Issues

The Village of Maple Park has seen new houses and development in the past few years, and the trend will continue. The new houses and demand for water and waste water capacity presents a challenge and an opportunity. We must continue to maintain the water supply and waste water services to our current residents and businesses; and we must also look at an additional well, water tower, distribution system, and the expansion of our waste water treatment facility. The financial planning for these types of improvements will take careful consideration and skillful negotiations as we work with developers and businesses. The Village needs partners that want to work with the Village and help develop the infrastructure for the entire community. We need to develop plans for new construction that work with an infrastructure plan to address water and waste water without burdening the existing homeowners and businesses.

The maintenance, patching, crack sealing, and resurfacing of roads will become a significant challenge for the Village in the coming years. The Village has made great strides to budget and plan for road maintenance. The current plans include significant improvements to several streets over the next eight years, but more resurfacing and maintenance will be needed. As the next Village President, I will work with the board of trustees, infrastructure committee, engineers, and public works to continue our existing maintenance plans while we develop priorities and a more comprehensive plan for all of our Village roads including a methodology for assessing the roads annually.

The Village of Maple Park is a great place to live, work, and play. Some of the best features of our Village include the annual Fun Fest, baseball and softball games, walking, cycling, downtown entertainment, live music, restaurants, and small businesses. As Village President, I want to create a "Walkable Community Plan" that encourages the Village, existing businesses, new businesses, and developments to have adequate sidewalks, bike paths, cart paths, and most importantly crossings to encourage people to get out and enjoy Maple Park. One of my goals is to develop safe pedestrian crossing zones on County Line Road between the east and west sides of town, specifically for the downtown area and near the Civic Center and baseball fields. The crossings would provide continuity between the east and west sides of town. For the future, I would like to see research and a planning process that includes a pedestrian and cycling path throughout the Village in both new and existing neighborhoods.

Trailers, Pools, and Golf Carts always seem to be a popular topic. It is important to know that all of these are decisions of the Village Board and can be reconsidered. I am open to discussing, debating, and potentially amending Village ordinances, but the Village Board as a whole would decide. The same is true for things like vehicle stickers and other required permits. I was against increasing the fee for vehicle stickers from $25 to $30, and asked that the Village not increase the burden on residents without looking at other sources of revenue first.