Formation & Recognition Documents

This is not a document the PAC drafts — it is CPD's own controlling guidance, and the single most important reference in this entire library. Every other document on this site should trace back to whatever the current version of this guidance actually says, not the other way around.

What we do with it once obtained:

• Download the current PDF/webpage directly from chicagoparkdistrict.com/advisory-councils and save a dated copy in the formation file and the physical PAC Binder.
• Log the version/date in the Source Verification & Authority Log (Phase 11) so anyone reviewing this library later knows exactly which edition every downstream document was built against.
• Flag any conflict between this page's drafts and a newer CPD edition immediately in the Recognition Conditions / CPD Revision Log (1-33).

Re-verify before every filing. CPD has revised this guidance before and can again; do not rely on a cached or remembered version when submitting anything to CPD.

The Code of Conduct is the mandatory behavioral and independence standard CPD applies to every PAC member — it is what makes officer background checks, volunteer applications, and the "advisory only, cannot bind CPD" boundary non-negotiable rather than merely good practice. Obtain the current version directly from CPD; do not draft a substitute. Note that CPD's current guidance names two separate Codes that apply: "PACs and PAC members shall comply with the Facility Users Code of Conduct and the Park Advisory Council Code of Conduct" — this document covers the PAC-specific one; the Facility Users Code of Conduct is a distinct, separately-obtained document.

Distribution plan once obtained: every founding member and every elected officer signs an acknowledgment (see 3-14, Board / Officer Code Acknowledgment) before taking office or acting on the PAC's behalf. The Code is re-distributed and re-acknowledged annually, and immediately whenever CPD issues a revision.

This Code sits above every PAC-authored supplemental conduct policy (5-25) — where the two overlap, CPD's Code controls.

Do not send this letter until Gate 0 is resolved. Submitting a formal Letter of Intent before CPD has confirmed whether a separate 63rd Street Beach PAC is even possible risks presuming an answer CPD hasn't given, given the existing Jackson Park Advisory Council. The draft below is prepared now so it is ready the moment CPD's jurisdiction determination (see Phase 0) comes back favorably — or is adapted into a sub-council/committee request if it does not.

Note the letter itself asks CPD for the Gate 0 determination rather than assuming it — this keeps the request accurate regardless of which way CPD rules.

A short proof-of-delivery record, because the initial meeting's required notice window is typically measured from the date this letter reaches CPD, not the date it was written.

Retained permanently in the formation file — it is the anchor date for everything downstream in this phase.

Plain-language public notice, sized for posting on park bulletin boards, the Beach House, the library, and digital channels. Draft:

Coordinate posting locations and timing with the CPD Liaison so CPD is not surprised by public notices before Gate 0 discussions have concluded.

Evidence that notice reached beyond the founding group — useful both for CPD and for defending the legitimacy of the eventual election against any claim that the process was closed or exclusive.

Retained permanently in the PAC Binder as the founding record of the process.

Minimal fields, deliberately — this is a participation record, not a marketing mailing list.

Stored securely; access restricted to the Secretary and Membership Lead. Never published or shared as a mailing list without separate opt-in consent (see 9-14).

This is CPD's own official form, not a PAC-authored substitute — use whatever version CPD currently publishes. Each interested member completes one before being counted toward quorum, voting eligibility, or office eligibility.

Handling: collected applications are stored securely (physical binder plus access-controlled digital scan), tracked against the Founding Membership Eligibility Review Sheet (1-10), and never published publicly. Only aggregate counts ("47 signed membership applications on file") are appropriate for public communications.

Internal-only working document — never published, since it necessarily contains a roster of individuals' personal eligibility status. The criteria for eligibility, by contrast, belong in the public bylaws (Phase 2, Article on Membership & Voting Rights).

Retain proof of issuance (posting date, distribution channels) alongside this notice — the 14-day clock runs from issuance, and CPD guidance treats this notice period as a hard requirement, not a best practice.

One office per section, candidates listed in randomized or alphabetical order (fixed by policy before ballots are printed, not decided ad hoc), plus a write-in line only where bylaws allow it. A footer states: "One vote per eligible member in good standing. Do not sign this ballot."

Both counters sign independently before results are announced — this dual-count requirement is what makes the record auditable if results are ever questioned.

A short, standalone confirmation (email printout, sign-in line, or written note) capturing the attending CPD representative's name, title, and confirmation that current PAC Guidelines' attendance requirement was satisfied — cross-referenced into the Election Minutes rather than left to rely on memory alone.

Filed permanently in the Corporate Records Book (5-07) alongside the exact bylaws version adopted — never a "current draft" without a version number attached.

CPD's own official registration form, completed only after officers are elected and bylaws adopted — and, per Gate 0, only once CPD's written jurisdiction determination is in hand or the approved alternative structure (sub-council, independent nonprofit) is clear. Submitting this prematurely is exactly the "assume recognition" mistake the Executive Findings warn against.

Attachments typically bundled with submission: Adopted Bylaws (1-18/2-02), Election Minutes (1-16), Partnership Pledge (1-21), evidence of Illinois not-for-profit status (1-22/1-23), and the Formation Submission Checklist (1-31) confirming everything is complete.

CPD's Advisory Council webpage identifies the Partnership Pledge as part of the standard submission package alongside registration. Obtain the current version directly from CPD rather than drafting a substitute — this is a CPD-authored commitment document, and using anything else risks the submission being rejected as incomplete or nonconforming.

CPD requires PACs to register and maintain Illinois not-for-profit status, and this is the founding filing that creates the corporation. Prepared only after the name is confirmed available (see Phase 0, G0-09) and after Gate 0 clarity, since the corporate name and purpose clause should reflect whatever structure CPD ultimately approves (separate PAC vs. "Friends of 63rd Street Beach" vs. other).

Key contents to draft with counsel: corporate name, registered agent/office, purpose clause (advisory/community-support purpose consistent with CPD's PAC framework, not a purpose that implies governmental authority), incorporator information, and dissolution clause (assets to another qualified nonprofit or governmental entity, standard for Illinois NFP/501(c)(3)-track corporations).

The filed-stamped Articles and the resulting Illinois corporate file number, once issued — retained permanently, and the file number itself becomes the reference used on the EIN application, bank account opening, and every future Illinois annual report.

A registered agent using a personal home address should be reviewed against the officer transition plan (3-28) — a PO box or organizational address avoids the record going stale the moment that officer moves or leaves the board.

The first official corporate action after incorporation, typically adopting: the bylaws (ratifying 1-18/2-02 as the corporation's own governing document), confirming initial directors/officers, setting the fiscal year, authorizing bank account signatories, and adopting initial policies (conflict of interest, at minimum). Signed by all initial directors and retained in the Corporate Records Book.

Applied for online at IRS.gov immediately after Illinois incorporation is confirmed — the EIN is a prerequisite for opening a bank account, filing any federal exemption application, and completing vendor/grant W-9 requests. The confirmation letter (CP 575) is retained permanently and never re-requested casually, since a lost EIN letter requires a separate IRS verification process to replace.

Current CPD Code of Conduct requires every elected officer to complete CPD's Volunteer Application and pass a CPD-approved background check within the prescribed post-election window. This is not optional or PAC-discretionary — track submission and clearance for every officer using the tracking record below (1-28) starting the day of the election. Note CPD's current volunteer program is not one generic form: it is split into a Long Term Adult Volunteer Application, a Long Term Minor Volunteer Application, and a separate Group One Day Service Projects Volunteer Application. Officers specifically require the Adult (long-term) track — current CPD Compliance guidance states "All PAC officers and any PAC members handling finances or working with youth must submit an Adult Volunteer Application."

Confidential log, access restricted to the Volunteer Coordinator and Secretary. The underlying background-check report itself is never retained by the PAC — only the pass/fail clearance status, consistent with data-minimization practice (5-34).

Same CPD process as 1-27/1-28 (the Adult, long-term volunteer track), extended to any member — officer or not — who will handle PAC funds (bank signatory, cash handling) or work directly with children in a PAC-run program. Completed and cleared before the role begins, not retroactively; tracked on the same confidential status log as officer clearances.

CPD's own written confirmation of registration/recognition and its effective date — this is the single document that finally allows the PAC to describe itself publicly as CPD-recognized. Until this document exists, no site page, press release, or public statement should claim that status. Retained permanently as the founding recognition record.

Created only if/when CPD comes back with requested bylaw edits or missing materials — a living log rather than a one-time form, since recognition conditions can surface again at renewal or amendment.

Built immediately after recognition, combining every recurring compliance date this library identifies: elections, Annual CPD PAC Report, Illinois NFP annual report, annual not-for-profit status evidence to CPD, annual fundraising/financial report (when funds are handled), quarterly PAC Binder review, and the policy/bylaw annual review cycle. See the full Core CPD Minimum-Compliance Dashboard on the Organization overview page for the underlying requirement list this calendar is built from, and Phase 10 (Strategic Planning & Reporting) for the annual-cycle documents it feeds.