Aldermen not making any ‘Taste’ buds with contract delays

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Updated: March 11, 2012 8:22AM

The Park Ridge City Council this week postponed voting on a contract with Taste of Park Ridge, Inc., in order for several terms of the summer food festival agreement to be renegotiated.

The delay was described as “frustrating” by the Taste Committee’s city liaison, Mel Thillens, who said the committee is already months behind in booking vendors and entertainment for the annual event, which it has operated since 2005.

“Delaying isn’t doing anybody any good,” Thillens said following the council’s vote Feb. 6 to send the contract back to City Manager Jim Hock to add more-specific language referring to instances in which the city could cancel the Taste of Park Ridge but not be held liable for 50 percent of the event organizer’s costs. Issues such as a “public-health emergency” or a lack of available city staff to work the event were cited as two specific reasons that should be added to the contract’s language.

A $20,000 letter of credit promised by Taste of Park Ridge, Inc., was also cited as an issue, with 5th Ward Alderman Dan Knight saying he had a “huge problem” with it being lowered from the $100,000 the city initially requested.

“The $100,000 gives us a lot of financial security if something should happen,” Knight said.

Mayor David Schmidt, participating in the meeting via speaker phone, also called for the language to be “tightened up” in order to better protect the city should the Taste need to be canceled.

Thillens said the only risk in the contract was if the city breached its terms. City Attorney Everette “Buzz” Hill said the city would be required to pay 50 percent of the Taste’s out-of-pocket expenses if the city canceled the festival for any reason not listed in the contract.

The contract is expected to go back before the City Council for consideration on Feb. 20.

Thillens called the council’s decision to defer adopting contract this week “disappointing.”

“Taste of Park Ridge is trying to get to a point where the city has its issues addressed and solved, and every time we come to the chambers to find there’s new issues that haven’t been addressed before,” Thillens said.

The committee has been unable to sign performers due to the delay, he added.

“We normally would have already had the entertainment booked,” Thillens explained. “We got a call from our stage provider saying he’s having a hard time holding the stage without a deposit.”

Sixth Ward Alderman Tom Bernick said the objections to the contract that were expressed appeared to be based on “personal vendettas” rather than financial reasons. He called the motion to defer a vote on the contract a “stall tactic.”

“We’re supposed to be joining forces to help businesses out and this is such a kick in the face to them,” Bernick said.

Thillens said he would not speculate on other possible reasons some elected officials would have for not wanting the Taste of Park Ridge, Inc., to host the food festival.

“I don’t know why anyone would have a vendetta against the group,” he said.

During meetings last summer former Taste chairman Albert Galus and former mayor Howard Frimark sparred with Schmidt after the mayor questioned the Taste of Park Ridge Committee’s nonprofit status, and rebuked Galus for not attending council meetings and providing the group’s financial information.

Galus then attempted to file a police report against Schmidt, accusing the mayor of pushing him two years earlier on election day.

Schmidt this week denied that he is opposed to the Taste of Park Ridge festival or the people running it. Galus, who was arrested in December on weapons charges, is not listed among the Taste volunteers in the event proposal that was submitted to the city.

“I think everybody would like to see (the Taste) go on,” Schmidt said. “I love the Taste. I get to see people I haven’t seen in awhile; the food is good; I like the happy, festive atmosphere. My concern has been and will always be that the city was losing money on it.”

Proposals from Taste of Park Ridge, Inc., and Absolute Production Services were considered by the City Council, with aldermen opting for a contract to be drawn up with the Taste of Park Ridge, which owns the name of the festival. Schmidt said he would have selected Absolute “not because of any personality conflict, but because they offered a better deal.” This included a line of credit that Schmidt supported and a proposal to split profits from the event equally after the first dollar is earned.

Taste of Park Ridge has promised to cover the city’s direct and indirect expenses related to hosting the festival, something elected officials had desired. Language was also added to the contract stating that after Taste of Park Ridge achieves a fund balance of one year’s expenses, it will share 50 percent of income above that amount with the city. Last year’s expenses totaled $111,589, according to the proposal submitted to the city.

The Taste of Park Ridge’s earlier proposal had promised to share proceeds with the city once $20,000 was saved in an “event-perpetuation fund.”

Before this year the Taste of Park Ridge did not have any type of contract with the city.

Taste Committee member Jackie Mathews said the group wants to keep hosting the festival “because it’s a community treasure.”

“We’re committed to the community,” she added.