The Lisbon-Mount Vernon branch of the League of Women Voters of Linn County held a standing room only forum in Mount Vernon City Hall for the candidates for mayor and city council Wednesday, Oct. 22.
Meg Goldberg served as moderator for the event.
Why do you live in Mount Vernon?
Tom Wieseler said that he and his family have had multiple opportunities for jobs that would have taken him out of the area after his family settled here, but his wife was adamant that the family remain in the community of Mount Vernon.
Sherene Player said she and her husband had moved all over the country, and on a visit to the Des Moines area made a detour to the community of Mount Vernon.
When Roch found a job in the Cedar Rapids community, Sherene said there was a small town close by they should move to.
“One of our daughters when she learned what an alumni was said she wanted to be a Mount Vernon alumni in the future,” Player said. “All four of our daughters have graduated from Mount Vernon.”
Paul Tuerler said he moved here in 1988 to finish a college degree at the University of Iowa. He remembers Fred and Marion Lehman welcoming him to the community.
Keith Huebner said his wife, Janet, is originally from Fairfax. When the couple had their third child, they were looking to move closer to family, with the restriction of moving to a community none of Janet’s siblings lived in.
“That left Solon and Mount Vernon as options, and after checking out both school districts, we settled on Mount Vernon,” Huebner said.
What has been the outstanding improvement in last five years? What would you propose as next best improvement?
Player said Hilltop Pocket Park was one of those recent developments she has appreciated. She would want to see the signage in Mount Vernon improved.
Tuerler said the continued growth in housing developments has been a great accomplishment for the city, especially slow and steady growth. His vote for improvement was funding infrastructure in a proactive method.
Huebner agreed with Tuerler that the housing developments definitely attract more residents to the community. He thinks more development in the business park at the bypass area moving forward will be another area that should improve, but infrastructure will be the biggest challenge.
Wieseler noted the work on the Bryant Road public works site, the radio meter water reads and change in waste haulers were big improvements of the last five years. He said street improvements, especially 10th and Cass, entry level housing and the city’s continued research in being involved with daycare options for the community.
Do you think there is division in Mount Vernon? Why do you think there is division and how do you plan to reunite Mount Vernon?
Tuerler and Player both noted that when you get people together, you have some level of division.
“The key is to respectfully understand we won’t always agree,” Tuerler said. “We have to find a way to acknowledge other person’s feeling and differences.”
“If we were all of the same like mindedness, the community would be boring,” Player said. “The key is to find where we build on common beliefs. Look at how this community came together during the derecho.”
Huebner said that the community has become less welcoming over the years. He stated he is an opponent of the flagpoles established at city hall to honor different groups. Huebner also made a claim about the No Kings Rally that bus loads of people were dropped off in Mount Vernon. Event organizers noted that the No Kings Rally representation was mostly Mount Vernon and Lisbon community members, with many arriving by their own vehicles.
Wieseler said he sees more unity in the community, noting items like the Chili Cook-off, cemetery project, arts council.
“If the crux of the divisiveness is the flags, I don’t hear it,” Wieseler said. “I’ve queried staff, other council members, the Sun, others. At this point, it’s part of the culture. The most divisive thing I’ve heard is the date of Halloween.”
What should public investments be that support childcare or more daycare options in the community?
Huebner said that when he first came here, there were more daycare options, but those disappeared when the school received grants for their own offering. He believes that grants could help with the problem, but doesn’t think it should be the role of tax dollars to solve that issue.
Wieseler said he has been involved with childcare solutions group for three years, and that there’s still a childcare desert here. He said the city continues to look at ways to support the issue, like a building expansion at the Lester Buresh Family Community Wellness Center, but not ready to fully commit.
Player said searching for grants would be a great solution, but agreed that the city should not be in the business of running an in-home daycare themselves.
Tuerler also agreed that the city should not be in the business of providing childcare, but there was more that could be done.
What would be your response to a raid at Cornell College’s campus by ICE?
Wieseler said he wouldn’t be thrilled about it, but he’s sure it will eventually be a reality. Wieseler also said he wasn’t in favor of a raid, but was looking to develop a concise action plan with the acting police chief.
Player said one of her daughters works at Bread Garden market and was friends with the man arrested there.
“It was a horrific experience for her and our family,” Player said. “That’s not the America I grew up with.”
Player said that making sure immigrants know their rights is important to her.
Tuerler, noting his own immigrant status, feels if ICE were to come to Mount Vernon or Cornell, they would be doing so with appropriate documentation and behaving like good law enforcement should.
Huebner said that if ICE were here and pursuing students who had broken the law, he would hope ICE and the police department would go there and enforce the law.
“It would be my job as mayor to declare a state of emergency if one exists,” Huebner said. “I don’t get to pick and choose which rules we want to follow. As mayor, I will enforce the law.”
What has city done to increase affordable housing and what should the city do?
Player said that she has a lot of ideas on the issue of what the city can do including direct assistance and building more affordable housing units, or looking into what the city could do to incentivize more mixed income developments.
Tuerler said the issue is met with a few different issues – especially people electing to stay in their homes for much longer.
Huebner said housing would be affordable if it was sold for less, but Mount Vernon is a desirable community to live in, and not everyone may be able to afford to live here.
“It’s a supply and demand thing,” Huebner said. “We have great schools, parks, community. It costs more to live here.”
Huebner said providing incentivizing would drive down the value of property and opening more developments would create more homes, but not guarantee that inexpensive apartments and houses are built.
Wieseler said more entry level housing options are needed in the community. He’s working with landowners to find the next development that will work.
How would you support the efforts of the volunteer sustainability committee?
Tuerler said he would love to have the committee more formalized with goals and clear objectives stated. Tuerler also noted water quality is a major problem.
Huebner said as long as they are volunteers, he’s happy with them continuing their efforts.
Wieseler said while the committee does exist and he has worked with them for a number of years, a lot of the efforts the city sponsors are designations for Bee City USA, Tree City USA and Save the Monarchs foundation efforts. He had a goal two or three elections ago of starting a food composting site at public works, but that has not happened.
Player said she supports the sustainability efforts, and appreciates how easy it is to recycle. She sees the need for more to be done on planting native flowers and plants and doing prairie restoration like in Iowa City.
How do you see yourself working with the current council?
Huebner said he runs a recreational flying club with different volunteers and differing opinions outside of his professional work. When it comes to the power, the council makes most of the direction with the mayor deciding if votes succeed or fail. Huebner said he views his position more championing businesses in Mount Vernon.
Wieseler said he is looking to work with the existing boards, commissions and council to bring up the next leader for city hall.
“Stephanie West was honest with me two years ago that she would not be running for another term,” Wieseler said.
Player, who has served on numerous committees and coalitions, said the most important skill she has is listening and hearing different opinions on an issue and then coming to a consensus with others.
Tuerler, who has served as mayor and council member, said he appreciates how that shapes his vision of the roles.
“A council member has no power on their own, they work together to get things accomplished,” Tuerler said. “A mayor has very limited power, only coming through in working with staff and the power of a veto. Even then, they have a chance of being overridden.”
The key he said on both sides is communication.