Trustee hopefuls discuss East Dundee's future

There's no disagreement among the five village board candidates that the last several years have been positive for East Dundee.

Progress and development have given new life to the town of about 3,200 people, they said, especially in its downtown area, where officials are trying to create a culinary district. Funding mechanisms have been implemented to spur growth and give the village a bit of a financial cushion.

Incumbents Rob Gorman, Kirstin Wood and Dan Selep say they want to help East Dundee continue trending upward, while newcomers Scott Andresen and Cindy Comstock want in on the action. They will face off April 4 for three seats on the village board.

It's been a fulfilling four years for one-term Trustees Wood and Selep, who say the village is continuing to search for sustainable and fiscally responsible ways to grow. Investments they've approved are paying off, and projects they've pushed forward, such as a downtown mixed-use development on Barrington Avenue, are taking shape.

The results are even more rewarding for Gorman, who has served in office since 2005 and recalls an era of deficit spending and contention among elected officials.

The implementation of a home-rule sales tax and several tax increment financing districts have not only provided the village with more stability, he said, but the additional funds have allowed East Dundee to steer development in the right direction.

"We have some money to make some investments and make things happen," he said. "All these little pieces build an (economic) infrastructure that's going to enable us to continue to move forward."

Building and repairing relationships with private investors is a large part of that equation, Selep said. He pointed to the work of Otto Engineering President Tom Roeser, who has poured millions of dollars into redevelopment projects throughout the community.

One of Comstock's top priorities is improving walkability and adding more sidewalks throughout the village so people can more easily access various businesses. Creating a riverwalk, she added, would allow the village to better promote one of its most notable assets: the Fox River.

Andresen, who grew up in East Dundee, said he witnessed the downtown district decline years ago and wants to help build upon its recent upswing. But the village also needs to focus its attention on other areas, he said, such as filling vacant storefronts along Route 25 and bringing in a grocery store - something incumbents said is in the works.

"We just need to grow our business base in that town," Andresen said. "I want to be a part of what I think Dundee can and should become."

Selep said the village should be more aggressive in offering companies financial incentives. But Gorman and Wood said the village should also be fastidious in finding businesses and developments that match the its vision, both downtown and elsewhere.

"We have to make decisions ... that we view as beneficial to the village not only now, but also down the road," Wood said. "In my opinion, something is not always better than nothing. That's something that needs to be seriously looked at: Long-term, is that the vision we want?"