Four vie for two seats on city council

Four Sartell residents will vie for two city council seats this November. They are the following: Mike Chisum, Ryan Fitzthum, Timothy Held and Ryan Golombecki. Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Mike Chisum

Name: Mike Chisum. My wife JoAnn and I have been married for 23 years. Our oldest daughter is at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall and we have two kids who attend Sartell High School.

Please give a brief biographical background: I was born in California, grew up overseas, and returned to the United States at 13. I graduated from high school in Miami and Florida Southern College in 1985. I came to Minnesota in 1987 for law school at Hamline University. I’m a prosecutor in Morrison County. JoAnn and I are avid football fans, enjoy doing genealogical research and soap-making.

Give some highlights of your education, jobs you’ve held, memberships, honors received, special skills and knowledge: I have a bachelor’s degree in political science. In 1990, I graduated from law school. I’ve served the public as a public defender, police officer and prosecutor. I am a church leader and often volunteer at emergency shelters for the victims of domestic abuse.

Why are you qualified to serve the City of Sartell? I’m qualified because of my unique combination of education, experience and common sense. My interest in local government began in 1982 when I volunteered to help a mayoral candidate. I understand the role and limitations of local government, the legislative process and the need to work with state and national leaders. I’m working to better understand the city budget and revenue streams. I have the proven ability to listen to all points of view, negotiate, compromise, build consensus and find agreeable solutions. Many people feel they are not being heard and the council is unapproachable. They’re frustrated by the council’s decisions and the general atmosphere in Sartell City Hall. I want to work to change that dynamic. I will listen to our people and work hard to represent all of Sartell.

What are the biggest challenges as Sartell continues to grow? And what are the greatest strengths and weaknesses related to that growth? Sartell’s growth has produced positive and negative effects. Our increase in population means more housing and more property-tax revenue. New businesses have provided jobs and tax revenue. The city benefits from more diversity. Sartell’s growth brings two substantial challenges. Population growth results in additional demands and strain on infrastructure, particularly the roads. There is more wear and tear on the streets, busier roads and congestion. Increasing development results in greater demands on other existing infrastructure. The council must wisely manage the demands of a changing city while prioritizing repair and maintenance on existing infrastructure. Public safety is a concern. Our excellent police department is under-staffed. That puts our officers and public at risk. We need to hire more officers and provide them with the squad cars, equipment and training they need. Our population growth and changing infrastructure compels us to examine the feasibility of establishing a full-time professional fire department. Our volunteers have done an excellent job, but our growth is moving us to a point where full-time professional firefighters are needed.

Which programs and services, if any, would you trim or eliminate entirely if a severe budget crisis should happen? A severe budget crisis requires difficult decisions. Sartell needs to be as self-sufficient as possible and not overly dependent on state or federal funding. I’d start with easy cuts such as eliminating any money that goes to council members, non-essential “convenience” expenditures like cleaning services and classes/travel for city employees. More drastic cuts would include furloughing or laying off city employees, suspending or defunding private-public partnerships especially relating to entertainment or recreation, ending non-critical purchases including new parks and reducing routine green-space maintenance by putting that task in the hands of volunteer groups. I’d set priorities and suspend non-critical infrastructure improvements. I’d avoid cuts to public-safety budgets at all costs. If absolutely necessary, I’d find ways to generate income through local tax increases.

There have been private-public partnerships, as well as school-district partnerships with the city. Do you favor those? If so, which other projects would you like to see created through such partnerships? I favor limited private-public partnerships. The new school construction will likely create new opportunities for partnerships. Sartell needs an aquatic center. I’d explore a private-public partnership to make that a reality.

What other amenities, if any, should be added to the “Town Square” southern site in Sartell? Locating the Sartell Community Center on the “Town Square” property was a mistake. An aquatic center/pool, a rentable kitchen, and soccer/lacrosse/youth football fields should also be a part of the current plan.

Are you in favor of creating a full-service Great River Regional Library branch in Sartell. If so, when and where within the city should it be implemented? I don’t believe Sartell needs a full service GRRL-branch library. The traditional library is obsolete. Almost everyone has Internet access and access to everything usually available at a library. The Internet is a greater research resource than any library. We do need a place where kids can have a traditional library experience and where they could gather for reading days or story time. I’d propose a volunteer-based library in a donated space stocked with donated books. Special events could be planned and advertised as public-service announcements.

What do you foresee as the best use of the former Verso paper-mill property? I’d develop the paper-mill site to resemble the Riverwalk in Stillwater, with small shops, cafés, green space and outdoor tables. I’d include a small Sartell History Museum and Paper-Mill Memorial. The train tracks are a concern, but safe solutions do exist.

If you could wave a wand and change one thing about the City of Sartell, what would it be? I’d love to see an explosion of civic pride in Sartell. We have a great city, outstanding people and some of the best schools in Minnesota. We should be proud of our city and proud we call Sartell home.

Do you think city taxes are too high, too low or just about right? Do you have any ways you might reduce taxes? Taxes are a necessary evil, and our current tax levels are necessary to sustain the city and provide the amenities and services our citizens want and need. Everyone wants lower taxes, but that requires budget cuts and less amenities and services. Before raising taxes, I’d examine the budget and see what we can do without. If we can cut expenses, then we can look at cutting taxes. We must examine our expenses and ensure we are getting the biggest “bang for our buck.”

Feel free to add any other thoughts you have. I am not about “business as usual” or maintaining the status quo. It’s time for change and the first step is electing leaders who will honestly listen to the citizens. Your council members are your voice in city decisions. How can they be your voice if they aren’t accessible and willing to listen? Not everyone will understand or agree with every vote I cast, but I will explain my reasons and have an open dialogue. I build consensus and reach compromises every day. Compromise is not a dirty word. I want to bring those skills to city hall, and I need your vote on Nov. 8.

Ryan Fitzthum

Name: My name is Ryan Fitzthum, I am a proud father of two young daughters, Carly, 3; and Rory, 10 months. My wife Cindy and I were both born and raised in Sartell.

Please give a brief biographical background: I am a proud graduate of Sartell High School. I grew up the youngest of three children. My father, Lynn, worked and coached within the Sartell School District. My mother, Rhonda, was an intensive-care nurse at the St. Cloud Hospital. Growing up, our family was very active in the school system, athletics and the Sartell community.

Give some highlights of your education, jobs you’ve held, memberships, honors received, special skills and knowledge: I currently serve as the safety officer on the Sartell Fire Department (since 2008) and have been a member of the Sartell Planning Commission since 2013. I also volunteer with the United Way as a campaign cabinet member and was a past board member on the Mississippi Partners Commission. I am also a certified project manager, a Six Sigma Green Belt and a certified supply chain professional. My wife and I were recent recipients of the “Respect For Law Enforcement” award that was given out by the St. Cloud Optimist Club for our work we had done with the Sartell Police Department during the past few years.

Why are you qualified to serve the City of Sartell? Why am I qualified to lead Sartell? I have lived in Sartell all of my life. I want to continue to raise my family here. I work and volunteer within the city and I enjoy the many great features and amenities Sartell has to offer. This is my way of giving back and serving Sartell so it continues to prosper and be a place where one can live, work and play.

What are the biggest challenges as Sartell continues to grow? And what are the greatest strengths and weaknesses related to that growth? The biggest challenge to Sartell as it continues to grow is capacity. We want to continue to offer the small-town feel, but we now have more than 16,000 residents. We will need to get better at obtaining feedback from all residents as to what amenities and services best accommodate our changing demographics. We must focus on serving our community the best we can with the resources we have, and that also includes our infrastructure improvements and public safety.

Which programs and services, if any, would you trim or eliminate entirely if a severe budget crisis should happen? If we happened to have a severe budget crisis in Sartell, all options would need to be on the table. At this time, I cannot say a specific program or service that would need to be eliminated. However, I can stress we would need to make it a community-wide effort as we go through the problem-solving process. I also feel it would be irresponsible if we could sit here today and identify a particular area or program to immediately cut. If this were the case, then why fund this type of program to begin with? Our city should not wait until a budget crisis develops before evaluating our programs and services.

There have been private-public partnerships, as well as school-district partnerships with the city. Do you favor those? If so, which other projects would you like to see created through such partnerships? I believe private and public partnerships will be the driving force behind prosperous cities in the future. Innovation and creativity are driven by the private sector. As a local unit of government, we need to find ways of supporting this and fostering partnerships throughout the community.

What other amenities, if any, should be added to the “Town Square” southern site in Sartell? The “Town Square” site has a unique opportunity in which there is a large amount of things that are not planned yet. Citizens of Sartell can have a voice in some of this planning, and I encourage everyone to give their input. I personally would like to see places where families can enjoy live music outside or recreational activities. I also would like to see more local restaurants and unique shops to the area, as well as businesses and living spaces. This has a potential to give Sartell a central place where people can live, work and play in a beautiful area.

Are you in favor of creating a full-service Great River Regional Library branch in Sartell. If so, when and where within the city should it be implemented? The library has been quite a point of controversy in Sartell during the past few years. Like it or hate it, at this point, some significant decisions have already been made. I believe in a democratic process and letting all citizens have their voices heard and support the respectful dialogue about the issues. With that said, once a democratic decision is made, we as a community need to support this decision and work to make the outcome the best it can be for our community. At this time, I feel we need to come together as a city and unite in a move-forward strategy.

What do you foresee as the best use of the former Verso paper-mill property? As a member of the Sartell Fire Department, I was on-site the days and weeks after this property changed our city forever. As current member of the Sartell I2 Properties Task Force, we are conducting a study that will help determine the best use of this property in the future. When I think about this site, many things come to mind, including mass-transit connecting people via the railway, boats being able to dock north of the dam and restaurants being able to offer spectacular views of the Mississippi River.

If you could wave a wand and change one thing about the City of Sartell, what would it be? That more citizens get engaged! I hear a lot of great advice and viewpoints from community members. However, I seldom see them get engaged. I, like many of our residents, live a busy life. However, I am committed to giving back to the great city in which I grew up in. My hope is when our children go off to college, they have an inner drive to return back here and raise a family as both my wife and I had.

Do you think city taxes are too high, too low or just about right? Do you have any ways you might reduce taxes? Taxes are never a popular topic to discuss. However, I challenge you to think about WHY we have taxes and all of the things that are offered because of these. I feel the City of Sartell does a good job of keeping a balance between tax rates and the value of city services. I am confident better private-public partnerships will allow our city to prosper while keeping taxes low.

Feel free to add any other thoughts you have: Please find more information about my candidacy and like our Facebook page at @VoteRyanFitzthum or email me at votefitzthum@gmail.com.

Ryan Golombecki Sr.

Family: “Best friend and better half” Cait Riordan, and children Madalynn, 15, and Ryan Jr., 14. (Riordan has a 6-year-old, Nate.)

Please give a brief biographical background:

I grew up in St. Cloud, and have lived in Sartell for three years now. This community has been great to us! Fantastic neighbors and neighborhood.

Highlights of your education, jobs you’ve held, memberships, honors received, special skills and knowledge:

I work for Vannguard Utility Locating. I locate underground utilities, gas and power.

I graduated from Apollo High School in 1996 with honors. I also received the Presidential Service Award for volunteering. I am a crew member of “Freedom Flight.” What we do is fly the POW and MIA balloons to keep all of us aware of our soldiers who were prisoners of war and those who never came home from the battle fronts.

Why are you qualified to serve the City of Sartell?

I do not believe I am more qualified than any of the other candidates. I think it’s about time we get back to our city leaders representing the community. It’s not my ideas that matter; it’s what the community tells me they want.

What are the biggest challenges as Sartell continues to grow? And what are the greatest strengths and weaknesses related to that growth?

Sartell has grown leaps and bounds in the last few years. I think our infrastructure is our biggest challenge. The projects going on now, I believe, should have been done years ago.

Our greatest strength is our police and public safety officials. No question about it. During this time of tremendous growth, our police and fire have done a fantastic job. I want that to continue to be our top priority.

Keep them funded.

Which programs and services, if any, would you trim or eliminate entirely if a severe budget crisis should happen?

(Not answered.)

Public-private partnerships are essential. I think the city could partner with a concrete company like Knife River to create a skate park for our youth. Another project could have high school kids help maintain our parks – grass cutting, picking up garbage, weeding and more. That would be a great way to save money and give our youth the opportunity to serve the community. We could also partner with a plumbing company to help create a splash pad for the little ones in our city.

What other amenities, if any, should be added to the “Town Square” southern site in Sartell?

I don’t think we should focus on the Town Square site as much as the core of our city.

Are you in favor of creating a full-service Great River Regional Library branch in Sartell. If so, when and where within the city should it be implemented?

I have no interest at all in building our own library. The St. Cloud one is just a few minutes away and has everything we could want.

What do you foresee as the best use of the former Verso paper mill property?

The Verso site should be turned into an industrial park. Sartell could use higher paying jobs. Create tax incentives to businesses so it makes more sense for the relocation or creation of new business.

If you could wave a wand and change one thing about the City of Sartell, what would it be?

My wand-waving would create high-paying jobs. Use the Verso site and other areas to bring businesses here.

Do you think city taxes are too high, too low or just about right? Do you have any ways you might reduce taxes?

Again, if you make our area more business-friendly, you create more of a tax base and reduce the burden on residents.

Feel free to add any other thoughts you have.

Other ideas I have: I see no reason why we cannot have more agriculture in our city. We are all encouraged to be self-sustaining. We should be able to raise chickens for eggs and butcher, bee hives for local honey, and if you want a goat for milk, why not? Now of course, there would be a limit on how many goats or chickens.

I also believe some fees the city charges should be eliminated or reduced. If you want to put up a fence, the city charges $40. What does the $40 get you? A piece of paper.

If a business owner wants to put up a temporary sign, the city charges them. That hurts them. No need for that.

I believe I would make a great city council person. It is not my ideas, it is our communities’ ideas.

Tim Held

Name (and family information, if you wish): My name is Tim Held and I have a lovely wife Leah and three beautiful children: Thomas, 9; Ryan, 7; and Sophie, 5.

Please give a brief biographical background: I have lived in the beautiful city of Sartell for my entire 46 years of life. I grew up with five other siblings (four brothers, one sister).

Give some highlights of your education, jobs you’ve held, memberships, honors received, special skills and knowledge: I am a proud Sartell Sabre graduate and attended St Cloud Technical College and St Cloud State University studying business management. I grew up working at our family business, Gopher Bargain Center, gaining a lifetime of experience with customer service, transportation and management. I moved on in early 2000 and purchased my first business in advertising and two in construction. During that time, I focused on building the revenue of the business and selling them. I became a Reserve Police Officer for the Sartell Police Deptartment in 1998 and continued that adventure for 10 years before working full-time for the Sartell Public Works Department. I am now a proud stay-at-home dad to our three children. I have also served on the board of directors at Anna Marie’s Alliance.

Why are you qualified to serve the City of Sartell? I feel my experience with the Police and Public Works departments has given me an excellent insider’s view of how the different departments of the city function. For my 46 years I have watched Sartell grow from a few thousand residents and dirt roads to the beautiful town it is today and understand what it takes to continue the path.

What are the biggest challenges as Sartell continues to grow? And what are the greatest strengths and weaknesses related to that growth? Growing pains are always a concern as a community grows. The leadership of the city needs to ensure the public is always provided the safety, security and many other city services they rely on. The benefit to our community as it grows is being able to expand its services and watching the diversity that comes with it.

Which programs and services, if any, would you trim or eliminate entirely if a severe budget crisis should happen? I feel as though all city services are very important to our community and should a severe budget crisis happen, the leadership of the city would have to explore what scenario would be best for the citizens.

There have been private-public partnerships, as well as school-district partnerships with the city. Do you favor those? If so, which other projects would you like to see created through such partnerships? I do favor public-private partnerships. These partnerships are key to a thriving community’s success. I would love to see the numerous sports programs partner up more with the city and school district to ensure our parks and facilities are being used to their potential.

What other amenities, if any, should be added to the “Town Square” southern site in Sartell? I would like to see a diversified shopping area expanded in the Town Square southern site and continue to support other amenities the residents deem important.

Are you in favor of creating a full-service Great River Regional Library branch in Sartell. If so, when and where within the city should it be implemented? I am in favor of creating a full service Great River Regional Library branch in Sartell and look forward to working with them and our residents to determine the location that best benefits ALL of the residents in Sartell.

What do you foresee as the best use of the former Verso paper-mill property? I have envisioned a mixed use of warehousing and office complexes on the old Verso site. However I would support other ideas and suggestions. It would be important to hear what the citizens and the developers have to say on the matter.

If you could wave a wand and change one thing about the City of Sartell, what would it be? I would not change anything at this point. I feel as though the city government of Sartell has done the very best with what they have had up to this point.

Do you think city taxes are too high, too low or just about right? Do you have any ways you might reduce taxes? I think the taxes in Sartell are just about right. Our leaders have done an amazing job keeping our taxes in check, all while losing a tremendous amount of Local Government Aid and facing a downward trend in new residential building. Now that we are seeing the trend climb back we have to continue to attract new building in our city.