Durkin Displays Gratitude for Victory

What better way of showing your gratitude to the voters of Downers Grove then by saying thanks?

Two days after winning a second term on the Village Council, Commissioner Sean Durkin purchased red-and-white "Thank You" stickers from the Sign Stop and applied them to five remaining campaign signs.

"I thought of the idea Tuesday night after the results came in," he said. "I thought it would be a nice way to say 'thank you.'

Durkin views campaign signs as "a marketing tool" that he tries to use "to their fullest extent."

He doesn't doesn't know if any candidates have used the method to thank their supporters in the past, but "I am sure this will become the norm in future elections."

Village Posts Candidate Spots on YouTube

April 1—The Village of Downers Grove has posted spots of Village Council, Park Board, and District 58 and 99 school board candidates on YouTube. The spots were recorded by village staff as a service to the community.

"Once the production of the spots was completed on Wednesday, we had some time left for the staff to compress the files and get it posted," said Doug Kozlowski, communications director.

"We really wanted to make it available to as many people on as many venues as we have in our disposal before Election Day," he said, adding "we're going to be utilizing the village's YouTube channel more going forward."

In addition to posting the "Meet the Candidates" spots on YouTube, the village is broadcasting them on DGTV-Ch.6 and AT&T Channel 99, and streaming them over the village website beginning at 7 p.m. tonight; at 9 a.m., noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday, April 2; at noon, 3 p.m, 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Sunday, April 3; and 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. Monday, April 4.

The village will also broadcast and stream the League of Women Voters candidate forums on Monday, April 4. The District 58 and District 99 candidate forum will begin at 7 p.m. followed by the Village Council candidate forum at 9 p.m.

Early Voting Ends March 31

March 31—Early voting ends today at 4:30 p.m. at Village Hall. This is the last opportunity before the consolidated election on April 5 to cast a ballot.

Turnout is said to be light. When I voted at 4:20 Wednesday, the count less than 1,000. Whether that is predictive of the Election Day turnout remains to be seen.

PDHA Posts Candidate Responses

March 30—Pierce Downer's Heritage Alliance has posted on its site answers from Village Council candidates who responded to the group's questions on environmental conservation and and cultural and natural preservation. 

The not-for-profit corporation posed the following questions:

1. What action have you taken in support of conservation or environmental groups in the past few years?

2. What are your views on the role of local government bodies in publicizing and advancing conservation efforts?

3. What are the three most significant challenges that local governmental bodies face in the area of conservation?

4. If elected, specifically how would you use your position to aid the preservation of our community's cultural traditions, including our rich architectural heritage?

Mayoral candidate Martin Tully and Village Council candidates Mark Thoman, Geoff Neustadt, Dominic Scalzetti, Craig Skala and Becky Rheintgen responded to the questionnaire. 

Sandack Offers Endorsements in Email Blast

March 25—Mayor Ron Sandack today emailed residents his endorsements for the Village Council.

In signed "Ron Sandack, 20-year resident of Downers Grove," the mayor threw his support behind incumbents Geoff Neustadt and Sean Durkin, and newcomer Becky Rheintgen, who he said is "the only new candidate to publicly state unequivocally that she stands ready to stay the course paved by the majority on the last council."

A check of Rheintgen's website indicates she also has the support of Durkin, Neustadt and Commissioner Bob Barnett, who also has been promoting her candidacy via social media. The three commissioners, with the mayor, have proven a consistent voting block since Barnett joined the council in 2009.

With Sandack set to pass the gavel to Martin Tully, who is running unopposed, it appears from his letter that he wishes to keep the block intact.

Tully has declined to endorse any of the nine candidates for Village Council, none of whom, with the exception of Rheintgen, list supporters on .

Fraternal Order of Police Won't Offer Endorsements

March 23—The Downers Grove Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 73 has opted not to endorse any candidates for the Downers Grove Village Council.

"The FOP decided as a group not to endorse anyone," said Andrew Blaylock, lodge president. "This was not based on any of the candidates, the lodge just did not want to get into politics at this time."

Village Council Candidate Forum Tonight

March 23—Village Council candidates will participate in a forum from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight in the Council Chamber at Village Hall.

The event will be hosted by the League of Women Voters of Downers Grove, Woodridge and Lisle, and  is the second and final local candidate forum of the 2009 election season.

The forum also will be broadcast on DGTV Channel 6 and AT&T Channel 99 and streamed over the village website  three times before Election Day: at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 26; 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 29; and 9 p.m. Monday, April 4. 

Readers Invited to Submit Endorsement Letters

March 21—Patch readers who wish to express their support for a candidate or to discussion a campaign-season issue are invited to submit a Letter to the Editor to run through April 1.

All letters must be signed with a first and last name, and include a contact number for verification purposes. The phone number will not be published.

Submit your letters to elaine@patch.com by 5 p.m. April 1.

Sandack Shares Letter He Sent to AG

March 20—Mayor Ron Sandack, at the request of Patch, shared the letter he sent to Attorney General Lisa Madigan seeking an opinion on whether the use of village staff and equipment to tape candidate forums would constitute a violation of  the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. 

The letter, dated Feb. 15, went out on Sandack's senatorial stationery:

Dear Attorney General Madigan,

Dear Pursuant to 15 ILCS 205/4, I am writing to request an official opinion regarding  the applicability  of The State Officials and Employee’s Ethics Act (5 ILCS430/1-1 et seq.)(“The Act”).  The Act was adopted, as required, by the Village of Downers Grove as Article 1.30 of the Code of Ordinances.  It should be noted that under this Act the Village is specifically prohibited from adopting standards which are less stringent than State law.  

The Act and Section 1.32 of the Village Code prohibit employees (defined as full-time, part-time or contractual) from intentionally performing any prohibited political activity during any compensated time (other than vacation, personal, or compensatory time off). The Act and our Code further provide that Village employees shall not intentionally misappropriate any Village property or resources by engaging in any prohibited political activity for the benefit of any campaign for elective office or any political organization. 

Prohibited political activity is broadly defined under the Act and our Code and includes, but is not limited to, the following:

(1) Preparing for, organizing, or participating in any political meeting, political rally, political demonstration, or other political event.

(2) Campaigning for any elective office for or against any referendum question.

Political is defined, in part, as: “Any activity in support of or in connection with any campaign for elective office.”

Campaign for elective office is defined, in part,  as :  “Any activity in furtherance of an effort to influence the selection, nomination, election, or appointment of any individual to any federal, State, or local public office ……” 

The Village of Downers Grove operates is own public access channel (DGTV 6).  Village employees operate DGTV 6 and are charged with taping and broadcasting all programming that is aired.    Village equipment is used for taping and Village employees are compensated for time spent taping programs to be aired on DGTV 6.

Village employees are being asked by the League of Women Voters to prepare for and participate in (by taping or rebroadcasting) a candidates’ forum which is being organized and sponsored by The League of Women Voters.  This candidate’s forum consists of questions posed to all the candidates for local offices and allows for their response to such questions.   The League of Women Voters, on its website describes itself as a “nonpartisan political organization.”  Because this candidates’ forum is a political event or activity in connection with the individual candidates’ campaigns for public office, would requiring Village employees to tape/rebroadcast this event during their compensated time be a violation of the Act, as adopted by local ordinance?  Would this be considered a prohibited political activity? 

An additional question is whether Village employees may be required during compensated time to tape and broadcast “candidate’s spots” on DGTV 6.  A “candidate’s spot” would consist of a short segment which is devoted to each candidate for local office.  No specific questions would be posed and the candidates would be allowed to speak on issues of interest to them.  Would this be considered requiring Village employees to participate in a “prohibited political activity”?

The plain language of the Act appears to prohibit this type of activity, and I am not aware of any case law or AG opinions which offer any additional insight.  

Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to your response. 

Sincerely, 

Ronald Sandack
State Senator
21st District

Village Will Record, Broadcast Candidate Spots

March 18—In a letter dated today, Village Manager Dave Fieldman offered Village Council, Park Board and school board candidates the opportunity to record spots for broadcast on DGTV Channel 6.

Each spot of up to five minutes in length will be shown as part of a "Meet the Candidates" broadcast scheduled to air between April 1 and Election Day April 5.

"Although there is a short period of time between the issuance of and the April 5 election, the village has been able to shift resources to allow for this service to be provided for all candidates on an expedited basis," Fieldman wrote. 

The village is offering each candidate a one-hour block of time for production of the spot for a total of 28 hours of staff time. All spots will be filmed on a studio set which includes a chair, coffee table and bookshelves. No other decorations or campaign materials will be allowed.

Candidates will be able to bring a guest with them for coaching and feedback between takes, but the guest won't appear on camera.

The spots can be claimed March 21 and 22 on a first-come, first-served basis, with village staff "solely dedicated to answering calls and scheduling these candidate spots between 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Monday, March 21, Fieldman wrote. The deadline for reserving spots is 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 22.

DGTV Slates Forum Broadcast Schedule

March 16—The Village of Downers Grove will broadcast each of two League of Women Voters candidate forums three times before Election Day April 5. 

Doug Kozlowski, village communications director, said the March 16 forum for District 58 and District 99 school board candidates will be broadcast on DGTV Channel 6 and AT&T Channel 99 and streamed over the village website  at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 19; 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 22; and 7 p.m. Monday, April 4. 

The March 23 Village Council candidate forum will be broadcast and streamed at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 26; 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 29; and 9 p.m. Monday, April 4. 

The process used for recording an event is different than that used to televise live, Kozlowski said. Live broadcasts require additional staffing and cost. 

Mayor Tweets News of AG's Ruling

March 15—Mayor Ron Sandack today posted on Twitter and Facebook that he has received clearance from the Illinois attorney general's office for the village to record and broadcast candidate forums set to be hosted by the League of Women Voters on March 16 and 23.

"Received the clearance letter from the Attorney General this afternoon...will attach it later. It is non-binding, BTW," Sandack tweeted at about 3 p.m.

The Village has posted the attorney general's letter on its website.

Opportunities to Meet, Hear Candidates

March 15—With early voting already in session and only three weeks until Election Day, voters may want to take advantage of some upcoming opportunities to hear and meet the candidates for local offices.

• The Downers Grove Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry, in partnership with the Woodridge Chamber, will host a "Meet the Candidates Business After Hours" event from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, March 16 at at Celebrity Dance Studio, 2115 63rd St., Downers Grove. Registration is required. For more information call 630-968-4050, or visit www.downersgrove.org.
• The League of Women Voters of Downers Grove, Woodridge and Lisle will host a forum for District 58 and District 99 school board candidates from 7-9 p.m., Wednesday March 16 at Village Hall, 801 Burlington Ave.  The LWV is still awaiting word whether student volunteers from Downers Grove North High School will gain permission from their teacher to record the forum, said Mary Ellen Matthies, league president.
• A forum for Village Council candidates will be held from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, March 23 at Village Hall, 801 Burlington Ave. This forum will also be hosted by the League of Women Voters, and in a new development, will apparently be broadcast. 

DGCA President Speaks to Candidate Podcasts

March 15—Despite public comments calling for the Downers Grove Community Advocates to release podcast interviews of all candidates who participated in the group's Feb. 26 caucus, no one has directly approached the DGCA president with that suggestion.

"No one has reached out to me personally for that," said Dan McInerney, DGCA president. He wasn't sure if the group's secretary, Megan Schroeder, had fielded any requests of that nature.

The Advocates haven't discussed the possibility of posting all interviews to McInerney's knowledge. "No one has pitched it to the group internally as far as a I know," he said. "It didn't come up with the group as a discussion point."

Historical, the Advocates have only posted podcast interviews of endorsed candidates. The group began the practice with the 2009  election cycle.

The DGCA has struggled just to get the endorsed candidate interviews posted, McInerney said. "It's cumbersome. We had two systems in place for audio. Our priority is to get interviews with the endorsed candidates out there."

Early Voting Continues Through March 31

March 14—Early voting began today and continues through Thursday, March 31 at Village Hall, 801 Burlington Ave.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Early voting is offered as a convenience to registered voters. Unlike absentee voting, it's not necessary to provide a reason for voting early. 

For those who prefer to wait, Election Day is April 5.

Chamber Posts Second Candidate Question

March 14—Now available on the Downers Grove Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry website are podcast responses  to the a second question addressed to Village Council candidates.

The Chamber posed this question to mayoral candidate Martin Tully and Village Council candidates Mark Thoman, Craig Skala, Becky Rheintgen, John A. Page, Geoff Neustadt, Greg Hose´ and Sean Durkin:

Question 2: Businesses in Downers Grove contribute to the financial, personal, cultural and societal well-being of the community.  If you are elected, how do you intend to support the business community with your vote, ensuring that the voice of business is heard and supported?

Chamber of Commerce Posts First Candidate Question

March 11—The Downers Grove Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry has posted answers provided by village council candidates as part of the organization's Candidate Podcast Forum.

Mayoral candidate Martin Tully and commissioner candidates Sean Durkin, Greg Hose, Geoff Neustadt, John Page, Becky Reintgen, Craig Skala and Mark Thoman provided one-minute recorded answers to the first of three questions posed by the Chamber:

1. What are your strengths, beliefs and/or life experiences that make you the best candidate for Village Council/mayor?

2. Businesses in Downers Grove contribute to the financial, personal, cultural and societal well-being of the community. If you are elected, how do you intend to support the business community with your vote, ensuring that the voice of business is heard and supported?

3. The village has taken cost-cutting actions in all departments. Additionally, taxes have been raised to ensure financial stability. More cuts and increases may be on the horizon. Do you support the recent cuts and tax increases? If so, why? If not, what specific alternative actions would you recommend?

Answers have yet to be posted to the second and third questions. Candidates were required to answer all three questions in order to be included in the forum.

The Chamber also established ground rules for the Q-and-A, requiring that answers be unedited and prohibiting candidates from using the answers in their campaign without written permission. The Chamber also reserved the right to cut responses that "directly and intentionally do harm to an opponent's campaign."

Answers were recorded by the Chamber's Legislative Impact Network Committee chairman Steve Hrbeck  by appointment at his office and at Village Hall on February 8 and 15. Candidates also were given the option of recording their own answers.

DGCA Posts Podcasts of Endorsed Candidates

March 10—The Downers Grove Community Advocates has posted questionnaires and podcast interviews of candidates endorsed by the group.

The move came despite requests from Village Council candidates Mark Thoman, Greg Hose and John A. Page and others to post interviews of all candidates interviewed by the group. The interviews with five Village Council and Park Board candidates were conducted at  that was open to the public. 

The DGCA explained on its website that its "decision to endorse these candidates was based on the responses to the questions asked, both written and verbal. Factoring in to the decision was the experience and knowledge DGCA members have of current and historical village issues."

Village Council candidates Sean Durkin, Geoff Neustadt and Becky Rheintgen, mayoral candidate Martin Tully, and Park Board candidates Bob Gelwicks, Matt Cushing, Cathy Mahoney and Mark Roman were endorsed by the DGCA. 

Sandack Introduces District 58 Candidate to Senate

March 10—District 58 candidate Rose LaRue-Slater met with State Sen. Ron Sandack Wednesday at the State Capitol. 

Sandack  had invited participants at a recent District 58 legislative breakfast to contact his office if they wished to visit him in Springfield to observe a typical legislative day. LaRue-Slater attended Senate committee meetings and visited the Senate floor where  "she was warmly welcomed," according to a tweet by Sandack.

Others who are interested in visiting Sandack while in Springfield should contact his district office at 630-792-0040.