Seehafer News asked candidates running for a seat on the Manitowoc Common Council two questions about why they should either keep or be given a seat on the council. The two questions were: 1. What is the most important issue facing Manitowoc, and 2, why should people vote for you to be on the common council? Here are their responses.

District 4

Jim Brey

While there are many “issues” facing Manitowoc, the one I think is most important is Growth. Or in other words, Continued Growth. When I first started representing the Fourth Aldermanic District, Manitowoc was beginning to thrive but the best was yet to come. We have seen increased total city property evaluation nearly triple the amount since the 1990’s. We have seen the expansions of established businesses such as MTM, Dramm, Kaysun, WAF, and Jagemann Stamping. We have had new industrial plants such as Ammo, Robinson, and Skana Aluminum locate here. We see increased shopping opportunities, entertainment events, and dining choices. Many subdivisions of single family housing and rental units such as River North have been built. Growth keeps our tax rate steady for the hardworking homeowners. Growth helps us create recreational facilities such as the Manitowoc Family Aquatic Center, Mariner’s Trail, boat and kayak launches, Silver Creek disc golf, and Henry Schuette Park. Growth helps with repairing our streets. Growth helps us protect all of you with great Police and Fire Departments. Through hard work by the electeds and city staff, we can continue to grow responsibly. There are many projects on the horizon and I want to continue to be part of our Growth.
In my case, the question should be why I want to continue being an Alderman for the city of Manitowoc, and the answer is simple. I want to continue making the city of Manitowoc a great place to live and work for our 34,000-plus residents. If you knew me in my younger years before I was first elected, my eyes would always light up and there was a certain change in my voice when talking about Manitowoc. I am sure that my college roommates were amazed by my demeanor when my hometown came up in conversations. My priority is using our money wisely while keeping taxes at a responsible level. Along with that comes making sure our streets are well-kept and safe, providing great service through our Police, Fire, and Public Works Departments. The residents of Manitowoc are the best! They are courteous, always willing to lend a hand, not afraid to get involved in civic projects and are certainly not afraid to voice their opinions in a civil manner. On a day-to-day level, we all know that sometimes issues come up with neighbors, noise, and nuisances. I have always been happy to help many of you with those problems and the random concerns of life, such as garbage complaints, street lights being out, and general questions. These things require experience, as well as time, perseverance and a desire to serve combined with knowledge of government. I am proud to have lived in the Fourth District my entire life and proud to bring my best qualities to the table. I humbly ask for your support so that I can continue working for you!

Dan Heilman

Having lived in Manitowoc for over 20 years now, all being in District 4, my observation is we are losing our focus on the younger families. Families with young children. There seems to be plenty of dollars to be spent to forward, financially, some of our downtown business owners but precious little to enhance the quality of life for these families. Do not misunderstand my point here. I am not against growth. You are either moving forward or stepping back but if you do not draw new families your community will eventually stagnate. Let me give you one example of a gem the city was gifted with in 1979… Schuette park. At one point this park had maintained entrances, flat and well-maintained parking areas, and usable walking paths. Take a moment and imagine you have a young family, want to take the family for a peaceful walk in nature, and just enjoy the beauty. I now challenge you, go to the park and experience the potholed parking lots pf either entrance. Muddy beyond belief in the spring and fall (or whenever it rains) now take a walk on the “paths”. When is the last time you think they have been maintained? This park should be a draw for this city’s current as well as any potential families to promote healthy growth for this city not just for the select few downtown business owners.
The reasons I desire to be on the city council is twofold… 1) I want to give back to the community I have called home for 20 years now and second to break-up of what I perceive as a business first / families second mentality of our current council members.

District 6

Eric Sitkiewitz

Infrastructure is one of the top issues facing the citizens of Manitowoc, especially in District Six. I have been a champion for what I classify as “forgotten infrastructure.” While roads highlight most infrastructure discussions, there are items that have not received the same level of attention. That is why I have fought hard in city budgets to make sure items like alleyways and cul-de-sacs have been included in the capital plan. Not all properties in District Six have storm sewers, so ditch work is as vital as storm sewer cleanouts. These items may seem unimportant on a large scale for infrastructure but are significant to the district when addressing items locally. On a larger scale, making sure our infrastructure can manage growth is important, especially when it comes to business growth throughout the city, which benefits District Six through tax base generation. This is why I worked hard and was successful in acquiring additional land for an industrial park. It is essential that an alderperson fights for their district and I have and will continue delivering in making sure district six gets improvements and the city is ready for growth during budget cycles.
The same reason that I had initially decided to run for city council the first time is the exact same reason I decided to run for reelection this time. I want to bring a voice to individuals who do not believe that the city is here and delivering for them. I use my years of experience and interactions with constituents to provide me with an understanding of the pulse and values of the district and the city. That is why I have built relationships throughout city departments and collaborate with anyone to make sure that the best and most information is available for decision-making. I have a great passion for this city and want to make sure that the decisions made are in the best interest of the citizens of Manitowoc.

Collin Braunel

I believe the biggest issue surrounding our city is the feeling of disconnect our voters feel from its leaders. Countless times, I came across people who felt we had a “good ol’ boys club” running the city or they had no idea who their alder was. I also asked if they had ever spoken to their alder, and the repeated answer was no. I have been knocking on as many doors as I could and having conversations with the people of District 6. This is important because I am seeking to represent them. I am not trying to ram “my vision” down their throat. I want them to have a voice again.
As a resident of District 6, I felt some of the same frustrations as many people I spoke to had. I would go provide public input and it was disregarded and not listened to. It seemed like the alders had a different agenda than myself and many other people I spoke to. The diversity in their dialogue showcased a unified approach that was not very different from the mayor. When people took the time to challenge the direction, it seemed ignored. I view this role as a representative of the wishes of the people and a facilitator of solutions to their problems. When I was an alderman, I upheld this same approach.

District 8

Bill Schlei

The most pressing issue facing the city is housing. We simply don’t have enough, whether it’s single-family homes, condos/townhouses, or apartments, either low-income or market-rate. We, as a council and in committees, have projects that are either approved and ready to start or in various stages of development and will ultimately bring a great deal of relief to many people. In addition, two groups that have been grossly overlooked are the elderly and those who are currently homeless. Both the council and the city directors and staff are looking at plans that involve cooperative efforts between government, local non-profit agencies and businesses in Manitowoc to address these issues.
As far as why I want another term in office? I have worked very hard over my time on the council to address these and other issues and find solutions where we are able. We are on the cusp of some really great things. Things like The Preserves homes at Lincoln Park, new low-cost housing on the old Mirro site, new townhouse condos in the River North Penninsula, and, God willing, something new and great where the malls once stood. I want another two years to make sure these and many other projects become a reality.

Bradley Barnes

We need a stronger middle class with higher-paying career opportunities. Our young families also need more affordable housing options. We could do that by sharing the efforts spent on promoting the downtown area with attracting larger companies from the outside of our community. Housing development should also include affordable options in the districts that surround the downtown. With a stronger middle class, more investment would come from within our local community and, in turn, promote the growth and retail downtown. Tourism is not our only option to promote growth, and retail needs a strong local population to survive.
The main reason I am running, I wish to bring a fresh perspective to the common council. Being a first-time candidate, I offer a view from a working-class ordinary citizen. Not having previous political experience I offer a fresh point of view, along with extensive experience with team building, management, and leadership training. I wish to use these skills to keep our city moving forward with its current projects and complete the projects we have already started, for example, the vacant mall properties, and the unfinished Mirro building project. I am looking forward to the opportunity to serve, represent District 8, and bring a fresh viewpoint to city hall.

District 9

Steve Czekala

During my time in the office, I worked tirelessly to fill the Industrial Park behind Menard’s in District 9, which is now full. Every week I, along with a group of community leaders meet with a local business to understand what their needs are, and how we can help. The biggest need for every business is people. We need to keep our young people here, and we need to make ourselves attractive for people to want to come here, but they will need a place to live. In our district, District 9, we are made up of apartments along with single-family working-class homes, like the one I live in, duplexes, and a small handful of high-end homes in a subdivision along the western city limits. Yes, we need more housing, but just as important it is the responsibility of the city to maintain the infrastructure around what we have, as it is the homeowner’s responsibility to maintain their home. I target a street every budget, and sometimes it makes it like Custer Street, South 31^st Street, Calumet at I-43 (the State is doing the rest all the way to South 8th in 2029), and sometimes it doesn’t. I currently have South 26^th and South 39^th that I have targeted to get done in 2025-2026. In this order, we maintain what we have and attract new housing development, and that will go a long way in solving our worker issue.
I enjoy working with and helping the very same people I grew up with. I am just like you, I worked my entire adult life in a factory, married, had two kids, and spent 30 years in the National Guard, including tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. I was born at Holy Family in 1965 and I plan on being buried at Evergreen. When you asked another kid where their Dad worked it was either Mirro, Engineering, or Kelvinator. I was there with you when they left. I was with you when there were hundreds of houses for sale and no market. I was with you when our malls closed and the downtown was boarded up. I stood in line with you and 500 other people when Manitowoc Ice was adding 50 jobs. I know that pain, I felt that pain just like you did, and I never want us to feel that pain again. Since I took office the industrial park is full, we should start seeing development on the Mirro site, and possibly the mall site before the end of the year. I humbly ask for your vote next Tuesday, and you can feel confident I am not going anywhere and I will always have Manitowoc’s best interest at heart.

Brett Norell

First, taxes continue to rise, and I’m not convinced all citizens of the community are receiving the level of services for the taxes they pay. The Common Council’s charge should be to first address the needs of the community like public safety, infrastructure, and creating a friendly business environment, which will grow the tax base. I have experience in managing multi-million-dollar budgets and can help identify solutions to effectively spend the citizen’s tax dollars and grow the community. Second, it seems there isn’t diversity of thought on the Common Council, as witnessed by many votes being unanimous or with only 1 or 2 dissents. It seems that Common Council members are not willing to respectfully challenge the status quo and will often blindly listen to non-elected officials. A prime example was the 8-2 vote to give the mayor full authority over the usage of the room tax dollars. This was against state law and had to be reversed by the Common Council. We need elected officials who will do their research and understand the issue before simply voting with the majority, which is what I will do. It seems to be a go-along-to-get-along mentality. Lastly, I’m concerned with decisions based on individual’s personal biases versus what is best for the citizens. Recent examples include decisions related to the Manitowoc Area Visitor & Convention Bureau and the pending lawsuit and “arguments” with the Firefighters union which will likely lead to arbitration. In the end, the decisions are likely going to cost the taxpayers more money. In my professional experience, I always found that sitting down and having an open and respectful face-to-face collaborative conversation to identify solutions is typically more effective and less costly.
This is my first time running for office, and I made the decision for a couple of reasons. First, after receiving the recent tax assessment and property tax bill, I began to question the value of the services we receive from the City for the increasing amount of taxes we pay. To me it is about balancing needs versus wants. I believe that the Common Council has a responsibility to be fiscally responsible with the citizens’ tax dollars and provide citizens with a safe community and solid infrastructure and to be a business-friendly community. With that, I feel strongly that my background in leadership and finance will bring a unique perspective and skill set to the Common Council. The other reason I decided to run is that I am an independent thinker who will respectfully challenge the status quo and bring a fresh set of eyes to the Common Council. I don’t believe there is enough diversity of thought and opinion on the council. It often appears that members vote in unison and blindly follow the recommendations of non-elected individuals, which defeats the purpose of the council. In the end, I want to ensure that all citizens and business owners of the community are served.