Picnickers in village parks will have to pay for their park permits from now on, trustees have announced.
The park permit fees-a first in Willowbrook-were suggested last month by the Parks and Recreation Commission to help the village recapture some of the maintenance costs related to picnics in the parks, said Walter Righton, superintendent of parks and recreation.
The fees also were expected to decrease the number of permit applications from non-residents, freeing park space for resident groups, Righton said.
Under an ordinance approved last week, resident groups of fewer than 50 people pay nothing for picnic permits on weekdays and $10 on weeknights and weekends. Non-residents will pay up to $70 for permits, ”which will likely discourage out-of-towners” from applying, said Mayor Eugene Noose.