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Brett Gouveia: Candidate Profile

York Center Park Board (6-year Terms) (Democrat)

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: LombardWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: York Center Park Board (6-year Terms)Age: 55Family: MarriedOccupation: Computer Technician/Mechanical EngineerEducation: Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering-Seattle University(1983) Masters in Energy Engineering-University of Massachusetts(1995)Civic involvement: York Center Community Group Board MemberElected offices held: NoneHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 I have a background in Green Energy technologies. I would like to incorporate some of those such as solar or wind into the parks if economically feasible.Key Issue 2 Costs to the taxpayers is an important issue to me. I will make every effort to weigh costs vs benefits to the community when evaluating spending.Key Issue 3 Make sure the parks department is responsive to what our community wants and needs are and to make sure we are serving our constituents. That may mean sending out surveys to find out what the York Center taxpayers are thinking about specific issues.Questions Answers What programs aren't paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?Some programs are worth spending money on if they are helping enough kids/adults and the cost is not exorbitant. We are in the business of serving the York Center and sometimes that does cost. Costs must be weighed against by how well and how many people are being served. Cost is a factor but not the only one in determining if a program is successful.Is there any additional open space the park district needs to acquire? Please describe.Yes there is land available but I have no opinion at this time. If I get elected to the board I will have more information to have an informed opinion.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?I would wait until the economy improves unless they is already money available in a fund or though grants.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?Yes if it does reduce costs and keeps the service at an acceptable quality.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.I am running for the York Center Park District Board because I have lived in the York Center since 2003 and would like to give back to this community that I call home. I believe that with my Engineering background I will bring a unique and valuable perspective to the board.