Columbus council members speak up

This was published in the Beaver Dam Daily Citizen
written by PAUL SCHARF Staff Reporter

A direct link to the article IS RIGHT HERE

COLUMBUS – Around 50 people turned out for a mayor and city council candidate forum sponsored by the Rotary Club of Columbus/Fall River at city hall on Monday evening.

With contested races for all four offices on the ballot, there were a total of eight candidates offering their views to the public – although few sharp distinctions were drawn by any of the ccandidates.

The format involved opening and closing statements from the candidates surrounding four rounds of questions. During each round, opponents for one office each handled a single question (which only they received).

The candidates include: Mayor Bob Link and challenger Kelly Crombie; District One council member Roger Sneath and challenger Aaron Adams; District Two council member Dave Bomkamp and challenger Rod Melotte; and District Three council member Larry Herzog and challenger Michael Thom.

Bomkamp joined the meeting from Florida via Skype.

“I want all of you to know that I take this job very, very seriously,” stated Link, who is completing four years as mayor.

In handling a question on budgeting experience and how one would govern the city budget, Link said that city taxes have declined proportionally on his watch.

“I am fiscally conservative and not afraid to make decisions for the benefit of all taxpayers,” he stated. “Columbus has been able to grow and thrive during the economic recession.”

Crombie, an attorney, said his studies in law and government would aid him as he relied on budget help from the city administrator and finance director.

Regarding how he sees the city working in partnership with the school district, Crombie said: “This is one of the main reasons I decided to run for mayor.” He said that he does not want to see contention between the two, but added, “We’re in this for what’s in the best interest of the whole community. The schools are one of our best assets. I would like to see more cooperation between the school and the city.”

Crombie called for examining a merger of the school community learning center and the city recreation department.

Link said that the city and school district have been working well together.

As to what improvements could be made to the police and fire departments, Link expressed the need to continue to cooperate with the rural fire group and the village of Fall River.

“I think that the police department could expand its role in education,” said Crombie. He added that a school liaison officer would be a benefit to the community.

Crombie and Link also fielded a question on the importance of the senior center.

In closing, Kelly stated: “I am only going to promise you that I am going to get up every day and work as hard as I can.”

“We are now proud of what we are doing in Columbus,” Link said. “People have noticed.” He said that one sign of the city “going in the right direction” is that there are fewer letters to the editor regarding city politics in the Columbus Journal.

Aaron Adams, co-owner of Hydro Street Brewing, is challenging three-term incumbent Roger Sneath in District One.

Adams called for new investment in the downtown, additional city festivals and restoration of the auditorium above city hall – a topic that has recently received new attention with the involvement in the project of Gail Bostian and J.T. Cestkowski.

“I think that the auditorium would be a great asset to the city of Columbus,” Adams said. “I see this auditorium as being a potential center for Columbus.” He said it could draw more people to the downtown.

Sneath said that the involvement of private support will be necessary to restore the auditorium. “I believe we have, right now, the sparks of what could be a great match in restoring the auditorium,” he said.

Other questions for the pair related to improvements at the library, energy sustainability and parks and recreation.

“I’ve always prided myself as a calm voice,” Sneath said, stating he is good at conflict resolution.

Blogger and photographer Rod Melotte is challenging two-term incumbent and former mayor Dave Bomkamp in District Two.

“The one thing I cannot stand is sitting on my hands waiting for things to get done,” said Melotte.

“It takes time to learn to do this job properly,” Bomkamp said. “It is something you have to have in your heart. We work together well as a team. I think it’s a great council right now. I think the city is moving in the right direction.”

Their first question related to the new Gateway Project on Highway 73 on the south end of Columbus, which will include a new facility for Enerpac.

“A lot of people from around the world will be visiting Columbus because of Enerpac,” said Melotte. “I think it is going to be a fantastic vision for Columbus as long as we can foster that idea.”

“It was something that did not happen overnight,” Bomkamp said. “The project really should spring forward because of the infrastructure we are putting in the ground. We need to make sure this takes off like it should.”

When asked about his vision for the future of Columbus, Bomkamp said, “I think the city is going in the right direction.”

He said that the choice of the next city administrator is important.

“We need to have people of some experience on the city council that can have a vision,” said Bomkamp.

“To me a vision is a dream,” Melotte stated. “A vision starts with the first small steps. My vision is for a thriving downtown Columbus district. If you think outside the box, we can get this done. I think Columbus has a fantastic future – we just need to focus on it.”

With regard to cooperating with other entities in order “to build a better Columbus,” Bomkamp said, “I think we have done a lot of that in the past.” He pointed to cooperation with Fall River for emergency medical services and the intergovernmental agreement with Fall River for the sewer system.

But Melotte said that even more communication is needed. “It makes sense to work together as a team,” he said.

The two each also answered a question on the strengths of the city.

“Columbus is ripe for growth, but we’re underperforming,” Melotte said. “We need to brand ourself, just like a business. Let’s put Columbus on the map.”

Melotte said that if he is elected he would hold regular town hall meetings, and also shared that he planned to answer all 16 questions from Monday night’s forum at http://melotteforcitycouncil.org

“I believe I am a good team member,” Bomkamp said in closing. “I believe we have accomplished a lot of things.”

** There are SO many things I could say as a rebuttal but I'm not going to. I disagree with many statements from a few of the incumbents but I'm not an attack dog. Let's just say I agree to disagree and I do believe Columbus is under-performing. Politicians attack, I'm just a concerned dude that feels it's my civic duty to help out the town I love.

   
One-term incumbent Larry Herzog is facing a challenge from Michael Thom, a carpenter running a small business, in District Three.

“I’m very approachable and open-minded,” Thom said in answering a question about leadership style. “I’m a great communicator and a great listener.”

“The leadership on city council is a lot more collaborative,” said Herzog. “You have to find a way to co-exist. Not everyone is going to agree 100 percent. I feel very strongly that we shouldn’t be managing the day-to-day operations (of city employees). We need to allow them to do their job effectively.”

“I have some time, and I have the ability, and I want to see the city move forward,” Herzog said regarding his service experience.

A question on rural partnerships and agriculture led Thom to say: “I’d like to see the expansion of farmers’ markets. I think there is a real interest in people wanting to buy food locally.”

“We need to accommodate the greater Columbus community as a whole,” said Herzog.

“I think there is a tremendous upside,” Herzog said regarding economic development. “It’s very bright for development in Columbus.”

Thom said, “By adding more shoulders to our tax base, it will lessen the load on all our shoulders. We need an effective means of selling ourselves. Given the tools we have, I think we need smart growth, not only geographic growth.”

“I believe this comes down to priorities and perspectives,” Thom said in closing.

“There are tough decisions,” said Herzog. “There is only a finite amount of money, and you want to provide as much as you can (in terms of city services).”

This spring’s general election is April 2.

The moderator for the event was Rotary Club member Mike Throndsen.