Heidi Lendi: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Heidi Lendi

City: Sugar Grove

Office sought: Village trustee

Age: 49

Family: Married with two children

Occupation: Architect

Education: Bachelor of Architecture from Illinois Institute of Technology; Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Illinois Institute of Technology - Minors in City & Regional Planning and Civil Engineering

Civic involvement: Sugar Grove Plan Commissioner and Girl Scout Leader

Previous elected offices held: None.

Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected? Yes, I was appointed to fill a vacancy in November 2017.

Facebook: @TrusteeLendi

Issue questions

What are the most important issues facing your community and how do you intend to address them?

I think the most important issues facing our community are encouraging needed growth and maintaining our small town feel. I think a successful balance can be achieved with careful planning and listening to our community's needs and suggestions.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

My experiences as a small-business owner, my background in City and Regional Planning, and my volunteer work in the community makes me a person who will help grow our community in a way that is both responsible and productive while maintaining the small town feel that I love about Sugar Grove.

Describe your leadership style and explain how you think that will be effective in producing actions and decisions with your village board or city council.

I like to listen, research, and then act. First, I like to listen to what the community is saying. Then, I like to be informed on the information presented to me and do my own research on items affecting the community. Finally, I am able to effectively share my findings with the Village Board.

How would you describe the condition of your community's budget, and what are the most important specific actions the town should take to assure providing the level of services people want?

I think the village budget is tight but manageable. We need to direct our focus to attracting the type of growth we want and need. I think infrastructure is a vital part of successful growth. We need to make sure our utilities, streets, police, and fire departments are properly maintained.

What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?

I would love to have all parts of Sugar Grove connected via sidewalks and bike paths in a way that you could get anywhere in the Village without a car. I think this would benefit the health of our community and the environment.