The four candidates looking to become the next city manager of Two Rivers got a chance to talk to the residents they hope to serve.
Scott Feldt, Nathan Thiel, Kyle Kornell, and Sam Demel spoke for about 20 minutes at four tables set up with residents getting the chance to ask and answer questions about what they are looking for in the next city manager.
Residents at one table wanted to see the city grow, but still wanted Two Rivers to keep its small-town feel. Feldt said if the city were to grow, residents would need to start talking about change.
“Because if that does start to happen, there are going to be plenty of people that say I don’t want things to change and there are going to be others that say it’s about time,” he told the table. “And so, as a community, you’re going to want to have that conversation to make sure that whatever path you choose, you’re all doing it with eyes wide open.”
Feldt is the current executive director of public affairs of Bug Tussle Wireless in Green Bay.
The candidate coming the farthest to try and get the job is former Purcell, Oklahoma City Manager Sam Demel.
The Kansas native says he decided to apply for the job because of the Cool City’s opportunities to engage each other.
“In today’s day in age, if you don’t have that, we become like little pods and nobody interacts with each other,” he explained. “And something happens in the community, and nobody comes to help because they’re not attached to each other. So, it’s very important to maintain those opportunities for people to interact.”
Demel says he wants to bring his passion for community engagement and his servant leadership style, meaning he wants to serve the community.
Nathan Thiel, the former city administrator of Beaver Dam, said he wouldn’t have applied for the Two Rivers job if it weren’t an ideal community to live in.
He says Two Rivers is close to nature and has good amenities.
He noted, “You’ve got a beautiful library, you’ve got a beautiful community, Central Park, City Hall, and you’ve reinvested in your high school and your middle school.”
Lastly, Lake Zurich Director of Management Services Kyle Kornell says he wants to be the next city manager because he wants to get back to his small-town roots with his young family.
“We are looking for our next chapter where we kind of, take it a little easier and get away from the traffic of the suburbs and the crime, and we really like the town,” he said. “So, it felt good walking around today, it felt authentic and real.”
Following the community session, Council President and member of the City Manager Selection Committee, Scott Stechmesser, says it’s going to be tough to pick one of the four.
The Council President told SeehaferNews.com, “I think each one can bring their own positivity and creativity and thoughtfulness to the city to help us move forward and keep doing great things for the city.”
The committee will meet at 11:45 this morning after the four city manager candidates talk with city department heads.
The committee will have a writing exercise and final interviews before they make a decision on the next leader of the Cool City later today.
Current City Manager Greg Buckley is retiring after almost 30 years of service.
His last day will be August 8th.
