Panel supports funding Lombard downtown group

If a Lombard committee has its way, Lombard Town Centre will continue operating in 2012 much the way it did this year — with village funding to support a part-time executive director.

The village board’s economic and community development committee this week recommended granting the nonprofit downtown promotion organization $38,500 to continue paying Executive Director Karen Stonehouse for 30 hours of work each week.

The amount is a $3,500 increase from the $35,000 the village granted Lombard Town Centre this year.

The village board will consider the funding recommendation at a later meeting, likely Dec. 27 or Jan. 19, said Trustee Peter Breen, who leads the economic and community development committee.

While the vote was unanimous to fund Lombard Town Centre’s executive director on a part-time basis, some committee members wanted to increase the amount to fund a full-time position, Breen said.

“That is certainly something I know a lot of the members want to do, but I think the sentiment is we couldn’t make the numbers work,” Breen said.

If the village board approves the committee’s recommendation, the $38,500 for Lombard Town Centre will come from an account dedicated to downtown improvements.