West Dundee considering participation in Discover Dundee campaign

Hoping to collaborate with East Dundee to promote economic development in the area, West Dundee may formally commit to the Discover Dundee marketing campaign.

East Dundee began the initiative roughly two years ago and has since funded and organized branding strategies, advertisements, the creation of a website and several new community events.

Despite West Dundee's decision at the time not to get involved, the campaign has always focused on attracting residents to businesses on both sides of the Fox River, West Dundee Village Manager Joe Cavallaro said.

Now, officials are considering a shared services proposal that would split various Discover Dundee costs and responsibilities between the two villages.

“I really think this does provide some unique opportunities for us,” Cavallaro said.

If West Dundee agrees to participate, the village would be asked to contribute an anticipated $37,848 to the program this year, $11,200 of which would go toward purchasing new banners to hang from streetlight poles downtown, according to village documents. The money would also fund events, advertising expenses, promotional items and basic discoverdundee.org website maintenance.

In turn, Cavallaro said, Discover Dundee would work more closely with West Dundee businesses, and locations on the west side of the river would be considered for events formerly held only in East Dundee, such as a shredding and recycling event, the farmers market or Tail Waggin' Tuesdays, a summer event for residents and their pets.

East Dundee employs two full-time staff members largely dedicated to Discover Dundee. Cavallaro said West Dundee may also consider hiring staff support at an anticipated expense of $24,000 to $30,000. The part-time West Dundee employee would likely work out of the community development department and assist with the program, he said, in addition to other economic development responsibilities.

“It'd be a cost-effective way to control cost in terms of staffing demands to participate in such a program,” Cavallaro said.

The villages are still ironing out the details of the joint participation agreement, he said, and West Dundee is looking at how to offset program costs.

Last month, Cavallaro introduced a proposal that would levy a 0.2 percent special service area tax downtown. If trustees approve the tax, the village would collect an additional $35,000 annually in property taxes from business owners, some of which would go toward Discover Dundee expenses. A downtown business development district tax is also being considered.

“Under this premise, the downtown property owners would have a direct investment and say in terms of how this funding is utilized to meet and manage the village's participation in the Discover Dundee program,” Cavallaro said in a memo to trustees.

First, Cavallaro said, the village wants to seek feedback from downtown property owners, to whom all relevant proposals and information will be sent.

“If there isn't buy-in from downtown businesses and property owners, why are we proposing this?” he said. “This has to be a joint benefit.”