Fremont City Council District 3 Questions and Answers

Answer: Both of my parents are from farming communities in northern Dodge County. I was born in Omaha but grew up in Fremont. My wife and I have lived in Ward 3 in Fremont for the past 25 years.

Q: Tell us about your family

A: My wife, Deb, and I have been married for 45 years. We have three children – two sons and a daughter. Between blood, marriage, and other circumstances, we have many people who know us as grandparents. We also have one great-grandson.

Q: What do you do now?

A: My only current job at the moment is representing Fremont City Council Ward 3. I retired from the Cargill Meat Solutions Schuyler plant after a 40 year career. My last position there was production manager.

Q: Why did you decide to run for office?

A: I’ve always had an interest in local government, and retirement gave me the opportunity to pursue that. Fremont has faced some dynamic challenges as well as some dynamic opportunities in recent years, and I expect that to continue into our future. My sole purpose in this office is to assist in the decision-making process to move Fremont forward in the best possible way for every part of our community.

Q: How do you get involved in the community?

A: In addition to my work on the City Council, my son and daughter-in-law own a small business here in Fremont — Jensen Technology/Kelly’s Craft Room. I am also a long time blood donor. I recently received my 3 gallon donation pin.

Q: What qualifies you for this position?

A: As the manager of a large processing plant, I was responsible for making decisions that considered all important aspects—employee safety, food safety, animal welfare, production goals, government regulations, maintenance issues, water treatment, and more. Helping the city move forward faces similar challenges in that there are many, many aspects of concern that must be considered if one is truly interested in the best use and management of public resources for Fremont.

Q: What do you think are the top two issues in Dodge County (if running for City Council, the top two issues in Fremont) and how would you address them if elected?

A: #1. Flood Mitigation — After the historic flood in 2019, Fremont has more control over some water controls than it did then. Our Joint Water Management Board is considering several projects to significantly improve our ability to cope with high water levels. These projects will be very expensive. I support using Fremont’s share of Federal ARPA funds for our share of these costs.

#2. Police Station – Our police station was inadequate when I was elected to council and has only gotten worse. We need to solve this problem sooner rather than later. I do not support any specific plan at this time, but I fully support whatever project the experts believe makes the best sense for moving Fremont into the future.

Q: What do you think the county (or city) could do better? why?

A: To make information more accessible to the public. This may require a larger social media presence. Fewer people rely on newspapers and local radio (unfortunately) and we need to meet people where they are, at least to some extent.

Q: What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?

A: Float fishing in northern Ontario.