Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1976 [PAGE 176]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1975]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

165

of time when the water needs of the City of Decatur do not require the higher pool; (5) that the release rate will be maintained as specified in item 6, page 6, of the Revised Memorandum of Agreement and as recommended in the Harza letter to Professor Walter Keith of August 30, 1974; and (6) that the project will be implemented, including the greenbelt, all at one time. In support of his motion, Mr. H a h n made the following comments: (1) I was personally involved in representing the University for several years in negotiations with the City of Decatur, State of Illinois Division of Waterways, the Corps of Engineers, and others in an effort to work out a compromise agreement that would retain the objectives of the project and, at the same time, would minimize damage to Allerton Park. Since I acted in good faith in these negotiations, which I felt were largely successful, I feel it would now be inconsistent for me to vote to oppose the project. (2) As individuals, we can agree or disagree with the objections to the project given in the General Policy Committee motion, but, acting in our official capacity as University of Illinois Trustees, we must limit our concern to protection of our properties and, in a broader sense, the greater good of the University. (3) I am not convinced the University of Illinois can afford the political luxury of opposing the entire project. In the course of subsequent discussion, a number of points were emphasized, viz.: that, in supporting the report of the Committee, the Trustees were carrying out the trust expected of them by the donor in the gift of the Allerton property; that, even with the assurances that had been identified, there was no certain way of protecting Allerton Park; that there would always remain the problem of securing a binding agreement; and, finally, the necessity for identifying the greater public interest among competing expressions and claims of public interest. President Corbally noted that, at the meeting of the General Policy Committee on January 14, Walter Keith, Director of Robert Allerton Park, had presented an analysis and recommendations 1 which, the President stated, in essence were the same as the views represented in Mr. Hahn's motion. H e indicated that this was, in fact, the administrative position on the subject before the Board. Mr. Hughes called for the vote on Mr. Hahn's substitute motion and the motion was defeated by the following vote: Aye, Mr. H a h n ; no, Mr. Forsyth, Mr. Hughes, Mr. Livingston, M r . Neal, Mrs. Rader, Mr. Steger, Mr. Swain; absent, Mr. Howard, Governor Walker. Thereupon, the Chairman called for the vote on the main motion and a roll call vote was ordered. T h e m a i n motion, that of Mr. Swain, was approved by the following vote: Aye, Mr. Forsyth, Mr. Hughes, Mr.

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The text of this report is provided at the end of this section of the Minutes.