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FAIRMONT-- There are six in the running to be the next mayor of Fairmont. Peter Bode, Logan Kelly, Krystaline Krumrey, Nathanael Landsteiner, Jerome Niss and Todd Smith will all appear on the ballot on Nov. 3. They were all asked the same four questions and below are their responses.
Smith acknowledged receipt of the questions but chose not to provide answers to any.
1. What is your background and why are you running for mayor?
Bode: I am running for mayor with a background in political science, conflict studies and a decade of work in government at the municipal, regional and state levels. I am the only candidate in this race who can leverage that unique experience on day one to ensure our city council is functional.
Kelly: I am a lifelong resident of Fairmont and a 2009 graduate of Fairmont High School. As a father of a young, growing family, I have a personal stake in seeing our community thrive and grow. My family and I love Fairmont, everything it has to offer and the people who make this community such a special place to call home. We want to continue raising our family here, and I believe many other young families share that same desire.
I am running for mayor because I believe it is time for a fresh perspective, new ideas and a renewed focus on Fairmont's future. I want to bring the perspective of a younger generation to the table while building on the strong foundation that makes our community what it is today. Fairmont was a great place to grow up, and I want it to remain a great place for the next generation. My goal is to help create a community where young families want to stay, new families want to move and people feel confident building their futures here. I believe Fairmont has tremendous potential and I want to be part of helping our community grow, thrive and continue to be a place we are all proud to call home.
Krumrey: My background is in manufacturing and various customer service jobs. I am running for mayor because I want to serve the Fairmont community in any way I can in order to uplift the community as a whole.
Landsteiner: I was born in Fairmont and have lived here all my life. I grew up on an acreage outside of town but Fairmont has always been the center of community life for us, even when I attended MCW high school. I’m the third born of eight children and my folks taught us the value of integrity, honesty and hard work. Five of us now own and operate our own businesses, three as individuals and two in a partnership. I was a member of the Boy Scouts of America for three years and attained the rank of First Class Scout. I attended Iowa Lakes Community college where I studied wind energy technologies. I’ve seen people in some of the worst situations just struggling humbly. I’ve seen addiction, depression, poverty and crime up close. I’ve learned a lot about human psychology throughout these trials and even more when my wife left me with our three young girls after only a few short years. On Oct. 4, 2013 I was right at the edge of giving up. That was the day I chose to live because “This too shall pass.” Six years later my niece was born on that very date. I’ve now been self employed in chimney sweeping, inspection and repair. My girls are now 9, 8 and 7. We have just bought our first home.
I’m running for mayor because I’m positively appalled by the disconnect in this city between the voter/taxpayer and the ones who actually decide how those tax dollars are spent. The charter currently reinforces this condition but even that has not been enough for some of our city staff who willfully and blatantly violate the charter as it limits their power. I want to work with the charter commission, the elected officials and current city staff and the citizens of this fair city to restore the power to the people as is our American privilege and our God given right.
Niss: My background consists of 47 years in the manufacturing field. At the age of 18, I began work at Railway Motors which would later become Harsco. I started as a machinist. I spent 10 years in that position and then moved into a supervisory position over an entire shift consisting of welders, machinists and the foundry. After being in the supervisory position for a few years, I moved into a manufacturing managerial position along with Environmental Health and Safety. I remained in this position until Harsco closed in 2011. After the closure, I went more in the direction of Environment Health and Safety at University of Minnesota, Mankato. I then returned to Fairmont where I continued in the manufacturing field serving for Kahler Automation as customer service manager and continued with the Environmental Health and Safety there. I did a soft retirement but ended up working full time for manufacturing companies across Minneapolis/St. Paul area doing consulting work for Environmental Health and Safety. This also led me to do work for companies in the upper Midwest beyond Minnesota. Most of my working years were in leadership positions where I led and collaborated with many different teams and people.
Why I am running for mayor – I believe Fairmont has so much potential, and I want to see our community grow and move forward. Over the past 10-12 years, we've seen businesses leave our community, and I believe we have an opportunity to bring new investment and good-paying jobs back to Fairmont, especially in manufacturing.
Throughout my career, I've had the opportunity to work with thousands of people and learn what it takes to bring people together toward a common goal. I want to bring that experience to the mayor's role by helping our city council and city hall work together as one team, focused on the priorities and goals of our citizens.
2. What is the top issue facing Fairmont?
Bode: The fundamental issue holding Fairmont back is a negative and dysfunctional city council. Electing an effective mayor is the first and most important of many solutions to this issue. Once we’re working as one governing team, we can solve any problem facing Fairmont.
Kelly: The biggest issue facing Fairmont as we approach Election Day is a lack of growth. Our population has been declining for years, and with businesses continuing to leave town, we need to take a serious look at how we can turn that trend around. We need to make bringing good-paying jobs back to Fairmont a priority. A growing economy creates opportunities for our residents, attracts new families and helps strengthen our community. As our population and business community grow, we can also broaden the tax base and help ease the tax burden on individual taxpayers.
To make that happen, we need to focus on creating an environment where businesses want to invest, grow and call Fairmont home. This means looking for opportunities, being willing to explore new ideas and working together to find practical solutions that encourage economic development. When businesses succeed, they create opportunities for additional growth throughout our community.
Most importantly, we need to change the way we approach new ideas and opportunities. Instead of immediately asking, "Why won't this work?" we should be asking, "How can we make this work?" Fairmont has the potential to grow and thrive, but we need to be proactive, open-minded and willing to work together to make that happen. Our focus should be on building a stronger local economy and creating a community where people want to live, work, raise a family and build their future.
Krumrey: Growth. Continuously we struggle to bring in newer business that provides desirable jobs and wages. I think watching businesses leave and for sale signs on houses increasing is a concern for everyone, as it should be.
Landsteiner: I believe the top issue facing Fairmont is the many layers of permission slips we must obtain before we get anything done. Truly there are three things that can’t be completed well unless they are all done in tandem.
We have to clean up these lakes, fix the streets, change the tone at city hall and restore pride in our community with all that entails. The rise of the arts, street culture and industrial innovation can only be induced by cultivating a municipal climate in which they can naturally thrive. This means a city hall that knows how to get out of its own way. This means no more obstructionists. This means celebrating with your neighbors in their triumphs as well as jumping in to help when things go sideways. Because we’re all in this together. And we need industrial growth to pay for it. Manufacturing brings high paying jobs that anyone can do. New homes must be built and more retail and service industries will follow as naturally as a cart follows a horse.
Niss: I believe one of Fairmont's greatest needs is to rebuild trust, respect and teamwork within our city government. As mayor, my goal would be to help create an environment where our city council, city administration and staff can listen to one another, respect different perspectives and work toward shared goals. We may not always agree, but we should always be able to work together for the good of our community.
Building that trust is an important step toward addressing the challenges and opportunities ahead of us, including good-paying jobs, housing, our lakes, property taxes and building codes.
Fairmont has important work to do, and we will be better equipped to do it when we work as one team, with a shared purpose and a commitment to our community.
3. What is your goal if elected mayor?
Bode: We can do so much as a city, and it all starts with the city council. My goal, and my promise to Fairmont residents, is to provide strong but fair leadership on city council. We will turn Fairmont’s fortunes around together. I will push for better communication between the city and residents, long term and impactful solutions to our water quality crisis, and positioning Fairmont as a regional hub again – attracting visitors, young families and economic opportunity.
Kelly: My goal, if elected mayor, is to help foster a constructive and collaborative city council that works together to move Fairmont forward. The mayor, council members, city administrator and city staff all play important roles in the success of our city, and it is essential that we work together toward the common goal of making Fairmont a better place for everyone. An important part of that process is listening to our citizens. Residents deserve to have their concerns heard, taken seriously and considered when decisions are made. As mayor, I want to help create an environment where people feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and know their voices matter.
Through my years of leadership experience in local businesses, I have learned the importance of communication, teamwork and working through challenges to find solutions. I believe those skills would serve me well as mayor. There will inevitably be disagreements and differing opinions, but those differences do not have to stand in the way of progress. In fact, listening to different perspectives with an open mind can lead to better decisions. Ultimately, we need to put our egos aside, focus on what is best for Fairmont and work together toward solutions that benefit our community as a whole. Being mayor is not about one person’s agenda; it is about helping bring people together, encouraging productive discussion and ensuring that the decisions we make reflect the best interests of our city and its residents.
Krumrey: My goal if elected mayor is to assist in bringing in new businesses that would not only provide good jobs but also some more variety in what we offer as a whole in Fairmont. I want to help this town run as efficiently as possible and as cohesive as possible.
Landsteiner: Nothing short of a full stop and course correction. We have to right this ship. And we have to do it now.
Niss: From the very beginning of this mayor race, my goal has been to unite our city government, strengthen our local economy and protect and enhance our lakes to build a stronger Fairmont so that our citizens of all generations have reasons to live, work and invest in our community.
The key to accomplishing all of these is working together. I would like to bring our city government together by creating relationships, building trust, respecting each other, finding common ground and working as one team. For economic growth, we need business, government and our community working together as well. We need to support what we have here and work very hard to pursue new opportunities.The lakes need our togetherness also. Through collaboration, responsible investment and a long-term vision, we can work together to protect and leverage one of our greatest assets, the lakes.
I believe Fairmont has tremendous potential, and we can make progress when we listen to one another, work together and focus on what’s best for our community.
4. How would you help streamline council meetings?
Bode: If elected mayor, I promise to run meetings predictably, mandate trainings on how to be a productive council member and ensure the city council speaks with one clear voice. As the only candidate with a government background, I bring a serious vision and plan with me to provide real, positive change. The chaotic “change” offered by some candidates will only make our government less transparent, less effective and more wasteful. And alternatively, if nothing is done to streamline council governance – we will be in the unchanged position of dysfunction in four years. Working together, we can move Fairmont forward in a positive direction.
Kelly: I firmly believe that none of our current city council members are excited about spending two to three hours in a meeting every other week. Each council member has a job, family, activities and a life outside of the council chambers, and I recognize the time commitment that comes with serving our community, as do the current council members. However, I also think it is important to remember the significance of the decisions made during these meetings. From city budgets and local events to infrastructure and long-term planning, the discussions and decisions made at the council table help shape the future of Fairmont.
While I believe we should always look for ways to make meetings more efficient and productive, I do not believe we should take shortcuts when it comes to making important decisions. If there are two to three hours of necessary business to discuss on a given evening, then we need to take that time to ask questions, hear different perspectives and carefully consider our options. My goal would be to ensure that council meetings are focused, organized and productive while still allowing enough time for thoughtful discussion and public comment. Ultimately, it is better to take the time to make informed decisions the first time around than to rush through an issue and potentially create bigger problems down the road. As mayor, I would want to respect everyone’s time while also respecting the responsibility we have to the citizens of Fairmont.
Krumrey: I would be the bridge between differing opinions. I would seek to keep everyone focused and on point with the frequent reminder that we are all there because we want what is best for all of Fairmont and we can move forward on that goal.
Landsteiner: First and foremost we must treat one another with respect. Elected officials, city staff and citizens must be able to communicate their concerns to one another and work together on shared solutions. Secondly, we need to rearrange the authority structure (through amendment of the charter) so that citizens remain at the top, elected officials in the middle and city staff at the bottom. This is a full inversion of the structure we have now. I believe this will iron out a lot of the chaos we’ve been seeing and speed things up considerably.
Niss: Fairmont already has council procedures intended to promote orderly, efficient meetings. I would ensure we are following those existing practices consistently in our meetings. Along with that, I would work with the city administrator and council with the agendas to ensure that decisions needed are clearly identified so council members and residents know what is being discussed and why. I would encourage respectful and focused discussion keeping all comments relevant to the issue. As mayor, I would continually guide the discussion towards the decision needing to be made. If an issue needs more research or discussion, we would identify what information is missing and establish clear next steps moving forward. I would also like to see work sessions used strategically for complex topics that could be better explored in a work session prior to a formal council meeting. I would not want to rush important decisions or limit public input, but we do need to use the time effectively to make informed decisions.