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The Hoedown to Motown party in the park, co-produced by the park district and the village recreation department, was an event designed to appeal to people of all ages.

When Boundaries Overlap

Although they may not realize it, many Romeoville residents are served by the Romeoville Recreation Department as well as by the Lockport Township Park District. That's because Lockport is one of the few park districts whose boundaries are contiguous with the township boundary lines. Found within those boundaries are the City of Lockport, most of the City of Crest Hill, more than half of the Village of Romeoville and various unincorporated areas. Romeoville, on the other hand, is one of the few communities served by both a park district (the Lockport Township Park District) and a municipal agency (the Village Parks and Recreation Department). Residents living in the portion of Romeoville that falls within the Lockport Township boundaries pay taxes to both entities, giving them opportunities to use facilities and services from both agencies, essentially doubling their opportunities for fun.

Another source of revenue is the land/cash donation paid by developers to ensure adequate park space is provided in new developments. In Romeoville, those fees go to the village's parks and recreation department. On the face of it, this would seem to make programming for Romeoville residents somewhat more challenging for the Lockport Township Park District. To assist the park district in serving its residents residing in Romeoville, a resident advisory committee was created by the Village of Romeoville in the early 1990's. The committee meets every other month to discuss various opportunities and initiatives on which the two agencies can collaborate.

Collaborations on Capital Projects

The Heritage Falls Water Park in Romeoville is a prime example of what can be accomplished when agencies work together.

Mechanical bull rides were a popular attraction at the Hoedown to Motown, am event co-produced by the Romeoville Parks and Recreation Department and tfiel Lockport Township Park District.

Back in 1989, a group of Romeoville residents lobbied the park district to provide more services to its Romeoville residents. They pointed out that the park district had facilities in Lockport and Crest Hill but not in Romeoville. They wanted their tax dollars to stay closer to home. Following numerous community meetings, a community-wide survey and contact with local officials, it was determined that a water park would be the most practical answer to the concerns raised by the Romeoville residents. In order for the park district to construct a waterpark however, it would need to acquire land to accommodate the project. The park district and village collectively negotiated with the Valley View School District for property at Romeoville High School. Upon completion of the negotiations, the park district financed and constructed Heritage Falls Water Park in Romeoville. Today, the Lockport Township Park District manages Heritage Falls Waterpark as a service to all of its residents, but most notably its Romeoville residents. This, in turn, allows the Village of Romeoville's Recreation Department to funnel its funds toward other recreation services and facilities for a fully balanced and complimentary array of recreational services for the Romeoville residents.

Community Related Collaborative Programming

The two agencies have continued to collaborate throughout the years. The park district has offered programs and services, including various pre-school classes, park parties, after school programs, tennis lessons and a variety of activities, directly in the community. The district has also provided funds for the development of a skate park, walking trails and park site developments. In addition, the district

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Games like the limbo provided people of all ages with an opportunity for fun at the Hoedown to Motown, an event co-produced by the Romeoville Parks and Recreation Department and the Lockport Township Park District.

purchased a seven-acre site for park development and has entered into an agreement with a local grade school to maintain its playground and park site.

Lockport Township Park District has been hosting "Park Parties" in its three communities for more than five years. Staff wanted to do something more in the Crest Hill and Romeoville communities to compliment the special events it hosted in Lockport. They brainstormed ideas for various larger events with a Park Party flavor, and the 2007 Hoedown to Motown was born. The park district staff presented the idea to the Romeoville Recreation Department and the two agencies joined forces to create a unique event to appeal to people of all ages. Initially, the special event coordinators from both Lockport and Romeoville met to discuss various options. Once the concept started to materialize, additional employees were included (parks division, park police as we need security, as well as part-time recreation staff) in the committee process and the agencies began to solicit sponsorships. It was determined in advance which agency would contract with and pay for the entertainment to avoid confusion. At the end of the event, the two agencies met, discussed and evaluated, and, of course, made certain the event costs were divided equally.

The Hoedown to Motown event was held at the village's 42-acre Volunteer Park. The evening kicked off with a country and western band, mechanical bull rides, a rodeo, inflatables, giveaways, pony rides, a petting zoo, professional rodeo roping and barrel racing and concluded with a Motown band.

The event was free to the more than 450 people that attended. Everyone had positive comments about the diversity of activities for all ages. Both agencies were extremely pleased that their collaboration led to such a successful event.

This year's creative cooperative programming resulted in the two different events. The first was a free cooperative park party held at Irene King School and Park Site, a park that is in Romeoville but maintained by the Lockport Township Park Distirct. The park party included a moon jump slide, clowns, face painting, games and giveaways. Again, the two agencies met in advance to determine who would be responsible for making contact with the various vendors, and, when all was said and done, the agencies met to evaluate and share costs. The cooperative park party drew about three hundred people.

The answer to 2007's Hoedown to Motown was the 2008 Buccaneer's Bash. The event started a little precariously, as a rain shower blew through about thirty minutes before the start. But the rain brought a beautiful night, and many residents came out to enjoy the evening. The pirate performers were a big hit with the children as was

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The pirate performers and face painting were big hits at the co-produced 2008 Buccaneer's Bash

the face painting, balloon twisting and the stilt walker. There were games and giveaways to delight all age groups. At the conclusion of the evening, the families gathered in front of the inflatable big screen to enjoy a "Movie Under the Stars" featuring Peter Pan. Both agencies had staff present to manage the event. They used their successful strategy of meeting beforehand to determine which agency would be the main contact for vendors, and they met afterwards to evaluate and share the costs.

In order to ensure maximum participation at events, and, as a way to get the word out to all residents, the two agencies advertise in each other's program guides. The Romeoville Parks and Recreation Department dedicates a page for the district to use in its guide and vice versa. This has been a very successful way to market the programs for no additional cost. As you can see, both agencies would not be able to provide such innovative events without the assistance of the other.

Working Together Makes it Better

Romeoville Parks and Recreation Department and the Lockport Township Park District continue to strive to bring out more residents to enjoy recreational opportunities. By working together to collaborate on programs and events, both agencies ensure that the residents are well served and tax dollars are well spent. This is truly a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Robert Yates said "It is amazing what can be accomplished when nobody cares about who gets the credit."

This is the motto used by the Lockport Township Park District and the Romeoville Recreation Department.

• Successful Cooperation starts by putting your egos in check.
• Each community is different. Each situation is different. So there is no set answer for success except that each agency must put residents first.
• Join forces with the other agency because two heads are better than one.
• Don't just listen to your residents...respond.
• Meet, collaborate, discuss, share.

Kelly Rajzer, PPRP, is the director of parks and recreation at the Village of Romeoville Parks and Recreation Department.

Sue A. Micklevitz, CPRP, is the executive director of the Lockport Township Park District.

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