by April Scheinoha
Reporter
Candidates had their opportunity in the spotlight Wednesday, Oct. 21 as they participated in a debate hosted by the Thief River Falls Chamber of Commerce.
COVID-19 led to a few changes at this year’s debate. There were no spectators, and the event was limited to contested Pennington County and City of Thief River Falls races. State legislative candidates debated on “Open Line” in the days following the event.
Bob Hultgren, general manager of Thief River Falls Radio, moderated the debate, which was held at the Carnegie. The debate was also broadcast live.
Pennington County Board
Incumbent Don Jensen and challenger Seth Nelson are vying for the Pennington County Board District 1 seat on the ballot. Hultgren asked Jensen and Nelson what should be done with the county’s Second Amendment resolution. In May, County Board approved a resolution declaring the county as a “Second Amendment Dedicated County.” However, that resolution didn’t provide resources to resist potential “red flag” laws that would, by court order, temporarily remove guns from people at risk of harming themselves or others. Those potential “red flag” laws seemed to be the impetus for a Pennington County coalition that had presented a sample resolution to the county.
Nelson replied that he has traveled more than 3,000 miles throughout District 1, which covers 12 townships. He said a lot of residents are upset that the teeth were taken out of the resolution, which has no legal binding.
Nelson, a veteran who noted he is a strong Second Amendment supporter, said he wants the resolution rescinded and rewritten to represent what the district wants.
Jensen said the coalition’s initial resolution wouldn’t allow law enforcement to take weapons away from a suicidal individual. In addition, Jensen noted, the initial resolution required the county attorney to use money from his budget to fight any change that would potentially affect the Second Amendment.
Nelson was given a chance for a rebuttal. He said he and residents don’t understand why County Board had removed some of the language from the proposed resolution. Nelson was apparently referring to the decision to remove mention of the county opposing “any efforts in the future to unconstitutionally restrict such rights and to use such legal means at its disposal to protect the rights of citizens of Pennington County.” Nelson noted that other regional counties had kept similar language in their resolutions.
Jensen replied that it made sense to take out the information that had been removed. Referring to his support of the Second Amendment, he said he has taken the oath of office as a member of the U.S. military and as a county commissioner. That oath talks about supporting the Constitution, including the Second Amendment.
Julie Bolduc and Dave Sorenson are vying for the County Board District 2 seat currently held by Cody Hempel. He has decided not to seek reelection. Bolduc participated in the debate whereas Sorenson was unable to attend.
Hultgren asked Bolduc the same question regarding the county’s reaffirmation of the Second Amendment. Bolduc, the wife of a veteran, said she’s a big supporter of the Second Amendment. She added there are other laws to cope with unstable individuals.
Hultgren also asked Bolduc about what should be done with City Auditorium. The county-owned building is in disrepair and sees little use. County Board hasn’t yet voted on how it wishes to proceed with City Auditorium. It continues to explore its options.
Bolduc said she wasn’t aware of the statistics related to City Auditorium. She said she would look into what could be cut, changed and done with the building.
Bolduc was also asked about her stance regarding the Enbridge Line 3 replacement project. She said she didn’t know much about the project.
Grant Asp and incumbent Bruce Lawrence are vying for the County Board District 5 seat. They were also asked about the future of City Auditorium. Asp, whose wife plays in the city volleyball league that uses the facility, said he is partial to the building.
However, Asp saw the other side of the coin. “Selling is definitely an option to save us that taxpayer dollar,” said Asp, who noted that he wished the county was a little more aggressive marketing the building if it planned to sell the building.
Even though it hasn’t officially voted, County Board is apparently swaying toward one direction. County Board would ideally like someone to step up and purchase City Auditorium, Lawrence said. If there were no other alternative, he added, the board would look at tearing down the building and using the property as a parking lot. Lawrence admitted that a select group of people would like the county to save the building, but it costs money to heat the building and a lot of money to remodel it.
Thief River Falls
City Council
Thief River Falls City Council candidates also participated in the debate. Incumbent Brian Holmer and Lee Vettleson are vying for mayor. Vettleson participated in the debate remotely.
Hultgren asked them how they would help businesses. Vettleson said the city needs to focus on trying to attract more people to the area since employers are desperate for more employees.
Holmer said the city should continue doing what it has been doing in the past. Those actions have included seeking state bonding money and also grants from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. Holmer noted that the Thief River Falls Regional Airport recently learned that it had received $5.5 million in bonding bill proceeds for a new cargo hangar that will benefit Digi-Key and other employers.
Holmer said he was one of the first people pressing for a Micro Loan Program. That city program provided loans to city businesses affected by COVID-19.
Holmer added that he thinks city leaders have done a good job of attracting a variety of businesses. He referred to the revitalization of the former Elks Club building and the sale of the former JCPenney building to Ronning’s.
For his part, Vettleson said, “I think what the City Council has done is a good first step [regarding COVID-19].” However, he noted that the council needs to come up with a long-term strategy to cope with the impact of the pandemic. He added that the city can’t necessarily depend on the State Legislature.
Incumbent Jason Aarestad and Ron Lindberg are vying for the council member at-large position on the ballot. Aarestad was unable to attend the debate.
Hultgren asked Lindberg whether the city has enough outdoor space, recreational space and bike trails. Lindberg replied that he is a strong advocate for a master plan for the city that looks 25 and 50 years into the future.
Lindberg added that the city needs senior housing. He said he broached an idea with the chairperson of the Midwest Minnesota Community Development Corporation, which has developed various subdivisions in the city. Lindberg thought that MMCDC could buy or trade gently-used homes currently owned by seniors and then refurbish and sell those homes to young families.
Incumbent Jerald Brown and Michele McCraw are vying for the Ward 4 seat on the ballot. Among other questions, they were asked about the possibility of building a swimming pool in Thief River Falls.
“I would like to see some type of swimming pool in Thief River Falls,” said McCraw, who noted that Warren and Red Lake Falls have swimming pools. She added that Thief River Falls is a bigger community that serves as a destination.
“That pool has been on the books for a long time,” said Brown, who noted that city leaders have talked to other communities with pools. He said they found it’s the maintenance costs, rather than the building costs, that are prohibitive.
Brown added that he doesn’t see a swimming pool in Thief River Falls’ future. He referred to Ralph Engelstad Arena and the money it costs to operate that building. Brown further noted that the council worked with a group seeking to construct a splash park in Thief River Falls; however, that hasn’t come to fruition.
McCraw was given a chance for a rebuttal. “If there’s a will, there’s a way,” said McCraw, who noted that Warren has annual fundraisers for its pool.