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Kevin C. Riley: Candidate Profile
Batavia parks
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.
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Bio
City: Aurora
Website: Candidate did not respond.
Office sought: Batavia parks
Age: 53
Family: Married 20 years
Wife - Caryl, two sons, Connor - 16 and Carter - 12
Occupation: Reinsurance sales and marketing
Education: BS, Broadcast Journalism, 1981, Arizona State University.
U.S. Army Armor Basic and Advanced Officers Courses, Ft Knox, KY, 1981, 1984.
U.S Army Physical Fitness Training Course, 1987.
Civic involvement: Coach in both the Batavia Youth Baseball and Batavia Youth Football programs for the last 10 years.
Elected offices held: Ft Benning Golf Course, Board of Directors, 1983-1984
Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No
Candidate's Key Issues
Key Issue 1
To work with residents in identifying the recreation and open space needs and develop a short- and long-range plan to meet those needs.
Key Issue 2
Providing quality facilities, equipment and instruction that meet the needs of all residents.
Key Issue 3
Keep the lines of communication open between the Board, Park District management and residents so that each of these parties have the opportunity to fairly comment on the direction of current and future projects that affect the community.
Questions & Answers
What programs aren’t paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?
I firmly believe that open spaces and offering vibrant recreational programs are vital to the health of individuals and a community. A single program does not necessarily have to pay for itself to be offered. A program that is meeting the needs of a minority can be offered and subsidized by popular programs. This is a common practice at all levels of government. However, programs that consistently do not meet the needs of residents should be evaluated as to the necessity, timeliness, cost and reason for the offering. Solutions can be to stagger the program offering, survey the participants to need and combine the program with other similar offerings.
Is there any additional open space the park district needs to acquire? Please describe.
As mentioned, I believe open space is vital to the physical and mental health of individuals and well as a community. My perspective is that there is never enough open space for residents in a community. However, open space must be considered in conjunction with demand, feasibility and cost. The need for additional open space will be clearer once the Community Engagement Initiative has been completed in 2011.
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 Batavia Park District does a good job of providing recreational programs to residents. The Park District offers over 1,045 programs each year. These programs are evaluated constantly through participant feedback. So while I am not aware of unmet needs at the moment, my responsibility as a Park Commissioner is to listen to residents regarding their opinion on recreational needs.
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?
I would support the sharing of resources such as facilities,and equipment to make programs more accessible or convenient for participants. As Batavia grows and new needs are identified the additional sharing of resources may be the solution to meet needs. I have found it useful to be a creative thinker and look for answers ""outside the box."" As a Board Commissioner I will take efficiencies seriously and look for ways to share resources that improve the Park District experience for residents.
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.
Running for Park Commissioner is an excellent way to give back to a Park District that has provided my family with wonderful recreational experience over the years. In addition, as a participant in Park programs and a volunteer coach I have interacted with hundreds of residents. As a Commissioner I would be in a position to shape the future of the Park District for the benefit of the entire community.
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