authorize its executive committee to convene and to pass an appropriate resolution authorizing the University to condemn this property.