Kane County legislative committee clears two draft bills to enable leasing of former Cougars site, broader county leasing authority

Michael Linder, co-chair of the Kane County Board Legislative Committee, said the committee gave consensus Jan. 22 to put two draft bills into the state bill-drafting queue ahead of filing deadlines.

The first draft is narrowly written to permit leasing when a county takes possession of a stadium used for athletic purposes — framed specifically around the possibility that Kane County could acquire the Kane County Cougars stadium. The second draft is broader, written to allow counties across Illinois to lease state-owned property; staff said that broader bill would also assist the Cougars matter if both bills advance.

The committee’s action at the meeting was consensus to move the drafts forward for filing and drafting; no formal roll-call vote was recorded in the legislative committee transcript. Michael Linder called for a show of hands and the group indicated assent. Committee member Miss Bates raised that the materials arrived late the prior evening and asked staff to summarize the Fabian Parkway provision; staff explained the second, broader bill would allow counties to lease property they hold and thus could cover potential Fabian Parkway uses if the county later acquired land there.

The legislative team advised the committee of near-term deadlines: a bill-drafting deadline this week, a bill-filing deadline of Feb. 7, the governor’s budget address on Feb. 19, and a federal budget funding date of March 14 tied to a continuing resolution in Congress. Lobbyists on the call said they were also monitoring two federal items — a 90-day pause on certain Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds and broader executive orders out of Washington — that could affect county grant or project timing.

Committee members and staff emphasized this filing step is procedural: getting draft language into the queue does not commit the county to acquiring any property. Michael Linder and others repeatedly noted that whether the county or the Forest Preserve would transfer property and under what terms remained undecided; the filings are intended to preserve legislative options while the parties continue conversations.

The committee also approved, by unanimous consent, the Nov. 20 minutes earlier in the meeting.

What’s next: staff said if the bills clear drafting they would return to the board with full resolutions and seek sponsors once the bills are filed in Springfield. Lobbyists and county staff will continue to brief board members as drafts evolve and as committee sponsorships are sought.