Flossmoor Mayoral Candidate: Michelle Nelson

FLOSSMOOR, IL — The mayor's seat is up for grabs in Flossmoor this year, as current Village President Paul Braun will not be in the running in April. Candidate Michelle Nelson is hoping to claim the position this year and is one of two running for the spot in April.

Nelson recently filled out the Patch candidate survey, and her answers can be found below.

If you are a candidate for the April election, and would like to answer our Patch candidate questionnaire, please email yasmeen.sheikah@patch.com.

Michelle Nelson

Age (as of Election Day)

45

Town/City of Residence

Flossmoor

Office Sought

Village board or city council

Party Affiliation (if a partisan race)

Non Partisan

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Occupation

Civil Engineer and Project Manager for large commercial developments, 7 years (retired to stay at home to raise my children when my 3rd child was born)

Campaign website

www.michelleforflossmoor.com

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

I was appointed as a Commissioner on Flossmoor's Zoning Board of Appeals in 2009. The Village of Homewood appointed me to the Homewood Science Center Board in 2005.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing our village is how we spend referendum dollars to improve road and sewer infrastructure. We need to immediately seek parallel grants from federal, state, and county sources to use the referendum money as efficiently as possible. We need to competitively bid the engineering portions of the work -- which we are not currently doing. We also need to bid road resurfacing work earlier in the year -- the first quarter, as opposed to the current practice of bidding it in the second quarter -- which should result in lower bids.
Of course, there are other pressing financial issues of nearly equal importance. I will develop new revenue streams to help repair our upside-down budget. I will address skyrocketing pension costs -- one of the reasons our village is “in the red.” I will work to develop village-owned real estate into productive, revenue generating businesses.

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?

I absolutely support Black Lives Matter, as well as all of our friends and neighbors who have protested, demonstrated, or spoken out to challenge the disparate impact policing policies have on persons of color. While I do not think we are likely to have similar events in Flossmoor, these events have helped me to understand the fear and uncertainty our friends and neighbors experience when they interact with the police.

I recognize the risks of a “that couldn’t happen here” mindset. We need to carefully and continually assess our policing policies to ensure that we are approaching law enforcement in our Village fairly. For each George Floyd, Jacob Blake, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor - among many others - we need to assess whether we have the policies, personnel, and training in place to ensure similar tragedies do not happen in Flossmoor. I have already met with police department personnel to discuss their current policies, and over the last year I have reviewed each of these cases, as well as other materials such as the Department of Justice’s report on policing in Ferguson, Missouri. Most of the time, I am relieved to learn that we have policies in place that would prevent similar tragedies here, but there are occasionally valuable lessons learned that need to result in policy changes.

Our police department can also improve its working relationship with Flossmoor residents. It should hold meetings or events in each of our neighborhoods to better connect with the residents they serve - and to give residents a chance to provide feedback they otherwise might not give.

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

I am not sure any of us have done “enough” to support racial equality.

With respect to the Village Board specifically, there are limits to what they can accomplish on their own. Our Board has asked why more minority-owned firms are not bidding on Village contract work, and has even asked the Village Manager to reach out to minority-owned firms when work is up for bid. I am recommending that we also begin competitively bidding larger professional services contracts - such as the recently-awarded $160,000 contract for engineering services for a sewer repair project, which was not competitively bid, and that we make similar efforts to encourage minority-owned firms to bid on these projects. However, at the end of the day, the Village is a public body and legally bound to award work to the lowest responsible bidder.
I think the Board and Trustees can support racial equality going forward by carefully addressing some of the policing policies I discussed above, and by more promptly responding to concerns raised by residents.

I also think that much of the work that needs to be done has to happen both inside and outside of local government. We need to talk to our friends and neighbors about their life experiences, frustrations and goals. I believe the Village can do more on this front by promoting community conversations led by trusted community leaders and organizations.

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?

Flossmoor has experienced low infection and mortality rates compared to some of our neighbors, thanks to our residents and business owners who have done their share to help “stop the spread”. Measures such as limiting capacity in non-essential businesses (including restaurants), providing additional hand sanitizing stations, social distancing, and mask-wearing are all practices that I support.

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?

At the time I write this, we are nearing the end of January and still working through the 1a group of vaccination distribution and beginning the 1b group. There is not yet a clear timeline for rolling out the vaccine to additional groups or where vaccines will be made available. The Village can help by being ready to contact residents to make sure they know when and where they can get vaccinated, and by proactively reaching out to at-risk groups (such those 65 years and older) to ensure they have the latest information. While vaccine distribution is largely in the hands of the county and state health departments and health care providers, the Village can encourage vaccinations by providing this information, and can remind residents to treat their friends and neighbors with respect by continuing to wear masks, wash hands, and limit social interaction until experts have decided it is safe to relax some of these practices. The Village can also explore getting a mobile unit from a local healthcare provider or agency, to help serve residents who aren’t able to leave their homes or do not have access to a vehicle.

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

Preparation and experience. Over the past several years I have invested hundreds of hours into understanding every detail of village operations. I toured our Public Works facilities on several occasions, went on ride-alongs with our police department, and met with police department personnel regarding current policies. I regularly attend and participate in Village meetings. I have developed relationships with several local elected officials and met with dozens of local business leaders. I helped Flossmoor businesses obtain grants to better market themselves -- and, by extension, Flossmoor. I have met with locally elected officials and leaders from our H-F Park District, Library, and School Boards. I have met with hundreds of Flossmoor residents across the entire village - both individually and through dozens of “Meet & Greet” sessions hosted by Flossmoor residents this fall - to hear their thoughts and concerns. My experience as a civil engineer positions me well to address our infrastructure priorities, including bringing fiber to Flossmoor, identifying and removing remaining lead water lines in our village, and obtaining additional funds to pave shared roads that are in disrepair. Last, I will hold regular, weekly office hours for residents to share their ideas and concerns.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

I have established a comprehensive set of strategic initiatives to address both the financial issues we are facing, while in parallel strengthening our Flossmoor brand and sense of community. If elected Mayor, I will work with our elected officials, residents, and business leaders to:
1. Create a master commercial development plan for the Village and bring in businesses that will thrive while increasing our revenues.
2. Reinstate business incentives made available by Cook County, such as the Class 8 business incentive, which temporarily reduces the property taxes for commercial customers in order to incentivize business development.
3. Prioritize maintenance of our central business district, as well as all parks and public places, via private sponsorships, collaboration with the Park District, and volunteer efforts.
4. Create a coordinated community events calendar, increase the appeal of struggling events such as Brewfest and Winterfest, and support community initiatives such as the Hidden Gem Half Marathon, Community Conversations, and other no-to-low cost events. Events will be used for marketing and community building by sharing event information with local Realtors and other community partners.
5. Expand the efforts of the History Project by creating an electronic historic home walking tour of Flossmoor that can be used to teach architecture to our students, boost civic pride, and promote our impressive history to potential homebuyers.
6. Improve security and safety by having our Police Department host community engagement events in each neighborhood, slowing the cars along main thoroughfares with high pedestrian traffic, promoting regular campaigns within the community to raise awareness of safety concerns, and developing a sidewalk cost-sharing program for residents who wish to replace their sidewalks which, while uneven, are not bad enough for the Village replacement program.
7. Provide regular opportunities for residents to meet with the heads of our major departments and elected officials. Additionally, each trustee will become a representative on a village commission and we will provide leadership and internship opportunities for students.
8. Improve community dialogue and communication throughout Flossmoor. We will establish a “Silver Commission” to discuss how to accommodate a senior community that is expected to grow 30% in the next 15 years. Additionally, we will present neighborhood awards to recognize good deeds of neighbors and neighborhood beautification and renovation efforts.
9. Actively promote school district quality and achievements on social media, and to Realtors, government partners, media, and prospective residents.
10. Cut excessive spending in areas such as stipends, vehicles, conferences, and consultants, and re-prioritize where we spend our money -- focusing on failing infrastructure. We have operated at an overall deficit for the past several years and many capital projects have been left unfunded.

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

As a civil engineer and project manager, I managed millions of dollars worth of commercial construction projects annually for customers such as ComEd, Archipelago, Morningstar, and the Union League Club of Chicago.

As a small business owner, I created a business out of my home and grew it into a brick and mortar store. As a result, I understand the challenges small business owners face. I created a “Spotlight on Flossmoor Small Business” series that features Flossmoor-based businesses and encourages people to shop local.

As a community activist, I’ve raised tens of thousands of dollars for the School District 161 PTO, South Suburban PADS, South Suburban Humane Society, Flossmoor Service League, Respond Now, the Jones Memorial Center, and the Homewood Science Center.

As a visionary, I helped establish HF Robotics and the Homewood Science Center in order to provide unique STEM opportunities for children throughout the southland.

As a mother of four, I have managed to do all this while juggling the most important priorities in my world, my own four children. I believe that in order to raise compassionate and productive citizens of the world you must model that behavior by building up those around you, from serving neighbors who lack the most basic needs (like shelter, clothing, and food) to working with other neighbors on projects that are unifying.

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

In order for me to consider my term a success, key accomplishments would be threefold: we will have developed Flossmoor’s brand and image throughout the Chicagoland area, we will have made concrete progress on new commercial development and revitalization of existing commercial properties, and we will have reversed the trend of financial spending that exceeds our revenue streams.

Why should voters trust you?

Voters should trust me because I have demonstrated honesty, integrity, and a passion for improving our community in the 17 years I have lived in Flossmoor.

I have been working to make Flossmoor a better place for a very long time. I have served as a Commissioner on Flossmoor’s Zoning Board of Appeals since 2009, where I work with homeowners to help them achieve goals for their property, while balancing community ordinances and values. I have handled funds and chaired fundraising efforts for School District 161, Flossmoor Service League, Homewood Science Center, HF Robotics, Respond Now, the Jones Memorial Center, South Suburban PADS, and South Suburban Humane Society -- all strictly as a volunteer. Residents know that if I’m involved, their hard earned donations will go straight to the intended recipients. They also know that if I say I’m going to organize a program or work for a cause, I will follow through. I’ve also successfully created accounting systems for business and not-for-profit organizations, including the Homewood Science Center.

Voters can also trust that I will listen to their concerns. Even as a mere community member, I have helped neighbors de-escalate tensions with other neighbors, listened to neighbors’ concerns regarding equity and policing, had coffee with dozens of small business owners, and talked with scores of residents as to why they chose Flossmoor, what it will take to keep them here, and how we can continue to build the foundation of this gem of a community.

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

The Village of Flossmoor has a “save first, then spend” policy, which I agree with. But Flossmoor has not stuck to this policy when it comes to funding infrastructure projects such as roads and sewers. We should be repaving 2.5 miles of Village roads each year according to our 2017 Pavement Management Report, but we have only been repaving roughly 1 mile each year for several years. Our aging sewers have not been adequately maintained, which has led to large flooding problems in areas such as Heather Hill’s Berry Lane and our central business district. The Village is not keeping up on these maintenance items - and has not set aside capital to do so. That is a major reason why the Village faces a very difficult financial picture over the next several years.
We need to return to the “save first, then spend” policy. That means developing commercial property where possible, since Flossmoor homeowners currently bear 83% the local property tax burden. We need to return to a balanced budget, and once we have done that, we need to set aside surplus funds for capital projects, such as the roads and sewers we have fallen behind on.

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:

Growing up, my father would always stress to me that "there are two sides to every story" and the importance of taking time to learn why folks think and feel the way they do on BOTH sides. I've been very fortunate to talk with hundreds of residents to learn what issues are important to them and why they are important. Our approaches and life experiences often differ, but the core of our values and why we love living in Flossmoor mostly align.

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

My slogan is "Run with Me" because I'm an avid runner. I run through the neighborhoods of Flossmoor at the start of each day to see how neighbors across town are doing -- what they are celebrating via signs and decorations on their property and where they are struggling due to acts of mother nature and breakdowns of infrastructure. If I have not had the opportunity to meet with you, please drop me a line. I would love to learn about you, your goals for Flossmoor, and how we can "run" together to strengthen this gem of a community!