Dave Lemar: 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: LombardWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Lombard Park Board (6-year Terms)Age: 35Family: Married, One daughterOccupation: Superintendent of ParksEducation: York High School, 1995 Some College Southern Illinois University and CODCivic involvement: Lombard Park District Ad Hoc CommitteeElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 The Park District should do everything possible to obtain the Ken Loch Golf Course. We live in a land locked community and anytime the Park District has the opportunity to purchase open space, I think they should do whatever is reasonably possible to do so. I would like to see this done to keep that area as open space and not developed into condominiums or an apartment complex.Key Issue 2 The Park District should develop a plan to build a new Recreation Center. The aging Sunset Knoll Recreation Center is too small and out dated to serve a community the size of Lombard. A new Recreation Center could have upgraded amenities such as a larger work out area, more class rooms for our crowded preschool program, new program and multipurpose rooms, and a gymnasium with multi-use courts for basketball, volleyball, and other indoor programs.Key Issue 3 I would also like to see the Park District continue to grow its programs to meet the needs of the community. I would like to accomplish this with minimal if any increases to the current resident fees. In addition I would like to see the Park District continue the high level of maintenance on our open areas and green space. We have beautifully maintained parks in Lombard and I would like to see that continue.Questions Answers What programs aren't paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?I am not aware of what exact programs aren't paying for themselves. It is my philosophy that the responsibility of the Park Board is to assure that the staff has the proper resources, may it be human or monetary, to meet the needs of its community, and not to micro manage individual programs. I would certainly listen to the community and staff input on what recreational needs are not being met, and assure that the staff has the resources needed to meet those recreational needs. Not all programs are going to break even, many may loose money, but if a need of the community is being met, then it is worth keeping that program. If it I notice or it is brought to my attention that a program is out dated or has a low enrollment I would have no issue recommending that we discontinue that program.Is there any additional open space the park district needs to acquire? Please describe.Yes, I think the Park District should aggressively try to obtain Ken Loch Golf course. It is directly adjacent to one of our largest parks and I would like to see it remain open space. In a virtually land locked community I feel that if the Park District has the opportunity to purchase 31 acres of open land they should do everything reasonably possible to do so.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?By attending recent focus groups presented by the Park District I have found that many of our citizens would like to see improvements with our Recreation Center. I would be in support of building a new Recreation Center that would better meet the needs of our community. I would also encourage the staff to look into the addition of more toddler programs in the evening. Many of our participants come from homes where both parents are working, and the addition of classes in the evening would help those who are looking for programing for their toddlers, but cannot participate in day time programs.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 certainly support pooling resources with other local governments. I would encourage the staff to investigate any opportunities to cooperatively purchase such things as office supplies, janitorial supplies, vehicles and maintenance equipment. You can almost always get a better price when the quantity of what you are purchasing increases. If an agreement could be met with other local governments, that would help the Park District save money and become more efficient I would support it. I would also like the Park District to continue their current agreements with local governments such as the use of the new turf field at Glenbard East, and gymnasium and field use with the school district.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 am running for Park Board because I want to be involved in the community where we will raise our family. With 17 years of experience in the parks and recreation field, I feel that the Park Board is a great opportunity for me to share my knowledge and to help our community continue to grow. I look forward to watching my daughter grow up in this community, and participate in Park District programs and events. I hope to be able to serve the community so that current and future residents can enjoy the beautiful parks and quality recreational programs offered in Lombard.