edgebrookcommunity.org
Edgebrook Community Association | PO Box 46591 | Chicago IL 60646
Edgebrook Community Association | PO Box 46591 | Chicago IL 60646
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Robert Murphy Answers the ECA's Follow-up Questions |
In 2014 the Chicago Tribune reported that the average resurfacing cost for residential streets is $400,000 per mile. Can City resources other than an alderman's menu budget be tapped to maintain neighborhood streets? Can the cost of resurfacing be decreased?
I fully support reassessing how aldermanic menu money is distributed and push for it to be based on size of ward and amount of side streets in ward vs. the current flat amount for each ward. Not all wards are created equal and downtown wards are not suffering a lack of resources while we have 6 square miles to cover in our ward. We need to move the city away from only addressing street repair through menu money. The city must properly maintain side streets and fill potholes. Menu money should be used for other items like new street lights, sidewalk repairs, and other essential items. As alderman I would also work with our state legislators to make sure that any capital bill that passed in Springfield had significant money allocated for our neighborhoods as well. We should always be looking closely at ways to cut cost without cutting services so if there is a way to reduce the cost of resurfacing residential streets, I will get to the bottom of it. For instance, in some California towns they’ve started to grind and resurface up to 4 inches of pavement, recycling all old material and then adding an additional 2 inches of rubberized asphalt. This is saving them nearly 25% on every resurfaced road. It is essential that we look at other cities around the country to see best practices and what cost saving innovations we can implement here.
Would you initiate a campaign to move the Edgebrook train station north so no standing trains block Devon Ave?
Yes. We need to find solutions to help traffic flow and this will help our local businesses. We need to work together with Metra to find a fix that works the best and moves trains out of the right of way. I would also initiate an effort to move freight trains off those tracks during daytime hours to also reduce congestion. Finally, we have to find ways to leverage Metra’s parking to help our local businesses during the weekends.
Would you support bringing back the City’s Department of Environment?
The reorganization of this department was expected to save the city $3.6 million. I support efforts to make our city more environmentally friendly and sustainable, but we should be careful not to add unnecessary staff to an already bloated city government. Putting the 39th ward at the forefront of sustainability is one of my top priorities. I will be a champion of environmentally friendly measures on the city council as a way to invest in our future, to create jobs, and to support local initiatives.
In parts of Edgebrook, rain and melting snow often result in flooded streets. Standing water attracts mosquitoes and rodents. Can funds be secured for sewers and curbs to protect the health of our community?
Absolutely, this needs to be properly addressed by the Dept of Streets and Sanitation. One of the big issues is making sure the city is cleaning our drains so that water is not standing on our streets. This would include expanding street sweeping into November to remove the leaves after they actually fall. Also, many streets in Edgebrook remain WPA streets, without curbs, gutters, or drainage. As Alderman I will work for a long-term funding solution to upgrade all of our streets.
WEC Energy (the parent of Peoples Gas) is involved in a controversial pipe-replacement project that imposes a monthly surcharge on all Chicagoan’s gas bills. Would you support Alderman Cardenas’ resolution to get answers on soaring heating bills and get the resolution out of the City Council’s Rules Committee where it was sent to die?
Yes, I support any measures that provide more transparency for our residents about their bills, whether it be heat, property taxes, or other services.
How will you tackle the issue of airplane noise?
As your alderman, I will work with community organizations such as the Fair Allocation in Runways Coalition (FAiR) and locally impacted residents as well as local civics, to work out a neighborhood-based plan to reduce air traffic and noise over our homes. I was a co-founder of the FAiR Coalition because I saw that our local representatives were not taking the issue seriously or advocating for residents. As alderman I will advocate for a permanent institution of nighttime flight rotation and fly-quiet protocols to limit overnight airplane noise. I will sponsor legislation in City Council for the creation of a Noise Task Force to review best practices for noise reduction and community involvement from throughout the United States and internationally. I will push to be on the Aviation Committee in City Council, and I will work federally with our congressmen, particularly Chuy Garcia who has supported many of the FAiR Coalition planks in the past and has endorsed my campaign.
As an Alderman you not only represent a Ward, but the City as a whole. What is your priority for moving our city forward?
One of the first things we need to do moving forward is to stop the wasteful spending the city has done in creating large TIF districts that have become piles of money to be used at the Mayor’s discretion. We need to stop the mega-TIFs being proposed in Lincoln Park and the South Loop. These TIFs would remove almost $2 billion dollars from the city budget and CPS’ budget, and that would end up being a tax hike on the rest of us. One of my biggest priorities in standing up for our community is to be sure the city is spending our money wisely and fairly and not funding big developer profits. Beyond getting our fiscal house in order, we desperately need more voices on city council to push for real ethics reforms. Giving the Inspector General subpoena power over aldermen and all city departments and officially making the office of alderman a full-time position limiting outside employment that aldermen may have will be two big steps in the right direction.
What can an alderman do to improve public safety by slowing down speeders in our neighborhood?
Where appropriate, speed indicator signs can be placed indicating to drivers how fast they’re going and encouraging them to slow down. Also installing in-road pedestrian stop signs where appropriate would have an impact in slowing vehicles down. Speed bumps can be part of the solution, but we have to cautious about unintended consequences, like making plowing the street virtually impossible. Also, we can regulate turns on to our side streets during rush hours and work with CPD on regular enforcement and to identify problem areas. We could have more frequent patrols to help address and alleviate some of these speeding issues. I would work with ECA and the community to identify the options and the best solutions.
How can Chicago improve its 9% recycling rate which is the worst percentage among the nation’s larger cities?
Currently, our recycling system is not being audited to ensure that goals are being met. The first step is to audit our recycling program and hold contractors accountable to make sure that we are doing everything we can to ensure our city is recycling responsibly. If the terms of the contract aren’t being met, we must bring recycling into the fold and have Streets & Sanitation take on the handling of our recycling. We also fundamentally need to do a better job as a city informing residents how to properly recycle their items.
What is the role of City Council in addressing congested elevated trains and grid-locked roads? What improvements can be made to Chicago’s transportation system and how do we get started on making improvements?
Our train lines are great, but we need to look at ways to make them friendlier to our neighborhoods and not just downtown centric. Having a rail line that is north-south for instance, where there are existing lines that are decommissioned could bring an influx of infrastructure and development to neighborhoods like the west side while relieving stress and congestion on lines like the blue line. We also have 48 stations that are not ADA compliant and that needs to be addressed immediately. City Council needs to push CTA and CDOT to utilize all available federal and state grants and as alderman I would of course advocate for improvements and added funding in any Springfield capital plan.
Do you support a “Robin Hood Tax” on transactions at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange to raise funds for schools or to apply to the pension deficit?
Yes, I do. While this may not ultimately be successful because it would be better as federal law, there is no reason for us to shy away from this sensible tax if there’s any chance it could be successfully implemented.
Where do we begin in solving the problem of lead in our water?
In the summer of 2018, I, along with other volunteers, successfully circulated petitions to put an advisory question on the ballot in several precincts of the 39th ward that took on City Council inaction on lead water service pipes in Chicago. When voters were asked the question, of whether the city should hold hearings over 90% agreed the City Council should be looking at the issue.
The ultimate solution to the problem of lead water service pipes is to replace them. Unfortunately, instead of looking to find the financing to make our water safe, the City Council delayed hearings and the Water Department is suggesting band-aid, temporary solutions like water filters or running your water for 5 minutes before using it. We need to come up with a plan that prioritizes the areas with the highest concentration of lead, get as much state and federal financing as possible, and then come up with a financing plan to replace all the lead water service pipes as soon as possible. The first step is determining the scope of the problem, and that requires members of the City Council who are committed to safe water. We have an opportunity here to do the right thing in finding the money to replace lead water pipes and create many job opportunities for laborers who need big infrastructure projects like these to sustain work. We need to look at this like an infrastructure project like any other and find resources and incentives to make this happen. It is about basic safety and the issue will be not become less expensive over time.
Is downtown Edgebrook healthy and successful? If you don't think it is, what can be done to invigorate it?
I believe that downtown Edgebrook took a big hit over the summer with all the delayed construction on Devon and needs our support. I believe that downtown Edgebrook could thrive with an alderman that is truly getting behind our business community and seeking out new businesses to fill vacant storefronts. I will work with the Chamber of Commerce, local business and neighborhood associations, and our neighboring alderman to make sure we have economic development plans to help move our business districts forward and attract the businesses we want to see in our community. I’m the only candidate with experience working on an economic development plan and will bring that experience to the table as alderman.
