Library Forum - Extra Q&A

After the Candidate Forum at the Zion-Benton Public Library on March 15th, there were a number questions that had been collected from the audience that weren't asked because of the time constraints. So, those questions have been provided to all the candidates and they have been asked to respond by March 23rd with their answers.  All of the questions, answers and omissions will be posted on ZBGuide.com.

Here are the questions, as provided to me, with my answers.  I encourage everyone to look at the responses by the other candidates when they are posted on ZBGuide.com.

QUESTIONNAIRE STARTS NOW - (We've removed any limitations as to the length of your responses)

1. Are you willing to live by the character traits chosen by the ZB community, be held accountable to them, and hold other elected officials to the same standard?

A. I fully support the Community of Character initiative, and the traits espoused because I already live by them in my daily life. In my experience, leading by example is the best way to get others to raise their standards.

2. Please identify 3 things you wish to accomplish in order of priority if you are elected. 

A.  The highest priority is to reestablish fiscal balance in the City Budget; currently there is a projected 1.6 million shortfall that has to be dealt with and quickly. Next is to begin the process of applying for Enterprise Zone Status, as I have proposed, in order to jump start growth in our local economy.  Equal to that is pushing for grants or alternative funds to begin serious upgrades to our infrastructure.

3. We have a huge amount of mayoral candidates. Would it have been a wise leader to meet prior to and decide who to support if it were not you that was considered "able to win"?

A. Anyone who is willing to step up and run for office should do so, and present their qualifications to the public. Let the Voters decide. Ultimately it is up to each candidate whether to continue to run in an election or bow out gracefully.   

4. If you are not the winner of this election, what plans do you have to push the agenda that you are campaigning on?

A. I will continue to serve the public as a Trustee on the Board of the Lake County Public Water District, and as a member of the Comprehensive Development Plan Steering Committee. I also will continue to comment on public affairs through my Fischer for Zion Blog, as I have done for the past few years.

5. Did you serve in the military? If so, can you tell us about that?

A. After graduating from High School I joined the U.S. Army and trained as an Intelligence Analyst. I was stationed with the 3^rd Infantry Division, 103^rd MI Battalion in West Germany and then with the 224^th Military Battalion in Savannah Georgia.  I was also twice awarded the Army Achievement Medal for exemplary service. Most importantly I met my wife Christie (who outranked me), and we have now been married 29 years.

6. Are you in favor of term limits?

A. There already are term limits, they are called elections.  If you think someone should be voted out of office, get off the couch, run for office yourself, or support a good candidate, because that is what a participatory democracy is all about.

7. What distinguishes you from the other candidates? What experience and knowledge do you bring that sets you apart?

A. I offer the experience and judgment acquired in over thirty years of professional life. For the past sixteen years I have been employed within Human Resources at the American Medical Association.  I also have over a decade of management experience in the Private Security field, and I am a U.S. Army veteran where I served as an Intelligence Analyst.  I also currently serve as a Trustee on the Board of the Lake County Public Water District, which provides water for Zion, Winthrop Harbor and the State Park. I have a deep interest in the areas of government and public policy, and I believe I can bring a fresh perspective to the issues facing the city.

8. What is your agenda? Why are you running for office?

A. Over the past several years I became more aware of the importance of our local government in our lives. With this awareness came a feeling that I had a duty to serve the public in some capacity.  After a great deal of thought and research, I decided that my skills and abilities would best serve the public on the City Council. I have now lived in Zion longer than anywhere else in my life, it has become my home and I want to help make it a better place to live.

9. Speak from your heart and plainly tell us your vision for Zion.

A. I want to see a revitalized city that is progressive, prosperous, and growing. I believe it requires new leadership that is able to tackle the many challenges we face in order to achieve that vision.

10. How will you improve communication between the city, its departments, and the community?

A. By being open to communication through as many means as possible.  The internet and social media offer a multitude of channels for communication and interaction.

11. What do you know about the 20 year plan for Zion and how have you been involved?

A.  I proposed a New Comprehensive Development Plan as part of my campaign platform over two years ago after I discovered that the existing plan had not been updated since it was passed in 1992.

I proposed that the city obtain a technical grant from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, to create a new plan.  Wisely, the city did so, and I currently serve as a member of the Steering Committee. Information about the plan is available at Plan4Zion.com   As Commissioner, I will see that this plan is enacted, and not put on a shelf.

12. Where do you see this city five years from now?

A. I would hope that with a more active and engaged city government at the helm, we would start seeing improvements in, economic development, improved public services, and a lowering of property taxes on homeowners.

13. With a possible $1.2 million loss of state funding, what do you propose to do regarding the next Zion fiscal year?

A. A 50% reduction in the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF) would be devastating for the city. Such a loss would most likely result in severe cuts in services, impacting public safety and health.  As noted above the city already is facing a shortfall of $1.6 million, effective budgeting and aggressively seeking alternative revenue can be brought to bear on that issue, but I would lobby forcefully against a cut in the LGDF, as will every municipality where those funds are used to support essential services.

14. What businesses or industries do you plan to bring to Zion?

A. Businesses look for locations where they can operate and generate a profit. The goal of the city government should be to create conditions that attract businesses to locate here. 

I have proposed that the city to apply for Enterprise Zone status under the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act.  Once granted, Zion would then have access to the taxing and regulatory tools necessary to help establish new businesses here and build long-term growth in our local economy.

Additionally, I propose that the City lobby our State Legislature for certain amendments to the Enterprise Zone Act, in consideration of our unique status as a host community for the Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Installation, which will be located on the site of the former Zion Nuclear Power Station.  I propose amending the Qualifications for Enterprise Zones to include long-term nuclear material storage in the same criteria as an abandoned coal mine, or brownfield site.  I also propose amending the zone duration standards in the Act by granting Zion an automatic renewal of the Enterprise Zone status, until the spent fuel is moved to a permanent site by the federal government.  These amendments would be moderate first steps towards compensating for the detrimental effect of the nuclear storage site on the future development of Zion’s Lakefront.

15. What are you going to do about the abandoned properties in Zion and the property owners who do not maintain their property?

A. In my first campaign I proposed the creation of an Abandoned Property registration program. That program has since been enacted, and is reported to be working well in identifying the parties responsible for these properties and holding them accountable for their maintenance.

16. What opportunities do you see for building the Sheridan Road Corridor?

A. Plan4Zion has a number of suggestions for the area, including bringing in more integrated residential/retail establishments that would appeal to younger professionals and to retirees looking to downscale from a single family home. Angled parking and other traffic improvements will help make the downtown area more accessible for pedestrians and shoppers.

17. What are your thoughts about strip malls, and what would you do about vacancies?

A. Strip malls have their place, but I would prefer to see an emphasis on building shopping and entertainment centers that fulfill the goals of being environmentally friendly, and aesthetically pleasing as outlined in the new development plan.  Obviously, vacant storefronts are best filled with new businesses, but I would like to see a program, possibly in cooperation with the Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce to utilize empty spaces for pop-up art exhibitions or other events. It also could help the owner of the space advertise it to attract new occupants.

18. How do you propose to entice taxpayers to move to and/or do business in Zion?

A. By doing all that is possible to make the city an attractive, safe place to live and work.

19. What do you plan to do to reduce taxes? How firm are you on lowering the tax burden on home and business owners in Zion?

A. I covered that in my answer to question 14. Economic development is crucial to reducing the tax burden on homeowners; the Enterprise Zone can help us do that.

20. What will you do to make our city safe?

A. As a community, we need to take more responsibility as citizens to maintain the common welfare. Our police and fire professionals are here to help in an emergency, but we bear some responsibility too.  I talk about this in more depth in my video commentary on Public Safety is a Community Value. It can be found on my website www.fischerforzion.com, or at ZBGuide.com.  I intend to continue supporting community building efforts such as BridgeBuilders in cooperation with the Zion Police Department.

21. How will you address transportation needs to help people take advantage of (Wal-mart) jobs in surrounding communities?

A. I do know that there have been discussions about expanding Pace bus routes in Zion and through the surrounding area. Some of those suggestions are in the new development plan. We need to work with Pace to start bringing these changes about.

22. Do you think the make-up of the police department accurately represents the population of Zion?

A. I do not know, but if I happen to take on the role of Commissioner for Public Safety, that will be an issue to look into.

23. Regarding law suits around the Ball Field, what are you going to do to settle? Why are the persons involved not prosecuted?

A. I do not know the current status of the various legal challenges between the City and Grand Slam Sports LLC, so I can’t give a factual answer to that question, or the follow up question. 

24. Please speak to your viewpoint of a unified school district and its impact on taxes.

A. As a taxpayer, my thought is that if an expanded or unified district improves student performance and finds ways to reduce costs through consolidation of services and purchasing, then that would be great.  But, based on the conclusions of the Local Government Consolidation Commission ((20 ILCS 3987/) Local Government Consolidation Commission Act of 2011) in it’s report; often the combining of local governments and districts result in little or no reduction in costs, and should be treated on a case by case basis dependent on local needs.

25. What are your plans to improve the schools in Zion? How can you insure that each child receives a quality education?

A. Other than the city working to provide good public services and a safe environment, I think this question is more suited to the candidates for the School Board. It really doesn’t fall into the purview of the City Council.

26. How long have you lived in Zion, and based on that answer, how does that make you qualified to be mayor?

A. Obviously, I am not running for Mayor, but I would like to address the question of length of residency, with my own question.  How long is long enough?  Good people with good qualities come from everywhere. To set an arbitrary time limit for whether someone is qualified to do a job or not, and you lose a tremendous wealth of education and experience obtained in other places that could be of great benefit to the city. 

27. How long have you lived in Zion, and based on that answer, how does that make you qualified to be mayor?

A. See answers to 26 above, same question.

28. How has your experience prepared you to effectively serve as Mayor?

A. I will be glad to answer that if or when I ever run for Mayor.

29. Use this space to address anything else you'd like to say to the Zion voters.

A. See my closing thoughts in 31 below.

30. Question for ALL Commissioner Candidates Only: In that you also become Zion Township Trustees, with a $million plus annual budget, would you consider dissolving the township government and giving its responsibilities (and budget) to the city?

A. My answer to question 24 covers this issue too. I would have to see that there are real cost savings or efficiencies to be realized from dissolving the Township, without compromising the services provided before considering such a proposal.

31. Anything else you'd like to say can be said here.

I’ve often said, “Even small governments make big decisions.” Government exists to provide services that we cannot accomplish as individuals.  Zion is faced with many challenges; economic, financial, environmental, and social.  To meet these challenges, we need leadership with a fresh perspective, able to respond with innovative and creative solutions. Leadership that will act as strong advocates for our interests at all levels of government.  As I said in my first video commentary, “This isn’t small town stuff, this is big league stuff.”  For this city to grow and prosper, we need to up our game, play above our level, and work together towards that goal.  I’ve done the research. I have the drive and determination. I’m ready to get to work, for you.

I ask for your support and your vote on April 7^th, Thank You.

A Vibrant Advocacy

A lot has been happening in Zion over the past few weeks, much of which I have commented on over at the Fischer for Zion facebook page.  When I first sat down at the keyboard this morning, my intent was to look at these stories in turn, analyze each one, and comment on them.  Then I started writing, and realized that I was wandering into a labyrinth where each event brings forth more questions, other issues, and then it spirals off in a new direction, sometimes coming to a dead end. So, I stepped back from trying to parse each issue separately to looking at how to approach them overall, as a government, and a constituency.

Over the past month or so, it seems that Zion only appears on the radar of the wider world when there is a tragedy, a murder, or a scandal to report.  But, that's not the whole story, and I think we can all look around and see good people doing good work, each in their own way trying to make the city better.  That is the narrative we all need to work on presenting to the world. Not simple civic boosterism, but one that acknowledges our problems, and also shows that we are actively working to solve them.

This is going to require a real change in habit and philosophy on the part of the Mayor and our Commissioner's.  For too long, especially since the troubles with the baseball stadium started, there has been a tendency to remain silent in the face of accusations, to avoid the press, and to clear public statements with legal counsel.  As I see it, this strategy of standing mute and waiting for the truth to come out in the end is fundamentally flawed, and it is actually hurting the city's prospects by feeding that negative narrative that has become the face that Zion presents to the world.

What we truly need from our civic leadership is a vibrant and articulate advocacy on behalf of the city and it's people. An advocacy that establishes a new narrative that isn't couched in nostalgia, but expresses a confident and progressive vision of the future.  Whether our current leaders are capable or willing to take up the challenge remains to be seen.

Silence and indifference are two of our greatest foes, to defeat them we must speak out with voices clear and strong. All of us, together.

A quick note:

For the one or two people who might be interested, I am still doing research for the long promised "Trustee No.7" post about infrastructure.  In the meantime, if you ever want to give yourself a good scare, I suggest that you take a look at the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2013 Report Card for America's Infrastructure.  After reading through it, you will probably never want to drive across a bridge again.

"One-Time Dollars"

Fielders Stadium in 2012

The August 20th, 2013 City Council meeting centered on a lengthy discussion around the necessity of raising water, sewer, and waste collection rates to cover the projected costs of those services this fiscal year.  Under ordinary circumstances, a minor rate increase would probably pass unnoticed by most people, until they looked at their quarterly bill from the City.

In this case, the reasons for the increase merit special notice, because they are the unintended consequences of decisions made over a period of years.

The first decision, which to my mind is stunning in it's short-sightedness is that the City had not changed the water rate for almost ten years.  Apparently, the city got into the habit of relying on the surplus in the Water Enterprise Fund to cover the difference.

That surplus was created in part by the connection fees collected from new construction and service connections to the Midwest Regional Medical Center. Dave Knable, the city Finance Director described these as "one-time dollars", a windfall that will probably never occur again. According to published reports this surplus amounted to at least $2,300,000 dollars or more.

Now, the fund is so depleted that it is necessary to raise the rates to keep it from going into deficit. 

Where did that money go?

The First Loan

In 2009, the City discovered that they were facing a critical deficit.  At the March 17, meeting the Council approved a loan from the Water Fund in the amount of $3,200,000 to the General Fund to help with the debt. The plan was that the city would eventually repay that borrowed money back to the Water Fund.

At this recent council meeting Mayor Harrison gave a spirited defense of this action, that by doing so, jobs and services were maintained without resorting to raising taxes. It is a legitimate argument, after all a crisis was averted, and the taxpayers were spared the pain of cut services, or higher property taxes.  Where else did that money go? To answer that, we need to provide some background.

The Baseball Stadium

Just a month before the $3 million dollar loan was taken from the Water Fund, the Mayor announced that in 2010, a new minor league baseball team would be coming to Zion, along with a stadium that would include year-round retail and banquet facilities.  Press reports emphasized that local taxpayers would not bear any of the costs. The team owners, investors, and a development grant from the State would pay for the project. Even until March of 2011, an announcement was still posted on the city website about the imminent start of construction on the stadium that stated; “The team owners and developers are accepting the responsibility for the full cost of the project, including the parking and land lease commitments.”

It didn't quite turn out that way. 

After the announcement, those of us who were excited about the possibility of having a minor league team just down the road, watched as groundwork was started at the announced location at the corner of 9th and Green Bay Road. Then, everything suddenly came to a halt, why?

The answer can be found in the minutes of a special City Council Meeting, held on April 9, 2010. Here is the relevant text:

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT/BASEBALL STADIUM

 

Delaine Rogers stated without State assistance the 9th Street and Green Bay Road site for the Lake County Fielders baseball stadium will not be possible, therefore, developers and staff have been reviewing alternate sites for the baseball stadium. Ms. Rogers introduced Jason Rosenburg, Panattoni, Rick DeLisle, Lee and Associates, Rick Ehrenreich, President of Grand Slam Sports and Entertainment, and Warner Briske and Andrea Ceclia, Partners in Design with the following proposal:

• Locating the baseball stadium on the northeast corner of Route 173 and Green Bay Road, directly northeast of CVS Pharmacy
• Over $1 million in improvements are at this site, including zoning, permitting infrastructure, etc
• The site plan would include retail stores along Route 173, as well as a retail corridor and possible theater on Green Bay Road
• A press release is being prepared by the developers

Rich Ehrenreich stated the aggressive plan includes groundwork starting next week involving a private landowners partnership. Mr. Ehrenreich stated, because of the added retail attraction, private investors are interested. The construction plan would include bleacher seating this year with the building by next season. Ms. Rogers stated the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs did provide some funding, which can be used at this site.
 
Ron Colangelo stated he has a meeting with Lake County Stormwater Management next week for permitting and discussing the multi-phase construction. Ms. Rogers stated the plan includes a 25-year lease with a property agreement. The City would lease the property from the partnership, in order to control the project and allow it to remain tax-exempt from real estate taxes until such time as retail is added. This plan would allow the project to start as soon as possible. Mr. Ehrenreich stated it is a 6 – 8 week process to build the field. Rick DeLisle stated he is meeting with Veolia regarding a plan to help provide the material for the berming.

Commissioner Jim Taylor questioned the impact on the residents to the north of this property. Mr. Ehrenreich stated he would be meeting with the homeowners association, noting plans have already been discussed to make sure the area is kept clean and noise doesn’t become a factor.

Commissioner Flammini questioned when they would actually move dirt. Warner Briske stated activity would start next week.

Commissioner DeTienne questioned what would happen with season ticket holders. Mr. Ehrenreich stated
there would be various options depending on exactly what date the field opens. The best case is that the field can still open on June 11, with July 15 as the last anticipated opening date. Possible options for season ticket holders include
1) keeping the season ticket and giving free general admission for 2010, or 2) offering a complete refund with the ticket holder releasing the seat, or 3) something in between these two options.

 Mr. Ehrenreich stated if the June 11 opening can’t be met, an alternative site for one month could be the Schaumburg stadium, noting Simmons Field in Kenosha would take several thousand dollars to bring it up to a semi-pro level for the safety of the ballplayers.

Mr. DeLisle stated the 25-year lease between the City and Grand Slam Sports has a termination clause and property agreement, and will be forwarded to the attorneys for review. Mr. Colangelo stated site work done on the original site at 9th Street and Green Bay Road can still be utilized for future commercial use.

There was Council consensus to support the concept of the Lake County Fielders baseball stadium’s location at Route 173 and Green Bay Road, with agreement to place this issue on the April 20 Council meeting.

At the meeting on April 20, 2010 the city approved the plan to move the project to the new site, and over the next couple of months, the council passed various measures and agreements needed to complete the construction of temporary facilities in time for the 2010 season.  The Fielders ended up playing their opening "home" game at Carthage College in Kenosha, but eventually, the temporary field was ready, and the team played the rest of their inaugural season there. 

Despite the loss of promised State funds, the City moved ahead with the project, with the assurance that investments and grants would be enough to bring it to completion.  The benefit of hindsight argues that it might have been more prudent to shelve the project until solid funding had been obtained, or invoke the termination clause, and let everyone walk away, accepting the losses and moving on.  But, confidence still held sway in early 2011, resulting in an escalation of commitment that leads us back again to the Water Fund.

The Second Loan

At the City Council meeting of February 15, 2011, Director of Finance Pannell made a recommendation to the Council to transfer $1,764,000 dollars from the Water Fund to the General Fund in the form of a 10 year loan.  The stated purpose was to pay Panattoni Construction for work completed on the baseball stadium in 2010, in order to proceed with Phase 2 of the project. The Council approved the loan unanimously. From the meeting minutes:

BORROWING FUNDS FROM WATER FUND 

A memo (11-DOC-15) was received from Larry Pannell, requesting to borrow funds from the Water Fund. Mayor Harrison stated the City unsuccessfully attempted to secure promised funds from the State of Illinois. Initially the State did give the City $1,000,000 for the ballpark project on the northeast corner of Route 173 and Green Bay Road, stating the balance would follow soon.  

In November 2010, a certain state politician was not re-elected, after which the City received a letter stating the grant was now denied. Promised funds did not materialize, therefore the City is now in the position of facing debts owed to the general contractor. Mayor Harrison stated the contractors operated in good faith, based on promised funds from the State. The City feels it is the right thing to pay these vendors by borrowing funds from the water fund. Mayor Harrison noted support remains for the ballpark, but it cannot start on another phase leaving the vendors without payment for past work. 

Mr. Pannell stated Panattoni Construction is owed a total of approximately $1,764,000, and payment will allow the project to move forward to Phase 2 unencumbered. The total amount would be repaid over the next 10 years with interest and payments included in the fiscal year 2012 budget.  

It was moved by Commissioner Jim Taylor, seconded by Commissioner Shantal Taylor to approve borrowing $1,764,000 from the Water Fund for payment to Panattoni Construction. The vote on roll call was: Commissioners Jim Taylor, aye; Flammini, aye; DeTienne, aye; Shantal Taylor, aye; and Mayor Harrison, aye. Motion carried.

That brings the total borrowed from the Water Fund to $4.9 million.

It is important to note that there were three subsequent requests for authorization to pay vendors for work done on the stadium in 2010 totaling about $823,064. But it is not stated in the meeting minutes that the funding source was from the Water Fund. So we will set those aside, along with another $78,050.07 from the Water Operating Budget for utility relocations for the ball field in March of 2011. But, if all these expenditures were considered along with the $1.7 million loan to pay Panattoni, the total city funds expended on the stadium would be in the area of $2,665,114.07 by July of 2011.

Of course the expectation was that revenue from Grand Slam Sports (the Lake County Fielders organization) would offset these expenditures, and the money would eventually be repaid to the Water Fund.  Apparently, Grand Slam was already in financial difficulty before the start of the 2011 season, and by July the team imploded, with managers and players walking out en masse over non-payment. A shell of the team limped through the rest of the summer, not even affiliated with a league at the end.

At the City Council meeting of September 6, 2011, authorization was given to the legal counsel for the city to begin proceedings to file a suit against Grand Slam Sports for non-payment of rent, and breach of contract. Grand Slam also filed its own suit against the City, and both cases are still in the courts today. 

The Loans Forgiven

On March 6, 2012 the City Attorney put a recommendation before the Mayor and Council, that converting the loans from the Water Fund of $3,200,000 and $1,764,000 to permanent transfers would be in the best interest of the city:

RESOLUTION/MODIFYING WATER FUND TRANSERS 

Attorney Randall stated that in 2009, the City of Zion enacted a resolution to transfer funds in the amount of $3,200,000 from the Water Fund to the General Fund with specific repayment terms, and then a subsequent transfer was made in the amount of $1,764,000. It is now in the best interest of the City that these transfers be deemed permanent transfers with no repayment obligation.  

Commissioner Shantal Taylor asked the City Council to consider the sensitivity of the City’s financial outlook with reference to the Water Fund being a resource to rely on in cases of emergency. She stated that the City should be proactive and stick to the original plan to repay the Water Fund and that the upcoming budget talks should include repayment of the Water Fund. She stated these funds may be needed for repairs to the aging system.  

Mayor Harrison stated that the need to use these funds was well known. He stated that some of the funds have been repaid and the fund has recouped nicely. He stated that the City will be looking at severe budget cuts in the upcoming year and the City has no means to repay this fund. It was moved by Commissioner DeTienne, seconded by Commissioner Flammini that a Resolution (12-R-6) be passed modifying transfers from the Water Fund to the General Fund, in the amounts of $3,200,000 and $1,764,000, by deleting any and all repayment obligations. The vote on roll call was: Commissioners Shantal Taylor, nay; Flammini, aye; DeTienne, aye; Mayor Harrison, aye. Motion carried. Resolution passed.

The Final Accounting

With the $4.9 million forgiven, and an additional outstanding loan of $1.3 million, the total taken from the Water Fund comes to $6.2 million.  Much of that $4.9 million consisting of those "one-time dollars", that won't likely be seen again.  Whether those dollars were spent wisely or not, I'll leave it to you the reader, to judge.

Epilogue: The Rate Increase

In the time since I started writing this post, another City Council meeting was held on September 3, 2013.  At that meeting, the rate increases proposed by Director Knable for water, sewer and waste removal were approved.  In my opinion this was the correct and responsible course to take. If we want services, we should expect to pay for them. 

It's unfortunate that the circumstances require a larger increase now than if they had been adjusted incrementally all along as they should have been.  Equally unfortunate is that all of those "one-time dollars" have been expended as I outlined above instead of being used to improve an infrastructure that truly needs it. An opportunity lost. Let's hope that a lesson has been learned and the city does better in the future.