Candidates running for a seat on the Two Rivers City Council were also asked two questions about why they are running. The questions are the same as Manitowoc’s: 1. What is the most important issue facing Two Rivers, and 2; what made you want to run for a seat on the council? These were there answers.
Jeff Dahlke
- One of the biggest challenges, in my opinion, is trying to keep the city from raising taxes. To keep tax increases in check, the council must make sure the city remains fiscally responsible and limits unnecessary spending. Another challenge will be trying to control the number of out-of-state monies coming into the city and turning single-family homes into rental properties or air B&Bs. This will have to be a work in progress to see how other small communities are handling the problem
- What made you want to run for a seat on the council? I am running for re-election because I want to continue to be the voice of the people. I want people to feel they can reach out to me and actually be heard. I will continue to bring their concerns up to the council. I want to continue to be fiscally responsible with the taxpayer’s money
Shannon Derby
- There are a few big issues facing Two Rivers. Making sure our community is a safe and affordable place to live and raise a family. We also need to ensure we stay with a City Manager and not a mayor for our city.
- I wanted to run for City Council because I have lived here for over a decade and fell in love with the area. I raised my three children here and wanted to give back to the community. I am also passionate about the local ecosystem and affordable homes.
Doug Brandt
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Two Rivers need to foster sustainable and balanced growth. A combination of new housing and business activity would help strengthen the city’s tax base and spread-out infrastructure costs. There are currently some very good mid-sized businesses in the city, many of whom are looking to hire new employees. We need to continue encouraging housing development within the city while also looking at limiting the maximum number of short-term rentals (Airbnb), this will help address the lack of available housing. We need to try and attract younger population by leveraging the small city charm and our natural beauty, which lends itself perfectly to four seasons of outdoor activity. Working to ensure Two Rivers can provide a great quality of life for families by supporting a diverse variety of services and opportunities would be a key priority.
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I believe the Council should be a balanced representative body of the community. Working as a leader in the engineering design field for over 36 years, I have extensive problem-solving and team-building experience, which could help contribute to the productivity of the Council. Through my involvement with various community organizations and closely following Council activity and decisions over the last several years, I have gained insight into community needs along with a working knowledge of city government structure and priorities. I look forward to continuing to learn and share ideas with the Council and City team as well as helping keep community members informed and involved.
Mark Bittner
- Promotion and attraction are the top challenges for our community. We must find more ways to highlight the positive qualities of life found in Two Rivers. Our current location and community’s environment of safety and lifestyle is extremely appealing today. Our lakeshore location, the two rivers, beaches, multi-trails, Woodland Dunes Nature Preserve, Van der Brohe Arboretum, Point Beach State Forest, fishing, parks and playgrounds, festivals, concerts, school system, and multiple historic locations make Two Rivers a great place to locate to and a secure place to live. Aggressively, we need to promote the above features, which will, in turn, bring new commercial, much-needed housing development and provide additional job growth.
- The reason I am running for city council is to make it easier to streamline the path for any new housing and commercial development projects. Encouraging growth is a goal with logical suggestions to overcome any potential barriers. The city’s future will be positively impacted by successfully managing the development of the 17-acre vacant lot across from the city hall. Our city needs to control the process with a zoning plan to footprint private ownership of retail, housing, and small industrial growth. The river shoreline should be maintained by the city to allow access to boating, biking, walking, and/or other public venues. This vision will fuel overall community benefits, including sizable revenue collections and increased usage of the city’s fixed utility costs.
Andrew Quackenbush is also running for a seat on the council. He didn’t respond to our questions.
