Erin Doerr: 2021 candidate for Des Plaines Park Commissioner
Two candidates for one six-year term
Bio
Hometown: Des Plaines
Age on Election Day: 42
Occupation: Mother, District 62 substitute teacher
Employer: Community Consolidated School District 62
Civic involvement: Commissioner, Des Plaines park board; commissioner, Des Plaines Youth Commission; board member, District 62 Foundation; St. Stephens Catholic Church volunteer; South School PTO (president 2016-2018) and current member; Border Tails Rescue volunteer; Elks Club 1526; Isaak Walton Conservation Group
Q&A
Q. Why are you running for this office? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is it?
A. I am driven by my passion of volunteering and giving back to the community where I live and work. Serving on the Des Plaines Park District board provides me the opportunity to enrich people's lives through our numerous programs and facility events. I believe the park district has some of the best facilities and parks in the Northwest suburbs. I'm honored to currently be on the park board and take part in planning a bright future for the Des Plaines Park District. Ensuring the equitable distribution of all parks and facilities throughout the community is important to me. Residents of all neighborhoods should have equal access to parks and facilities near their homes. When I learned of Iroquois Pool closing, a petition was circulated and earned attention from Des Plaines alderman to support residents. Bringing this issue to the Des Plaines park board with united residents and Des Plaines City Council is what the Des Plaines community needed to give feedback and start planning. Since that park board meeting, multiple public forums have been hosted by the Des Plaines Park District to show off development plans for the future of Arndt Park.
Q. Did your park district continue to adequately serve its constituents during the disruptions caused by the pandemic? If so, please cite an example of how it successfully adjusted to continue providing services. If not, please cite a specific example of what could have been done better.
A. The Des Plaines Park District went above and beyond to serve constituents during the disruptions caused by the pandemic. I'm so proud of the athletics department and dance who both hosted regular online skills videos and conducted practice in a virtual format to keep programs alive and people engaged. The park district was the first to open its two community outdoor pools and even opened a new indoor aquatic facility. We constantly encouraged our residents to be active and enjoy our many pathways during the pandemic. All park district staff worked together with safety in mind. As soon as state guidelines changed, the Des Plaines Park District was ready with communications to patrons regarding safety measures and giving programming updates.
Q. In light of our experiences with COVID-19, what safeguards/guidelines should you put in place to address any future public health crises?
A. This COVID-19 pandemic has taught us all so much. Communications with other government agencies is key and I plan to encourage staff and build on those relationships. Any information from state and federal officials provide guidance to help us better serve our residents and staff and also maintain safety is important. Internal park district committees were formed to help with operations and support department communications. These steps have been documented so they can be implemented as needed.
Q. How has the pandemic affected the park district's offerings and use of facilities. Are there other ways the park board can fulfill the mission of a park district during these times?
A. The Des Plaines Park District did have to close Mystic Waters Aquatic Park in summer of 2020. This large water park was not able to be open due to the many restrictions imposed by the state. We as a park board worked with staff to make sure that we provided services for all of our residences in one way or another. We have offered virtual, in person, group programming in accordance to Illinois Restore guidelines. Innovative staff have lead the way to make sure there are new ways to connect with our residents. Surveys have also been launched to measure customer needs and feedback.
Q. How has the pandemic affected the park district's revenue? How has that been addressed on the expense side?
A. We have seen a major impact to our programming revenues and have also seen a decrease in overall expenditures. Some great news is we did experience better than expected revenues at our Lake Park golf course and marina along with the Golf Center. Staff are monitoring all expenses and falling in with revenue expectations.
Q. What other issues need to be addressed?
A. We continue to exceed expectations for the Des Plaines Park District and cautiously plan for future recreational programming with the expectation that this summer will allow for more facilities to be at capacity. This will be an ongoing issue as this pandemic has affected planning, budgets, staffing needs while always keeping safety in mind.