The four candidates vying for the three city council seats and the unopposed mayoral candidate responded to questions from Our Town.
MAYORAL CANDIDATE
Rick Schiedler
Why are you running for mayor?
“It is something that I felt that I need to do now and want to be involved in making things better for the city.”
What skills would you contribute?
“I have experience with city government. I was on the budget committee for two years, planning commission for eight years and am currently on the council. When I was on the planning commission, I was chairman for several years so I believe that I can effectively run the council meetings.”
How would you resolve the conflict taking place within the council, bring the city together, and deal with the dispute over the city administrator’s employment?
“These are issues we are going to have to work hard on as a council and I am hopeful that things will improve.”
What are your goals for the city?
“We need good communication with the citizens. A good way to do this is to have the minutes and agenda’s of the council meetings, city ordinances, development regulations, etc. on the city website for easy access. This would help take some of the burden off city staff in regards to record requests.”
Anything else you would like to add?
“I have heard that I am anti-growth. I am actually for controlled, beneficial growth. Mt. Angel should grow at a rate where the increase in services and infrastructure that are required can be well-planned to keep up with the growth.”
CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES
Darren Beyer
Why are you running for the city council?
“I believe that I can help make our town a better place. I believe in putting the city first. I’d like to see businesses come to our town and some growth. I’d like to see improvements with our streets and sidewalks.”
What skills would you contribute?
“I believe in teamwork. I was on the safety committee for five years at Pacific Sanitation Inc., and have coached basketball for many years. I’ve learned to work with many different people. I’m open minded and will listen to other people’s ideas and am very confident in my own ideas.”
How would you resolve the conflict taking place within the council, bring the city together, and deal with the dispute over the city administrator’s employment?
“I believe people need to learn to work together and put all of their personal agendas aside. There are many issues out there, and not every council member will agree on every issue. The council members should be working as a team to do what is best for our town.”
What are your goals for the city?
“My goals would include, attracting new businesses, some growth, fixing streets and sidewalks, and making law enforcement a strong part of our community by cutting down on vandalism and graffiti.”
Why are you running for the city council?
“I decided to run for city council because I believe that in order to grow, develop, and thrive as a community, we must give of our individual time and effort. I want to do my part by representing the citizens of Mount Angel as a member of the city council.”
What skills would you contribute?
“I want to preserve the traditions of Mt. Angel and bring fresh ideas. Organization, planning for the future, and communication are things I will also bring with me to the city council.”
How would you resolve the conflict taking place within the council, bring the city together, and deal with the dispute over the city administrator’s employment?
“I believe that in order to resolve the division that has taken root in our town we need to be honest, and encourage freedom of speech and expression (citizen involvement). I think we could resolve issues by having the facts more readily available to citizens.
We can do this by making information regarding our city charter, city council meetings and minutes for meetings, public notices, etc. easily accessible to all citizens. A website would be a great way to do this. The city of Sisters has a wonderful city website that would be a great model for Mt. Angel to follow. See www.ci.sisters.or.us
What are your goals for the city?
“I will strive to listen to the people of Mt. Angel and take to heart their vision for the future of our town. I would like to see a plan for streets, parks, and general improvement to our town’s appearance. I also hope to organize a committee for citizen involvement that would help us address and accomplish some of these things.”
Anything else you would like to add?
“I believe that if we work together and our common goal is what is best for Mt. Angel as a whole, we can accomplish much.”
Jim Kosel
Why are you running for the city council?
“I love our Mt. Angel community and want to volunteer my time and knowledge to preserve and enhance our community.”
What skills would you contribute?
“I have 10 years experience serving on several Clackamas County volunteer committees, including public safety, land use, and the Clackamas County Commissioner Task Force. In addition, I have over 30 years managerial experience in the private sector, including personnel management.”
What are your goals for the city?
“1. Bring trust and stability to the council and administration. 2. Work for a stable city budget and research for alternative sources of income, such as grants.”
Anything else you would like to add?
“Had the current council worked in a less conflictive mode over the last two fiscal years, the additional $11,000 in administrative legal expenses could have been reallocated for getting the city web site back on line, or doing some repairs to the sidewalks this past summer.”
Andrew Otte
Why are you running for the city council?
“I firmly believe in being active in and contributing to the community. Running for a seat on the city council and having the opportunity to work with the community and business leaders in the capacity as a city councilor are ways to act on this belief.”
What skills would you contribute?
“I will bring proven leadership, communication and management skills to the council and a commitment to work with the residents and businesses of the community and the city staff.”
How would you resolve the conflict taking place within the council, bring the city together, and deal with the dispute over the city administrator’s employment?
“I do believe all the individuals involved have a common goal and that goal is to do the right thing for the residents and community of Mt. Angel. It appears the situation has manifested through a series of less than ideal decisions. I think it is time to reset this goal as the foundation of all discussions and find the appropriate channel to moderate an open and honest discussion to clear all misunderstandings and misinterpretations and reestablish the necessary trust between the entire council and city administration.
City leadership can only effectively serve the community when all leaders are acting within the responsibilities defined for the role each individual is fulfilling. It is incumbent that actions and decision making are made for the benefit of the city and incorporate the voice of the community.”
What are your goals for the city?
“My goals include: 1. Continually working to improve the communication between the council and the community. 2. Defining a vision the future vision of Mt. Angel. 3. Making the vision a reality by developing, executing, and managing the steps necessary to bring the vision to reality.”
Anything else you would like to add? “Running for city council is a decision I made with the highest regard for the city and if elected I will carry out my duties to the fullest extent of my abilities. I strongly encourage every eligible voter to cast a vote and whether that vote is cast for me, Jim, Darren or Kelly is far less important than the act of voting itself. Each vote at a city-level election truly does count.”
Silverton City Council candidate comments will appear in the Oct. 15 edition of Our Town Life
