Michael Capizzano: 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: AddisonWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Addison parksAge: 55Family: Candidate did not respondOccupation: Transportation directorEducation: Northeastern Illinois UniversityCivic involvement: Village of Addison Commissioner for the Zoning Board of Appeals 1989 - present, Addison Rec Club member 1995 #8211; present, Youth baseball, football coach 1985 #8211; present, Addison Trail High School football coach 2006 #8211; present, Addison Trail High School Strength Conditioning Coach 2006 #8211; present, ACTS (Addison Concerned Teens for Services) Sponsoring Adult. Elected offices held: Addison park district commissionerHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 To provide a higher standard of quality recreational programs, venues and facilities to all the citizens of Addison, by holding staff to continued fiscal responsibility and increased community involvement.Key Issue 2 Remove user fees for use of existing facilities, fields and gyms for non Park District sponsored programs to Addison Senior Clubs, veterans, youth sports clubs, and non-for-profit organizations. This can be done without any increase of taxes to the tax payers or cuts to existing services.Key Issue 3 To seek corporate sponsored branding rights as an alternative venue for revenue to address our need for an aquatic center to replace our antiquated pool. Questions Answers What programs aren't paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why? : Our 35 year old box style pool, which has a life expectancy of 20 years, is running at a deficit. A self supporting revenue stream for outdoor pools, as with most municipal pools in this area, is predicated upon weather conditions. Pre swim season opening repairs for the past 5 years has cost approximately $20,000.00 - $25,000.00 per year. This does not include the swim season's cost of labor, repair, general maintenance, pool water quality standards, or the post season of shutting down with the winterization of equipment. The future of the existing pool should be answered by the residents of Addison. I would encourage a Citizens Advisory Committee be formed immediately to discuss the current situation. The Committee should be made up of a cross universe of pool users, nonusers, Addison businesses, and realtors. One of the main topics of the Committee should be what economic impact or value does a community pool or aquatic center have to the Village?Is there any additional open space the park district needs to acquire? Please describe.Today's economic conditions prohibit the park district from purchasing new land as we may be facing a negative CPI. There are alternatives to purchase, such as land swap or joint ventures with other taxing bodies. As of this date there is 1 large parcel of land that I would consider a land swap dialog for the property. The parcel is the old Par 3 golf course, privately owned, located at Mill Road Army Trail Road and Lydia Park located on Lydia Avenue adjacent to the East Branch Forest Preserve. We need to ask the Forest Preserve if it has the capital in its budget for land procurement or would they have capital for procurement in the near future? With that done, I would propose to the DuPage County Forest Preserve District a land swap where the Addison Park District would exchange the Lydia Park parcel to the Forest Preserve District which would increase the size and scope of the East Branch providing additional indigenous flora fauna to the East Branch. In exchange for the property located at Mill Army Trail Road. Dialog as to what percentage of the Army Trail parcel would be used for passive and active recreation should also be included. The Army Trail property would provide an additional green belt through our village allowing a noncontiguous pathway, for the mitigation of flora and fauna, from the Songbird Slough Forest Preserve to the north to the Fullerton Park Forest Preserve to the south.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?There are multiple unmet recreational needs, wants and desires by the Addison residents. We can provide additional activates at no cost to the tax payers and without cutting existing services by opening closed gyms, and facilities that are already staffed. Today's economic conditions prohibit the park district from purchasing new land as we may be facing a negative CPI. There are alternatives to purchase, such as land swap or joint ventures with other taxing bodies. As of this date there is 1 large parcel of land that I would consider a land swap dialog for the property. The parcel is the old Par 3 golf course, privately owned, located at Mill Road Army Trail Road and Lydia Park located on Lydia Avenue adjacent to the East Branch Forest Preserve.We need to ask the Forest Preserve if it has the capital in its budget for land procurement or would they have capital for procurement in the near future? With that be done, I would propose to the Du Page County Forest Preserve District a land swap where the Addison Park District would exchange the Lydia Park parcel to the Forest Preserve District which would increase the size and scope of the East Branch providing additional indigenous flora fauna to the East Branch. In exchange for the property located at Mill Army Trail Road. Dialog as to what percentage of the Army Trail parcel would be used for passive and active recreation should also be included. The Army Trail property would provide an additional green belt through our village allowing a noncontiguous pathway, for the mitigation of flora and fauna, from the Songbird Slough Forest Preserve to the north to the Fullerton Park Forest Preserve to the south. 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?We currently partner with both school districts and the village at several layers. It has promoted cost containment and higher efficiency for the tax dollars used. 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.As an incumbent my record reflects my stewardship and involvement within our community without discrimination or self serving interests. (1) I initiated the policy of providing free usage of the park facilities and programs to Active Duty members of our Armed Forces. (2) In follow up I initiated the use of park district facilities and programs at no cost for families of Active Duty military personnel. (3) When the old village hall was replaced by the new village hall a youth sports group the Addison Rec Club lost its equipment storage. I initiated and took a leadership role in the use of the Nike Park garage for the storage of the Addison Rec Club's sports equipment. (4) I initiated the forming of Addison's SALT Program (Seniors and Law Enforcement Together). At that time I was told by a police commander it would never take off. After discussions with Police Chief Mel Mack and Senior Club President Helen D'Maria we were able to form the Addison Chapter. (5) I provided a leadership role in lobbying the State of Illinois for the construction of the $1,500,000.00 Army Trail School gym, which was paid for entirely by grants and at no cost to the tax payers of Addison. (6) As Chairman of Building Grounds I played a key leadership role in the cost containment and savings in construction of over $300,000.00 for the new fitness center, Club Fitness. (7) As a nontax initiative, I initiated and held a leadership role the construction of a cell tower at Nike Park, located in a manufacturing district of the village, providing alternative revenues to the park district and the citizens of Addison, through private enterprise. (8) As a nontax initiative, I initiated and took a leadership role in the procurement of the Chicago West Suburban Italian Festival, which provided alternative revenues to the park district and the citizens of Addison, through private enterprises.