No room for negative in Sarto's speech

Carpentersville Mayor Bill Sarto will give his first State of the Village address next Tuesday and says it will strictly be upbeat.

The village leader invites trustees, residents and the press to attend the speech, which Sarto described as "very positive, focusing only on the good things that have happened."

However, Sarto said he would not take questions nor participate in discussions with audience members.

"This will be an address, not a debate," Sarto said

Although he is yet to finish the speech, Sarto said the 15 pages he has prepared so far underscore the work village staff has done in the past two years.

"We accomplished things that have never been done and updated things that have not been updated in 30 years or more," said Sarto, who took office in May 2005. "The fact that we have done these things even when we have a dysfunctional board is amazing."

Some of the highlights included in the address are the updated village zoning codes and design standards, the hiring of personnel such as a finance director, village engineer, village planner and economic development director, as well as the village's extensive street repair program.

"I was surprised at how much work we have done," Sarto said. "It is a lot when you put it down into one package. Looking at it all, I am optimistic things are going to improve in the village in the future."

That future could include several projects like developing a special taxing district along Route 25 to entice businesses to the area, attracting hospitals from Chicago to establish a teaching campus in the village, and creating an entertainment district at Huntley and Randall roads that would boast a comedy club and piano bar.

One topic Sarto said he is steering clear of, though, is illegal immigration. The issue has embroiled the village since the fall when a proposed ordinance that would make it illegal to rent to illegal immigrants first emerged.

"I am just trying to highlight the things that we have done that have been successful," Sarto said. "We haven't done anything with illegal immigration, frankly, because we can't do anything about it."

The State of the Village address will be given at the village board meeting at 7æp.m. Aug. 28 in village hall, 1200 L.W. Besinger Drive.