Michael Kozel: 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: BarringtonWebsite: http://barrington2013.comOffice sought: Barrington Village President (4-year Terms)Age: 59Family: I have two sons Jake age 24 and Sam age 27Occupation: I am the owner of Carpenter On Call a building and remodeling company I am a partner in Angel Guardian a company that makes modifications in homes for residents with diminished capabilities I am a partner in Isle Partners a rental property businessEducation: Bachelor of Professional Studies from Roosevelt University with honors Masters of Business Administration from Northern Illinois UniversityCivic involvement: Member of Chamber of Commerce former Rotarian Volunteer Brew Fest, 4 of July paradeElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: Candidate did not respond.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 First the downtown redevelopment needs to get back on track. I will consider market conditions and involve local business and property owners to move forward a redevelopment plan. Opportunities currently exist for residential development; this will help increase the overall amount of business done in town. Residential development will not compete with commercial property owners in place or seek to take their tenants.Key Issue 2 The second most important issue to me is the lack of ability of the current board to work with other groups and forge positive working relationships. We lost Inverness as a partner with our police force, now we are in danger of losing Barrington Countryside Fire as a fire department partner. Commercial property owners are at odds over the latest redevelopment plans and it goes on and on. I will bring a collaborative approach to better work with other parties for a better Barrington.Key Issue 3 We need to develop a plan to make Barrington more pedestrian and bicycle accommodating. Narrow sidewalks and a lack of bicycle lanes make for a lack of accessibility throughout Barrington. There is a distinct lack of bike racks. While Barrington has multiple trail systems nearby, there is no compressive trail system to help bicyclist to navigate the area.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I would be the best candidate for the job because I understand what it takes to redevelop Barrington's Downtown. First we need market focus, office and retail as currently planned for the Hough-Main project will not succeed. In order to get things going downtown and to help current business, Barrington needs a residential imperative. Years of turning down multi-family residential projects has caused the deterioration of the downtown we see today. Many formal residential homes have been turned into offices, which has driven residents out of town. It is as simple as emulating successful commuter communities that currently exist and improving on those.Given the delicate balance between the need for revenue and over-taxing local businesses, what is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.Barrington has high enough tax and water rates already. Properties taken off the tax rolls need to be put back on the tax rolls. Barrington needs to invest in infrastructure to attract private development in our town. This is something that has been missing under current administration policies.Talking with your friends and neighbors, what seems to be their biggest public safety concern? Explain the concern as you see it, and discuss how you think it should be addressed.The number one concern at this time appears to be the break-up of the Barrington Fire Department and the Barrington Countryside Department. Under new leadership I am certain this break-up can be averted, and a strong working relationship can be restored.In these tight economic times, municipal budgets have to be prioritized. Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?I don't fully agree with your assessment of tough economic times. The recession has been over for some time, and current conditions are more likely the new normal. Services for seniors need to be increased and services for yard waste should be expanded. The streetlights in our residential areas have little aesthetic appeal. We need to look at ways to get on a program to bury the overhead lines through town.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I think we need a downtown public area where Village events such as the Fourth of July festival, Art fairs, and many other community events can be held. A permanent space with amenities that would accommodate public activities will provide more opportunities to bring people downtown. In order for Barrington to compete with places like the South Barrington Arboretum and Deer Park mall we need to differential ourselves.