Kathy Cornell: Candidate Profile

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: Glen EllynWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Glen Ellyn parksAge: 63Family: Two adult daughters, Amy and Amanda, who grew up in Glen Ellyn.Occupation: Midwest Director of Advancement for the Sierra ClubEducation: B.S. Cornell University - Human Development Family StudiesM.Ed. Northern Illinois UniversityDoctoral Studies, University of Chicago - Educational PsychologyCivic involvement: Board of Directors for the following:Citizens for Glen Ellyn PreservationFox Valley Repertory (formerly Noble Fool Theatricals) at Pheasant RunCornell University Club of ChicagoOrganic TheaterPast board positions:Village Theatre Guild of Glen EllynCornell University Alumni Federation (national)College of Human Ecology Alumni Association of Cornell Univ.Unitarian Universalist Society of GenevaDuPage Childcare AssociationElected offices held: NoneHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY: In these challenging economic times, it is crucial that the Park District spend within its means, just as families in our community are doing. Deficit spending and planning that intentionally includes budget shortfalls is not appropriate in today#146;s economy, but that is what our Park District has been doing. Its debt has tripled since 2001 and budgets have often been overspent. We have an opportunity and a responsibility to take a fresh look and to listen thoughtfully to the input of all of our citizens. There has been a tendency in the past to overlook community input and create plans based on wishes and anecdotal wants rather than information and data. Glen Ellyn is a truly beautiful community with character and charm that sets us apart from most others in Illinois. Our parks #8211; open spaces, natural areas, recreational areas and facilities, and programs #8211; are an important part of the quality of life in our village. In order to keep our parks and facilities in the best possible shape for the present and future, we need to look carefully at our budget and expenditures, and keep the big picture in mind as we plan our spending. We can do better for our parks and for our community if we focus on responsible spending based on budgets that are carefully constructed and consistently honored. Keeping a watchful eye on the budget #8211; eliminating waste and investing in the quality of our properties and programs #8211; will help us have the best possible Park District with the brightest possible future. This will be my highest priority.Key Issue 2 STEWARDSHIP OF OUR PARKS: Investing wisely in the maintenance and enhancement of our lands and buildings is a hugely important aspect of being an excellent Park District Board. In our 29 parks there are many small upgrades that can be made to improve their quality, making the experience of using them more enjoyable with minimal spending of tax dollars. Some are very simple changes such as adding more benches, picnic tables, play equipment, even garbage cans. Some require careful study, such as the actual usage patterns of our playing fields to make sure that they are in use an optimal amount of time. It is very important that our athletes of all ages have playable fields for practicing and for games #8211; safe, dry and accessible. We can invest in our properties by planting trees for shade and beautification, for example, while saving money by better coordinating services such as mowing. These modest improvements can be built into the budget. It is also critical that we take care of the leaking roof at the Ackerman Sports and Fitness Center, so we can protect this important facility.Key Issue 3 TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNANCE: Glen Ellyn citizens are a concerned and interested population. Our Park District Board needs to share information regularly and openly so that everyone can be well informed and everyone who wants to be involved can do so based on good information, easily obtained. Not everyone who cares about the Park District is able to attend Board meetings routinely, although they would appreciate the opportunity to keep well-informed and to express concerns and offer useful input. We can be proactive in making Board actions available to the public by routinely broadcasting Board meetings on the local cable-access channel and the Park District web site. We can reverse a recent decision of the board to record meeting minutes in a minimal format and instead offer comprehensive minutes which will be posted on the web site for all who are interested to read and consider. We will benefit from having well-informed citizens who are engaged much more fully in the life of the Park District. This transparency will set a tone for governance that is both efficient and effective. A direct result will be improved two-way communication for the board with the public; an important added benefit will be improved lines of communication between our dedicated volunteers and appropriate staff #8211; enabling both to do their jobs better and find the experience more satisfying.Questions Answers What programs aren#146;t paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?Without usable, reliable data and analysis, it is difficult to say which programs should be enhanced, which should continue on their current paths, and which should be cut back or eliminated. Objective review of the use of facilities and feedback from the principal users will make wise decisions possible. We need concrete data on cost effectiveness that can be fully evaluated, and softer information, such as could be obtained from program participants and staff via well-constructed online evaluations, is also needed. It isn#146;t necessary or even possible for all programs to be completely self-supporting. Some programs that require Park District #147;subsidies#148; enhance the quality of life for a good number of participants and have the side-effect of making the community a more vibrant and healthy place. We need data and analysis before deciding to eliminate or drastically change current programs.Is there any additional open space the park district needs to acquire? Please describe.In community surveys, this has been the highest priority. For example, in the 2005 survey, over 69% of those who participated said that land acquisition was very important. Unfortunately, nothing substantial has been done to follow up. Over the years, some land has been acquired adjacent to existing park land. Currently, the Park District opts to receive cash rather than land from all new developments. We should be looking at every new development to see if land is available that would suitable for creating new parks. But we need to make a concerted effort to look at under-served areas and find or create space that can be purchased at today#146;s very reasonable prices. South of Roosevelt Road we are lacking in neighborhood parks, and I think that situation needs to be addressed as soon as it is financially feasible.Are there any unmet recreational needs? If yes, what are they and how would you propose paying for them? Or, should they wait until the economy improves?The historic Boathouse at Lake Ellyn, built in 1939 as a W.P.A. project, is a crown jewel in our Park District and in the village. During the winter months, while it is used as a warming house for ice skaters, it is not as available as it could be for other activities because the protective covering of the floors is not efficient. A modest improvement for the Boathouse would be to purchase better quality protective floor covering so that it could be removed and replaced without damaging it. That would open up the facility for other uses when skaters are not present. The Boathouse itself would benefit from thoughtful restoration. At a relatively modest cost, the charm and beauty of the building could be enhanced. And with some reasonably modest renovations, it could become a most attractive location for Park District classes and other programs, plus more frequent use for special occasion rentals. Other than purchasing land for more neighborhood parks while real estate prices are quite low, I think we need to wait until the economy improves considerably. Meanwhile we should focus on improving the land and facilities that we have, and strengthening our programs, many of which are already quite good.Would you support sharing/pooling resources (i.e. printing, vehicles) with other local governments (school districts, village, etc.)? If so, what areas would you consider combining or merging to save money or improve efficiency?The Park District can definitely benefit from sharing/pooling resources with other governmental entities and can add value through these partnerships. For example, the Park District and the Village of Glen Ellyn might benefit greatly from creative new uses of existing park lands. If the relationship were more cooperative and interactive between these two entities, we might take another look at opening up the Village Links for cross-country skiing when suitable snow is present. We can work on more cooperative use of school facilities with our local districts 41, 89 and 87 and we can bolster the partnering we do with the Wheaton Park District. We can welcome shared use of some of the Park District#146;s properties so long as we maintain appropriate control and consider the wellbeing of the neighborhoods where these facilities are located. But we need to make sure that the Park District receives full benefit from any joint projects and programs, and maintains sufficient control in the partnerships that the best interest of the parks will be served.If you are a newcomer, what prompted you to run for the park board? If you're an incumbent, list your accomplishments or key initiatives in which you played a leadership role.I have loved living in Glen Ellyn for the past 37 years. My kids took advantage of Park District programs and facilities while they were growing up, and I have enjoyed them as well. In recent years I have observed with grave concern some of the decisions made by the Park District Board and the processes by which those decisions came about. Red flags raised when changes to the Ackerman Sports and Fitness Center (changes not approved by the taxpayers) resulted in high-percentage cost increases, while the roof of the new building has been leaking all along. Attending Board meetings during which public input was all but dismissed, while budget considerations seemed to be ignored, brought me to this point - I am enthusiastic about stepping up and taking the initiative to make the needed improvements. The decision-making process must be conducted with more restraint on the spending side, and more transparency and openness in working with taxpayers and volunteers. I believe strongly that the combination of my business experience, my years of working in the not-for-profit sector, and my experience on a variety of not-for-profit boards will enable me to be an agent for improvement.