Robert Kevin "Bob" Kolb: Candidate for Alderman in the 5th Ward

Campaign Information
BOB@Aldermanbob.com

Family: I am a bachelor. I grew up in River Forest. My Mom, Ruth Amling Kolb (of Amling Company florists), was a homemaker and my father, Bill Kolb, was both a mechanical engineer and an attorney. Elmhurst has been my home for the last 25 years. I have three siblings, and I am blessed with two nieces, one nephew; and four grandnephews and two grandnieces.

Education: Bachelors of Science in Communications from DeVry, Cum Laude. I was honored to be chosen as Student Speaker at the DeVry commencement ceremony. I have completed masters level courses in project management and business administration. I am a current student at College of DuPage,  refreshing my IT skills.

Occupation: Self-employed

Why are you seeking office?

Elmhurst government needs fresh faces and ideas. I believe there is a complacent mood in City Hall, driven by lack of opposition, age, and overall robust caring. Spending other people’s money year after year, the existing council members have lost track of the pennies, nickels and dimes that add up to thousand of dollars in taxpayers money wasted.

I believe I can add creative and positive input to the decisions of City Council. If asked for my final answer: If you want a job done right, you must do it yourself!

What will be your highest priority if elected?

Making the council accountable to the residents, cutting waste, increasing city services through partnering and effectively utilizing existing infrastructure and resources. I believe in a proactive, not reactive form of management. Some issues cannot be predicted (i.e. flooding, snow storms) but most other issues require months of discovery, open forums, and planning. My father often told me "Rome wasn't built in one day." I hope to change the current rubber-stamp methodology of City Council to one responsive to residents’ concerns and based on fiscal conservatism.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

I like to ask "Why?" a lot. I am a penny pincher! I have a work history of solving problems while considering all constraints and options. I think smaller government is better government. I think seniors deserve special consideration in our city. I think that it's time we listen to and answer the residents’ concerns. I believe the time has come for residents to see tangible service increases,  instead of closed door deals that plague the city.

Consultants suggest most of the city’s flooding and sewer problems require fixes at individual residences. Homeowners may resist, especially if there is a cost. How do you propose getting that done?

We live in the land of the free and home of the brave. Each resident on a daily basis determines what is done in, to or at their own residence. If recommendations are supplied to residents to add an additional degree or percentage of flooding security, the decision rests with the resident. Let each resident roll his/her own dice. Once the city has upgraded adequate sewer main line infrastructure,  each residence might or might not require additional upgrades, but this is not the city's responsibility. It would not be fair to buy sump pumps for the 1,000 residents who might require them and charge the other 14,000 residents for the cost. Each house has a unique set of factors, and only the homeowner can determine the best custom solution for his/her situation, needs and constraints.

Elmhurst has four TIF districts now and two more proposed. Do you agree with TIF decisions made thus far (creating TIF 4, moving Hahn St., etc.) and do you support moving forward with TIFs 5 and 6? What other methods of increasing development do you favor?

I think TIF districts are a placebo or band-aid to what is an undefined root problem: Why can't we attract businesses?

There is no other choice but to move forward with Hahn Street; it has already cost us too much and gone on too long, and changing kayaks in the rapids is not advisable.

Regarding TIFs 5 and 6, I think they should be put on hold until more specifics, community input and alternatives are examined.

I think examining what we have, considering what we need, and utilizing our greatest resource, the residents, would lend an accurate answer to this question. I am a full believer in renovation and adaptive reuse of existing properties, and I wholeheartedly believe that quick solutions lead to more problems even more quickly.

There are other better options to increase revenues than to bet the budget on 20 year projections.

What is Elmhurst missing that you would like to see?

The City Council should better answer the public's questions. 

The city should provide snow-shoveled sidewalks (as done in Forest Park), citywide. 

The city could utilize court-mandated community services hours as free labor in Elmhurst, to provide cleaner parks, Prairie Path, etc.

The driveway aprons of opting-in senior citizens should be cleared of snow, in extreme weather. 

The city should economize to cut waste in the budget. The city should partner events/street fairs with local businesses, nonprofits and residents to strengthen local communities.

We should investigate how Elmhurst can enrich and assist the small home-based business environment.

We should take larger steps in minimizing our carbon footprint economically. We need to double our efforts to establish Elmhurst as a cycling destination.

Taxpayers will be your toughest critics, in large part because you’re spending their money. Elmhurst has a lot of informed, outspoken citizens. How will you connect with them to address their concerns?

As previously stated, I am a fiscal conservative, I believe that there is plenty of budget trimming that can be done to prove my alliance with the taxpayers. I will admit that you can’t have all the people happy all the time, but my goal is to satisfy a high majority. I think part of the current problem lies with the citizens not getting answers to their issues from the current council. The current public forum allows for a resident to speak for 3 minutes, and they’re done. I hope to mandate required answers (to citizens’ questions), as part of the council's meeting agenda. Residents deserve the common courtesy of reasonable answers, not just smiles and unconcerned abandonment. 

Should Elmhurst allow backyard chicken coops?

Yes, but with regulation. They can be allowed, providing the implementation,  registration and ongoing usage of the activity does not have a negative visual, sound, odor, health or safety impact on the said neighboring areas. To this extent, the total number of chickens should be limited. Their dwelling should be safe and non-obtrusive. I am no expert on this subject; I would want to research this matter further. 

What other message do you really want to get across to Elmhurst voters? Please add any other information pertinent to your campaign.

I think it is sad that key governmental positions in our city are obtained in unopposed elections. I have attended City Council meetings where I spoke as a citizen, and I felt that the council didn't care. We all pay a lot in taxes; I think it's time we started getting more back. 

I am a penny pincher with a big mouth, who is not afraid to voice my thoughts. I am open minded and a little stubborn when I know something is wrong. I want to be your voice in City Hall. I won't vote with the complacent wasteful majority, but I will vote with the majority of my ward for what is best for Elmhurst and what is fiscally sound.   

I will listen to my constituents. My slogan is, “A penny for your thoughts.”