Winnetka Council Caucus Nominates Trustees, Approves Platform

The Winnetka Council Caucus voted on its candidates for village trustee and approved this year's platform at its annual meeting on Monday.

Winnetka residents dotted the Skokie School Auditorium and voted with their voices in what caucus chairman Irma Villarreal described as the "purest form of government." Despite anticipated conflict over issues such as affordable housing and stormwater management, the meeting was relatively calm. Some residents commented amongst themselves afterward that it was one of the shortest they could remember.

Earlier: Differing Opinions on Affordable Housing at the Winnetka Council Meeting

In all, three candidates for trustee were unanimously approved to represent the caucus in the upcoming election:

Jack Buck: A graduate of and Notre Dame, Buck went on to earn his MBA from the University of Chicago. At this point in his professional career, he serves as a senior vice president of real estate development for the John Buck Company. His civic involvement includes the Big Shoulders Foundation, Freedom to Learn, the John Buck Foundation, and the Economics Club of Chicago.

"The reason I want to run this year is because of all of the major projects pending," Buck said. "Stormwater is on everyone's mind, and where you save a lot of money is before you even put a shovel in the ground. I'm a developer, and with my financial and construction background I can help taxpayers save their dollars." 

Patrick Corrigan: A resident of Winnetka for the past 12 years, Corrigan graduated from the University of Wisconsin before getting a masters in finance and marketing at Northwestern University. He's now a commercial real estate developer who does business in several states. Outside of work, he's involved in the Chicago Academy of Science, the Maybrook Foundation, Chicago Trust's Young Leaders Forum, United Charities Metropolitan Board, and the Northwest Chicago Redevelopment Corporation. 

"As a self-employed developer, I'm very conscious of costs," Corrigan said. "I think we can improve in that are of efficiency in the village." 

Stuart McCrary: A 21-year resident of Winnetka, McCrary got his undergraduate and graduate business degrees from Northwestern University, where he's written textbooks on economics and finance for the classes he teaches as an adjunct professor. He's currently an economic consultant at Navigant. Civically, he's an avid musician (singing at various charity benefits) and a regular volunteer (A Just Harvest Soup Kitchen and the Winnetka Caucus).

"What could I offer the caucus council in terms of skills that would be valuable for a trustee?" McCrary asked himself. "For one, conflict resolution from my experience as an expert economic witness for pending litigation." 

Villarreal called a vote: "All in favor?" Residents responded with a chorus of  ayes.

"Anyone opposed?" Silence.

"Congratulations, gentlemen," Villarreal said. 

The Caucus also approved its extensive 2011 platform. For an in-depth look, check out the full document on the Caucus' website.

Meanwhile here are the highlights from the Parks, Village, Library and Schools planks: 

Parks:

• The Park Board ought to communicate better with the public about the Skokie Playfield Master Plan. 
• It should also research ways to privately reduce costs for improving the Hubbard Woods Ice Skating Shelter. 
• Third, the Park District should focus on improving beach facilities for the summer.
• Finally, the Board should work with other agencies to manage stormwater at Skokie Playfield.

Village:

• Trustees should finalize the Storm Water Management Plan as soon as possible. 
• The Council should create a Storm Water Utility Fund to pay for improvements.
• The Council should think about using special service areas for more funding for the above improvements.
• Village staff should educate the public on information about flooding.
• The Council should end discussions about Affordable Housing.

Library:

• The Board of Trustees should help patrons become more aware of the library's technological services and provide support for residents to use them.
• The Board should draw special attention to the Katharine Greeley Genealogical Collection.
• The Board should conduct a survey to see whether patrons are satisfied.
• The Board should improve the Winnetka branch's building, and find ways to use space at the Northfield branch better.

Schools:

• The School Board should stay aware of resident satisfaction and should address concerns raised in surveys about transparency and accountability.
• The Board should do a better job of communicating by using email, surveys, forums, presentations and public Q&A sessions.
• The Board should look for ways to improve curriculum, instruction, student assessment, enriched learning, foreign language skills and tutoring.

Stay tuned for more on the Winnetka Council Caucus. Like us on Facebook to join the political conversation.