The area shaded in orange at left would be the site of the proposed paddleboat and food concessions. (City of Elgin)By Ted Schnell • BocaJump
Elgin’s urban waterfront at Festival Park may gain a new attraction this summer to complement the fountain, playground and bike path running the length of the park:
The Elgin City Council on Wednesday will consider a license agreement with Justin Hodge for a paddleboat rental and food concessions area at Festival Park, one of the downtown’s premier attractions. The concession area would be immediately west of the park’s fountain and would operate on weekends and some weekdays.
Assistant City Manager Rick Kozal said Monday that Hodge first approached the city with the idea of a paddleboat and food cart concession about a year ago but encountered a dual roadblock: A city ordinance at the time prohibited concessions in the park except for special events, and there were safety concerns raised by the Elgin Fire Department.
The city changed the ordinance last year to accommodate the proposal, “but the guy wanted a five-year exclusive, he wanted to be the only food vendor … and that was like, no, that’s not what we’re contemplating,” Kozal said.
After considering the matter over the winter months, Hodge came back to the city with the same terms the city had offered him last year, Kozal said.
Under the agreement, Hodge will be allowed to rent as many as five paddleboats and operate a food cart at the site, Kozal said. Hodge must keep a JetSki on hand for emergencies.
The paddleboats can be operated along the river from Walton Islands on the north to the city’s southern corporate limits, according to staff documentation with the proposed license agreement.
Hodge must provide a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each boater, and each paddleboat must be equipped with a two-way radio to allow the boaters to communicate with Hodge, and a GPS system for tracking the boats. During the hours of operation, Hodge must have at least two employees with CPR and first aid training on site.
Other provisions in the agreement require that:
- Hodge handle all aspects of his operations and marketing with no assistance from the city.
- Hodge must set up and take down his canopy and boats every day.
- Operating hours will be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- He will begin operating as soon as the license agreement is approved.
- The operation will continue through the end of September.
- Hodge will be licensing each paddleboat through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
- Hodge is required to submit a seasonal food handling application to the city’s health department and have his food cart and commissary (base of operation) inspected. Hodge must pay $365 to the city for a seasonal food-handling permit.
Festival Park opened with great fanfare and to rave reviews in 2007, becoming a showpiece for a number of warm-weather festivals. But the Great Recession of 2008 marked a sharp decline of summer festivals in Elgin and surrounding communities
The park remains popular, and the city staff’s documentation of the proposal states that the number of visitors and the number of those who use the bike path through the park raise expectations that Hodge’s paddleboat and food concessions will be quite popular.
There are no other vendors operating out of Festival Park at this time, the city said.
