Nov
25
An open letter to council
Please save Heritage Fest.
Council members,
I am writing to express my disappointment at the decision to suspend Heritage Fest for 2010. Realistically, I beleive Commissioner Neustadt’s expressed concern is valid: suspended for one year makes it very hard to bring back the next year.
I am a former Scoutmaster of Troop 55 here in Downers Grove, that has participated annually in Heritage fest as a fundraiser for the troop. This was an event where every dollar went back to the scouts. They earned money by working the booth and working the crowd to sell pop and water. They worked HF to make money that allowed them to participate in scouting, and that would not have happened if not for Heritage Fest. Multiply that by the number of youth groups that have fund raising booths at HF. What price is attached to that potential loss?
It’s not just youth groups that benefit from fund raising booths at Heritage Fest. With the termination of grants to community cultural groups, Heritage Fest may have been viewed as a fund raising alternative. These community centric groups are now closed off from another fund raising venue. It might have been possible for them to get a booth, and do something to help raise the funds that were cut from the village budget.
There are other groups that benefit from fund raising and exposure at Heritage Fest. The Lions, the ballet at the Tivoli, the high school groups, church youth groups, the dog rescue group, and the Marines. That’s just a handful off the top of my head.
What other event attracts tens of thousands of visitors to our village to enjoy our beautiful downtown, and may come back to shop, to dine, maybe even to live here?
Heritage Fest was an event that fit every budget. The most fun part of Heritage Fest? Who you meet, who you see, the music, how you can just wander around and be part of a happy throng people watching. It is an event that provides something for everyone of all ages. Seniors could square dance, little kids could try their first rides, and it was a place where parents could let their young teens explore their independence and be safe. In hard times, do these not have value to a community?
Hard times needs a touchstone of continuity to better times. Yes it is an expense. I would urge you consider it an investment in the future of our community. Please give Commissioner Neustadt and the Community Events Commission the opportunity to prove we can make this happen.
AGREED! Very short sided and narrow minded thinking by the Mayor and council. This may be a political issue when election time comes!
Lets throw a party!! Taxes are going up and people are being layed off.
My hat is off to the Mayor and Council who vote to suspend HF for 2010.
I am with Jammie on this one.
I think suspending it for 1 year isn’t a bad thing. Other activities within the town will still continue. Sometimes, something might go out bad but come back with a bang.
I think this is the opportunity to “re-create” the Fest and make it something incredible to come.
Here are my thoughts. I have worked HF for many years as a vendor with the Lions. My family has always enjoyed it.
The people that come to Heritage Fest have money to spend and they don’t mind spending it. Start charging for some of the main stage events and move them to the Tivoli. It is both air conditioned and beautiful. What a way to have someone from outside the community see how nice the Tivoli is. West Town chorus fills it up during Christmas.
Cut printing costs, sell the programs and sell advertising space in the programs.
Limit food concessions to local restaurants and service organizations and charge them a percentage of there sales. That will somewhat reduce their risk but could help keep revenues in DG.
Keep the parking lot revenue as an offset against HF expenses. Do away with the beer garden. I believe much of the Village’s HF expenses and problems are because of the beer garden.
We have to be smart enough to keep HF going. It could be a cash cow for everyone locally with some creative thinking.
Great ideas, George. Looking forward to the impact study Waldack requested, too.
While I think Heritage Fest is definitely due for a change, I’m concerned about putting the full responsibility of its future on the backs of volunteers.
It will be interesting to see whether this plays out as a boon or bust for the community — and for the council members who made the call.
The Village stopped funding the annual Ice Sculpting event yet it is still going on thanks to creative business owners in Downtown Managements marketing committee. I don’t see why our Village events committee, non-profits,Downtown Management, and local business owners can’t pull to together to have a true “Heritage Fest” located in our business district?! The ice sculpting event is happening on a shoe string budget compared to what the Village has payed for in the past. This creative planning is what Heritage Fest needs in order to become self sustaining. Let’s all get together and make it a real local event!
Raise my taxes and keep the fest. Mr. Neustadt has good reason to wonder that it might never be back.
How much did the music cost last year? How about if the benefit concert is for Heritage Fest itself this year? There’s many decent bar bands that can entertain for a couple hours. With two stages at either end you wouldn’t need as many acts, so you don’t spend as much.
Does this mean they won’t even try to have it this year?
Come next Tuesday the fest is as cooked as a Thanksgiving Turkey for 2010!!!
I have read this site for a long time but never posted. Heritage Fest being cancelled has set me off. I cannot believe that the council is looking to do this. It is plan nuts. They all better start to rethink this. I will be an activist for anyone running against anyone that votes out the Fest. We need the fest. It is what makes this a community I like to live in.
Correct me if I am wrong, I believe the first year 1983 or 1982. No fancy rides, no big name concert events, and maybe no fancy food just local vendors, an art show, local clubs, churches and charities. I know it sounds lame for relo’s and the current residents with the 100 year mortgages; (not that my opinion matters) Heritage Fest committee might want to concern returning to the basics to save on costs (just for temporary filler to keep the fest alive and well). Downers Grove Heritage Fest conservative fiscal style, maybe with a 1980′s theme, see how Downers has develop and prosper; will continue to be one of the best places to raise a family in the Chicago area. The Fest has just hit a speed bump but tomorrow stronger economic growth than ever then before. Downers just on stand still for great things to evolve; the village never forgets it’s past but at the sometime focus on its future development (I know Earl, overtop let go of the past, the fest doesn’t want to go backwards.)
I believe we have enough local talent and interest to put together a fest (Foghat won’t show up, but that’s a good thing, right?)
Would we be able to secure a location? What about police/ems?
All great idea’s folks. Too bad the Village Council is so short sided to rethink or even put a plan B into place! Thanks Mayor !
Actually, I think the council did charge the Community Events Commission and Community Events department with coming up with alternatives. May or may not happen for this year, as the fest is only seven months away and currently without a budget from which to sign contracts or attend to other costs.
The ball’s in our court, guys.
Previously estimated costs:
Revenues
Fees and Sponsors $391,250
Resident contributions-water bill $7,500
Total revenues $398,750
Direct Expenses $429,602
Net Expense of HF ($30,852)
Cost of 2 Community Events employees for entire year and all activities including Heritage Fest: ($130,300)
Total claimed expense to village ($161,152)
Budget savings as of 11/24:
One position in CE is kept at what appears to be $59,300.
Net expense of HF ($7,852).
As of last Thursday the Community Events Commission were at work(see agenda here) and on December 1 they will meet again at 4pm in the Committee Room (see agenda here) prior to the 7pm council meeting.
The Village let’s people donate money via their water bills to help pay for July 4th fireworks. Why not let people do the same with HF?
The youth at my church raise a lot of money for their mission trip by charging to park the in the parking lot. The lack of HF means either parents have to come up with the lost revenue to send the kids, or we simply don’t have a mission trip.
I know that HF has gotten a bit cheesey, but again, I say it beats Lisle’s Eyes on the Skies and Naperville’s Ribfest because HF is free. Lisle and Naperville charge admissions, and parking at both events is a nightmare compared to HF.
Perhaps the Village needs to do something that Judy Biggert and Patty Bellock do in their newsletters, include a survey section to gauge resident sentiment on issues like HF. I think it’s very hard to gauge sentiment, based soley on the views of people who attend Council meetings and take the time to e-mail Council members.
All that money saved from HF why are we not keeping the two police officers. The final cost is $80,000. We are getting rid of two police officers and the cost to save them is only $80,000???? The CE person they are eliminating is $71,000. I think the Mayor and council need to look at themselves and stop letting the manager push the issue of getting rid of the police because of short sided thinking and planning at the police administration level…
Also, where is all of the money that the village will save by not having to pay police officer overtime for heritage fest going?
I never thought much of Heritage Fest. With a significant decline in revenues, the village has a huge problem, and is making what really isn’t a very hard choice. How we ever got to a point where there were that many well-compensated people working on money losing community events is beyond me. Seriously – that should be a question everyone is asking.
Take a look at the charts that the Village Manager showed at last week’s meeting. The last four years have been a disaster for this town. Only by cutting expenses has the village been able to keep a balanced budget. Since that is an unsustainable model, we can all count on increased taxes – with or without Heritage Fest. The headcount reductions are only going to need to increase, because the village’s revenue stream is not going to come back anytime soon. Many major retailers and car dealers are gone for good. The shift to online purchases will continue to increase, bringing down even more local retailers. The shift away from local retail has already hit the downtown market as recent events demonstrate.
Here’s a concept – with fewer people on the village payroll, there will be less pension obligations to worry about – and then we can bring back the fest. In 2043.
Black Friday, 5AM and the Wal Mart, Target, Best Buy parking lots are full. People have money and are spending it. Can HF find ways of at least breaking even?
Hey “It’s not about the money”
I assume you are a police officer with your response. You seem to be getting your raise next year based on the info on page 15 of the proposed budget. Now did the police union ever offer to give up their raise in order to save the officers jobs??
On a separate note, I cannot believe how much information there is online about the budget. While I do understand that it is important to be frugal, I just feel that there is a lot of discussion here about what amounts to a small amount of money. If we keep the fest, meals on wheels, and counseling, it seems to add up to about $12 on my tax bill. I understand the “Core Services” statement, but we need a community. We need to help the people that need a little help. Are we really cutting the meals on wheels?? How is eating not core service?? We are really cutting the counseling?
The school boards are laughing that we are making agonizing decisions over such a small amount of money. Schools are where the VAST majority of our money goes to, and no one on here ever talks about the money the school boards spend, only about the personality conflicts that are present on the boards. Have we been asleep at the wheel. Does anyone know what increases there will be at the school districts??? 65% of my tax bill is 58 and 99. 9% is from the village.
If the village increases my tax 10% I pay $40 more.
If the schools increase my taxes 5%, I pay $225.
Dilbert,
You hit the nail on the head…School boards laughing about making agonizing decisions about cutting expenses….
Dilbert,
why should the union have to pay for mismanagement by the police department?
Why should the taxpayers pay for either?
As far as the school boards…
They just say its for the kids and the people just give them the money…what a crock!
I do feel sorry for that police officer that spoke up in the meeting last week. I would hope that he can find another job until he gets called back as a police officer. Not sure how long he has, but some union jobs have up to 5 years that they are called back. Hope he does well for himself and we welcome him back one day soon. That being said, I feel bad for every counselor losing their job, every Heritage Fest/Village worker that is out a job, every charity that counted on Heritage Fest for funds (ie – one of the women’s club sponsored the craft fair), and anyone else out a job.
My nephew had some problems when his mom passed away, and used the village counselors. They helped him a lot. The family did not have a lot of money and there is a sliding scale used to pay for help. I personally have never used them, but know that they are there to help. I have never heard how much this service was used. It is not something that people will generally advertise. How many hours of counseling per year did they do? Whatever the number, people will now have to go somewhere. I am sure there is some type of service that the county can provide, but it is nice having some help in your back yard…not going all the way out to the county buildings.
The City of Naperville laid off 43. They still have a deficit, and raised taxes 11%. They are still having their fests. Why? Because they charge for their fests and make a good penny. Instead of cancelling, could they have just put up snow fence around the fest and charged admission? Or just charge for the beer garden each night and not give the money to move some old house. Charge $5 to enter the craft fair….and keep the money from crafters for the village. I agree with Ben Franklin….lets make some money, not lose money on community events.
The one thing I will always miss is the ice carving. Hosting this Ice carving always guranteed me one thing…..a 50 degree day in February!!! Did we ever have a sub-32 degree day for this event???
There is no reason that some of these clubs can’t continue on with their events. I feel that the craft faire would still be supported, the people who attend and shop the craft faire are still going to want to do that, Heritage Fest or not. People are still going to buy food from some local group at the craft show. On or two of the non-profit organizations can organize the show and still make some funds. It is not the end of the world.
I think community events produce a lot of benefit to any town. Unfortunately it’s not all measureable, and I suppose sometimes you have to manage for the short term as the council has done. Eliminating the visitors that come for the bike race and Heritage Fest will also place many of our businesses “out of sight, out of mind”, especially to people from other towns. They won’t think of this as a shopping or entertainment or dining destination. Then the sales tax revenue will shrink even further and even more cuts will have to be made.
I think it was Barnett who said something like “Our town is defined by its core services”. Well, I think a town’s appeal and character are defined to a great extent by what there is to do. Community events are an investment. An investment that stretches beyond the mere calendar dates of the event.
There was a cut in the entertainment investment this past year, and as a result I went to the Fest only a time or two. When there were more notable bands in the past, I was down there constantly and spent more money and took note of some shops that I’d otherwise miss just driving by. Shopped at them throughout the year too!
As for “throwing a party” during tough economic times,…I say this is precisely the time to have such events. When families have to cut back on decent vacations & trips & luxuries, it’s the local stuff like this that makes it more bearable.
Sorry for rambling.