About Jon E. Monken
Biographical data and questions and answers from St. Charles aldermanic candidate Jon E. Monken.
Name: Jon E. Monken
Position sought: 1st Ward Alderman, St. Charles, Il.
Campaign contact information: jmonken@stcharlesil.gov
What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?
The single most important priority is to continue to work with city sfaff and community commissions and review and respect the information they provide to maintain a balanced budget while continuing to provide the quality services that our residents expect.
Home address: Ward 1, St. Charles, Il. 60174
Family members:
Jeanne Monken, Wife
Virginia Monken Gomez, Daughter (35)
Jonathon Monken, Son (33)
Education:
Bachelor of science degree in recreation administration, University of Illinois, 1974.
Current occupation and employer:
Executive director for the John B. Norris Recreation Center for the past 27 years.
Political party affiliation: Independent
Why Are You Seeking Office?
I am running for re-election for First Ward Alderman for the City of St. Charles. I would like to continue to give back to the community that has given me and my family the most rewarding lifetime experiences we could have asked for. Raising and educating our children here has become their foundation for successful and rewarding lives.I stay committed to maintaining our St. Charles heritage as we grow and develop.
What sets you apart from the other candidates?
I beleive the experiences I have gained in my first term as alderman is significant. My 27 years as Director for the Norris Recreation Center along with my memberships in St. Charles Noon Rotary, St. Charles Chamber of Commerce, and St. Charles Downtown Partnership, along with my wife teaching in St. Charles for 25 years, provides me with a great opportunity for open communication and involvement in our community.
Issue 1: What is your ecomonic development strategy for the city of St. Charles?
I believe the city needs to work with the Plannng Commission andfocus on the First St. Development and the Charlestown Mall to bring the right businesses in and to successfully build quality facilities to add to our tax base.
Issue 2: In light of the anger over the Lexington Club controversy, what steps would you take to restore trust in city government? To increase transparency?
The Lexington Club controversy was the greatest challenge we faced. I truly respect the opinons of the residents that opposed the development, but I respect the Plan Commissions unanimous approval for the development after the concessions and adjustments were made after years of negotiating. If the developers had left, it would have cost the city nearly as much to clean up the contaminated area as the TIF, and would have sent a negative message to other developers considering doing business with our city.
Issue 3: What steps would you take to help resolve the complaints of alcohol-related problems in the downtown area?
I believe the city is on course with the establishment of the Bar Owners's Association and our City Police Department in addressing the concerns of our alchohol-related problems. This is not a quick fix but is a step in the right direction. The City of Naperville is addressing the alchohol-related problems having had more serious events, so we are not unique to this issue.
Please add any other information pertinent to your campaign.
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Charles Davis
1:37 pm on Thursday, March 7, 2013
Mr. Monken is so wrong about the Lexington Club project that is is beyond funny. Had the project been turned down, Lexington would still have owned the property and they, not the City, would have been financially responsible for cleaning up the property. Had they sold the parcel, then the new owner would have purchased it knowing that it had to be cleaned up.
Pete Richards
11:21 pm on Friday, March 8, 2013
Charles, you are right on in your comments; the City would not have had to clean the property up. What Mr. Monken fails to comprehend is not that the residents were opposed to development on the site; what they wanted to see wanted to see what a development that would have matched the neighborhood better in terms of both density and type of dwelling units. By giving the developer exactly what they wanted, the City Council ensured that this will never be a project that St. Charles can point to with pride and Alderman Bessner has said that most of the townhomes will become rental units, so it will in effect become a rental complex.
Steve Swanson
10:05 pm on Sunday, March 10, 2013
Any Alderman who does a 180 degree switch on his position in a fourteen day period, without there being any new information come to light, owes it to the citizenry to explain why he switched before he casts his vote. Mr. Monken you can come up with all the excuses in the world after the fact, but you should have had the courage to be up front with the residents instead of caving into the pressure from the City administration. You owed the public at least that much.
Luke de Beir
1:56 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013
By not attending the Aldermanic forum last evening (Thursday, March 14th), Mr. Monken showed how little he thinks of the voters of St. Charles. I hope the voters remember that on April 9th.