Incumbent Arlington Heights Trustees, Newcomer Tinaglia Weigh In on Issues

The five candidates for Arlington Heights trustee delved into issues affecting the village Saturday at a candidate forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Arlington Heights-Mount Prospect-Buffalo Grove.

The forum, at Arlington Heights Village Hall, was held in two rooms, including an overflow room due to the amount of attendees.

Incumbents Joseph Farwell, Bert Rosenberg, Thomas Glasglow, Noman Breyer, and newcomer Jim Tinaglia answered questions ranging from the use of renewable energy throughout the village, to attracting new business and the frequency of garbage pickup.

Each issue and the candidate responses are below.

Renewable Energy Program/Green Initiatives

Tinaglia brought up his experience in renewable energy, specifically in his work with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings. The high cost along with the long-term return, he said, have to be carefully considered during the decision making process.

Breyer said he voted for the energy grant which brought money-saving, environmentally friendly vehicles into the village. He said believes in being green where possible, if the economics make sense.

Farwell stated, “Our municipality has been really ardent at trying to do things in a more green manner.” His examples included village plans to extend bicycle paths to making Arlington Heights a more bicycle-friendly community, and the already successful recycling totes that have increased recyclables by 10%.  The village is also looking at converting its team of trucks to natural gas trucks, he said.

Rosenberg said he too, was for renewable energy aggregation. The city has saved the village money on electricity, he said. The use of LED lighting was cited by Rosenberg, and as part of the environmental commission, he said he helped bring recycling to the village.

“I believe in renewable energy from a fiscal perspective, if it makes sense, yes, do it,” Glasglow stated. Examples of how the city has saved money include the electric and hybrid city vehicles, he said.

Attracting Businesses

Tinaglia said he would work hard to ensure that the Chamber of Commerce, Economic Alliance and Economic & Community Department all worked together.  The Chamber of Commerce could benefit from more village support; the Economic Alliance, a group of business owners, would benefit from having their voices heard more, and the Community Department could work with both groups.

In terms of attracting business, Breyer mentions the two car dealerships already brought to Arlington Heights. The village board is already discussing new plans, Breyer said, and cited the proposal by Trustee Tom Hayes that the village begins to work more with the Chamber of Commerce.

Farwell said that the village hired a Business and Development Coordinator in the planning and community department to engage with businesses, get new businesses in, and work on business retention. “In comparison to our neighbors, we’re doing a great job,” he said “but we need to do more.” He said he is in favor of endorsing the Hayes proposal.

“The Village continues to explore opportunities whenever it can,” said Rosenberg. “We annually attend conventions and seek out businesses.” Examples he shared of businesses recently opened in Arlington Heights included car dealerships, h.h. gregg, Ross for Less, and Binny’s. He stressed that the lines of communication between the village and the chamber must be kept open. He agrees with Tinaglia about working with the three groups and with Breyer about Hayes’ proposal.

Glasglow pointed out the 113 businesses that opened in 2012 in Arlington Heights. The vacancy rate, he said, is well below the national average and sales in the village went up last year. The board has been pro-business, he said, and has been working on streamlining the business licensing process. Working with the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Alliance has been, and will continue to be important.

Garbage Pickup

Currently, Garbage pickup is twice a week in Arlington Heights. Is it excessive or necessary? The candidates respond below.

Tinaglia is for once a week pickup, saying that once a week is enough.

Rodents can become a problem if garbage is left sitting around, said Breyer. If someone misses garbage pickup for any reason, the garbage could end up sitting for almost two weeks total, he pointed out.

Farwell stated, “Yes, let’s change it to once a week. It’s a way to save our roads.”

Rosenberg supports the idea of once a week pickup, however pointed out that in the contract it is actually less expensive to have pickup twice a week.

Glasglow said the contract “made sense at the time” because a once-a-week pickup could leave garbage lying around longer when people go on vacation. The contract for garbage pickup includes picking up white goods, such as household appliances, at no extra cost.

The Arlington Heights mayoral candidates also took part in the forum.

Candidates for library board, and their responses to forum questions, will be published later this week on Arlington Heights Patch.