Two Sauk Rapids residents will vie for the mayoral seat come this November. They are Kurt Hunstiger and Guy Konietzko. Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Kurt Hunstiger
Name: Kurt Hunstiger, married to wife Ruth with two children – Michael and Emillee.
Please give a brief biographical background: I have lived in Sauk Rapids for 34 years and have been serving the residents of Sauk Rapids for 22 years in various positions, including city council, planning commission, joint planning board, HRA Board and numerous related committees.
Please give highlights of your education, jobs you’ve held, memberships, honors received, special skills and knowledge: I have worked in financial services in the St. Cloud area for 35 years. I am currently a vice president/wealth advisor for Bremer Trust/Wealth Management in St. Cloud. I am a certified financial planner and a chartered mutual-fund counselor.
Why are you qualified to serve the City of Sauk Rapids? I not only have a history of civic engagement, my extensive experience in private business makes me a well-rounded candidate to serve as Sauk Rapids mayor. I am ready to put those years of experience to use and take the city in a direction of positive growth and a healthy professional environment. My proven leadership and my strong interest in serving the residents of Sauk Rapids make me a great candidate for mayor.
What are the biggest challenges as Sauk Rapids continues to grow? And what are the greatest strengths related to that growth? We need to be fiscally responsible to our residents while providing the necessary services in a cost-effective manner. This includes providing for adequate police and fire protection, water and sewer utilities, good roadways and park amenities. As the city grows and becomes a destination for shopping, dining and parks, we will attract new residents and businesses creating more jobs in the city.
Which programs and services, if any, would you trim or eliminate entirely if a severe budget crisis should happen? If we were to suffer an economic downturn like we have in the past, we would need to work together with all of the city staff/department heads to determine where/what services or programs could be reduced or eliminated. It would be premature to make those decisions now. It would need to be a joint effort shared by all the city departments.
What are your thoughts about the school district and city joining forces using primarily sales-tax revenue for the athletic fieldhouse at the high school? Are there other amenities possible through partnerships, either private-public ones or with the school district? The voters of Sauk Rapids approved using the sales-tax revenue for various potential projects, including fieldhouses in the last election. I think we should have serious discussions jointly with the school board and move forward with building the fieldhouse. We have done joint projects with the school board in the past. I have served on committees that have drafted joint agreements that included discussion of details.
There have been good major downtown developments in recent years. Is there a danger of too much development there, causing density and traffic problems? The development that has taken place in the downtown area of Sauk Rapids was planned with the construction of the new bridge many years ago. We knew that growth would continue with the construction of the new bridge and upgraded roadways. The roadways were designed to handle the growth of the community for many years into the future.
What are Sauk Rapids’ greatest strengths? What are its weaknesses? How would you improve the strengths and eliminate the weaknesses? We have sufficient police and fire coverage that we review staffing annually, good streets which we try to upgrade at least one every year and excellent parks. We also have a strong school district. We need to make sure we have an adequate supply of new residential housing lots to attract new families to the city and allow current residents more options if they choose to build a new home and stay in Sauk Rapids. We need additional industrial property to allow our current businesses to expand and to attract new businesses to the city, potentially creating new jobs.
Are taxes in Sauk Rapids too high, too low or just about right? If you think taxes are too high, how could they be reduced? Taxes are a balancing act we do every year during the budgeting process. We try to decide where we can best spend the tax dollars in the most cost-effective way and still provide all the necessary services. I think we have done a very good job in the past controlling our taxes yet providing the needed services. Every decision we make regarding any of these services directly impacts the taxes we pass on to the residents. We do a very good job of planning/budgeting for the future with our long-term capital plans.
Some neighborhood residents in the city have expressed fears about safety because of multiple thefts and burglaries. What can be done to lessen those fears and ensure residents remain safe and secure? The current city council has been addressing those concerns during the past year by adding additional police officers. We have also increased the police presence in those areas of concern. We are budgeting additional officers in 2017 and will continually access what we need for adequate staffing in the future.
Are the ways to further enhance the Mississippi River at Sauk Rapids as a recreational and aesthetic shoreline resource for both residents and visitors? I feel we have done a great job upgrading our river parks. Using the sales-tax revenues during the past years, we have done many upgrades and more have been planned for the future.
Feel free to add any other ideas you may have. I would like to schedule city-planning sessions to gather input from the residents on what they feel we can do more of, better or differently working together. In addition, sessions should be held with city staff/boards/commissions to discuss future staffing and planning to ensure each department is providing adequate service to the city. By working closely with city staff/community development/HRA, we will make sure the city is being proactive in recruiting new businesses and working with local businesses as they expand. Discussions with city staff need to be held to ensure our residential and industrial/commercial developments remain beneficial and cost-effective for both the city and the developers. Thank you for the opportunity to share my views of the city.
Guy Konietzko
Name (and family information, if you wish):
Guy Konietzko. I’m responsible for new business development at GeoComm Inc. in St. Cloud. My primary mission is working with emergency responders (police, fire and EMS at local, county and state level) to improve pre-planning, response and incident command through mapping and automation.
Please give highlights of your education, jobs you’ve held, memberships, honors received, special skills and knowledge:
• Education: Bachelor’s degree from Concordia University in organizational management and communications
• Jobs: 26 years of military service before joining GeoComm Sept. 2015
• Memberships: VFW and Minnesota Military Museum
• Honors: Awarded the Legion of Merit for career accomplishments and awarded the Bronze Star Medal, twice, for personal accomplishments in combat
• Special Skills and Knowledge: This is a direct quote on Linkedin: “Collaboration is a key trait that defines Guy Konietzko. I’ve had the honor of serving with Guy for more than 22 years in the Minnesota Army National Guard, often in the same unit and once as his subordinate. Above all, I was impressed with Guy’s ability to establish effective relationships with others, to understand their needs and to drive home shared results. And almost always with a smile on his face, despite international jet lag, Minnesota mosquitoes or decidedly “non-Minnesotan” food (in Greece, Norway, Afghanistan, Iraq). He is very loyal to his family, friends and team. I always knew he had my back and could be trusted to both hold my confidences and deliver blunt feedback when called for. I would gladly work with him again. I strongly endorse Guy Konietzko for any senior management position requiring collaboration, business development and innovation.” – Mark Lappegaard
Why are you qualified to serve the City of Sauk Rapids?
While serving in Iraq as the civil military operations officer, I was responsible for rebuilding rule of law, economic development, infrastructure, governance, public health and public education for the southern half of Iraq. To achieve this, I managed a budget of more than $134 million to support a population of more than 10 million people in an area of more than 56,000 square miles.
What are the biggest challenges as Sauk Rapids continues to grow? And what are the greatest strengths related to that growth?
Challenges: We should work to have at least two police officers on duty at all times, though I understand with budget constraints and schedule conflicts it’s not always possible.
When necessary, I want to ensure the city and county are working together any time a local enforcement officer is on duty without immediate backup from his or her own department. This can easily be facilitated through the 911 call center. I know through personal experience, your decision process is different when you know someone has your back and can respond immediately. Ultimately this will reduce the risk to responders and citizens.
Strengths: The city should capitalize on the river and our small-town appeal by turning downtown into the focal point of central Minnesota.
Which programs and services, if any, would you trim or eliminate entirely if a severe budget crisis should happen?
I don’t believe in cutting or eliminating services people may depend on during a crisis. Any decision would depend on the crisis but generally speaking reducing more than one program or service is a better answer than eliminating a program or service people depend on for survival.
What are your thoughts about the school district and city joining forces using primarily sales-tax revenue for the athletic fieldhouse at the high school? Are there other amenities possible through partnerships, either private-public ones or with the school district?
I support the school district and city joining forces to come to a resolution on the fieldhouse, specifically because I believe a community’s education system is its single greatest investment in its own potential for social and economic growth. Giving students the opportunity to take part in sports and other activities is an integral part of their educational experience, allowing them to identify with something bigger than themselves that they can be proud of. I’m a big supporter of improving educational opportunities in the arts, music, organized sports and all after-school programs as part of providing students the best chance to excel on their own terms. For these reasons, I believe the community center would be a great addition to an excellent school sports program and provide the community with a venue for adult and senior sports leagues.
I would support the city partnering with many organizations to accomplish this project. If there are acceptable sponsorship opportunities, they should also be explored to ensure the best chance for success.
There have been good major downtown developments in recent years. Is there a danger of too much development there, causing density and traffic problems?
I believe in responsible growth, the city should provide a shared comprehensive vision for growth, recognizing nothing can be considered in isolation. New development must be accompanied with the infrastructure necessary to support it. The city’s long-term plan should be transparent, deliberative and informed with input of its citizens.
What are Sauk Rapids’ greatest strengths? What are its weaknesses? How would you improve the strengths and eliminate the weaknesses?
Strengths: The river frontage downtown is one of our greatest strengths. We can reference places like Stillwater, Red Wing and the River Walk in San Antonio, Texas. One example, the city of Minneapolis has had some success with roof-top bars and restaurants. This can turn the railroad tracks from a negative into a positive by providing a scenic view of the river and excitement for the kids watching an occasional passing of trains.
Weaknesses: Lack of business opportunities attracting commuters traveling on Highway 10. The demographic is people who want to spend time at the cabin, on the lake or in the woods. We should also consider service members, law enforcement and emergency managers traveling to Camp Ripley. There are examples we can reference in Clearwater, Hinckley, Albertville and Rogers. The focus should be businesses that don’t compete with downtown.
Are taxes in Sauk Rapids too high, too low or just about right? If you think taxes are too high, how could they be reduced?
It’s obvious some residents believe they are over-taxed, but taxes are a necessary part of providing public safety, education and community services. It’s important the school district, city and county come together and talk about their levies so the population is not overburdened.
Some neighborhood residents in the city have expressed fears about safety because of multiple thefts and burglaries. What can be done to lessen those fears and ensure residents remain safe and secure?
I’ve had a personal experience with an intruder at my house. I know the loss of security I felt after that incident, and I don’t want anyone else to experience that feeling. I don’t believe in throwing money at any problem. You have to do the research and analysis to figure out how to solve complex problems like crime.
Are there ways to further enhance the Mississippi River at Sauk Rapids as a recreational and aesthetic shoreline resource for both residents and visitors?
The surrounding cities have not made best use of the river; I think we have the opportunity to learn from cities that have and make it a focal point of downtown.
Kurt Hunstiger
Guy Konietzko
