Guy Franzese, Burr Ridge Trustee Candidate

BURR RIDGE, IL — Guy Franzese is one of the five candidates for three seats on the Burr Ridge Village Board. Here are his responses to the Patch questionnaire:

Guy Franzese

Age (as of Election Day)

65

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

B.S. Chemical Engineering, University Of Utah
Master’s in Business Administration, Cum Laude, Lewis University
Licensed Professional Engineer, State of Illinois

Occupation

Project Manager at a local engineering firm, 42 years of experience serving the petroleum, petrochemical, and specialty chemical industries.

Campaign website

https://www.facebook.com/Vote1...

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Trustee, 2013 to present
Mayor Pro-Tem, 2019 to present
Plan Commissioner, 1997-2013
Chairman, Environmental Quality Commission, 2018 to present
Chairman, Waste Hauler Franchise Committee, 2015 to present
Chairman, Stormwater Committee, 2013 to present
Member, Street Policy Committee, 2013 to present
Member, Water Committee, 2013 to present
HOA President, 2003 to present
HOA Secretary, 1999-2003

The single most pressing issue facing our village is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The most pressing issue is also the most important responsibility of a Trustee —to keep the residents of Burr Ridge safe and secure. I have always had a continuous goal of ensuring the safety of Burr Ridge residents and making it a top priority at the Board level. I will continue to prioritize the safety of our residents by making sure that Burr Ridge continues to have the best trained and best equipped police force, with the highest skilled and most dedicated policemen and policewomen available.
COVID-19 has disrupted all of our lives. It has hurt some harder than others. I will ensure that the Village will do what it can to help the residents through this pandemic. Whether it is facilitating specifications about the vaccine rollout, or spending additional, personal time physically handing out masks to Burr Ridge residents as I did four times last spring, I will make sure the Village will do what it can to help the residents stay safe during this pandemic.
In addition, I will continue to work hard to maintain the infrastructure in our Village. As a Trustee I will safeguard our roads to make sure they are safe to travel on in winter or summer, as well as ensuring the proper maintenance of our water distribution system.
Resident safety is the main reason I led the Village Board in the fight against Sterigenics. As the Chairman of the Environmental Quality Commission, I led the effort to bring a concise, well-researched platform of standing to the Board for it to act upon. I was fortunate to work with an exceptional group of Burr Ridge residents on that Commission, all of whom were dedicated to the safety of their families and their neighbors. I participated and spoke at the Stop Sterigenics rallies and fundraisers. I attended and spoke at the IEPA public hearings. I attended the court hearings in Wheaton. I did all of this because back in August of 2018, the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) released the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) report listing the dangers of the continued Ethylene Oxide (EtO) emissions and exposure to the residents who live, work, go to school, and play near Sterigenics. Without hesitation, I jumped on board in the fight against Sterigenics.
Resident safety is the main reason I championed the effort to land a franchise waste hauler in our Village for the first time. Previously, we had four (4) waste haulers, each with three trucks (refuse, recyclables, yard waste) circulate through our Village on a weekly basis--12 trucks total! With the franchise waste hauler agreement, we now have one waste hauler with only three trucks. This agreement has several benefits to the residents: 1) fewer waste trucks on our roads which means safer roads, 2) less wear and tear on our roads as waste trucks are the heaviest trucks that regularly use our roads, and 3) cost savings to the residents. My bill went down 40%. My father's bill went down 70%. Other residents saw similar savings. Our Village will see savings.

Do you support Black Lives Matter and what are your thoughts on the demonstrations held since the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake?

All human beings need to be treated equally.

Do you think the current board has done enough to support racial equality, and if not, what specifically should be done to do so?

The Village of Burr Ridge is a widely diverse community of exceptional residents. Our Village Board, past Village Boards, our valuable volunteer Committees and Commissions, and our Staff all reflect this diversity as well. We are fortunate to live in such a community.

What are your thoughts on the national and local coronavirus response? Do you favor measures such as limiting operation of non-essential businesses and restricting indoor/outdoor dining? And do you favor a local mask mandate?

The national and local coronavirus response has been challenged with an effort that has been difficult to coordinate on all levels. It is unprecedented in the history of our nation how to quickly develop and implement a response to an enemy you can't see without a microscope. There is always room for improvement.
I am not in favor of limiting non-essential businesses. All businesses are essential, if they serve the needs of our residents. I am not in favor of dining restrictions. If businesses and restaurants follow CDC guidelines and IDPH guidelines, require masks, sanitize, temperature screen, social distance, and so on, the businesses should be allowed to operate.
Given the current metrics, I support a national mask mandate. The pushback I see from those who don't want to wear a mask reminds me of the pushback I observed when the State of Illinois first legally mandated drivers and passengers in motor vehicles to wear seat belts. Sure, masks are inconvenient, they get dirty, they cost money, and they make it harder for others to understand us when we speak. However, right now, they can help prevent the spread of this virus, like seat belts protect us in an accident.

What are your thoughts on the state and local coronavirus vaccine distribution, and how do you think local governments should work together to handle vaccine rollout?

Vaccine availability has been challenged on all levels, including the manufacturing of and national and local distribution. I like that priorities have been identified so that first responders, health care workers, and those over 65 can receive the vaccine first. Again, we are all in uncharted water. We are rolling out a national vaccination program for a vaccine that was recently created. It has never been done before. If service improvements can be realized by local governments working together, I will support the efforts and pitch in.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

1) My experience. No other candidate has any Plan Commission experience. I served 16 years as a Burr Ridge Plan Commissioner, during the greatest growth period in our Village's history. I participated in the development of the Village Center, Lifetime Fitness, Loyola Medical, four Corporate Park office buildings, two hotels, and 14 subdivisions— all with careful and wise input from the Plan Commission and the residents. This experience will be invaluable if and when the TCF Bank property is developed.
2) No other candidate has my level of experience as a Trustee--8 years with my record of accomplishments
3) My dedication to Burr Ridge. No other candidate serves on more committees and commissions than I do. My service to the Village goes back to 1997, which is 24 years of continuous service to the Village I grew up in. Serving on the various Committees and Commissions demonstrates my commitment to this Village.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

1) Besides ensuring the safety of our residents, my goal is to help our valued Burr Ridge businesses survive this pandemic. I supported our tent program which was a huge success for our restaurants. The Village was reimbursed by the CARES program for the tent expenses. I supported our small business recovery plan that helped our small Burr Ridge businesses weather the pandemic, while those costs were covered by available hotel-motel funds.
2) I will continue to provide direction and support to the Village Center and County Line Square so that they can retain their existing businesses and attract new businesses that serve the needs of our residents.
3) With the impending I-294 Tri-State Tollway rebuild and expansion, the Board must be vigilant so that the construction activities have the least amount of impact on our residents who live near I-294.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

1) I led the two-year uphill battle to land a franchise waste hauler agreement for the first time in the history of Burr Ridge. That means safer roads, less wear and tear on the roads, and cost-savings to the residents.
2) As Chairperson of the Environmental Quality Commission, I coalesced a variety of splintered efforts at the resident and Board level in order to showcase a united front against Sterigenics on behalf of Burr Ridge. My role complemented and supported the fine work that the Stop Sterigenics group was performing.
3) I have never shied away from a task or assignment in my service to this Village or in my career, no matter how hard or how difficult it was.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office as a success?

1) Know that I have done my best and worked my hardest so that every resident and every business in our Village can survive this pandemic.
2) Work to minimize the impact of the I-294 Tri-State Tollway rebuild and expansion has the smallest impact on the residents.
3) Insure the careful planning and development of the TCF Bank property, should it be developed.

Why should voters trust you?

Because I am honest, hardworking, and truthful. I have continuously made obvious these qualities with my family, my career, and my service to the Village.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the use of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?

I have always been a strong proponent of a balanced Village budget. As a Trustee, I am always on the lookout for ways to save the limited resources we have at the Village, whether the resource is tax dollars or employee efforts. Cost savings, efficient staffing, and wise spending are always at the forefront. If a resident looks at his tax bill, less than 2% of that bill goes to the Village. For example, if a tax bill is $10,000 for 2020, $200 of that bill will go to the Village. For that $200, the residents receive 24/7/365 police protection from our CALEA certified police force, well maintained roadways, plowed and salted roadways, a great network of pathways linking the Village together, special events (pre-Covid) such as concerts, a car show, Jingle Mingle, a 5K marathon and so on. Residents also enjoy the services from our fine dedicated staff who perform a wide variety of tasks to serve the residents, such as reviewing and approving building permit applications, planting parkway trees, processing water bill payments, maintaining our water mains, and hundreds of other tasks necessary to keep a Village like Burr Ridge strong. As a Trustee, I have a responsibility to the residents to maintain the high level of service they have come to expect.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

No

The best advice ever shared with me was:

The best piece of advice I received was from my World War II veteran father. He said “Be thankful for the hard jobs. If the jobs were easy, anybody could do them.” He was right! I have never shied away from hard work.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I value my service to the Village and will continue to serve and support our residents and our fine businesses.