Mayoral Kayak Trip Promotes Fox River as Regional Attraction

Montgomery Village President Matt Brolley met with mayors from Aurora, Yorkville and Oswegoon Saturday, but they weren’t in a board room or on a conference call.

Instead, the local leaders strapped on life preservers and took a kayak trip down the Fox River.

The trip was planned to demonstrate the river’s value as a recreational resource and gain support for a proposal to make the waterway more accessible for boaters.

“We want to move forward in exploring the potential to open up our existing boat bypass channel and possible create a whitewater park,” Brolley said.

In 2008, a waterway study was completed in Montgomery. The study determined what changes would need to be made to transform the 13-mile stretch of river between Aurora and Yorkville into a recreational destination for kayaking and canoeing.  Presently, the earthen dam in Montgomery is the only obstacle preventing boaters from traveling uninterrupted between Aurora and Yorkville.

Brolley, Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner, Oswego Village President Brian LeClercq and Yorkville Mayor Pro-Tem/3rd Ward Alderman Chris Funkhouser decided a community partnership would increase the likelihood of the plan coming to fruition.  The communities plan to jointly seek grant money and other financing in order to fund the project.

“Combining the resources [of all three communities] will help us reach our goal,” Brolley said. “Forming a partnership was a natural next step in this process.”

Brolley, Weisner, LeClercq and Funkhouser departed from Aurora on Saturday morning and traveled down the river in kayaks, stopping at Gray’s Mill in Montgomery and Tap House Grille in Oswego before ending their trip at Bicentennial Riverfront Park in Yorkville.

“Our stop in Montgomery showcased the potential for our downtown,” Brolley said. “Progress on this plan also means progress for the Village’s Mill District.”

At stops in their respective municipalities, each mayor gave a brief presentation on his vision for the Fox River as a recreation resource.

“The Fox River has been a treasured asset since the birth of Montgomery,” Brolley said. “It is an honor to partner with the neighboring mayors to promote its various uses.”

Source: Village of Montgomery