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Name:
Dennis Palys
What office are you seeking?
Trustee
What is your political party?
Not applicable
What is your current age?
75
Occupation and employer:
School bus driver, McHenry District 15/156
What offices, if any, have you previously held?
Current Trustee, Village of Wonder Lake
Past President of the Wonder Lake Chamber of Commerce
Past President of WonderView Improvement Association, (HOA)
Current Trustee of the Nipppersink Watershed Association
City:
Wonder Lake
Campaign Website:
No
Education:
BA, University of Illinois, Springfield
Horticultural Landscape courses at McHenry County College
Community Involvement:
Nippersink Watershed Association, Trustee and volunteer
McHenry County Table Tennis Club
Wonder Lake Yacht Club
The Land Cnservancy of McHenry County
National Wildlife Federation
Marital status/Immediate family:
Married, 4 children
Questions:
Many of the new housing developments planned or recently built throughout the McHenry County area have been multi-family rather than single-family, and many are rentals rather than owner-occupied. What are your views on this trend? Do you support this type of development? Why or why not?
The need for affordable housing is driving construction of multi-family townhomes and condo’s. There are many advantages to starting your home buying experience in a multi-family unit and then moving on to a single-family home and communities that are providing services can do so more efficiently in planned communities. Wonder Lake is an an area with a plethora of older single family homes of many different designs and sizes, and many of these are rentals. Maintaining a balanced community is important.
A recent study commissioned by the McHenry County Board found a need for more workforce housing in the county. Do you support any form of subsidized housing to address that need? Is there enough affordable housing in the community and, if not, how would you attempt to address that?
Yes, it is worth the effort to check is federal grantrs are available to aid subsidized housing, although I think the Wonder Lake area has sufficient available single family housing for a family’s first home.
Another possibility is to build homes that are designed in such a way that they can be modified to accomodate a larger family, allowing families to stay in their community.
Additionally, I think all new construction should be built as ‘solar ready’. I would support a local ordinance establishing that.
Should local law enforcement cooperate with ICE to identify and deport immigrants who do not have legal status to be in the United States?
If they are deporting immigrants with criminal records, yes.
What are your top three priorities for our city, and how do you plan to address them?
The newly annexed business district on Hancock Drive is an exciting opportunity for us. I support to providing services and incentives to enhance this area.
Ensuring that water delivery is maintained with minimal interruption. The Village has gone through a transition period fully taking on the water delivery system and has succeeded in providing quality water service.
Ensuring that our waste water treatment maintains a high quality operation and remains available for expansion. I support the efforts of the current administration efforts in this endeavor.
Public Works is an extremely important part of any community. I support the continuing buildup of our Public Works Department.
How do you intend to balance economic development with environmental sustainability in the community?
As a trustee and volunteer in the Nippersink Watershed Association I have spent many hours creating a trail system in what is known as Merchant Creek, a public natural area in the heart of the east side of Wonder Lake. One of my responsibilities as trustee in the Village is PHRED - Pollinator Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Department. PHRED helps to create natural areas for native wildflowers, and we are part of the National Wildlife Monarch program. We currently have sites in vacant lots and some roadways that we manage through our volunteers, and are actively looking for more. PHRED also manages the Wonder Lake Gardens for individuals needing garden space. Wonder Lake also currently manages an extensive system of parks providing many acres of open space.
What are your plans for enhancing public transportation and infrastructure in the city?
I would encourage working with PACE to continue and expand service to Wonder Lake.
What role should the city council play in supporting local businesses and economic growth?
Our Village administrator can, and does, search for grants available through county, state, and federal agencies. We can work with any eventual local business organization, creating special taxing districts or explore other incentive programs.
What are your top public safety concerns for our community and how would you propose addressing them?
Installation of a traffic light at the intersection of Route 120 and Stonewater Parkway. The Village has been pressing IDOT for many months to accomplish this.
Ensure that the Wonder Lake Police Dept. has the sources needed to handle the projected population.
How will you ensure that city policies promote inclusion for all residents?
To the best of my knowledge it is still the law of this nation to not to discriminate against any group or inividual. The Village has, and will, follow the laws of this nation. As a Village representative I will work to ensure we follow the established laws of our nation.
Do you support requiring government officials to publicly disclose potential conflicts of interest, and how would you enforce this?
Yes. Currently the county requires a financial disclosure form to be filled out annually.
How will you make sure you are accessible to your constituents?
My phone and email address is available on the Village website.