Glen Ellyn hopefuls talk business growth

With the uncertain economy, both candidates for Glen Ellyn village president agree that attracting businesses to the area will be increasingly important.

But Gary Fasules and Mark Pfefferman have slightly different philosophies on how to go about doing that.

"I think we need to quickly do the things that don't cost a lot of money: change some of the permit requirements, maybe some of the ordinances that are just difficult," Fasules said.

He said he'd also want to approach the Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Corporation and give them a deadline to come up with ideas to attract businesses.

Pfefferman agreed that those two organizations, along with the Downtown Alliance, have to play a role in attracting new businesses. However, he said the village first has to set some goals for each of the groups, which hasn't necessarily been done yet.

"The government can take an active role in coordinating their efforts and clarifying what their roles are," he said.

Pfefferman said the activities of the three groups sometimes overlap, and he wants to make their intentions clear so they can accomplish the most.

Fasules said he'd also want to act as the face of Glen Ellyn, helping other organizations recruit and close deals with interested business owners.

"The village has to go out and be more proactive to solicit business," he said.

Pfefferman said he'd want to be involved in the process as well, helping to give tours in town and to trumpet the benefits of Glen Ellyn. He said groups are already in place to recruit those interested in moving into town.

Fasules said the village has also been hesitant to give out sales tax incentives, such as when a Jeep dealership wanted to move into town a few years ago.

"We should have done whatever we could have to encourage them," he said. Fasules added that when he was on the board, sales tax incentives helped bring in Trader Joe's.

However, Pfefferman said the village has to carefully look at incentives before offering them.

"Everything has to be on the table," he said. "We have to use incentives very carefully and only when they make sense."

Both agree some small things can be done quickly to promote an attractive business environment.

Fasules suggested a rewards program that would promote shopping downtown.

Both candidates also are hesitant about the downtown plan, specifically the portion that calls for changing one-way streets into two-way.

Recently, the village board left in a $40,000 provision for an engineering study to look at that proposal, leaving it up to the next board to decide on ordering the study.

Fasules said there's likely a better use of that money, at least for a couple years.

Pfefferman said he'd also want to see the entire plan for downtown before implementing ideas piecemeal.

"Not everyone seems to be in favor of two-way streets," he said. "We have to look at financing and prioritizing."