Stephen A. Winz: 2021 candidate for Lisle mayor
In the April 6 consolidated election, Lisle Village Board Trustee Stephen A. Winz is vying for Lisle mayor against incumbent Christopher R. “Chris” Pecak and fellow trustee Sara Sadat.
Bio
Age: 44
Occupation: Crane operator (25 years), International Unions of Operating Engineers Local 150
Civic involvement: Current Lisle village trustee; bicycle and pedestrian committee 2018-19; Lisle Alumni Association; training and mentoring apprentices at IUOE Local 150; and Carlin Nalley Foundation (financed and helped in the creation of the Outstanding Technical and Vocational Student Award in honor of my industrial arts teacher at Lisle Senior High Ralph King)
Q&A
Q: How do you view your role in confronting the pandemic: provide leadership even if unpopular, give a voice to constituents — even ones with whom you disagree, or defer to state and federal authorities?
A: My obligations first go to the village and all the good people we represent. As a representative of the village of Lisle, I felt that in order to protect the village of Lisle from potential litigation, it would have been irresponsible to advise any small business owner to go against state, federal or the county health departments recommendations or requirements.
As a trustee, I took swift and immediate action requesting that staff inquire repurposing our existing grant programs meant to attract new business to Lisle and instead use them to serve and protect our existing businesses. My requests were met with resistance from the mayor and ultimately the result was the mayor's failed gift card program for businesses.
I emphatically advised this would be too little too late in our battle against COVID-19. During all this, I made noticeably clear to the public that my position was to treat this pandemic with the utmost sincerity and concern; that to expedite the community back to normalcy would be to closely adhere to the CDC guidelines. I always wore masks in public and made regular broadcasts on my “Lisle's Livestream,” on my personal Facebook page encouraging the community to work as one.
Q: Did your town 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 providing services. If not, please cite a specific example of what could have been done better.
A: I believe, under the current leadership of the mayor, the Lisle community was drastically underserved. While businesses, governmental agencies, and school districts across the nation learned to pivot and adapt, 7-year-old students learned to utilize technology with reality-based solutions. The mayor regularly refused requests to wear a mask by village board members and members of his own political affiliations. He insists that meeting in person is the only way to show “true” leadership.
This style of leadership lead to the village board and planning and zoning both at times not being able to reach a quorum and conduct regular business for its constituents. Members abiding by CDC guidelines were shunned and ridiculed for self-quarantining. Multiple employees working in the confines of the village offices were diagnosed positive with COVID-19 yet the demands of the mayor continued.
As a community, I do not expect we all agree on everything; as a community I think our leaders should respect requests from the public and other elected officials to best accommodate the varying concerns and comfort levels of all our constituents. Our jobs as elected officials are to govern even for those that disagree with us. Village employee morale is low.
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: The village of Lisle from this moment forward needs to maintain the highest standards of cutting-edge virtual technology to accomplish and administer communications with our residents and businesses. There is a public health crisis in our village and technology could have been used to better inform our residents of the latest ongoing concerns. Elected officials were left to communicate to the community through our personal social media pages when a better functioning infrastructure in place for these circumstances could have put an end to both “fake news” and conspiracy theories.
The village of Lisle needs to be a place where the community can get the facts. I will work diligently to give us that fine reputation.
The village of Lisle needs to listen and communicate with our employees, staff and those represented by the collective bargaining units to compile language in employee handbooks, collective bargaining agreements and village code in order to maintain the highest of standards and public safety. These are our “boots on the ground” and they have the firsthand knowledge as first responders and essential workers on how to administer our services while remaining safe. I believe the storage of PPE would benefit as well.
Q: What cuts can local government make to reduce the burden of the pandemic on taxpayers?
A: I will run a much more efficient form of government and services. Currently, Lisle board meetings have been so inefficiently run they have often carried into the morning hours the following day. Dozens of logged and wasted hours of attorney fees, staff time, and overtime hours for our police occur regularly because of this. This inability to be efficient reflects on our staff and sets a poor example of how to manage our time and provide service in a cost-effective manner. Capital spending on infrastructure needs to be efficient.
I have more than 25 years' experience in building and construction in the private industry. We often are contracted to do public works projects. Under my administration, I will seek to cut bloated administrative costs, reduce overtime hours of staff, and create a more effective snow and ice removal program that better serves the villages employees and our residents. My approach to improving morale of the village employees will create an environment where staff is proud of the village and the work they are doing. This approach has already earned me the private endorsements of many of our staff, and the endorsement of public works Metropolitan Alliance of Police chap. 210.
Q: What do you see as the most important infrastructure project you must address? Why and how should it be paid for? Conversely, during these uncertain economic times, what infrastructure project can be put on the back burner?
A: The village of Lisle's parking infrastructure needs to be addressed. Many local business owners have stressed concerns over places to park. I believe the village of Lisle needs to better utilize its downtown Lisle TIF district, and our relationship with BNSF/Metra to accommodate parking for new residents, tourists and new commuters to the area.
I believe Lisle has practiced conservatism in our infrastructure plans as a rule. I believe we do that so we can afford to maintain our vital infrastructure even in times like these. I believe as we recover from the effects of COVID-19 we should be looking for ways to fund these important infrastructure projects through state and federal relief programs, creating good paying jobs and ensuring that American citizens can maintain a sense of pride and afford to continue to pay mortgages and put food on their tables. I believe the best way for Lisle to pay for these infrastructure problems is through development. The development of blighted property will improve the village aesthetics, put an increased value on property, and, in turn, create new tax revenue through not only property tax but an increase in sales tax revenue.
Q: Do you agree or disagree with the stance your board has taken on permitting recreational marijuana sales in the community? What would you change about that stance, if you could?
A: I believe Lisle should have led the way on allowing the sale of recreational marijuana. I originally voted to allow it and my efforts failed. I then voted to send it to the people of Lisle for a nonbinding referendum and the mayor and village board ruled against hearing from its community members on the matter.
The passing of recreational sales of marijuana could have been a new revenue stream Lisle will desperately need in time of recovery from the global pandemic. Instead, Lisle will likely still feel all the potential negative impacts of the issue as our neighbors to the west build the facilities and reap the rewards of the sales tax revenue as we benefit nothing.
Lisle has had a “wait and see what Naperville does” mentality for far too long. Lisle needs people thinking how to financially prepare for these worst-case scenarios before they happen. I would first start by doing a comprehensive study into the potential revenue stream and then I would like to provide the community with that information as we seek to have a nonbinding question added to the ballot.
Q: What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?
A: Creating a government that leads the way when new technology becomes available. Technological advancements in social media and smartphones are creating opportunities for government to engage the community in brand new ways. I believe we do this by creating a fun and user-friendly app for the smartphone.
• All committee and commission meetings should be broadcast via social media livestream platforms and allow community members to dial in via Zoom.
• Notifying the community with their own custom alerts when a village committee that most interests them are “live.”
• Board meetings posted to YouTube should be sectioned off per agenda item or time stamped so the public can easily review items that they are most interested in.
• NFC codes should be placed at historical landmarks, small businesses that wish to participate, and other governmental bodies like the library, park district and schools creating a long overdue healthy relationship between all these entities.
• Create a village of Lisle press secretary weekly message.
• Creation of a newly devised environmental commission focused on the most cost-effective way to introduce clean energy and modern fuel technologies, coordinating with long time partners like Metra and new members of our business community like Tesla.
Q: What makes you the best candidate for the job?
A: I am a fifth-generation Lisle resident that comprehends the importance of preserving Lisle's great history but understands economic development and new technologies are the only way to secure our place in the future. I have been innovative in the ways I communicate issues to the community via social media.
I regularly broadcast livestream/podcast type informational videos helping to create the most educated, informed, and active residents in any community. Residents attending board meetings and contacting village officials via email is on the rise because our friends and neighbors feel less intimidated by the entire process.
During these videos, I often break down individual items from the upcoming agenda, where I share screens and interact with the community through their comments. These “podcasts” reach thousands of people; many of which contact me and say they are visiting Lisle simply because they follow my page.
I am the best candidate for mayor. I love Lisle and that has been evident to the people of our great community for many years. I have more than 50 local volunteers and hundreds of donations from the residents of Lisle who know that when #lislewinz #everybodywinz. I hope you will join them in supporting my candidacy for mayor of the village of Lisle.