A squabble over fees for use of township park land could cancel this year’s Cedar Polka Fest.
Organizers of the event, the Polka Fest Foundation/Cedar Chamber of Commerce, have called foul a proposal to charge the organization money for use of the Cedar Community Park for the Polka Fest, scheduled for Aug. 22-25.
“If we cancel … I don’t know if it will ever come back,” said Lisa Rossi-Brett, executive director of the Polka Fest Foundation, which was established for tax reasons as it is a non-profit organization.
Moneys raised during the Polka Fest are returned to the community in the form of scholarships, planters through the village, and children’s events celebrating Halloween and Easter.
The Cedar Community Park, which includes athletic fields and tennis courts, has been “polka central” for more than 40 years. It is also used by the adult and summer league softball and baseball and the annual Brian Nachazel Memorial Snowball Softball Tournament.
However, funding for township parks and recreation has been limited as there is no extra-voted millage in place, despite requests from the committee.
A 2023 Parks and Recreation Plan recommended the township consider a “durable and stable” mechanism to fund park activities.
In a memo to the Solon Township Board dated May 9, volunteer Parks and Recreation co-chairs Kelly Claar and Mary Taylor urged the board to require new deposits.
“This month, we feel the need to stress the fact that the Polka Fest Foundation is the permit (holder) for Polka Fest,” the memo states. “Any handshake or understood agreements between the Township and (past Polka Fest applicants the Cedar Chamber of Commerce) are now null and void.
“Given the fact that this is a different applicant, all the forms will need to be renewed and a new precedent should be set regarding the exclusive use of public parks.”
Rossi-Brett said the committee met with township board members May 29 without resolution. The parks committee also recommended collection of a security deposit and pre and post-event inspections.
“Waiting until it’s almost time for the event has got us over a barrel,” she said. “If it’s canceled, we’ll be out tens of thousands of dollars.”
The Polka Fest has been held for more than 40 years, with no substantial changes. However, in recent years the four-day event has been revitalized with the addition of more activities such as a 5K run; a classic car and motorcycle show; pancake breakfast.
New this year, the Fest is scheduled to include Ultimate Air Dogs competition featuring pool jumping “dog athletes” and their owner/trainers competing for advancement in the regional competition.
However, there’s been some push back on this scheduling.
The parks committee has discouraged the event as “all dogs are prohibited in all Solon Township Parks, with the exception of Joe Vlack Park.”
The irony of the situation is that township clerk Shirley Mikowski and treasurer Joan Gauthier are the daughters of Ed Fleis, one of the Polka Fest founders.
For his part, township trustee Steve Yoder has asked the township board to maintain status quo this year, with plans to revisit the fee discussion ahead of next year’s event.
A special meeting of the township board to discuss the issue is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at the Solon Township hall in Cedar.
