Nicholas F. Cooney: 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: Carol StreamWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Carol Stream parksAge: 41Family: Wife Susie of 14 yearsSon Nick 12Son Matthew 10Daughter Shannon 8We have lived in Carol Stream for 14 years.Occupation: General Manager of DEMAR Logistics, Inc. DEMAR is a warehouse, transportation, and logistics company in Carol Stream on Lies Road.Education: Bachlors Degree from St. Mary's Univerity of Winona, MNDouble major in accounting and management. Successful completion of the CPA Exam.Civic involvement: 6 years of coaching experience youth sports in baseball, basketball and soccer for both Carol Stream park district and West Chicago park district teams. Previously served as league coordinator on the youth baseball planning committee for the Carol Stream Park District.Elected offices held: Current term of Carol Stream Park District commissionerHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 The park board needs to ensure proper utilization of the funds generated from the bond referendum from 2010. This is highlighted by the new recreation center which will be a significant accomplishment for the Village of Carol Stream.Key Issue 2 Youth baseball has always had a special place in my heart. With the renovation of McCaslin park including new baseball/softball fields and other adult and youth recreation ammenities, this highly visible location would be a significant asset to the community, and a significant revenue generator for the Park District.Key Issue 3 We need to come to a resolution on the future of Armstrong Park including Aldrin Center. I believe this resolution should include working with the county board to provide flood relief for the neighbors of Armstrong Park.Questions Answers What programs aren#146;t paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?The mini golf course at McCaslin Park has struggled for several years. With the planned enhancements at McCaslin Park, it will become a destination center for many family activities which will help improve traffic for this course.Is there any additional open space the park district needs to acquire? Please describe.At this time the park district does not need to acquire any additional space as we have reached agreement to purchase the land at town center for the new recreation facility.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 park district staff under the direction of Arnie Biondo has put together a capital improvement plan based on the funds generated from the recently passed referendum. The crown jewel as discussed will be the new recreation center. Part of my responsiblity on the board is to ensure we can complete as many of the recreation needs identified by the community within the constraints of the funds generated by that referendum. We need to maintain fiscal responsibility, and the facilities and amenities that will be added from those referendum dollars need to be satisfactory for the community for many, many years.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 board continues to work on intergovernmental agreements when feasible to create economic efficiencies for the people of Carol Stream. We also continue to explore partnership opportunities such as working with WSDRA to help defray as many costs necessary for the new recreation facilty. I would support pooling resources when justified.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.During my four year term on the park board, we have made significant strides for the community including a new maintenance facility, extended or created new walking pathways, installation of new playgrounds, hiring of a PMO team for proper managment of the referundum funds for capital projects, and an incentive based compensation package for the Executive Director. Our tasks are not complete as we have the responsiblity to create several signficant additional landmarks for the community in the recreation center and McCaslin Park.