For those who are interested, here is the full text that I provided to the ZB News.
Q1. What are your
qualifications?
A1. Under the law, a prospective candidate must meet a basic
set of standards in order to run for or hold a public office. The candidate
must be of legal age, a registered voter in the district for the office being
sought, have resided in said district for a period of one year, not owe any
back taxes or other fees to the city, and finally ‘must not have been convicted
in any court located in the United States of any infamous crime, bribery,
perjury, or other felony’. Another way
to say it would be; a law abiding citizen who takes an active role in our
participatory democracy.
I have been a homeowner and taxpayer in good standing since
my wife and I moved to Zion in 1995. Also, I have served as a Lake County
Election Judge since 2004. So, I satisfy those basic qualifications. Beyond
that, I offer a brief summary of my experience and knowledge.
For the past thirteen years I have been employed in the
Human Resources department of the American Medical Association in Chicago. During my tenure, I have acquired good
hands-on education not only in the technical aspects of employee benefits and
compensation, but also in the various facets of people management required in a
large, nationally prominent organization.
Prior to working at the AMA, I spent over a decade in the
Private Security industry, often as an Account Manager. As such, I had the responsibility ensure my
staff performed their duties to the client’s satisfaction. Those responsibilities covered everything
from interviewing applicants, training staff, rating job performance, and on
occasion terminating someone’s employment.
After graduating High School, I volunteered for the U. S.
Army and served as a Military Intelligence Analyst. My military training provided the basis for
all of the technical and leadership skills I have developed since. In addition, there are the invaluable lessons
learned regarding the importance of; discipline, duty, honor, loyalty, and
teamwork.
I believe that out of the sum total of my experience I can
bring a set of organizational and management skills to the office of
Commissioner that will serve the people of Zion well if I am elected.
Q2. Why are you
running for office?
A2. I believe that as citizens in a democracy it is
important to take an active role in our government, especially on the local
level. Over the past couple of years I’ve observed what can best be described
as an unfortunate level of dysfunction in the City Council. I shared my concerns with other residents, and
even wrote editorial letters that appeared in this publication that were critical
of this behavior and urging changes to remedy it. After much consideration, I determined that
bringing change to the Council requires a change in the membership, and that it
was my responsibility as a citizen to step forward as a candidate to bring
about that change.
Q3. What do you think
are the most critical issues facing the City of Zion right now?
A3. The critical issues facing Zion are the same as those
faced by many municipalities today. Some of the most prominent ones are; crime,
a crumbling civic infrastructure, the surplus of abandoned or foreclosed homes,
slow economic growth, and the problem of maintaining essential city services during
a time of rising costs and a diminishing tax base.
Q4. What do you hope
to achieve if elected?
A4. A man I know, who
is a life-long resident of Zion, once told me, “I used to go to the City
Council meetings, but they never said anything, so I stopped going.” I think
that statement is emblematic of the gulf that exists between the City Council
and the citizens of Zion.
I would hope to change that dynamic, to begin to bring the
city government out of its remote, authoritarian past into a more open,
responsive, and innovative future.
A declaration of good intentions, however sincerely made, is
insufficient without plans and proposals to give them focus and direction. The
challenges facing our city are often interrelated, and that while there is not
a single answer to any problem, in the following platform are areas where I
believe the City Council should focus their efforts toward improvements in the
near term, and beginning long term planning for the future.
Near Term
·
Public
Safety. Keeping the public safe in their homes and in their persons is
perhaps the paramount duty of our city government. Our quality of life, the
desirability of the city as place to live or work, and even the value of our
homes and businesses are all directly affected by how well this task is
accomplished. Making sure that our Police and Fire Departments are properly
equipped and fully staffed with trained professionals is not a luxury, it is a
necessity that we must support with solid funding. Both departments have made great efforts to
obtain grants and special funding in order to maintain services. This is
commendable, but the City needs to step up and do its part for our first responders.
·
Economic
Development. Encouraging new business ventures to come to the city is key
to creating the revenue base that will support city services and help reduce
the tax burden on homeowners. That is
why I publicly supported the approval of the Big Chicago Brewery. A multifaceted development plan that brings
in more niche industries such as the Brewery, and more light industrial
projects such as the proposed biomass reactor project for Trumpet Park, is what
is needed to move the city forward in this area.
·
Review Staffing and Resources. Tight
budgets have already resulted in staff and service cutbacks, a trend that will
likely continue into the foreseeable future. There should be a top-down review
of all departments, independent of the budget process; focusing on resource
allocation, implementing efficiencies, and reducing costs over the long term.
·
Revitalize
Home Ownership. Housing stock currently comprises one of the largest assets
of the City, and is the foundation of a living, growing community. Keeping it
viable is of the greatest importance. The City should actively encourage; home
improvements, infill development, and rehabilitation of existing properties.
Modification of the Building and Zoning Codes may be required, a topic that is
further explored in the Long Term planning.
Also, there should be a push to identify and promote state and federal
programs to assist property owners with those efforts.
·
Rental Property Licensing and Inspection.
The collapse of housing values has resulted in a corresponding increase of
residential rental properties, often owned by absentee landlords or property
management companies. Unfortunately, distance tends to foster an attitude of
neglect, and proper maintenance is often exchanged for profit. A well-regulated
program to register and inspect rental properties is vital in order to sustain
the value of neighboring properties, and to ensure the health and safety of the
tenants.
·
Abandoned Residential Property. The other
aspect of the housing crisis is the increase in vacant properties, and the
resulting negative aspects associated with them. Resources must be directed to
identify abandoned properties, and making the lien holder accountable for the
maintenance of that property.
·
Greater Transparency and Open Communication. There should be an expanded use of social
media to inform the public about the work being done on their behalf. Documents such as Appropriations, and the
City Budget should be made available on the City website for download. City
Council meetings should be recorded and the highlights posted on the Internet.
City Departments have already taken steps in this direction; the Council should
do the same.
Long Term
·
A Renewed Comprehensive Development
Plan. In 1992 the City Council approved the
2010 Comprehensive Development Plan. As with most plans aspects have
changed over time due to circumstances.
I believe it is time to make an overall reassessment of future
development in the City. Some of the areas that an updated plan should address
are:
o
Lakefront Development. Currently, the removal of the decommissioned
Zion Nuclear Power Station is scheduled to be completed in 2020, just eight
short years from now. Plans for the future use of that land must take into
consideration; habitat preservation, recreational use, access to the
neighboring State Park, and the hard fact that there will be a nuclear waste
storage facility located there for the foreseeable future. The lakeshore area has the potential to
become a tremendous asset to the future growth of the City. If planning for the
post-decommission phase hasn’t been started, it should become a top priority.
o
Review Zoning and Building Codes. The recent controversy surrounding the move
of the Big Chicago Brewing Company to
Zion is an example of the difficulties that arise when codes have become
outdated. Homeowners can also find themselves hindered by restrictive standards
and thus discouraged from making improvements to their property. An open review
process which solicits input from the public could help identify problem areas
and suggest possible remedies.
o
Civic Infrastructure. Maintaining aging buildings and the equipment
necessary to keep them functioning can become a greater drain on the taxpayer
than the financial investment in newer, more efficient structures. In this time of economic distress, it is hard
to imagine making such an investment, but plans that are made with careful
consideration now will result in substantial savings in the future.
·
Encourage “Destination Driver” Enterprises. Unique cultural, entertainment, or
recreational experiences attract visitors to the city, boost collateral
spending, and provide local employment opportunities. For example, the nucleus of such a driver
might center on a new multiplex to replace the now shuttered Dunes movie
theatre, an art gallery in the downtown business district, a recreation center,
or even a unique restaurant. The
economic benefits resulting from investments that encourage culture and
entertainment are well documented, and such an environment improves the quality
of life for the community as a whole.
·
Leverage Regional Planning Resources. The
Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (www.cmap.org) has as part of its charter the Local
Technical Assistance Program (LTA), which provides planning assistance to local
governments that apply for a project grant.
Our neighbors in Antioch recently obtained an LTA grant to develop a new
bike and pedestrian corridor in the city. Other cities are using the LTA to
create Comprehensive Development plans. If we are truly serious about planning
for the Zion of the future, we should take advantage of every tool that is
available to us, and CMAP could be very useful to us.
In Conclusion
“Even small
governments make big decisions”. It’s a concept that merits repetition.
Government exists to provide services that we cannot accomplish as
individuals. The decisions that our
public servants make today will have a real impact on our quality of life
tomorrow, and for years to come.
The proposals
I have laid out in this platform are starting points at best, perhaps they are
the beginnings of an agenda to move Zion into the future. I don’t claim to have the answer to every
problem, but I do have an idea that bringing a fresh perspective to the City
Council will put us on the path to finding those answers. If you agree, I hope that you will support
me with your vote on April 9th.
No comments:
Post a Comment