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Trustees press for clearer numbers as Kennedy Park renovation proceeds
Summary
Village staff gave a quarterly update on the Kennedy Park renovation and capital campaign, reporting construction progress and mixed funding: $84,000 in the Friends foundation account, a pending $2 million match grant application, and $851,000 in village capital funds. Trustees asked for a consolidated timeline and itemized fundraising report.
Village staff presented a quarterly update on the Kennedy Park renovation and capital campaign, outlining construction progress, the project budget and fundraising activity. The report noted the Friends of Kennedy Park foundation currently holds $84,000 and that a matching grant request of up to $2 million is pending. Staff also said the village has allocated capital funds to the project, including $851,000 drawn from prior budget surplus and reserved capital funds.
Trustees and staff disagreed at several points over what was expected of the friends-group fundraising and how much of the project must be funded with village capital versus private donations. Trustees repeatedly asked staff to consolidate the fund-raising ledger and the village’s expenditures into a single, public-friendly timeline so board members and residents can follow who has pledged or applied for grants, what remains outstanding, and what the village still needs to commit.
Staff said the foundation account balance excludes a small number of outstanding invoices from a recent fundraiser; trustees asked staff to obtain a firm number once those invoices settle. Staff also explained that some initial project components (stormwater infrastructure, trails) required village funding and therefore will not realistically be donor-funded, while donor funds remain targeted at items such as field lights.
Several trustees urged the ‘Friends’ group to provide a single spreadsheet listing grants applied for, amounts requested, and receipts to date. Trustees discussed the trade-offs between donor confidentiality (to avoid jeopardizing ongoing solicitations) and public transparency, and asked staff to return with a concise package for public distribution that includes an itemized breakdown of the village’s capital commitments, grants applied for, and a clear remaining fundraising target.
Next steps: trustees asked staff to compile an easy-to-read packet (timeline, amounts spent, grant applications and status) for the next board meeting and to request an updated fundraising summary from the Friends of Kennedy Park.
