Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Council candidates talk potholes, Taft dumpster

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Five New London residents seek two city council seats

By Scott Bellile


Five candidates including four write-ins are vying for two seats on the New London City Council on Tuesday, April 2.

First District Alderman Robert Besaw faces a challenge from write-in candidate Mark Herter. Central-New London residents who vote at First Congregational United Church of Christ live in the First District and get to vote for either candidate.

In the Fourth District, Dave Dorsey, Mike Pinch and Tim Roberts are in a three-way write-in race to succeed outgoing Alderman Rob Way. Southwest New London residents who vote at Trinity Lutheran Church live in this district.

Incumbents Tom O’Connell, Second District; Lori Dean, Third District; and David Morack, Fifth District, are running unchallenged for their seats.

The four write-ins answered voters’ questions at a candidate forum hosted by the conservative Wolf River Area Patriots organization at The Washington Center on March 19.

Besaw missed the forum to attend a Hortonia Town Board meeting regarding the state’s proposed juvenile correctional facility, so the Press Star invited him to respond to the same questions after the forum.

 

Candidate backgrounds

Robert Besaw (First District): A lifelong New London resident and 1961 high school graduate, Besaw has been an alderman for eight years. His other leadership experience includes serving on the Waupaca County Natural Resources Foundation and boards for the Wolf River Sturgeon Trail, youth baseball program and a couple bowling leagues.

Mark Herter (First District): Herter and his wife raised four children who attended New London High School, and all have enlisted or plan to enlist in the U.S. military. Herter has been president of New London Youth Wrestling for 10 years.

Dave Dorsey (Fourth District): A lifelong New London resident, Dorsey has been president of New London Youth Baseball for three years. He has an 11-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter.

Mike Pinch (Fourth District): A New London resident for 52 years, Pinch has spent 22 of them as a supervisor for New London Utilities, experience he says has educated him on the city’s roads, infrastructure, storm sewers and parks. Pinch has a wife and two adult children. He coached his kids’ flag football, baseball and soccer teams when they were younger and now volunteers for his church.

Tim Roberts (Fourth District): Roberts runs his family business, The Print Shop, and manages the family’s rental properties. As a millennial, he wants to be part of the city council’s transition to younger generations. Roberts served in the Iraq War. He has 9- and 10-year-old daughters and attends Emanuel Lutheran Church.

 

How many city council meetings have you attended? What have been your observations?

Besaw: Besaw has been attending council meetings since he joined. “We seem to get along rather well so I think things move a lot smoother with the people kind of being in consensus on things.”

Herter: Herter attended two city council meetings. He said the language in the city budget and the meeting minutes is too generalized and challenging for the common citizen to follow, and council meetings contain little discussion on issues.

Dorsey: Dorsey attended one city council meeting. He said there was too much consensus and not enough questions asked. “Being on the baseball board, I couldn’t get through an agenda a quarter of the size that they have in an hour as fast as they can get through it. I just think there has to be more questions of where the money is going and how it’s being spent.”

Pinch: Pinch went to one city council meeting. He observed a lack of an audience and lots of consensus, but he acknowledged lengthier discussions could be happening ahead of the council meetings at the committee meetings. (Editor’s note: Pinch is correct. Topics get introduced, debated and recommended to the city council at committee meetings.)

Roberts: Roberts has not attended a city council meeting but said he studies the minutes and agendas. He said votes are often unanimous with the occasional dissent from Second District Alderman Tom O’Connell, whom Roberts described as a family friend, mentor and “kind of the one conservative on the panel.”

 

What is your priority on fixing city streets?

Besaw: The New London Board of Public Works is prioritizing the top 10 streets for repair, Besaw said. “So with the money we have in the fund for doing the roads, we’re going to try to do the most bang for our buck so to speak.”

Herter: Herter said this is the worst year in some time for potholes. “I don’t know what the resolution to solve that [is], but I do know that we have more money in the budget than what’s allocated for our street division. I have a lot to learn in that area, but I think we can do a better job.”

Dorsey: “I think first thing we got to do is use the wheel tax. I mean, we collected 180-some-thousand dollars last year and I can’t see where they spent it on the roads.” (Editor’s note: One wheel tax-funded project was completed: the city’s stretch of House Road. Cedar Street, North Ridge Drive and the approaches to the railroad crossings on High Street and Industrial Loop Road are next on the list. The tax collected $145,000 in 2018, below city forecasts of $180,000.)

Pinch: Pinch said the Street Department is low on employees and funding. “I think there needs to be an analyzation done of which streets are traveled the most … that are the most necessary and then systematically work your way down and try to fix them.”

Roberts: Streets are a priority besides police and fire protection, Roberts said. He said his property taxes are too high, so he would not increase taxes. “If we can cut spending in other places to fix the roads, I would definitely be on board with that.”

 

Do you support the new dumpster pad near the veterans memorial in Taft Park? Would you support holding a non-binding referendum on whether to remove it?

Besaw: Besaw is one of four veterans on the council who voted for the dumpster pad. He said he does not find it obtrusive. “I understand where the veterans are coming from with it, and we’re trying to fix the problem by putting a row of trees along there to hide the dumpsters.” Besaw does not support holding a referendum.

Herter: Herter said the city council meant well in establishing a centralized dumpster, and it looks nice, but the park is a bad location. He supports a non-binding referendum.

Dorsey: “It needs to move, and I would agree to put it to a referendum because if the city taxpayers want to pay the money to move it, and they agree to move it, then it should just be moved. There should be no other questions asked.”

Pinch: City councils sometimes make mistakes that may need to be fixed, Pinch said. He supports a non-binding referendum. He said the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources recommended the centralized dumpster pad to stop waste from running into the river from businesses’ private dumpsters, but the vets deserve a park that does not smell of trash, too.

Roberts: Roberts supports a non-binding referendum, saying the city council disrespected the community by ignoring the veterans’ petition and protest on the matter. He would support relocating the dumpster pad or reverting to private trash cans behind the buildings.

 

What are a success and a shortcoming for the city council in the last five years?

Besaw: Successes include equipment purchases for street maintenance, the installation of the fishing pier near the Pearl Street bridge and the development of Beacon Avenue Cottages on the former Simmons Juvenile Products site, Besaw said. A shortfall is the city lacks the money to get the streets in better shape.

Herter: New London has strong schools and industries plus activities for families, Herter said. “The pride that everybody holds is great, and that comes from our city council and that’s where it starts. The downfall is that pride is on a downslide.” The city council is not paying attention to the residents’ voices, he said.

Dorsey: New London is a nice small community whose character Dorsey would like to maintain. He said problems include how the wheel tax money is spent, the high tax rate and a lack of communication from the city council to the public.

Pinch: Pinch said the council does a good job with the budget and decision-making. The public’s confusion over how the wheel tax money is spent and the dumpster pad are shortcomings.

Roberts: “This is a great community,” specifically the “small-town charm” and school district, Roberts said. But the dumpster pad is an eyesore, and the city’s spending leaves residents with high taxes.

New London city council election