Villa Park trustees debate plan to dissolve and re-create volunteer commissions amid resident objections

Village President Kevin Patrick and the Village Board of Trustees spent much of the July 14 Committee of the Whole meeting debating proposed ordinances that would dissolve multiple longstanding volunteer commissions and create new ones, drawing extended public comment and objections from current commissioners and residents.

The proposals on the agenda would dissolve bodies including the Environmental Concerns Commission, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission, the Video Production Commission, the Traffic and Safety Commission and others and replace them with new commissions such as a Garden Village Commission, Community Recreation Commission, Villa Park Growth Commission and a Plan Commission coupled with a Zoning Board of Appeals. President Kevin Patrick and staff said the intent is to streamline commissions and better align volunteer efforts with current needs; residents and several trustees said the proposals were rushed and risk losing institutional knowledge.

Residents and current commissioners who came to the podium urged trustees to slow the process and to preserve…