Carpentersville considering special events committee

Carpentersville is looking to create a new committee that would be responsible for planning community events.

The village has already started recruiting "creative and community-minded individuals" to join the proposed special events committee, which trustees will consider at a meeting in the near future, Village President Ed Ritter said.

"It's something we're considering because we'd like to have more use of the parks," he said.

In the past, Ritter said, event planning has fallen under the village's park commission or various ad hoc committees. But it takes a lot of time and effort to work with outside organizations and iron out the details of large events, he said.

Ritter said the village is instead hoping to assign those responsibilities to a set group of planners.

"We want to make it official," Ritter said. "We're creating a committee that would act as a liaison with different groups that would want to use the parks."

Additionally, he said, the group would help decide if and how village money could be used to sponsor or run future events.

Carpenter Park, the village's flagship park located on Carpenter Boulevard, has traditionally been the site of many large events, including the Chicago Cyclocross Cup bike race, a village-run Oktoberfest and the Odd Fellows of Century Lodge Rock the Fox music festival.

Last spring, however, the state froze funding for the park's renovation project, leading to uncertainties that caused those events to be canceled or relocated.

Trustee Pat Schultz, who also serves on the parks commission, said this year could be different. "Although the park grant is still on hold due to Springfield issues, we have decided to move forward with a few events for our residents," she said. "I'm looking forward to working with this committee and planning some great events in the village."

Officials are not disclosing possible event details until a committee is approved and a chairman is appointed, Ritter said.

People interested in joining an events committee can email Ritter at eritter@vil.carpentersville.il.us or Schultz at pschultz@vil.carpentersville.il.us.