Darien Chamber Disappears Online

DARIEN, IL – The 41-year-old Darien Chamber of Commerce disappeared online over the last couple of weeks.

This happened as the new city-run Darien Business Alliance is looking to handle at least some of the chamber's old functions.

When Patch wrote about the chamber's status Feb. 4, its website was still up, but it looked as if it hadn't been updated in months.

For instance, April Padalik was still listed as the executive director, even though the city hired her for the same role at the alliance a couple of months earlier.

The chamber has lost its City Hall office where Padalik worked. Apparently, that same space and phone number are now the alliance's.

At Tuesday's City Council meeting, resident Steve Shanks asked about the alliance's status. Officials said a few local business leaders belong to an informal advisory group that is helping the city understand what businesses need. They met for the first time a couple of weeks ago.

The alliance has yet to set up a website.

The chamber's two biggest events were Darien Fest and Darien Dash, which the alliance appears to be taking over.

Before forming the alliance, the city had provided an annual grant of about $30,000 to the chamber for a couple of years. In return, every Darien business with a city license got a free chamber membership, instead of paying $225 a year.

Before the subsidies, city officials said they considered taking over the chamber, a plan that the organization's board at the time seemed to favor.

The City Council approved the alliance in December.

In a statement at the time, the chamber board said it was "blindsided" by the city's move, but that it planned to continue serving its membership.

In response to a Patch inquiry Wednesday, City Administrator Bryon Vana provided the list of the advisory committee members.

"This isn't a formal committee with appointed membership similar to city committees," Vana said in an email. "We anticipate additional businesses attending these meetings primarily to work with April on things such as events, membership participation, promotions, etc."

Here are the members:

• Monsaur Othman, owner and chief financial officer, High Haven
• Hunter Clasby, director of operations, High Haven
• Bob Taft, owner, Q Bar
• John Bruner, manager, Wintrust Bank
• Thomas Sailer, co-partner, Exit Realty
• James Burke, owner, Edward Jones Financial Services, Darien