Edward Hess: 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: Glen EllynWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Glen Ellyn parksAge: 55Family: Four great children, three still live in Glen Ellyn.Occupation: Automation Controls Manager of FPE Inc.Education: Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology, Western Illinois University, 1977.Civic involvement: Many years of coaching. Past member of Glenbard West Boosters. Past member of Glenbard West Dance Committee.Elected offices held: Commissioner for the Glen Ellyn Park District.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Hiring a new qualified Executive Director, the current Director has retired. The Executive Director is comparible to the President of a company and as such provides the senior leadership to the entire Park District. A new leader needs to be hired as soon as possible and I feel my experience with the PD will help in hiring the proper executive for GEPD.Key Issue 2 Continuing the fiscally responsible support of the PD parks, facilities, and programs without raising taxes while maintaining positive fund balances.Key Issue 3 Making sure that all 35,000 park district residents are represented and served. That there is something for everyone. From open space at Churchill Park, to basketball and field turf at Ackerman Sports Center, to baseball at Village Green, to bocce ball at Maryknoll. From big to small all should have access to the benefits of the PD.Questions Answers What programs aren#146;t paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?Typically programs that do not pay for thenselves serve a very special need, such as senior citizen programs. These are not a large burden and should not be eliminated. The large programs do pay for thenselves and are watched and adjusted as needed.Is there any additional open space the park district needs to acquire? Please describe.Yes, always. However most large tracks of land have already been purchaed by the PD. There are strategic areas adjacent to current property that should be acquired. Such as Lenox Rd in the SW corner of Ackerman Park. This would open an additional large area that the PD mostly owns but can not use for open space or programming at this time. Are there any unmet recreational needs? If yes, what are they and how would you propose paying for them? Or, should they wait until the economy improves?Since the PD is in the black and has been for the last 12 years there are many cost effective projects and programs that are currently planned. With careful planning this will continue into the future and the PD will be financially healthy. However large capital projects will be determined by public referendum as they always have been. I would like to see the Ackerman soccer fields improved next.Would you support sharing/pooling resources (i.e. printing, vehicles) with other local governments (school districts, village, etc.)? If so, what areas would you consider combining or merging to save money or improve efficiency?All of the local government leaders get together 3 to 4 times a year already, to share and pool resources, and to collaborate on ideas. This has worked very well. In addition there are many cooperative arrangements with the other local governments for example, athletic fields with school districts. I would like to continue these relationships and enhance them if possible.If you are a newcomer, what prompted you to run for the park board? If you're an incumbent, list your accomplishments or key initiatives in which you played a leadership role.Land aquisition: Maryknoll Park (25 acres), Churchill Park (12 acres), Lenox Rd at Ackerman (6 plots), long term lease of Village Green from the Village. Programs: Bringing Baseball to the PD from a private program. Facilities: Development of Maryknoll, Village Green, Spring Ave Rec Center, Main St Rec Center, Newton Park, and Ackerman Sports Center. Along with increased Park District transparency and reporting.