Council approves McHenry Music Fest permits and waives city service fees after debate over policing costs
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Summary
Council approved Petersen Park use, a special event liquor license (amended timing for ticket and alcohol sales), and a 100% reduction in city service charges for the McHenry Music Fest; aldermen pressed organizers about police and staff costs but the city did not secure reimbursement.
The McHenry City Council approved permits and a fee waiver for the Rise Up Foundation’s McHenry Music Fest, including park use, an amended special event liquor license and a 100% reduction in city charges for event-related services.
Council split the event approvals into three votes. Alderman Davis moved to approve the park use; Alderman Bailey seconded and the motion passed. For the liquor license, the council amended the motion to set timing: drink ticket sales to cease 30 minutes before park closure and serving of alcohol to cease 15 minutes before closure; Alderman Behney moved the amended motion and Alderman Miller seconded. The council approved the liquor license with that amendment. The council also approved a 100% reduction of charges for city services incurred by the event.
The approvals followed extended questioning about public-safety staffing and the festival’s financial flows. Alderman Bassi asked the police chief for total police labor costs for the three-day event; the chief said he did not have a final figure and noted the city historically does not bill the festival for those costs. The chief explained existing practice for sales cutoffs: “We we cut off ticket sales 45 minutes before closure, and then we cut off alcohol sales 30 minutes before the end of the concert.”
Organizer and city leader Mayor Jett defended the foundation’s work and its fundraising role, saying the festival operates with hundreds of volunteers and significant private fundraising: “I risked $3,000,000 as it is, to also put more risk on it,” Jett said, adding that the foundation performs annual audits and returns money to community projects. Council members and public commenters expressed mixed views. Alderman Bassi said he would prefer the city be reimbursed before private proceeds are donated; others, including Alderman Bailey, urged support for the foundation’s contributions to parks and events. Public commenter Nathan Fenton said the festival’s private funding has paid for improvements residents otherwise would not have seen.
Councilors also recorded figures referenced by the organizer: two concerts generated $200,000 donations each, one $300,000 donation, and a prior $250,000 donation from a private donor in 2023; the organizer said the foundation can provide annual audits if requested.
Motion and votes: The amended motion on the liquor license (ticket sales to cease 30 minutes before closure; alcohol service to cease 15 minutes before closure) passed on a roll call that recorded one dissenting vote by Alderman Bassi. The 100% reduction of city-service charges also passed with recorded dissent.
Next steps: The Rise Up Foundation will stage the multi-day festival at Petersen Park on Sept. 10–12, 2026, under the conditions approved by the council. The police department will compute event labor costs after the fact; the council did not require reimbursement prior to the festival.
