Below are candidate-submitted answers to a biographical survey Riverside-Brookfield Landmark sent out to all candidates running in this year’s elections.
Political experience: VIP member for many years and the daughter of the late Charmaine Kutt, Village Clerk for over 17 years.
Community experience:
- Active Komarek School PTA member as well as former PTA executive board member for past 5 years.
- Little League chairman, active Mater Christi parishioner, Riverside Brookfield Booster member, served on NR 75th anniversary committee, block captain for Neighborhood Services, and creator of Dreams for Daniele.
The most important role as village clerk of course, is to record accurate minutes and have them posted in a timely matter. We need to provide different avenues for displaying our minutes and important information throughout our village. In my opinion, the village clerk should also be the central communicator amongst all department heads, village officials, residents, and businesses. A much needed technological facelift to our village web-site would be my first start. For those without access to a computer, a recorded televised meeting is another option. Minutes would also be displayed at our Library and business office.
In keeping up with technology, emailing agendas to officials as well as residents and businesses is one of my goals as village clerk. I would also like to see information spread throughout our village about our local schools and different organizations within our village. Communication amongst my fellow employees, and committee chairs is what I believe has made me successful. Instead of working individually, let’s open the lines of communication through our clerk’s office and become even more successful. Let’s use our resources from within our community to work together. Organizations and businesses would also be able to share their information within the clerk’s office. If they are successful, then so are we!
Once again, information from village meeting and documentary information should be made available for every resident. An open door policy is something that I have always honored both in my community involvement and professionally. Through technology, many different links on our website will contain any information our residents may need. Whether it be agenda and minutes, village codes, land development code, citizen information or voter information, it will be made available. As mentioned before, if a resident does not have internet access, a simple phone call to the clerk’s office is all it will take and it will be delivered to them.
A goal of mine is to not just broaden availability of information on village meetings and committee meetings, but broaden the village clerk’s office as a whole. By communicating with different committee chairs and department heads, important information will be easily displayed on the village website by clicking on different links. By having this information easily available, a resident can simply walk into the business office and information can easily be printed out for them. An accurate calendar of events is another way to ensure that every meeting and local advisory meetings are posted. A simple email to the clerk’s office with their minutes will be displayed for residents and businesses.
I strongly suggest the Village of North Riverside look into the possibility of recording village board meetings for the public to witness. As mentioned previously, we should use our resources. RBTV is one option to look into and of course, our local cable company. Residents are not properly informed on our local government and that is a big issue. We should also look in to the possibility of having our local businesses advertise during each meeting. Our village is definitely in need of a technology facelift as mentioned. The use of a flat screened monitor is another idea for the future. Again, businesses can advertise and meetings can be displayed on them throughout the village commons and or library. I strongly feel by doing all these things, reaching our goals and having a vision for the future, we can regain the resident’s trusts and look towards the future of a better North Riverside.
