Mary Shkut
Marvin Councilor
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
On this page, you'll find the answers to some relatively common questions, along with answers to some of the toughest questions I've been asked. I am thankful for sincere and tough questions because they provide me with the opportunity to supply answers and first-hand resources. Feel free to submit sincere questions of your own, and I will do my best to answer.
1. I would like to receive future newsletters from you. How do I do that?
Please sign up on my 'Welcome' page. Thank you for subscribing! I enjoy providing residents with information and by subscribing you help me reach as many of you as possible.
2. Do you use the official Village 'Resident List' to send out newsletter from you and your website?
No. That would be impossible for me to do. However, I realize members of the ‘Urban’ Development Squad; Liquor License Annexors and Gate Crew have this one story they like to tell about me. Because it's the only story they have (in the face of my many years of service - mostly volunteer!) it's a drum they beat often. I suppose they keep hoping it will matter more than other essential items of concern in the Village. It's a silly story, with no merit and the complete opposite is true. The real story is a testament to the old saying: "no good deed goes unpunished!".
Click here for a full-page that addresses this "Email Myth". Complete coverage of the issue is supported by primary documentation and resources so you'll have access to factual information. Click here for a "Email FAQ" page dedicated to the same subject matter.
3. When I send you an email, where does it go?
To protect privacy, and because emails I receive are public record, your email first goes to a trusted friend who monitors this page. She notifies me and then I typically answer via email or by phone -- depending on your preference! If no preference is specified, I typically default to writing an email.
4. I noticed you don't post on Facebook or Nextdoor.com. Why is that?
If you have a sincere interest in personal privacy it's important to know that social media sites consistently mine personal data and track personal online activity. They then correlate this data with the ‘personal email address’ you use to ‘sign-in’ to these services. Ironically, the means by which I communicate with fellow Marvin residents (webpage and occasional newsletters) are much more secure and private than any exchange carried out on a social media platform, including Nextdoor.com. That doesn't mean I'm opposed to these methods, I just know they are not the 'secure' means some people believe them to be.
5. What happened to your job with the Village as Administrator/Planner?
I began my employment after the previous Administrator resigned and the 2017 election season was underway. The new Council majority did not provide a reason for terminating my employment. Records show Mayor Pollino and previous Council members were very pleased with the work being accomplished.
However, beginning in 2015, the Mayor, who had always said "Keep Marvin, Marvin", suddenly began talking about "going in a different direction". Evidence leads me to suspect Mayor Pollino and perhaps his running mates, were under pressure from associates and developers to set land development goals encompassing a different scope from what's been in place in recent years. The current mayor and his associates in development had been lobbying him to invoke less transparent, more ad hoc planning process. They also had / have plans to amend Village ordinances. They also had different ethical criterion for selecting advisory board members. In consideration of these goals, the new Council probably felt I would be an inconvenience.
6. Why did you decide to accept the appointment to the Village Council?
Councilor Ron Salimao devoted over a decade to protecting residents in the Village of Marvin, and worked on worthwhile community ventures like the beautiful Marvin-Efird Park, road improvements and greenway development (among other things) And, even when people disagreed with him (like I sometimes did) one could not deny that Ron was
(a) accessible
(b) hard-working
(c) inspired by selfless loyalty to Village projects
(d) inspired by selfless loyalty to the citizens and supporters he represented.
When Ron felt it was time to resign, he had hoped to find a successor who would look out for residents - particularly those who had placed their trust in him. Councilmen Salimao and Epps felt I had knowledge, experience and dedication to the Village and was the best person to represent Village residents from a minority position. I was deeply honored by their confidence. It was not an easy decision - and there have been risks - but in the end, I felt the least I could do, in honor of Ron ~ and other leaders like him: Lanny Openshaw, Brian Beaty, Marc Curtis, Robert Epps etc. ~ was to serve a short period, in honor of their legacy.
Your Question Could Appear Here
And your answer, here!