Heritage Days fest wants $3,000 from Bartlett

A request for the village to increase its sponsorship of the annual Heritage Days festival from $1,000 to $3,000 this year was brought up again during a Bartlett committee meeting Tuesday.

The Bartlett Heritage Days group is asking for the village to dedicate an extra $2,000 to the festival this year to cover the cost of a trolley or bus. It would shuttle guests between events from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the last two days of festival, which runs from Sept. 7 to Sept. 9.

Trustees were first presented with the request last month, but questions were raised regarding the mission of the Bartlett Heritage Days group — in particular, why they also operated a Halloween parade and what exactly their articles of incorporation stated.

Copies of the nonprofit’s articles of incorporation were presented to the trustees Tuesday. They stated that the group’s purpose is to “establish an annual communitywide fall festival ... whose mission is to honor and celebrate the community’s rich history” so guests gain knowledge “of the 1880s in the American Midwest.”

Village Administrator Valerie Salmons said it was her understanding that the group would be using the trolley not just for transportation but also as a way to tell visitors more about the history of the village.

“Given that, I think I would be comfortable with the trolley request as long as it meets the information that we have about their articles of incorporation. I think that’s the key.” she said. “We should just make sure that, in fact, it will be tied into that.”

Cecilia Green, a member of the Bartlett Heritage Days executive committee, provided more details about the proposed use of the trolley. She said they would stop in Bartlett Park, then either the village hall parking lot or town center, and finally at Leisberg Park, where a carnival will be held.

Passengers will then have the option to stay on the trolley for a brief historical tour.

“We have a mix of architecture that we’ve learned through the plaquing (of historical buildings) that the historical society has done. It’s just amazing,” Green said. “We’d like to share that with the residents who really have very little knowledge about the history of the buildings and the people who lived there.”

The village board is expected to make a decision on whether to increase the sponsorship at a June 19 meeting. Village attorney Bryan Mraz confirmed that the money can be earmarked to be used strictly for a trolley.