Wkgn Main Street chief lasts two months

[verenablock]

How much longer is the Main Street organization going to keep Waukegan in their program at this rate? Does anyone really care anyway ?

The feeling that I get is that Illinois Main Street does not provide any oversight beyond help the towns set up the program, and providing some training to the Executive Director and board. I don't think they check up on the individual Main Streets after that.

Does anyone care? Only the ones on the board, and the last few remaining volunteers. They are not doing anything beyond throwing the occasional party (Holiday Fest is Dec. 5th); beyond that they add no value to downtown.

[WT Reader]

How much longer is the Main Street organization going to keep Waukegan in their program at this rate? Does anyone really care anyway ?

The feeling that I get is that Illinois Main Street does not provide any oversight beyond help the towns set up the program, and providing some training to the Executive Director and board. I don't think they check up on the individual Main Streets after that.

Does anyone care? Only the ones on the board, and the last few remaining volunteers. They are not doing anything beyond throwing the occasional party (Holiday Fest is Dec. 5th); beyond that they add no value to downtown.

Thank you for your response. Yes, the Main Street title seems so empty, when you think all the excitement receiving this designation initially made here in Waukegan.

Seems so hallow now. But if the Main Street program here with its dysfunctional board is adding no value to downtown Waukegan, then who really is?

[verenablock]

But if the Main Street program here with its dysfunctional board is adding no value to downtown Waukegan, then who really is?

Nobody? There are a few of the businesses that are trying to make their immediate areas look nice, and the owners do get together and try some different promotions, but they are not doing well at all in the recession and don't have a lot of money to do additional promotion. When Main Street sponsors events with these businesses, the businesses almost always pick up the most of the tab.

The city is broke, not that they were doing much downtown anyhow. They won't even be putting up holiday lights or a tree this year. Sue - when she was still employed at Main Street - was able to get someone to donate a large fir tree from their yard for the Benny Plaza, but beyond that no one wanted to coordinate how the tree would be transported or erected in the plaza. I do think they will manage to pull that off; by the time of the Holiday Fest there will likely be a tree in Benny Plaza.

[WT Reader]

But if the Main Street program here with its dysfunctional board is adding no value to downtown Waukegan, then who really is?

Nobody? There are a few of the businesses that are trying to make their immediate areas look nice, and the owners do get together and try some different promotions, but they are not doing well at all in the recession and don't have a lot of money to do additional promotion. When Main Street sponsors events with these businesses, the businesses almost always pick up the most of the tab.

The city is broke, not that they were doing much downtown anyhow. They won't even be putting up holiday lights or a tree this year. Sue - when she was still employed at Main Street - was able to get someone to donate a large fir tree from their yard for the Benny Plaza, but beyond that no one wanted to coordinate how the tree would be transported or erected in the plaza. I do think they will manage to pull that off; by the time of the Holiday Fest there will likely be a tree in Benny Plaza.

I always thought that the city through the park district put up the lighted tree downtown every year at the holidays. I did not know it was Main Street. Maybe not even a tree down there this year and no street decorations? That is the one time of year downtown Waukegan looks really nice, though no one is down there enjoying it anyways as nothing is going on down there to shop at much.

The city has has the decorations, so why not put them up ? How much can a tree cost then to put some lights on it? Is the city really that broke ??

[verenablock]

It was the city that put up the decorations and the tree in Benny Plaza every year. However, they said they would not do so this year, so Main Street is attempting to get the tree so that there is something there.

Whether or not the city relents and decides to put up the wreaths and other lights remains to be seen.

The city is indeed broke. That is why they are trying to sell the lot at Fountain Square, so they can raise their bond rating and get another bond to get through. When I spoke to Mayor Sabonjian a few weeks ago, he told me that they are going to have to increase property taxes, and that they intend to raise the price of the city stickers and water utilities.

It used to be that while the city didn't have a lot to offer, at least it was reasonably cheap to live here. Now that the price of living here is going to rise, the only incentive left to stay in Waukegan is gone.

[WT Reader]

It was the city that put up the decorations and the tree in Benny Plaza every year. However, they said they would not do so this year, so Main Street is attempting to get the tree so that there is something there.

Whether or not the city relents and decides to put up the wreaths and other lights remains to be seen.

The city is indeed broke. That is why they are trying to sell the lot at Fountain Square, so they can raise their bond rating and get another bond to get through. When I spoke to Mayor Sabonjian a few weeks ago, he told me that they are going to have to increase property taxes, and that they intend to raise the price of the city stickers and water utilities.

It used to be that while the city didn't have a lot to offer, at least it was reasonably cheap to live here. Now that the price of living here is going to rise, the only incentive left to stay in Waukegan is gone.

Really sad the city can't afford to even put up the holiday lights downtown. But the city has the city workers to do that, and the tree, too. How much can a tree cost ? The lights and decorations already are purchased, and the city workers should be able to have the time to put up these holiday treats. What are they doing that keeps them so busy, I have to wonder.

Raise property taxes, raise city stickers and water utilities? I also noticed that the City is still issuing $20 parking fines too if you park at a meter one minute to late. That really "encourages" people not to go down there unless they must. I thought Sabonjian said he would do away with those parking fines and go to free parking if he got elected. This whole deal here is so disappointing. This city is just pay, pay, pay for what?

[Mouse]

(quote) Maybe Ms. Miller should have made a plan to "make money". Isn't that what she was hired to do in part.

Actually, no. Fundraising is the purview of the board of directors, and the organization committee is tasked with getting memberships.

This statement reads like some corporate inspired "pass the buck" response. So is this to mean that the director (possibly the only professional in the organization) is prevented from involvement in any fundraising efforts? Isn't the mayors luncheon or the mardi gras thing a fundraiser? If so does this mean the director does not work on creating or implementing those events.

Bottom line is the whole Waukegan Main Street thing is a farce. There is very little benefit to the city as a whole or to the downtown considering the amount of money expended. I say let it go. If it were an all volunteer, self-funded program it might be different.

Shouldn't the city's special events department or public relations department be promoting the downtown in exactly the same way as Main Street? A Main Street program is redundant in a community that has those two departments. Based on past performance it only makes sense to let Main Street go.

[fintan1010]

a little bird told me that liberyville main street has 1,100 members (down from a high of 1,400). i believe waukegan main street has between 100 - 150. according to city-data.com libertyville has a population of 20,742 and waukegan has 87,901. (please keep in mind that these population numbers are always based on older/available information.) what is truly upsetting is that with a 45% hispanic population, they have been almost completely ignored by waukegan main street. only recently did they elect someone to the board from that demographic. this organization must regroup if they are going to survive.

[verenablock]

This statement reads like some corporate inspired "pass the buck" response. So is this to mean that the director (possibly the only professional in the organization) is prevented from involvement in any fundraising efforts? Isn't the mayors luncheon or the mardi gras thing a fundraiser? If so does this mean the director does not work on creating or implementing those events.

Actually, I am going to agree with you here. I think a huge part of the position of the Executive Director should be to garner donations. Additionally, I think the board - being pillars of the community - should be the ones to introduce any new Executive Director to Waukegan, and take them around to the various businesses who are/have been supporters, as well as those businesses who have yet to contribute to community development. This is particularly important, I think, when you hire someone with no non-profit experience.

I would also agree that the Mayor's Luncheon, Mardi Gras, and all other events should be promoted as fundraisers. Perhaps then they might make more than a few hundred dollars per event.

Again, there was no real reason for Main Street to run completely out of money. During the last luncheon - the annual meeting Oct. 9th - there was ample opportunity to tell the supporters that Main Street was in desperate need of funds. No doubt at least a thousand dollars could have been raised, there had to have been at least 80 people there (it was quite a nice lunch at the Yacht Club). Instead, we had to sit through the Mr. Donovan imploring us to applaud to vote in the board of directors, and a lot of patting himself on the back for doing such a fine job with the organization.

[Westleigh]

The Main Street organization, and all of it's members should conduct itself like a "main street"...not an alley as they're doing.