The following questions were recently asked of each of the candidates by the Mount Prospect Journal during the 2019 Election.  Below are my answers to those questions.

• Why are you running for the Mount Prospect Village Board ?

It has been a true honor to serve the people of Mount Prospect as their Trustee for the past 28 years.  I have always viewed my service on the Village Board as my way of giving back to my community and moving us forward as a community.

During my 28 years on the Village Board, we have accomplished a great deal from economic development, flood control, downtown redevelopment, and maintaining a strong fiscal position, all while keeping a solid sense of local community with a focus toward protecting our neighborhoods.  Our neighborhoods are the backbone of our Village.

There is so much more to do and I would like to contribute to our progress by continuing to serve as your Village Trustee.  I am running for re-election to promote growth through economic development which is key to a strong, vibrant, and financially sound community, to insure that our Village continues to provide high quality services such as police, fire, public works, and human services as these services are needed by the citizens of Mount Prospect every day, to insuring a transparent and open minded Village government and process, and to   maintain our Village’s strong, conservative fiscal position, keeping a lid on taxes, and spend our tax dollars wisely.

• Why are you an asset to the Village Board?  What do you bring to the table that makes you the best candidate ?

 As an experienced Village Trustee, I bring 28 years of conservative, reliable, and proven representation and consider myself a taxpayer’s advocate.  I have served during good economic conditions and difficult economic conditions.  I believe I consistently bring a “common sense” approach to our deliberations of the issues facing Mount Prospect.  I have lived in the Village for 35 years.  I am active in our community and in touch with our citizens.  Bottom line, I personally care about our community and its future.  Professionally, I have a solid financial background with over 40 years in the financial services industry, most of those years in senior management positions.

• What do you want to see accomplished in the next four years and how would you make those things happen?

A Strong and Conservative Financial Position:  As a primary goal, I will continue to support fiscal policies that maintain a strong and conservative financial position of our Village finances as this provides flexibility to move forward when the economy is strong and stay afloat when the economy is more challenging.  Over the years, we have primarily done this through balanced budgets, a diversified tax base, conservative spending, and keeping our Village debt levels low and appropriate for a community our size.  This is exactly how the Village was able to weather the deep financial downturn 10 years ago.

During the recent 2019 budget process, I proposed and found support for a “0 %” increase to our property tax levy.  It is my feeling that because the overall economy is strong, our overall tax revenues are robust, and our financial reserves are well funded, we should not ask the people of Mount Prospect for an increase in their property taxes for 2019.  As I recently stated publicly, I believe there are two times when a public board should try to find a way not to raise the tax levy. One, when the economy is very strong or two, when the economy is very weak.  Recall, back in 2010, when the economy was struggling, the Village Board did not increase the tax levy that year either. As a Village Trustee in 2010, I voted not to increase the tax levy.

Economic Development: Our local economy is vibrant and growing.  Empty store fronts have filled and large corporations (United, CVS, Walgreens, and others) have made significant investments in Mount Prospect.  Large areas of open land that have been vacant for years are being developed or redeveloped adding to our tax base helping to keep our residential taxes down.  We must continue to promote Mount Prospect as a great place to locate and to do business.  There still remains a number of larger land tracts which are in need of redevelopment that should be promoted to potential developers and end users.  The time is right.

Downtown Redevelopment: With the new TIF in place, we need to continue our ongoing progress relative to downtown redevelopment.  However, that development needs to be of an appropriate scale, density, and height which does not “negatively” impact surrounding neighborhoods and choke the downtown with traffic.

Financially Beneficial Annexations: I support annexations of unincorporated areas abutting the Village only if these annexations have potential to add value and will not be a negative financial drag on the Village.  Appropriate annexations can help lower the tax burden on all the citizens of Mount Prospect in the short term and/or over the long term.

• In what ways can the Village improve whether it be facilities, finances, programs, transparency etc.

Village Finances: I am deeply concerned about our Village’s increasing debt levels and the impact that the debt levels may have on the overall financial health and tax burden in the future especially if we were to experience an economic downturn.  That was the primary reason that I voted against spending our tax dollars on a new fire station.  The current downtown fire station was functioning well and meeting the needs of the community.  In my opinion, spending $15 million on a new fire station was $15 million of the taxpayer’s money we did not need to spend at this time, especially in light of the fact that we are building a new police station at this same time.  Those two building projects have doubled the debt level of the Village from $50 million to $100 million.  Going forward, we will need to knock down these higher debt levels as quickly as possible with as little impact as possible to our taxpayers so as to minimize future risk.

Transparency (Open and Honest Government):  The Village can always looking for ways to be more transparent with its citizens.  However, just know that in Mount Prospect all Village Board discussions and decisions occur in public and with public input.  With our updated Village website, we are now able to make Village information more readily available and accessible to all of our citizens.  We will continue to make improvements with this avenue of information transparency into the future.

Outreach: The Village Board must continue to focus on finding ways to reach out to all the people of Mount Prospect.  We are a diverse, multi-cultural community which we should embrace and celebrate.  For example, in late September, Mount Prospect had our first “Celebration of Cultures” event which was very successful and brought people of all cultures together at Kopp Park in South Mount Prospect.  As a Village, we will continue to find ways to appreciate and honor our rich diversity in Mount Prospect.

• If it were necessary to make cuts, what would they be and why ?

First, planned capital projects which could be deferred would be deferred and the money not spent.  Second, if more drastic financial cuts were necessary, the Village Board, working with our Village Manager and Department Heads, would have to look at reducing less-essential programs and services.  This is exactly what the Village Board had to do and did during the last economic downturn 10 years ago.  Your Village Board, at that time, had to make some very difficult financial decisions.  Let’s hope it never gets that bad again.  However, I will support policies and actions to do whatever is necessary to keep our Village functioning and our finances above water.

• If the Village were to have additional dollars, what would that entail and why?

First, when the Village Board has additional dollars and is in a strong financial position, we should not raise the tax levy in that year.  That is why we are not raising the tax levy in 2019.  Second, when the Village Board has had additional dollars, we should build our financial reserves (the Village’s saving account).  Our financial reserves have served us well and have helped keep our Moody’s financial ratings at AA+ (excellent rating) which allows Mount Prospect to borrow money, when necessary, at lower rates.  Third, if additional dollars were available, we should accelerate capital infrastructure projects, such as roads, sewer, and water improvements so that these infrastructure systems don’t fall into disrepair and cost us more to repair or replace in the future.

• With Police and Fire relocating outside the downtown, what would you like to see on that site and should the Village look at redeveloping the entire “Block 56” which includes Busse Flowers and the Emerson Ale House?

Relative to development where the Village is directly involved, the Village should not bite off more than we can chew.  We must manage our risk.  Too many Village sponsored development projects going at one time could overwhelm the Village financially should there be a downturn.

Current Police and Fire Station Site: When it comes to the redevelopment of the Police and Fire building site at the corner of Northwest Highway and Maple Street, a mixed use, market-driven development with residential and retail would likely be proposed for that site.  However, given that retail is under pressure, adding additional retail space in our downtown may not work and may actually cause stress for existing retail spaces.  The new building must be of an appropriate scale, density, and height given that it abuts single family homes to the east.

Chase Building Site: There are now new owners of the Chase Bank building.  I believe we should work with the new owners to encourage them to make improvements to their building which would help the building to lease up.  If they have plans to repurpose and adaptively reuse the existing building, the Village should work with them to accomplish this, as well.  Finally, if they have a vision to redevelop the site, the Village should work with them to accomplish an appropriate downtown redevelopment being sensitive to the fact that this site directly abuts single family to the east and to the north.  Parking, by necessity, would be a key factor in any of these redevelopment scenarios.

Busse Flowers and Emerson Ale House Buildings:  Relative to the Busse Flowers and Emerson Ale House buildings, location can be a critical factor in the success of any business.  Busse Flowers, Emerson Ale House, UPS, and all the businesses located in those buildings are likely successful due in part to their location and accessibility.  If those businesses were to move, it could have a detrimental impact on their ongoing operation.  In addition, if those businesses were to be relocated back in a “new” building on that same spot, the lease costs would likely be considerably higher and potentially unaffordable for those businesses.  Many “independent” businesses simply cannot afford to pay high lease rates.  Finally, the owners of the building where Busse Flowers is located recently made some extensive and costly repairs to the brick façade of that building.  The Emerson Ale House building appears to be in good repair.  I see no reason for the Village to encourage or take part in the redevelopment of those buildings.

Do you believe the discussion of red light cameras need to be revisited. 

 NO, I would not revisit red light camera installations.  I am adamantly against red light cameras.  I believe when they are installed, they are installed under the false pretenses of safety when in fact they are purely put in place to generate revenue.  I would not impose red cameras upon the people of Mount Prospect.

#9  The Village is currently working on a sub area plan for South Mount Prospect.  What does that part of the Village need, what needs to be addressed, and how can the Village go about accomplishing what you would like to see ?

 

While downtown redevelopment is key and has been a focus for years, other areas of our Village like South Mount Prospect also need redevelopment attention.  Broadly, South Mount Prospect has many areas of opportunity for redevelopment.  Depending on the specific parcel, hotels, shopping, corporate uses, and additional distribution centers may be potential uses given South Mount Prospect’s proximity to O’Hare and the new expressway interchange.

In addition, South Mount Prospect has some existing shopping centers that have vacancies and need attention.  Additionally, one larger and key site, the former United Airlines Executive Offices acreage may be a prime site for redevelopment.  The former United Airlines offices could possibly be a good location for another corporate use or it could be a good location for a hotel and entertainment use.  When the time comes, the market forces will likely indicate and drive what the best use of the United Airlines site should be.

If the Village needs to provide incentives to encourage South Mount Prospect development, we may need to create a Tax Increment Financing District (TIF District) or an incentive program similar to the Randhurst Village redevelopment. With that method of incentive, there is no public money expended until the site becomes fully functioning and throwing off new tax revenues. The Village would then share tax revenues with the developer/owner over and above a certain level of taxes generated by the development.  In addition, to assist with development, the Village may need to make some public improvements such as water, sewer, and roadway improvements around the specific development site.

• The proposed Maple Street Lofts project has received a good deal of comment from Mount Prospect citizens. 

 Are you in favor of this project?

Given the scale and density, I am not in favor of the currently proposed 8 story, 330 unit Maple Streets Loft development (as we currently understand it).  However, I would likely be in favor of a far less impactful development on this site at Prospect Avenue and Maple Street.  Given the scale and density as currently proposed by Nicholas and Associates, I believe the development will create traffic and parking problems that will inundate the neighborhoods to the south and will choke the already crowded downtown rail crossings at certain times of the day and ultimately will be not be fixable, if built as proposed.

What needs to be changed and what concerns do you have before the Maple Street development finds approval ?

It is time for the developer, Nicholas and Associates, to listen to the people who live in the area and who have serious and real concerns for their neighborhood.  These people already own here and will have to live with this development every day if it is built as proposed.   I believe the current building needs to be redesigned or an altogether different, smaller building designed which will reduce the negative impact on the surrounding area.

 

• What would you say is one thing the Village is missing in our town?

Mount Prospect does not have a “Graduated Skilled Care Facility”.  We do have living facilities focused on senior living but those facilities do not provide skilled care, when needed.  As such, citizens who have lived the majority of their lives in Mount Prospect must move out of Village to find a care facility when they have a need for skilled care.  Virtually all of the surrounding Villages have these types of facilities available.  I would like to see a facility built in Mount Prospect which would provide a graduated level of care for its residents.

2015 Election: My answers to the Mount Prospect Journal questions during the 2015 Campaign

What is your platform?

One of my primary and ongoing objectives serving as a Village Trustee over the years has been to be the “Voice of the People”.  I place a very high value on citizen input. In addition, my record shows that I consistently apply a “Common Sense” approach to decision making. These two factors will continue to be the cornerstones of my future service.

Fiscal Conservative: My record shows that I am a “fiscal conservative”, having voted for 24 conservative, responsible, and balanced budgets over my time on the Village Board. Each and every year, I take a “watch dog” approach when it comes to spending our tax dollars. I selectively challenge proposed expenditures when presented for Village Board approval when I believe we may not need to spend those dollars at that time regardless of the fact that funds have been budgeted and reserved. I also support using debt sparingly. Mount Prospect has an extremely small amount of overall debt for a municipality of our size and financial position. I will continue to support policies that keep our overall debt levels low.

Taxes and Fee Revenue: I have always supported maintaining a diversified tax base which is less impacted by economic downturns and which is less reliant on property taxes to run the Village. This position helps all of our citizens, especially our seniors, stay in their homes. During the recent 2015 budget hearings, I fought to keep the increase of our tax levy minimal at 1%. Fees for service are also key in the Village’s overall sources of revenue structure. I have supported a fee based revenue structure for some Village costs which directly relates to and pays for the service or product being provided. In many cases, fees help to keep one citizen from subsidizing the activities and related costs of another citizen.

Strong and Growing Property Values: I believe we must also work diligently to keep Mount Prospect an up-to-date and contemporary community with strong and growing property values where people want to live without losing that “hometown” feel, a community of which all of our citizens can be proud.

Strong Basic Municipal Services: Providing strong “basic “ municipal services, such as police, fire, public works and human services, to the citizens of Mount Prospect is the primary and paramount reason for local government. I also view “life safety” services being first and foremost among all services. When you need an ambulance, a fire truck, or a police car to come and to come quickly, there can be no compromise.

An Open and Honest Government Process: I always have and always will support an open, honest, and forthright government process in Mount Prospect, a process that is conducted in the “light of day” for all of our citizens to see. Over my time on the Board, no Village Board decisions have been “predetermined” ahead of our Village Board meetings and no “vote trading” has ever occurred. “Citizen input” on issues facing the Village Board has been encouraged, formally and informally, over the years and is highly valued, considered, and factored into each and every decision made by the Village Board.

Protecting our Residential Neighborhoods: Protecting our residential neighborhoods is one of my primary concerns and key priorities. Our residential neighborhoods represent the very fabric of our community. Toward this end, I was one of the main architects of the Second Housekeeping Ordinance, which mandated restoration of single family homes that had been illegally converted to multi-family housing, the Commercial Vehicle Ordinance, that made it illegal for large commercial vehicles to be kept in residential neighborhoods, and the Home Occupation Ordinance, which eliminated obtrusive commercial activities from residential areas. Neighborhoods are delicate. Protecting our neighborhoods is key to maintaining a strong, safe, and highly valued total community.

Strong Business Community and Vital Economic Environment: Maintaining a healthy and vital business community and economic environment is key to the overall financial well-being of Mount Prospect. I will continue to support policies to keep Mount Prospect a place where individual business owners to large corporate entities want to invest, do business, and put their risk capital to work.

What specifically needs to be improved on in the Village?

Greater Citizen Involvement: While we have strong citizen participation on Village Committees and Commissions as well as strong general interest and input to the Village administration from citizens at large, I believe we need to do more to encourage even greater citizen involvement, especially multi-cultural involvement, from all corners of the Village.

Downtown Development: With the improving economy and development environment, now is now time to update our outlook and our plan for the downtown area with a focus on encouraging private development of remaining vacant or underutilized parcels such as Central Plaza (Central & 83), the “Small Triangle” (bounded by Busse, 83, & NW Hwy), and infill parcels such as the vacant former Sakura Restaurant building site. Any development proposals should be in keeping with the scale and tone of our existing downtown area. In addition, future commercial development should not invade the single-family residential neighborhoods which surround our downtown.

Kensington Business Center Vacancies: Many of the buildings in the Kensington Business Center (KBC) are vacant. To help eliminate these vacancies, I have and would support the expansion of potential uses of the KBC buildings beyond light industrial and office uses through changes to zoning within the development. I also support continued use of the Cook County Class 6B Tax Abatement Program to lower the tax rates on the KBC buildings so that the KBC buildings can be competitive with similar buildings located in counties which surrounding Cook County.

Traffic Flows: Traffic flows and signalization at certain key intersections need to be improved to keep traffic flowing and allow our citizens as well as people from outside our Village to move about the Village in a quick and efficient manner and with less frustration.

Strong and Conservative Financial Position: We must stay vigilant to safeguarding our strong financial position. As experience shows, because of our strong financial position, we enjoy a “AA+” bond rating which allows the Village, when needed, to borrow at the very best municipal rates possible. We absolutely need to protect our financial position. A conservative financial stance gives the Village far greater ability to adjust to a changing economy.

What are you telling voters why you are the best candidate and why you deserve to be elected in April?

I am a strong, consistent, and dedicated public servant with deep experience and a strong “love” for our community. While I am flexible and open to change, my record shows that I have adhered to my basic platform positions during my entire tenure on the Village Board.

My voting record, over my years on the Village Board, shows that I have been consistently reflective of the citizen’s needs / wants and again, in line with my basic platforms. When you vote for me, you know that you will be electing someone who will watch your hard-earned tax dollars and will work to keep Mount Prospect a vital community with strong property values, a place where people want to live, work, and raise their family.

Finally, I am an independent, non-partisan candidate beholden to no political party, organization, or individual. I answer to no one except the Citizens of Mount Prospect.

As a opening comment, …. recall, that I (Trustee Hoefert) was vehemently opposed to the two 7 story towers, 1970’s mall-like style, under parked, highly taxpayer supported Heimbaugh Development proposal in 2007 and spoke out strongly against that development at every turn. I was, however, in favor of the initially proposed “Entertainment District” development which would have included restaurant and sports bar type uses in the “Small Triangle”. Under that proposal, financial support from the Village was limited and it was envisioned that Tod Curtis’ Ye Old Town Inn would have been an anchor business in the overall entertainment offering in that entertainment district.

Why did the Village settle for $6.5 million with Ye Olde Town Inn owner Tod Curtis?

It was the prudent thing to do. It was a negotiated settlement heavily urged and driven by the Court and the Insurance Co-op to which the Village belongs. It has been asked by many “Why didn’t the Village settle the lawsuit much earlier in the process?”. While the Village wanted a settlement earlier, bottom line …. it takes two willing parties which are in agreement to come to a settlement.

2. Do you think the Village should have pursued the trial?

The judge was very interested in finding a settlement ahead of the lawsuit going to trial. A settlement is what ultimately transpired. However, had the lawsuit gone to trial, the Village and our Legal Counsel were well prepared and ready to represent the Village in that trial.

3. Does it hurt you as elected officials and the Village as a whole, in the public’s opinion, that you can’t talk about the settlement?

Post settlement, talking by a Village official could hurt that official and the Village. The settlement agreement has an imbedded “gag order” clause and as such all Village officials are legally unable to comment. This is not an uncommon clause for the courts to impose in a settlement agreement of this nature.

With a “gag order’ in place, should a Village official now speak, it could be considered a violation of the agreement and a “contempt of court” charge could occur and land that Village official and the Village itself back in front of the judge with the potential for a serious penalty to be imposed on the particular Village official and the Village. This court action would clearly hurt the Village official and the Village.

4. Should the agreement at least not prohibit from you talking about it?

While I might, personally, like to selectively and specifically comment on the court case and the circumstances and actions leading up to the lawsuit, the settlement agreement does explicitly prohibit both parties from speaking. That is not negotiable nor alterable and is subject to penalty by the court should comments be made.

5. Is there anything the Village could have done differently over the years with Curtis that could have made this outcome different?

Many years ago, all of the Busse Avenue “Small Triangle” commercial buildings were considered to be the Village’s “informal” historic downtown district. Given the age and the historic significance of these buildings, as these buildings were built by many of the founding families when the Village was young, the Village Administration, at that time, felt they should work with the owners of these buildings to encourage and bring about necessary building code and life safety improvements “over time”. Years later, when certain improvements had not been made and were deemed to be immediately necessary and in the best interest and safety of the public, it made enforcement more difficult.

Are the Village’s portion of property taxes too high?

The Village’s portion of the overall tax bill is about 11.5%. The Village of Mount Prospect has one of the lowest per citizen (capita) costs of all of the Northwest suburbs. On a relative basis across the Northwest municipal landscape, property taxes collected by the Village are reasonable, however, we need to continually work to keep them as low as possible.

There are a minimum level of revenues that it takes to run the Village and provide the services that the citizens want and need. My personal record shows that I have always worked to keep Village taxes low and keep Village costs down while providing the highest quality municipal services possible for our citizens.

In addition, we cannot lose sight of the fact that Mount Prospect is subject to cost coming from “unfunded mandates” imposed on us from the legislature in Springfield as well as pension costs. The Village of Mount Prospect and the Northwest Municipal Conference are continually fighting to stop additional proposed unfunded mandates before they become State law in Springfield.

Are there other things the Village can do from a revenue standpoint so taxes remain flat?

Absolutely. I am fiscal conservative and my record supports this. Revenues are tied to spending. As such, first and foremost we must keep our spending under control. Again, my record shows I have been a “spending watch dog” over the years.

Additionally, I have always supported maintaining a diversified tax and fee base which is less impacted by economic downturns and which is far less reliant on property taxes to run the Village. This position helps all of our citizens, especially our seniors, stay in their homes.

What would you be in favor of doing to keeping the Village’s tax levy flat or minimal annual increases around 1%?

I am steadfastly in favor of holding the line on the increase to the annual tax levy and keeping the Village’s tax levy increase each year as low as possible. I showed this to the Mount Prospect taxpayers again during the recent 2015 budget and tax levy discussions when I proposed a 1% increase to the levy and spoke out against the 4.5% tax levy increase as programmed in the 2015 budget.

Controlling our spending is extremely critical to keeping our tax levy increase down. We must continuously keep a watchful eye on spending especially when it comes to adding staff, as staff expenses comprise the largest portion of the Village’s expenditures.

However, year to year, the Village cannot fall behind on maintaining our infrastructure such as streets, sewers, bridges, etc. If we do not spend responsibly each year to keep the Village’s assets in good shape, we would be committing the Village to considerably higher costs in the future. That would be highly irresponsible.

Finally, I have also supported a partial fee-based Village revenue structure to pay for some Village costs which directly relates to and pays for the service or product being provided. As such, the Village is less reliant on taxes. In many cases, fees help to keep one citizen from subsidizing the activities and related costs of another citizen.

How are you raising money for your campaign?

I primarily “self-fund” the costs of my campaigns. I have not solicited funding from the community. However, I have, from time to time, received unsolicited monetary support from a number of Mount Prospect citizens which I was grateful to receive.

How much do you want to raise?

I do not plan to specifically “raise” any funds.

What will that money you raise go towards?

Money, which I commit to my campaign, will go toward the costs associated with making my positions on the issues known such as printing a pamphlet, taking out newspaper advertisements, and creating a campaign website.

Are you having any fundraisers?

At this time, I have no plans for a fundraising event.

How much money have you collected or put in so far and who has donated and how much?

I believe local election campaign costs should be kept as low as possible. That said, I anticipate that my self-funded campaign may cost between $4,000 and $6,000.

Do you believe a fundraising event is needed? Why or why not?

Campaigns, even in a local municipal election, can be costly and require a relatively significant monetary commitment. Local fund raising events, attended and supported by Mount Prospect citizens, can be a helpful way for a candidate to defray the costs.

Who is endorsing you?

I have not sought any endorsements. My hope is that the citizens of Mount Prospect will endorse me with their vote to serve for another 4 years as their Village Trustee.

One way for the Village to increase revenue could be with the installation of red light cameras. Do you believe this is something the Village should do?
I have been “against” red light cameras in our Village since they were first introduced in the State a number of years ago. Red light cameras, in my opinion, are not about safety, they are only about revenue. Bottom line, red light cameras are a “gotcha” form of revenue which I will not support.

Are you in favor of video gaming machines in the Village? Could that be a source for additional revenue?

I have been “against” video gaming for Mount Prospect and voted against allowing it a number of years ago when it came before our Village Board. Mount Prospect is a family-oriented community and as such, I don’t believe gaming belongs in our Village.

The last time the Village Board discussed video gaming, the input received from our citizens was overwhelmingly “against” allowing video gaming in our Village and so I cast my vote against it.

With respect to the FMLA, and privacy granted, shouldn’t there be at least some type of comment though without going into any great detail on why Village Manager Michael Janonis took a 12-week absence from his position?

FMLA stand for Family Medical Leave Act. Given that Mr. Janonis is on FMLA leave, it is obvious that he is dealing with a medical situation. Today, there are strict laws around confidentiality related to medical situations. According to a legal opinion, FMLA medical information is considered confidential and should be shared only with those individuals with a legitimate need to know. Bottom line, Mr. Janonis has worked for the Village for over 20 years and he is entitled to FMLA just as any covered employee would be. As such, he and his family are also entitled to the same legally protected confidential treatment that any employee and their family would receive who is on FMLA leave.

Now reading these many weeks about your challengers, what would you say are their biggest flaws or misunderstanding of the village and how it runs?

Two Points

Many candidates for Village Trustee feel the Village is slow to react regarding important issues. These candidates do not understand that unless those issues impact our zoning code, our building code, or are a matter of certain public safety, the Village cannot just dictate actions or solutions. There is rightful process of law, financial due diligence, identifying funding sources, planning, public input, and then thorough open public discussion that must take place before decisions are made and actions by the government can be taken.

Candidates inherently believe there is excessive “fat” in the Village budget. I can tell you after participating in 24 annual budget processes, this is absolutely not the case. Village budgets have consistently been extremely conservative. However, if any one of the candidates for Trustee feel there is excess in the Village budget, I would ask them to speak up and tell the citizens of Mount Prospect exactly what expenditures they would cut from our budget. Bottom line, …. most of the candidates for Trustee did not even attend the recent budget meetings much less offer input on what they might cut.

If a candidate truly wants to lead the Village, that candidate needs to attend the Village Board meetings, develop an understanding of the issues, and join the discussion. Be a part of the solution.

With Levee 37 basically wrapped up, is there anything else that can be done to relieve flooding in that part of town or anywhere else in town? Any other proposals or plans you would like to see implemented to alleviate further flooding?

Absolutely. We are continual looking at various neighborhoods and drainage basins which have challenges associated with flooding and sewer back up. With the major storm event of 2011, a number of the neighborhood sewers systems were identified as undersized and in need of improvement. For example, the Village is just beginning the “Isabella Drainage Improvement Project” which will help that neighborhood significantly. As funding becomes available, we will continue to make progress with this issue in our neighborhoods. Keep in mind that over the past 20 years, the Village Board has funded over $24 million dollars to minimize flooding and protect our citizen’s homes throughout the Village.

With some complaints on how Randhurst is currently designed in terms of parking and maneuvering around, do you have any suggestions on how to improve the center either aesthetically or development wise that would enhance the area and benefit the village? Anything else you would like to see at the center in the next five years?

The Community Development staff and the Village Board have made numerous suggestions to the owners of Randhurst Village for improvements related to traffic flow, parking, and visibility, many which have been or are being implemented. Keep in mind that Randhurst is a privately owned enterprise and any changes that the Village might suggest do not have to be implemented unless those changes are related to code.

That said, I believe the Village should continue to encourage Randhurst Village to rethink and redesign internal traffic flows which have been a problem and a potential deterrent to return customers. Reinstating some form of the former ring road would be very helpful to people trying to move around the center. I would also like to see a cutoff road from Rand Road into the Kensington Road Randhurst Village entrance so that people traveling northwest on Rand Road to go to Randhurst could avoid the light at Rand and 83.

In the next five years, I would like to see 2 additional major retail anchor tenants come to Randhurst as well as the remaining outlots buildings constructed and occupied. I would like to see a residential component, such as condominiums, added to the overall offering at Randhurst Village, as well. Finally, I would also like to see the retail zoned areas just outside of Randhurst improved with additional complimentary retail uses.

The Lakota Group’s downtown study identified several sites within the downtown as prime locations for “transit-oriented development” such as condos / townhomes / rowhomes, yet very little is on the horizon. Do you see a need for more “transit-oriented development (TOD)?”

Over the past few years, a number of Transit-Oriented Developments (condos, apartments, row homes, and townhomes) have been built in the Mount Prospect downtown area. Given the ready access to the train and a number of potential development sites, the Mount Prospect downtown area is ripe for additional Transit-Oriented residential development opportunities.
For example, a redevelopment of the Parenti Raffaelli industrial property located on Prospect Avenue just east of the downtown could certainly lend itself to a Transit-Oriented residential development. In addition, a number of smaller “infill” parcels in and around the downtown could also be perfect for additional residential with a TOD orientation. Smaller 3 and 4 story buildings with retail on the first floor and residential above as well as additional townhomes and rowhomes would fit the scale of our downtown well.
However, I absolutely would not favor invading the single family residential neighborhoods around our downtown to build multi-family residential developments.

What is your position on adding another railroad crossing within Mount Prospect’s downtown area? Des Plaines, Arlington Heights and Palatine each have four crossings within a similar distance. Mount Prospect has only 3.

My biggest concerns regarding a fourth crossing would be cut through traffic into the single family residential neighborhoods north and south of the tracks as well as the cost to the Village to construct such a crossing. However, I think it makes sense to at least take a look at this.

Many years ago, a fourth crossing at Maple Street was studied. At that time, it was concluded that a fourth crossing would add little benefit and would have driven cut-through traffic into the single family residential neighborhoods.

However, if additional multi-family residential buildings are built south of the tracks and east of the downtown, traffic volumes from that development as well as traffic flow and traffic patterns generated by the development would be a huge hurdle needing to be overcome.

Paul Wm. Hoefert
Mount Prospect Village Trustee