The city of Markham filed for a temporary restraining order Tuesday in response to Markham Park District Executive Director Quintina Brown arranging a helicopter landing on public property for her daughter’s prom photoshoot.
A helicopter contracted from tour company SummerSkyz landed at Markham’s Roesner Park, where the Markham Park District’s headquarters is located, the evening of May 8, according to the filing.
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The city’s filing said the helicopter “landed near active basketball courts, causing children to flee the area.”
The helicopter was there so Quintina Brown’s daughter, QuaMyra Brown, could conduct a prom photoshoot, the filing said. A document from the helicopter company listed the estimated cost for the outing as $800.
Quintina Brown “unilaterally” approved the helicopter landing, the filing said. A letter regarding the authorization, included as an exhibit, was printed on Park District letterhead and signed by Brown.
“Please allow this letter to confirm that QuaMyra Brown, has been approved to allow Summer Skyz to conduct a prom photo at our location on May 8, 2026, at 7:00pm,” the letter read. “We understand that this will involve a helicopter being on the premises.”
Markham police responded and cited both Quintina Brown and the helicopter pilot for disorderly conduct and unauthorized landing on public property, the filing said.
Police “informed Brown that the Park District could not authorize such a landing in the manner attempted,” and approval was not obtained from the Police Department, the city, or the park board, the filing said.
“The recent actions taken place just kind of show that there’s a lack of, you know, there’s unilateral action being taken that’s not necessarily in the best interests of the Markham residents,” said Kelly Krauchun, a lawyer representing the city.
The filing is the latest development in an ongoing legal dispute between the city and the Markham Park District. The city sued the Park District last October, alleging the board had mismanaged its funds and violated a 2012 intergovernmental agreement. Under the terms of that agreement, the city was supposed to assume control of and manage the Park District’s assets.
“We are seeking relief from the circuit court to make a determination and to essentially force the Park District to enforce the terms that were agreed upon between the parties in 2012,” Krauchun said.
The city said in Tuesday’s filing that the helicopter incident displayed an overreach of authority, and asked the court to block the Park District from similar action.
“Pending adjudication, the Court should enjoin any Park District officer or employee from authorizing extraordinary uses of Park District property, particularly activities posing material safety risks, absent documented Board action compliant with applicable law and the IGA,” the filing said.
The city asked the court to prohibit any aviation activity and any other “comparable hazardous activities” on park property unless all city approvals, permits and notifications required by ordinance are obtained.
“The Park District has expressed to the city that they agree to not allow helicopters in the parks,” said lawyer Adam Simon, who is representing the Park District in the legal proceedings.
Neither Brown nor Markham Mayor Roger Agpawa responded to requests for comment.
The next hearing in the lawsuit is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday before Judge David B. Atkins at the Richard J. Daley Center, though Krauchun said she expects the restraining order motion won’t be ruled on until a later date.