David Michael Stieper: Candidate Profile

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:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: Barrington HillsWebsite: http://www.votestieper.comOffice sought: Barrington Hills Village boardAge: 47Family: My Wife's name is Darla and we have two Children, John, age 10 and Michael, age 7. Both John and Michael attend Countryside School. My father and brother are also residents of Barrington Hills.Occupation: Self employed, managing attorney of Stieper Law Offices Ltd. I concentrate my litigation and trial practice in the areas of real estate, construction, professional liability and commercial litigation including zoning and land use matters.Education: IIT Kent College of Law, Juris Doctorate 1990Illinois Benedictine College, MBA (Finance) 1988Lake Forest College, B.A. Economics 1986University of Lvov, Ukraine (former USSR) Summer of 1983University of Beijing, China Summer of 1984Civic involvement: Barrington Hills Plan Commission, appointed in 2003chair of the B.H. Plan Commission since June 2010 Member of the Board of Trustees for Barrington Area Conservation Trust (BACT)Boy Scouts of America; volunteer leader and participantTee ball baseball coach, Barrington Park District Member of St. Mark#146;s Episcopal Church in Barrington Hills Prairie State Legal Services: represent on a #147;Pro Bono#148; basis since 1997 low income families facing mortgage foreclosure or who have lost their homes through fraud or other investment scams. Member and volunteer attorney for Youth Conservation Alliance, non-for profit orginization dedicated to teaching children about outdoor conservation related activities.Elected offices held: None.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 BOARD MEMBER INDEPENDENCE One of the primary reasons I am running for Trustee as an independent candidate is to demonstrate to residents of Barrington Hills that one does not need to belong to a slate or local political party to win an election in our Village. When elected, I will propose that our Village Board present a referendum to our residents changing our election status from ""partisan"" to ""nonpartisan"". Election of slate and political party members can result in a monolithic Village Board. Independent Board Members allow coalitions to form with the best interests of the community in mind without consideration to slate or party loyalty. Prospective candidates should not feel it necessary to join local political parties or slates who raise tens of thousands of dollars, promote homogenious team slogans and employ outside political consultants in order to serve the Village in a volunteer elected position.Key Issue 2 FISCAL ISSUES: Current and expected economic conditions demand elected officials who fully understand municipal finances and proper management techniques to effect cost efficient practices in providing only necessary government services. My first step will be to propose a change to the Village Code requiring all contracts and expenditures above a stated amount be approved by at least a majority of the Village Board. Further, I believe one area that demands careful attention is spending on legal services. A village of 1,500 households should not be spending over a million dollars a year (upwards of $800.00 per household) on legal fees.Key Issue 3 LAND USE:I believe our Comprehensive Plan properly articulates the character and goals of our Village. The Board must ensure that all existing and future zoning supports the Comprehensive Plan. Effective zoning not only maintains the desired character of the Village but protects property values within the Village limits. The objective of zoning is not to restrict one's enjoyment of their property but to ensure the character of the Village is maintained.Questions Answers Describe your personal position on the outdoor lighting ordinance.I do not support the Outdoor Light Ordinance as finally drafted by the Board of Trustees. In my opinion, the ordinance does not regulate outdoor artificial lighting to the extent necessary to support the language of our Comprehensive Plan, which describes the countryside nature of our Village. Because of this, I believe that in order for the zoning text to properly support the Comprehensive Plan, the Plan should be modified removing any reference to artificial lighting on private property.Generally speaking, do you see the village of Barrington Hills as the product of strong regulation or as a bastion of individual property rights? Should the practices of the past be changed or maintained?The character of Barrington Hills is the product of strong and consistent regulation dating back to its founding (ie. covenants contained in deeds to land requiring minimal lot size). As it is my desire to maintain the current character of Barrington Hills, past land practices should continue to be employed. Property owners do have the right to enjoy the use of their property, so long as it conforms to zoning regulations as determined by objective standards. Should the village's requirement of minimum 5-acre lot sizes be maintained or should land owners have the right to divide their property as they see fit?The Village of Barrington Hills should not deviate from its current land use and zoning practices. It is the 5 acre lot that defines the character of this Village, and deviation from this would negatively impact property values by altering the character of the Village.Would the village benefit from a modest amount of commercial development? Where, if anywhere, should a commercial area of the village be established?I do not support expanding commercial development in Barrington Hills.Should equestrian uses of land within the village be further regulated?Yes, with the caveat that equestrian uses of land should only be regulated to the extent necessary to maintain and promote the equestrian character of the community as articulated in the Comprehensive Plan for the Village of Barrington Hills. This would include regulations which will bring into conformance larger equestrian facilities, some of which have been in operation for many years.