Belvidere Township Park District - Backgrounder

Written by a machine from this government’s own published pages, and current as of September 13, 2026. Rosters and meeting times change; where this and the government’s own site disagree, theirs is right. How this is written

Overview

The Belvidere Township Park District is an independently governed special district established by referendum on November 4, 1919, with 764 votes in favor and 280 opposed. It is a separate governmental unit that levies its own taxes to provide park facilities and recreation for the residents of Belvidere Township in Boone County, Illinois. The district covers Belvidere Township, including land both inside and outside the city limits of Belvidere.

The district was formed as Belvidere’s population grew and the need for park spaces increased, “both to provide open recreational land and as a beautifying element to attract new families and businesses.” The district made its first land purchase on March 9, 1920—a fifty-five acre parcel known as the Baltic Mill tract—for $14,500. This property included the Mill, a residence on West Lincoln Avenue, the river dam, the mill race, Gooseberry Island, and a parcel of land on the south bank of the Kishwaukee River.

Today, the district holds significantly more land. The sources note that a 90-acre parcel between the Belvidere Cemetery and the Fairgrounds, north of Belvidere, planned for development as Prairie Fields Sport Park, “almost doubles the land holdings of the park district.”

The Board of Commissioners

Member count and election: Five commissioners, elected to serve the community
Term length: Four years
Compensation: Commissioners serve without compensation
Meeting schedule: Minimum of one meeting per month, held at 5:00 PM
Meeting location: Baltic Mill Annex in Belvidere Park, 920 W. Lincoln Ave.
Meeting frequency note: The district holds occasional fourth-Tuesday and special meetings in addition to the regular second-Tuesday meetings

The board conducts all its business as a whole body and has no standing committees.

Current commissioners

Name	Office
Daniel Noble	President
Amy Nord	Vice-President
Mary Marquardt	Secretary
Gary Thacker	Commissioner
Carrie Lenzen	Commissioner

Note on tenure: Mary Marquardt has been on the board since 1987. Daniel Noble and Amy Nord have both served as elected commissioners since 2021.

Leadership

Executive Director: Jen Jacky (jjacky@belviderepark.org, ext. 100)

Senior staff:

Melissa Merkel – Superintendent of Administrative Services (ext. 101)
Aly Graham, CPRP – Superintendent of Recreation (ext. 102)
Tony Williams – Superintendent of Parks (ext. 103)
Destiny Boss – Human Resources & Risk Manager (ext. 104)
Kristi Dummer – Marketing Supervisor (ext. 105)

Recreation supervisors:

Carlos Villarreal – Recreation Supervisor, Facilities & Programs (ext. 201)
Katie Inman – Recreation Supervisor, Youth (ext. 106)
Taylor Kuchenreuther – Recreation Supervisor, Athletics & Programs (ext. 200)

Special Recreation:

Katie Humphrey, CTRS, CPRP – Special Recreation Manager (ext. 600)
Sean Cramer, CPRP – Special Recreation Supervisor (ext. 601)
One Special Recreation Supervisor position is open (ext. 602)

Parks:

Brian Willit – Buildings Foreman (ext. 301)
Kolby Soltow – Grounds Foreman (ext. 303)

Facilities and programs

Major facilities and features:

Belvidere Park – The historic core property, originally 105 acres, including the Baltic Mill (renovated 1995 to include historic artifacts, a meeting room, public restroom, and office space for the Boone County Arts Council), Gooseberry Island (picnic area with access via two suspension bridges), the Kishwaukee Riverfront Path (multi-phase construction beginning 1989, extending from Belvidere Park to the Burgess Street Boat Launch and into Doty Park), Activity Center (shelter and ice skating facility off West Locust Street), and a stage area for “Concerts in the Park”
Swimming pool – Opened June 1941 with WPA funding; renovated in 1984; bathhouse renovated 1994 to accommodate individuals with disabilities; includes a separate children’s pool (built 1979) and concession stand
Baltic Mill Annex – 920 W. Lincoln Ave., hosts board meetings
Administration Building – 1006 W. Lincoln Ave., completed 1999
Doty Park – Originally acquired 1920 (three and one-half acres), sold to the school district in 1946, re-acquired by the park district in 1992; revitalized in 1994 to include a handicapped accessible playground, large shelter with restrooms, boat dock, two large open field areas, and connection to the Kishwaukee Riverfront Path via a walking bridge over the Kishwaukee River
Embankment Skatepark – Added to Doty Park in 2000
Aberdeen Park – Ten acres off Orth Road, built outside city limits; includes tennis courts, sand volleyball court, horseshoe pits, shuffleboard court, playground, ball diamond, soccer field, walking path, shelter with restrooms, and two parking lots; property acquired through county land-cash ordinance and developer contributions
Fridh Recreation Area – Located at 9th Street and 14th Avenue; currently includes a soccer field and parking lot; future expansion planned to include playground, ball field, shelter, and restrooms
Prairie Fields Sport Park – 90-acre parcel between Belvidere Cemetery and the Fairgrounds, north of Belvidere; plans include soccer fields, baseball and softball diamonds, senior activity area, shelters, playgrounds, concessions, sand volleyball courts, basketball courts, tennis courts, restrooms, batting cages, neighborhood park, and a path looping the sports park; described as “final plans are underway to begin construction in the near future”
Harkless Park – Conveyed to the park district by the city in 1979
Soccer fields on Town Hall Road – Leased and developed beginning 1986
Red Horse Bend – Canoe launch on the north bank of the Kishwaukee River just east of Belvidere
Hickory Bill’s Island – Canoe launch west of the park off the Appleton Road bridges, finished 1998; includes picnic site, gradual path to launch area, and large parking area
Burgess Street Boat Launch – Built 1988 using the district’s first state grant

Programs mentioned:

Recreation programming – Year-round programming managed by the Superintendent of Recreation and recreation supervisors
Youth programs – Supervised by Recreation Supervisor, Youth
Athletics and programs – Supervised by Recreation Supervisor, Athletics & Programs
Special recreation – Managed by Special Recreation Manager with two supervisor positions
Organized children’s sports – Noted as becoming popular in the early 1980s
Camp counselor positions – Noted in Amy Nord’s biography (she began as a camp counselor in 1994)
Preschool – Noted in Amy Nord’s biography (she worked as a preschool teacher)
Before/after-school programs: Not published

School partnerships:

The district worked with schools in the 1990s to fund playgrounds at Perry, Caledonia, Lincoln, Washington, Kishwaukee, and Logan Schools. The district contributed toward construction of the gym and recreational facilities at Meehan School in exchange for after-hours and summer use of those facilities for community programs.

Historical note on Kiddieland: A popular playground since the late 1960s, noted as inaccessible to many Belvidere children, which prompted the school partnership strategy.

Finances

2026:

Operating budget published (ordinances take effect immediately after passage at the first board meeting in December)
Tax levy ordinance, appropriation bill and ordinance, and tax abatement ordinance all published for 2026

2025:

Operating budget, tax levy ordinance, appropriation bill and ordinance, and tax abatement ordinance all published
Final audit report published
Final treasurer’s report published
Decennial Committee on Local Government Efficiency Report published

2024:

Final audit report published
Final treasurer’s report published
Final Government Efficiency Report published

Specific dollar amounts: Not published in the sources provided.

Public Act 97-0609 compliance:

The district participates in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund and is required to make available lists of employees expected to receive total compensation packages greater than $75,000 (within six business days after budget approval) and greater than $150,000 (within six days prior to approval). These lists are available at the Administrative Office, 1006 W. Lincoln Ave., Belvidere, IL 61008.

The Parks & Conservation Foundation

The Parks & Conservation Foundation is a separate 501(c)(3) organization established in 1992 to assist the Belvidere Park District and the Boone County Conservation District to acquire and develop land. The foundation is “completely independent from the park board” and has its own members and by-laws.

The foundation holds title to over $1 million worth of land acquired through grants. Recent projects include building the playground in Bob’s Park. All gifts to the foundation are tax deductible. The foundation will work with landowners who wish to have land preserved in its natural state.

Daniel Noble, the current Board President, is listed as a board member of the Parks & Conservation Foundation. Mary Marquardt, Board Secretary, is listed as an active member of the foundation.

Foundation governance and meeting information: Not published by the foundation.

Where to find more

Belvidere Park District website: belviderepark.org (agendas, minutes, financial documents, program information)
Agendas and minutes: Available at belviderepark.org
Meeting video: Not published
Administrative office: 1006 W. Lincoln Ave., Belvidere, IL 61008 Phone: 815-547-5711
Statutory authority: 70 ILCS 1205 (Illinois Park District Code)