Plainfield River Tubing Gets OK From Village Board For Another Season

PLAINFIELD, IL — The DuPage River will be another hotspot in Plainfield this summer, courtesy of Plainfield River Tubing and its rentals.

The Village Board approved a new contract with the husband-and-wife-owned company "despite some nonsense" at its regular meeting Monday night, Mayor John Argoudelis said in a post on Facebook.

Brian Wojowski and Cally Larson cited their skepticism of the agenda item since earlier in the afternoon, all trustees received a "rather disturbing email," as Wojowski put it, stating Plainfield River Tubing was one of the groups to donate to Argoudelis's mayoral campaign during a fundraiser March 9.

"I don't understand why a campaign contribution is something that holds something up," Argoudelis said. "The issue before us tonight is the merits of this matter, not who they contribute campaigns to. ... Do people vote based on contributions? I don't. I [have voted] in favor of river tubing consistently the entire time I've been here, and I've never received a campaign contribution from the river tubing or anybody else."

Trustee Harry Benton responded with frustration, saying he's "sick and tired of everybody talking about campaigns, elections, bringing campaign materials, talking about campaign contributions. Do it outside of here, or figure it out. I don't know what to tell you. It's bordering ethics when we're up on this dais and talking about campaigns. Stop."

Scott and Kris Most were present at the meeting. They came up to the podium to speak when Kris apologized to the mayor and began to say she would not have made the contribution "if I'd ever thought that little $1,000 would have put a stop on voting."

After the discussion, the Board convened to vote, passing the item 2-1, with Tom Ruane and Benton voting in favor and with Larson and Wojowski abstaining. Trustee Kevin Calkins voted against it, and Patricia Kalkanis was not present.

The contract authorizes Plainfield River Tubing, which the Mosts first opened in 2020, to use the village's parking areas, trails, and canoe and tube launch areas at Electric Park West and the Riverfront site at 24300 W. Lockport St.

The agreement also requires the company to have a river monitor on the water at all times and prohibits staff and patrons from littering, damaging property, creating nuisances or trespassing on adjacent problems.

The latter has caused issues for owners in the past when some residents, whose property lines extend into the DuPage River, filed complaints after "floaters" — a term used to refer to people who float down the river in inflatable boats and tubes — trespassed on private land, consumed alcohol on the river and failed to always pick up their trash, Patch reported.

The Illinois Supreme Court recently affirmed the private property rights landowners adjacent to the river have, prompting village staff to add language to the contract that obligates the company and its customers to respect those rights, according to attorney Richard Vogel.

As a safeguard, Plainfield River Tubing will also anchor kayaks on the edge of private river property to stop flotation devices from crossing over homeowners' riparian rights, which refer to the rights of a landowner to use bodies of water that border the land. Floaters who fail to follow the rules explained before they take off on the river will be sanctioned, according to Tom Murphy, the company's attorney.

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The contract is valid for one year. But going forward, the company may not be able to operate due to the 143rd Street extension project that will close a portion of the river.

"We're working with them to figure out how the next years may proceed with them and how that looks," Jake Melrose, the village's economic development director, said at the meeting.

Ahead of the Board meeting, trustees received an email from a family opposed to the agreement, Argoudelis noted, but they also heard from "multiple" in favor of the extension.

"Tubing on the river provides an incalculable benefit to the psyche of members of the public and a release of the tension that is all too prevalent in modern society," Murphy said. "This kind of recreational outlet ... is invaluable to the mental health and physical well-being of the members of the public that go tubing. Unlike road rage, there is no river rage on the river."

Booking for Plainfield River Turbing's 2023 season begins May 1. Open every Saturday and Sunday through Sept. 10, the company facilitates floats from Easton Preserve down the DuPage River and back to West Electric Park.

Depending on river flow, the trip can take 1.5 hours to as long as 4.5 hours, according to the company's website.

Prices and registration forms are available online.

Editor's note: This article has been updated to correct a previous misprinting of Kris Most's name. Patch apologizes for the error.