Village of Lombard Legistar System

Committee members and Village staff in attendance included: William Mueller, Village

President; Trustees John “Jack” O'Brien, Greg Gron, Dick Tross and Rick Soderstrom;

Village Manager Bill Lichter; Jill Payne; Ed Murphy; Skip Strittmatter, Executive Director

of the DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau; Cindy Davies, Executive Director of the

Lombard Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Joelyn Kott, Communications &

Marketing Coordinator; Sharon Kuderna, Jim Hogan, Barb Ware, Daniel Adams, Ed

Bedard representing Taste of Lombard, Inc.; Pam Bruns, Lunda Wilson, Eric Wilson,

Heather Heim and Brian Bury representing the Lombard Jaycees; Andy Draus; Kathy

Hogan; Mike Fugiel, Lombard Park District; Jeff Mills; Amy Wikoff, Embassy Suites

Hotel; Deb Frederickson, Lombard Town Centre.

A grant request for $6,000 was submitted by the Lombard Garden Club for costs

associated with the annual free lilac bush giveaway. This program is a partnership with

the Village and the Garden Club and the Lombard Park District. This grant would be

used to purchase materials and supplies to give away 400 bushes during the Garden

Club's plant sale. President Mueller indicated that last year 20-30 people were turned

away as all the plants were given away.

Ed Murphy raised the question as to whether or not the Village feels this is still a

worthwhile program or has it run its course. Are we still achieving our goal of putting a

lilac bush in every yard? Ed motioned to approve this grant this year but that it should

be looked at every year, especially given the budget situation.

President Mueller added that given the number of people who wait early in the morning

to receive their free lilac bush indicates that the program is still desirable by residents.

Mike Fugiel agreed that by the attendance at the give-a-way, the program still merits

consideration.

1. Taste of Lombard, Inc. Grant Request--$50,000

Lombard resident Kathy Hogan spoke on behalf of Taste of Lombard, a Inc. She

indicated that she is not a Jaycee or with the Taste of Lombard but the wife of a Jaycee

and a Taste of Lombard volunteer. She said she was hoping to answer the question

that most people are probably asking, that of “Why?” She outlined that the Lombard

Jaycees of the 80s was a family group of men who put on a quality event but that the

Jaycees of 2006 are a non-resident group, 38% of the roster are non-residents. She

indicated that the Park District and other groups require 67 or 75% of a roster to be

considered resident to be from Lombard. She also recalled problems that the Jaycees

were having in the past, that of the Lilac Queen contest, Easter Egg Hunt and the

Pumpkin Patch. She pointed out several items that were not done adequately for each

of the events listed.

Regarding the Jaycees club house, Kathy reported that there is no working toilet and

pictures show the house in disrepair and unclean. She further reported that the Jaycees

have had problems with non-payment of bills, the past “Man of the Year” contest and the

non-answering of mail and phone calls. For these reasons and more, Kathy said the

Taste of Lombard, Inc., is now before the Committee.

Kathy continues that there have been several incidents at the Taste of Lombard

involving the Jaycees with unsafe behavior at the event and drinking. She reported that

the Taste event started losing money over the past four years and that's when members

who now compose the Taste of Lombard, Inc., began to tighten the belt with the giving

away of free beer.

Kathy indicated that over the past two years, profits made from the Taste have been

handed over to the Jaycees and while some of the money has been donated to

charities, most of the funds have been used to for the benefit of the Jaycees, not the

community charities. Kathy said that for the past 10 years, members of Taste of

Lombard, Inc. has run the Taste of Lombard and they are a resident group, committed

to running the Taste, giving all profits to charities.

President Mueller said that he didn't expect this to come to this today. He said that he is

not here to decide the problems between the two groups but rather to discuss the grant

application for the Taste of Lombard. He indicated that he had offered both groups in

the past that he would mediate for them and no one took him up on the offer. He also

said that he did not appreciate that he is getting calls from residents he doesn't even

know about this situation. From here on out, President Mueller will let one Jaycee have

an opportunity to respond to the comments given by Taste of Lombard, Inc. but no other

comments unless they address the grant application in question.

Dan Adams, representing Taste of Lombard, Inc. was the next speaker. He went over

the 2006 Taste of Lombard Proposal (see attached.) There were no questions for Mr.

Adams.

Jim Hogan, President of the Taste of Lombard, Inc. spoke next. He circulated copies of

the Articles of Incorporation and the By Laws for the Taste of Lombard, Inc. He said

that the original grant application requested $50,000--$30,000 for the fireworks and

$20,000 as a loan for start up costs. He said that he would gladly withdraw the loan

amount as since that time they have secured credit and credibility with vendors. He also

reported that several offers of personal loans from people in order to get the event under

the leadership of Taste of Lombard, Inc.

2. Lombard Jaycees Grant Request--$25,000

Pam Bruns, representing the Lombard Jaycees indicated to President Mueller that she

would not address the comments made by Taste of Lombard, Inc., as she did not feel

that it was the time or the place to do so but would rather keep her comments to the

grant application.

Pam passed out a report on the proposal of the Jaycees for the Taste. She said that the

Jaycees are financially stable, the only group with the rights to the name, “Taste of

Lombard” and the website. She also said that they have the manpower to do the event.

Pam will be the chairperson for this year and after their recent chapter meeting, they

have a full force of people and committees ready to go. She said the Jaycees have the

wherewithal, manpower, experience and will continue to run community events by using

their leadership and training.

Upon the Village of Lombard's approval, the Jaycees plan to advertise to get more

members and volunteers to help with this year's event as it is a community event. She

said that there would be a lot of small one percent changes throughout, in order to make

it a better event. There is also some consideration to a benefit night for a new golf cart

for the Fire Department.

Pam referred to the Jaycees Chairman's Planning Guide which they use for all their

events. This gives a blueprint for a successful event and as the Jaycees is a leadership

training organization, they use it all the time. The Taste committee will be chaired by

members with experience and a newer member who will commit to learning for next

year.

This year's co-chair will be Scott Mahalo, a nine-year veteran of the Jaycees, said

Bruns. He will be groomed to be the 2007 chair, in true Jaycee fashion. Pam indicated

that they would ensure success by sticking with what works-safe, clean environment,

family environment, good entertainment and the same look and feel as previous years.

Pam said that the Jaycees stand proud and ready to go for 2006.

President Mueller opened it up for questions. Committee member Ed Murphy

responded to the presentations by saying that both organizations have made

enlightening presentations. It appears that both can do a marvelous job in running this

event; however, the Taste of Lombard has been entrusted to the Lombard Jaycees for

the past many years and he hasn't seen enough not to let them run it again this year.

Committee member Jill Payne agreed.

President Mueller thanked everyone for working on the Taste of Lombard over the years

and for volunteering. He said that the Village appreciates all that they have done. He

indicated that he had asked both groups to try and work this out-and that didn't happen.

President Mueller also relayed to the group a similar incident that happened years ago

with the Lilac Parade Committee and as he did then, he stood by the committee and that

is what he would recommend to do now. His position is that he has to support the

organization that has done the event for all the past years, the Lombard Jaycees. Other

committee members will be polled and a recommendation will go to the Board of

Trustees on March 2, 2006. President Mueller indicated that he still hoped the two

groups could work together and do the Taste of Lombard together and if there was

anything that he could do, to please contact him.