Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Meet the candidate: Rachel Hausman Masse

Editor's note --This is the first in a series of profiles of candidates for Buffalo Grove Village Board positions.  Candidates for Village Trustee will be featured first followed by candidates for Village President. All candidates received the same questionnaire.  Their answers appear verbatim without any added editorial comments or interpretation. This is done so readers can read direct answers from each candidate.  Profiles will be posted in alphabetical order.
  --- Stan Zoller




Candidate's name:
Rachel Hausman Masse

Candidate for:
Village Board Trustee

How long have you lived in Buffalo Grove?
32 years

Please provide brief background information.
I was raised in Buffalo Grove, I went to Willow, Ivy Hall, Twin and SHS class of 2004. I've worked in Real Estate at a local Buffalo Grove office for the last ten years. My husband and I own a home in Buffalo Grove and he is a science teacher at Twin Groves Middle School.

Have you served on a village committee or commission before? If yes, which one and how long did you serve?
No.

What other civic activities, if any, have you been involved with?
I'm involved with JCC parent-family mitzvah projects where money is raised and donated to various charities.

Why are you running for a Village Board position?
I am running for village trustee because I have decided to raise my family in Buffalo Grove and want to help continue to grow the community and protect our green spaces.
In general, what do you see as the most pressing issues facing Buffalo Grove? 
We need to redevelop town center and the many vacant retail spaces throughout Buffalo Grove. Additionally, our community has wonderful green spaces that need to be properly preserved and protected.

There has been considerable discussion for years about economic development in the village. What kind of economic development (retail, commercial, industrial) do you think should be a priority and why?
Retail needs to be a priority because we need to start attracting more businesses and restaurants to help contribute to lower the tax burden on our residents, as well as to provide a space for community members to use within our own city limits.

Which business development plan do you think should be a priority? Lake-Cook Road corridor, Dundee Road, Milwaukee Avenue or the Prairie View concept?
The Lake Cook corridor should be a priority.

How do you think the village should encourage redevelopment of existing retail areas that are struggling?
I think the village can encourage redevelopment by creating partnerships with the current owners and teaming with fellow trustees to develop an incentivized plan to promote community growth.

Should the village limit development to preserve green space?
Yes, the village should protect green spaces, specifically the Buffalo Grove Golf Course and all of its public parks.

Some of our volunteer groups (commissions, committees) have seen shrinking membership. What would you do to engage the community on a broader scale? What would you do to encourage broader demographic participation?
The community needs to be communicating better a whole by utilizing more social media, and by targeting a younger audience within the community. With a disconnected community, we need to listen to the needs of our diverse demographic to establish community events that everyone can connect with.

There is a proposal to add a "Community Engagement Director" to the village staff. Do you think it is needed? Explain why or why not.
It is needed to ensure the voices of our people are represented in cultural and social engagements. It would be prudent for our village to make sure this position is filled by someone who is competent in cultural diversity and can communicate the needs of our community back to the village.

Do you think the Village communicates well with residents? If not, how can it be improved?
No. Our village needs to engage with the people who live here and start using communication outlets that reach more residents in a modern, more effective manner.

Final thoughts -- Add any information or comments about your candidacy.
I think our village would benefit with me as a trustee because I work with hundreds of families and residents on a daily basis, and also have an active young family in Buffalo Grove. I grew up in this town and want to see it prosper and grow to attract more families and Stevenson alumni to live here again.

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