Use of business incentives separates Batavia 1st Ward candidates

A March 26 article incorrectly stated who was running unopposed for a 1st Ward seat in Batavia. The candidate is Michael O'Brien

Batavia 1st Ward voters can choose Carl Dinwiddie, who has long kept an eye on the city council. Or they can affirm Scott Salvati's recent appointment to the council.

The two are seeking to serve the remaining two years of former Alderman Carl Fischer's term. Fischer was elected in 2015 but moved out of state last summer. Salvati was appointed in October.

"I've got a strong background in civil service," Dinwiddie said. "I'm used to doing what is right for the people."

Dinwiddie often addresses the city council at meetings. At times he has praised aldermen, but he has also criticized their decision-making process. His most recent topic has been the creation of a tax increment financing district for, and approval of, the One North Washington project, the apartment and commercial complex to be built at Washington and Wilson streets. The city is borrowing money to pay for the developer to construct a new parking garage, has essentially given the developer the land for the deal, and is paying for razing of buildings and any necessary environmental remediation.

Dinwiddie said the council is in "group think" mode. "I don't see any hard questioning of the numbers, the facts. There's not a whole lot of discussion," he said.

He worries the council may be repeating what he deems a mistake of the early 2000s, when it "rushed" to approve the purchase of electricity from the proposed Prairie State Energy Campus. That decision, so far, is costing Batavian's dearly, as the price of that electricity has exceeded what officials expected, he said.

"I'm running to make sure there is a healthy discussion" of matters, he said. "I think we have enough cheerleaders on the council."

Salvati said he's a proponent of small government, but voted in favor of creating the tax increment financing district and the redevelopment agreement for the One North Washington Place project. He did so despite a negative recommendation from the city's plan commission on the building's design.

"There are times you need to use the tools available to incentivize development. One North Washington is a great example ­- if you look at what the city makes in tax revenue from that area, it's minimal," he said. Salvati disagrees with Dinwiddie about the financial viability of the deal.

"The developer (Shodeen Inc.) is not going to get into anything that he not going to make money on. ... "I'm pretty confident going forward," Salvati said. He pointed out that the city has created a special service area for the project, so that if the TIF increment is not enough to repay the city's costs, a special property tax will be levied on the site.

Dinwiddie said the city should be directing more attention and spending on public works. In particular, he cited drainage work in the 1st Ward and elsewhere. The city should have acted faster on the recommendations made in 2008 by a consultant it hired, he said. However, he does not favor creating a stormwater utility to pay for the work.

He agrees with the council's plan to hire a communications director, especially if the person will increase the city's presence on social media.

Dinwiddie, who is retired, was an investigator with the Federal Aviation Administration for 33 years. He served as a Navy pilot and instructor. He has lived in Batavia for 30 years. He and his wife, Yvonne, helped organize the Loyalty Day parade for 20 years.

Dinwiddie was one of the organizers of a failed effort in December to get a referendum on the April ballot seeking to rescind Batavia's home-rule status. Organizers submitted their petition knowing it was several hundred short of the required amount of signatures, and an electoral board declared it invalid.

Salvati, who owns Lighthouse Marketing, said the city needs to improve communication with residents and favors hiring a communications director. "Within the last year or two I have seen a real degradation in how people interact (via social media) on issues important to them," Salvati said.

The city needs "to get out in front of things and tell people what is going on," said Salvati, who frequently posts on Facebook.

As for being a "cheerleader?" "I'm very positive, but that does not make me a rubber stamp," Salvati said. He cited as an example his vote against allowing video gambling. He was one of three aldermen to vote against it.

Salvati said the economic development of the city is "a big deal" for him.

He coached lacrosse at Batavia High School and is executive council secretary at First Baptist Church of Geneva.

First Ward Alderman Michael O'Brfien is unopposed for a second four-year term.