Ray Deyne: 2023 candidate for Bartlett Village Board, 4-year term

Bio

Town: Bartlett

Age on Election Day: +65

Occupation: Environmental consultant

Employer: Advanced Environmental Corp. (principal).

Previous offices held: Bartlett Village Board trustee since 2015. Past president, Bartlett Jaycees; past president, Bartlett Rotary; chairman, Bartlett Leaning Center golf outing; past chairman, village of Bartlett Plan Commission.

Q&A

Q: What is the most serious issue your community will face in the coming years and how should the village board respond to it?

A: The economic uncertainty at the federal and state level. The potential economic slowdown facing the county is a significant concern in the coming years. We should respond as we did during the initial years of the pandemic. The village had a very conservative budget, we evaluated capital expenditures as they were bid as well as in the long term plan. We also found that when there are economic concerns and development is slow, we must keep working to be able to respond quickly when opportunity returns.

Q: How would you describe the state of your community's finances?

A: The state of Bartlett's finances are very sound. The village received an "unmodified opinion," the best that can be designated by our auditors for the review of the 2021 financial audit report. In addition, Moody's Investment Services reaffirmed our Aa1 bond rating. This the second highest rating awarded.

Q: What should be the three top priorities for spending in your community during the next four years?

A: 1.) Infrastructure. Maintaining and expanding our infrastructure to create safe and reliable services to our residents came back to center stage after delaying projects due to the pandemic. Of equal importance is traffic safety and intersection improvements at Route 59 and West Bartlett Road. The improved intersection is a large part of the strategy to address the safety and traffic volume on Naperville Road. We have an intergovernmental agreement with the state to share some of the costs for the improvements.

2.) Public Safety. The recent village survey revealed our residents feel safe living, working and raising their family in Bartlett. The continued investment in our police department through purchasing equipment, providing training and hiring police officers are paramount to providing a safe community.

3.) Continued incentives to spur economic development. We will continue with BEDA grants, which is an incentive program completely funded from revenues generated from video gaming.

Q: Are there areas of spending that need to be curtailed? If so, what are they?

A: One of the biggest responsibility of a trustee is making decisions about the annual budget. Finding ways to improve efficiencies and work to lower costs without cutting services is not always simple. To cut spending, we have to innovate, find new solutions and use every opportunity to use grants. Evaluating how services are provided are key to curtail spending.

Q: What do you see as the most important infrastructure project the community must address? Why and how should it be paid for? Conversely, during these uncertain economic times, what project(s) can be put on the back burner?

A: Waste water treatment is one of the biggest issues facing our community. Keeping our water supply clean and maintaining our sanitary sewer system is a vital responsibility. The completion of the new wastewater treatment facility is key to meeting the growing needs of our community, improve efficiency, and meeting the ever-increasing EPA requirements to insure clean water is discharged from our facility. This has already been budgeted.

Of equal importance is traffic safety and intersection improvements at Route 59 and West Bartlett Road. The planned turn lanes and expansion improvements will make the intersection safer. We have an intergovernmental agreement with the state to share some of the costs for the improvements. The evaluation of the need for the Oneida water tower was conducted and a plan to address this project was incorporated into the five-year Capital Improvement Plan. At present, the cost for the tower's removal is too high and can be put on the "back burner."

Q: Describe your experience working in a group setting to determine policy. What is your style in such a setting to reach agreement and manage local government? Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions with your village board.

A: After 40-plus years of serving our community on the plan commission and now on the village board, I have always been and will continue to be an advocate of gathering as much information as possible regarding the subject that would come before us. I have always and will continue to listen and calmly discuss the relative issues.

Although there have been some different opinions, which is understandable, I have always tried to be reasonable, responsible and fair in my decisions keeping a commitment to the village as a whole. I can honestly say I have served under numerous village boards and mayors, currently our board is the most understanding, calm and cooperative in discussions I've experienced in 40-plus years. They and myself represent the village in a manor that we can be proud of. There is no animosity or self direction.

Q: What makes you the best candidate for the job?

A: My decades of experience building consensus, first on the plan commission and now on the village board. My years of community involvement helps me understand the needs and the concerns of our residents.

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

A: We have to provide training opportunities and work collaboratively to enhance our emergency response. For example, this fall I attended and observed rescue task-force training to prepare for a joint response to an active shooter situation conducted by the Bartlett Police Department and the Bartlett Fire Protection District with other area departments. This innovative training model was aimed to improve the coordination and response times. The need to work together as Bartlett agencies, and also with our neighboring communities was highlighted during the multiday fire response that occurred in our business park last winter. Multiple agencies responded and required extensive coordination and communication. I would like us to provide more opportunities for our first responders to work and train together. Such training makes them better able to quickly and professionally respond to emergency events.