Would-be Batavia aldermen tell why they want the job

Nine people made their cases Thursday night why they should be picked to fill two aldermanic vacancies on the Batavia City Council.

Alderman Jim Volk had two questions for all of them.

"Do you have the time, energy and stamina to come to even 50 percent," he asked, referring to the 160 possible council, committee and commission meetings the city conducts each year.

And, "Can you take the repeated jibes, the being called a 'dunce,' being accused of swilling at the public trough. In short, is your hide thick enough?" to withstand anonymous criticism?

"I'm not quite as diplomatic as Linnea was," said 3rd Ward applicant William "Buzz" Miller. He seeks to serve the remaining term of his wife, who died Jan. 12.

The other vacancy is in the 5th Ward to replace Forrest Nelson, who resigned because he moved out of the ward.

Both new aldermen will serve until April 30, 2011.

The council will meet in closed session March 15 to discuss the applicants. Each will rank their preferences and the person with the highest score in each ward wins. Mayor Jeff Schielke prefers it rather than just having him nominate a person for city council approval, which he is allowed to do by law.

"It makes it easier in the transition, because the people were truly supported by the majority of the city council," he said.

Video of the meeting will be shown on cable television on BATV Channels 10 and 17, and might be made available on the BATV Web site, batv.us.

The applicants for the 3rd Ward are Miller, Dan Chanzit and Janet Jungels.

The applicants for the 5th Ward are John Davison, John Ross, Jason Ott, Francine McGuire-Popeck, Mark Davis and Lucy Thelin-Atac.

Asked one thing they would change about Batavia, Chanzit and Jungels mentioned improving the downtown. For Miller, it's "affordable housing, without a doubt."

Alderman Cathy Barnard also wanted to know how applicants would act if they differ with constituents on an issue. Jungels said she would try to hash out the pros and cons of both sides and try to reach a compromise. Chanzit said, "We are here, ultimately, to represent our constituents. Your job is to show them why your idea is more viable."

Miller disagreed, saying by electing a person, you put your trust in their judgment. "Because of the position and the information the council would have (on a matter), you have to trust your own judgment on difficult decisions," he said.

In the 5th Ward, Ott cited his technological background as an asset to the council. He is a systems analyst for the Batavia school district. He said he would like to help the council use technology to, among other things, communicate better. "How many of you use Facebook or Twitter as a viable means of communicating with your constituents?" he asked the 11 aldermen present. Alderman Alan Wolff, who has a Facebook page, raised his hand.

McGuire-Popeck moved to Batavia from Chicago when she married Bob Popeck, former police chief and longtime assistant to Schielke. She cited her experience working for telecommunications companies in sales and business analysis, as a plus for the council, as well as her volunteer work with the Northwest Neighborhood Federation in Chicago. "I was impressed that even though Batavia didn't have the kind of magnitude of problems Chicago had, people in Batavia don't take the town for granted. They work to improve it," she said.

Davison, a 16-year resident, said he realizes lost sales tax income affects the plans the city makes, but that he is glad the city is continuing to work on plans for a second bridge over the Fox River.

Both Ross and Thelin-Atac cited their lifelong residencies in Batavia.

Should the city spend money on Christmas decorations and other "artsy" things during the recession? "I think there is a continuum," Thelin-Atac said, not all-or-nothing, but that she would want more specific financial information.

"Even when it (the economy) turns we are going to have to be fiscally responsible," said Davis. He also cited placement of the second bridge as a high priority, noting it will enable landowners to make plans.

One of the reasons Ross applied was to promote Batavia as the "city of energy" with conferences and businesses centered on that. He also called for consolidating activities with neighboring communities, such as is done with the 911 dispatch service, to save money.