2015-47 DESIGNATING LOCAL LANDMARK FOR MONARCH BUTTERFLY MONUMENT AT DENNIS SCHOOL

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DEVELOPMENT SERVICES MEMORANDUM No. 15-29 August 12, 2015 TO: Members of the Historic and Architectural Sites Commission FROM: Billy Tyus, Assistant City Manager for Development Services SUBJECT: Request for designation of Butterfly Monument at Dennis School as a Local Landmark by students from Dennis School and Ms. Linda Burnham RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the requested designation as per the criteria set forth in Chapter 31, Section 4 of Decatur City Code. This memo shall serve as written opinion as to the effects of the proposed designation on the surrounding neighborhood, the relationship of said proposal to the Official Comprehensive Plan of the City and other planning considerations relevant to said proposal as is required by said City Code. OPINION: In 1974-1975 a third grade class from Dennis school in Decatur took on what may have seen by some as the herculean task of having the Monarch Butterfly designated as the state insect for the State of Illinois. Understanding the intricacies and requirements of state, national and local government can be difficult for individuals who are regularly involved in government operations so to have a group of local children actually accomplish the task of proposing a bill and having it passed into law is incredibly rare. It is believed that Governor Dan Walker's signing the bill into law in 1975 represented the first time in Illinois history that children proposed a bill to the Illinois General Assembly that became law. Today the Monarch Butterfly stands as the official state insect for the roughly 12.8 million residents of the State of Illinois as a result of the actions of this group of civic-minded Decatur third graders. Those actions should be seen as being historically significant on both the local and state level because of the rarity of the accomplishment, the scope of impact on Illinois residents and because of the lessons that the group's choosing to get involved in the government process can provide to other residents, regardless of age. In 1985 Dennis school students created the clay tile butterfly that is housed at the southeast corner of the building to celebrate the school's diamond jubilee and in tribute to the aforementioned accomplishments of teacher Mary Hinman and her third grade class. A group of Dennis School students is once again leading a civic effort requesting that government take action, this time to have the monument recognized as a Local Landmark in honor of the Mrs. Hinman and group's student predecessors. The students have collected the signatures of 187 individuals of support of the request and received approval to pursue this action from the Decatur Public School District 61 Board. Wildlife experts suggest that the Monarch Butterfly could be headed for extinction due in part to loss of habitat due to agricultural practices, development and