Board approves VillaFest subcommittee after trustees debate commission rules

The Village Board voted Feb. 9 to dissolve the standalone VillaFest Commission and create a VillaFest Subcommittee under the Community Fund Commission after a lengthy debate over governance and safeguards for volunteer commissions.

Trustee Cordova objected that the ordinance removes language adopted in August that had limited commissioners from serving on multiple commissions and barred commission members from serving on subcommittees of their own commission. "Those were intentional safeguards," Cordova said, and she argued the change "feels a little sneaky" because it appears to reintroduce overlapping roles the board had previously rejected.

Manager Rivas and the village attorney said the change aims to relieve staff burden and leverage the Fund Commission's experience organizing events. The ordinance would create a five-member subcommittee (two commission members and three non-commission residents as a minority), with the intent that the subcommittee eventually assume most operational duties for the rebranded "VillaFest." The attorney clarified that the change removes "task force" language for consistency, that most subcommittees will allow a minority of commission members but a majority of non-commission members, and that the Zoning Board of Appeals would be excluded from subcommittee authority.

Trustees debated membership counts and the option to expand subcommittee size by board action; several trustees urged active outreach to fill volunteer slots. The board then moved and passed a resolution creating the VillaFest Subcommittee on a roll-call vote; the resolution was recommended by the Community Fund Commission.

The ordinance governing subcommittee structure remains at first reading; staff said final language and implementation details would return for additional review.