Becky Hruby: Candidate Profile

Back to Geneva City Council Ward 3

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:BioQA Bio City: GenevaWebsite: hrubyforgeneva.comTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Geneva City Council Ward 3 Age: 42Family: Sean, husbandCalvin, 12Elaina, 4Occupation: Homemaker and small business ownerEducation: Bachelor of Science in Public Relations, Illinois State University, 1996Civic involvement: Teacher of religious education as well as liaison between teachers and administration; member of communications team and "Commit to Knit" group at my church, which donates shawls, blankets, scarves, etc. to men, women and children in need.Volunteer work with Anderson Animal Shelter.Volunteer work at Geneva schools.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers Do you support what the Downtown/Station Area Master Plan's suggests for redevelopment of several opportunity sites, including the Cetron factory site and the Mill Race Inn site, including calls for higher-density housing than currently allowed? Discuss in light of recent decisions against an apartment building at the Cetron site and townhouses/duplexes at the former Geneva Greenhouse site.The Geneva Housing Task Force was formed in 2010 to define objectives aimed to make Geneva a place to live comfortably in all stages of life. Both the Task Force and residents, over the course of 22 public meetings, identified the need for a diversified housing stock (in type and price) as an objective for the Master Plan. Ensuring neighbor opposition doesn't dominate discussion on projects which satisfy these goals and objectives is a challenge faced in many towns, and Geneva is no exception. Concerns may be lessened through: implementing more stringent guidelines in proposals, notifying neighbors at the start of the planning process and casting a wider net of neighbor notification (state statute requires property owners within 250 feet to be notified 15-30 days prior to a public hearing). If residents know they will be given the opportunity to review plans, provide input and resolve concerns, a more collaborative approach with developers is possible.Additionally, we must consider how a diversified housing market relates to household and city budgets. Each of us needs to give thoughtful consideration to what we want the identity of Geneva to be. Is Geneva a place to start out, to raise a family, to retire"circ;brvbar;all of these? Do we agree infill or redevelopment sites must be respectful of past and present generations, while being responsive to future needs? The topic of higher-density housing deserves balanced conversation of pros and cons with residents, the city and developers.Should a city employee (the administrator or her designee) negotiate city union contracts, given that they, like other employees, will receive the same benefits as union members?As a candidate, it's difficult to surmise a ruling on past negotiations. I do know in neighboring cities, the chief negotiator is often an in-house employee. Additionally, this is part of the city administrator's job description. However, if any impropriety were to arise, I would want to address it immediately to ensure fair and efficient negotiations. This may mean hiring an outside law firm, so the cost must be weighed against the concern. If resident concerns about fair and efficient negotiations are great, that would factor heavily into my judgement.Mayoral candidate Tom Simonian has said he won't take the salary of mayor/liquor commissioner, or would donate it to charity. Is that a good idea? Why or why not?Charity donations and dedication/capability of performing a job have no bearing on each other. Whether or not it's a good idea is solely the decision of the giver. I respect all people for all types of giving, in any capacity. I believe the more individuals and/or families can give of their time, talents or financial support, the better our town and our world becomes. I encourage everyone to get involved in an aspect of giving that fits best with their personal situation and interests.Should the city do something to increase the amount of affordable housing in Geneva, as the Chicago Metropolitan Agency on Planning study calls for? If so, what?Affordable housing (not to be confused with low income housing) is defined in Illinois as housing (including mortgage or rent, utilities, insurance and property taxes) that costs no more than 30% of household income. State law encourages each municipality to have a percentage (based on multiple formulas) of affordable homes. In Geneva, 10% percent of our housing stock is supposed to be affordable to homeowners earning 80% or less of the area's median income, or to renters earning 60% or less of the area's median income. We currently stand at 5%. On a related note, 1/3 of Geneva's population is over 60 years old. Many of these residents will be looking to retire to a smaller home on a reduced income. I believe we should focus on how we can provide affordable housing that allows our senior population to remain in the city they have raised their families in and/or called home for many years. If it's possible to locate a segment of affordable senior housing close to transit, shopping and dining, it could also help enhance economic vitality downtown. Affordable housing is a complex topic, more easily managed by breaking it into smaller parts. I'd like to start by focusing on enabling our seniors to stay in our community.What is one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?My family participates in an annual day of service at a small local organization where every member is encouraged to sign up for a civic duty. There are many options to choose from and opportunities for kids and families, too. The goal is to get every person involved, actively contributing to our community. I think a similar concept applied city wide would be fantastic. While volunteering is not a new idea, the concept of turning it into a quarterly community event is. I envision residents subscribing to an email list that would notify them of the dates and opportunities. Online signup could be used to easily coordinate volunteers. There would be a "coordinator" at each site to provide direction. (If you are a close friend, consider yourself warned!) At day's end, we could all gather to share and celebrate the day's accomplishments. The city has identified many public areas which need debris clean up (for aesthetics as well as storm sewer drainage). Northern Illinois Foodbank serves over 71,000 people each week"â#128;ťthat takes a lot of volunteers! The opportunities are ample and the rewards to both givers and receivers are great. Imagine the impact we could all make, working together! I wonder how many people we could get involved in a single day and how big that number may grow over time. I'd love to spearhead this proposal regardless of the election. Look for more soon!What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?The city faces many challenges. Each is important and deserves careful consideration. However, what concerns we face today will be replaced with new concerns tomorrow. There will always be issues and each one carries the potential to change Geneva, for better or worse. Geneva is a city I am proud to call home. The city's success and reputation didn't happen by accident. Geneva today is the result of vigilant planning and execution of strategies by dedicated, intelligent employees, volunteers, residents, business owners and interested organizations. I think it's important to realize this and not take it for granted. I am very excited about the chance to serve on a council that will continue to help Geneva grow and thrive while preserving the charm that attracts visitors from many miles away!Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Malala Yousafzai for her bravery and determination in speaking out for girls' education at dire costs.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?The importance of choices and decisions, accountability and responsibility as well as willingness to help a friend.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I sometimes wish I'd chosen a degree in education so I could be a teacher. I may pursue this someday yet!What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I'll say Spanish. It gave me an appreciation for how complex English is, which contributed to my decision to volunteer as an ESL tutor.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Do unto others as you wish to have done onto you.