Tuesday, December 1
Community Events Commission – 4pm – Committee Room – Agenda
Village Council Meeting – 7pm – Council Chambers – Agenda
Thursday, December 3
Downers Grove Park District – 7pm – Village Hall, Council Chambers
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After the Village workshop meeting on November 24, Village Commissioners agreed in a non-binding “thumbs up” roll call by Mayor Ron Sandack to suspend Heritage Fest in 2010. Commissioner Geoff Neustadt, who voted against suspension, also sits on the Community Events Commission. Tuesday’s meeting of the Events Commission could be a difficult one, as the members of the Commission and Village Events Director Mary Scalzetti begin the process of remaking Heritage Fest. Good luck to them!
Tuesday’s Village Council meeting includes the vote on the 2010 budget. Beginning in May of this year with the meetings between Council and staff, and continuing this fall with several budget workshops and question-and-answer sessions with the residents, this vote is a culmination of months of deliberation, hand-wringing, and wrangling. In the end, the Chronicle believes the budget will handily pass– barring any last minute behind-the-scenes maneuvering by an unhappy Commissioner.
Thursday’s Park District Board meeting will see the passage of the proposed levy, and further discussion on the meetings and correspondence between the PD Board and District 99. The Chronicle wonders if some of the brouhaha stems from the strange and lopsided accounting the PD seems to be engaging in when determining what they owe 99 for facility usage. It’s interesting to note that the PD lowered its levy while at the same time trying to maneuver 99 into negotiations about their current contract. As a reminder to the Chronicle readers, the Park District serves residents of Downers Grove, while District 99 serves residents of 7 communities, of which Downers Grove is barely 50%. Thursday’s meeting is definitely one not to miss!
The Community Events meeting is tomorrow (November 1st) at 4:00.
I am truly hopeful that all interested residents wishing to retain and/or offering improvement suggestions as to the future of Heritage Fest will consider joining their neighbors who volunteer their time and talents as members of the Events Commission tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. Village Staff and the good folks comprising the Events Commission have been tasked with some daunting challenges– and people of good will who wish to meaningfully participate along side these volunteering residents are invited to add to the dynamic.
I continue to believe that HF can and will endure, perhaps under a far different structure, but that it can and should do so on its own financial accord. Given that core Village services continue to rise in expense and out-strip revenues, I contend that sacrosanct Village tax/fee receipts must be directed solely to such core services (fire, police, public works). And that other valuable community endeavors be accomplished via partnerships with for-profits and not-for-profits; but without undue taxpayer subsidies.