In Their Words - Candidates for Fall Creek Village Board

Candidates running in contested elections for the Fall Creek Village Board in the April 5 election were contacted by the Tri-County Area Times and asked some questions in regards to the topics of the campaign and their plans if elected. Some have replied back. Here are their answers:

Westley Bennett

1). Why do you want to serve on the village board?

As a member of the Fall Creek community for a little over a decade now, this place has become my home. I grew up as a Navy brat, moving from place to place, never staying in one place for more than maybe 4 years at a time. I'd been looking for a true home my entire adult life. When I got here, to this community, and found my wonderful wife Rebecca, and looked around... I knew that this was home. And I want to try to help make it the best possible place to be. For myself, my wife, my kids, and for all of my fellow Crickets. It's as simple as that.

2). With gas prices high and looking to stay that way for the foreseeable future, is the moment for Fall Creek to try and bring businesses to town like a grocery store or restaurant or others that would save drivers from trips to Eau Claire or Altoona and how should the village go about to attract such businesses?

Well, first of all, we have to reduce barriers to entry in the community. We need to take a good, hard look at our bylaws and ordinances, and ask ourselves if they are really necessary. A business will be less reluctant to move into the community, if they have to go through pages and pages of what are sometimes very archaic and silly rules. For one example, the entirety of section 6.1.6., "Animals, fowl and insects not permitted in the village." would seemingly preclude most any kind of pet store that would attempt to sell anything beyond a typical dog or cat. No local exotic pet stores allowed in Fall Creek. We have to remove these kinds of barriers to entry. It'll make it substantially easier for businesses that want to come into the Village to have a chance. Another issue that's come to my mind is that some local business owners feel that they have a lack of say or a vote when it comes to village matters, even though they are working to help build the community in their own ways. For one specific example, Kristi LaRosa of Kristi's Sweets and Treats, a store which has become not only successful locally, but has also become something of a renowned institution. She has stated that even though she owns her business and her building, she cannot vote in elections in Fall Creek and she has no voice at all in the running of the Village, because her home of residence isn't here. Yet, she provides so much to this community. She provides a gathering place for family and friends to meet, as well as a great place for lunch and sweets! We should be able to rectify such a situation as this, and give business owners the CHOICE over which district they vote in. Not allowing them to vote in more than one, mind you, but letting them choose where they want to voice their opinions, in all of the communities where they have a stake. As it stands right now, she has no chance to speak with her vote when it comes to decisions that the Village Board makes that might affect her business and livelihood. That's just one example, I'm sure there are many more.

3). What are some upcoming challenges the village faces and what's your plan for meeting them?
In the last few years, I've been blessed to be able to travel across Wisconsin with my family through areas such as Rice Lake, Spooner, Ashland, Bayfield, Eagle River, and more. And through those travels, I've seen the results of rural decline, and it's not pretty. Communities eviscerated by the consolidation of family farms into corporate farms. Small Towns that dwindle when the factories closed and production moved elsewhere. The slow decay of abandoned buildings, barns, and sheds all over our great state. It's truly disheartening. Fall Creek, as a small village, may also potentially fall victim to this. I believe, given enough time, it is inevitable if nothing is done about it. We need to do what we can to promote the prosperity of the Village and make it attractive, especially to young people, so that they want to stay after they graduate, and to draw young people from other places as well. That includes, but is not limited to - increasing our standards at the schools, seeking out and communicating with regional entrepeneurs that wish to create new small start-up businesses, and developing further our recreational resources. We have a lot of beautiful outside space (such as the trail at Keller Park) that have seemingly not been updated or maintained in years from the looks of them. On top of that, we live in part of the world where it's seemingly winter for nearly half the year and people don't want to go out - yet we have no multipurpose functional indoor recreation center (not a gym) open to the public, where the public can get together and have fun with each other away from the bitter cold. These things are all within our capability and within our grasp, we just have to be willing to put forth the effort. I hope to be able to help push for these kinds of reforms.

Sheena Katz - Incumbent member of the board

1). Why do you want to serve on the village board?

I want to be involved in my community. I moved to a very small town from a very large one when I was 10. The small-town life I had growing up was very positive and I’d like my own kids to have the same experience during their formative years. This community is friendly, hardworking, and I just want to see good things for it. This is probably what all trustees and candidates want, but we need a variety of people with different backgrounds and experiences to be on the Board. This is a way for me to contribute while representing residents with similar goals.

2). With gas prices high and looking to stay that way for the foreseeable future, is the moment for Fall Creek to try and bring businesses to town like a grocery store or restaurant or others that would save drivers from trips to Eau Claire or Altoona and how should the village go about to attract such businesses?

I don’t feel that inflation and sudden hikes in gas prices should/will change our goals regarding business in Fall Creek. You don’t pull every investment when the stock market takes a dip. These are discussions we’re having-- prior to the current situation with gas prices. We’ve been open to various ideas about business and residential growth. Either way we’re competing with Eau Claire out of convenience. Many village residents work, doctor, and pursue higher education outside of Fall Creek. I don’t know that many trips would be saved if we had a new “restaurant.” A great example of business owners responding to community needs and showing their investment in Fall Creek are local gas station owners adding more produce and “grocery like” items to their inventory. What’s attractive about the Village, and what we need to promote, is how business owners complement each other and support overall economic growth here. Our downtown area is thriving. The relationship our business owners have with the rest of the community is great. I think we need to review our comprehensive plan, examine community needs, and focus on residential growth in conjunction with commercial growth.

3). What are some upcoming challenges the village faces and what's your plan for meeting them?

We have similar challenges to our neighboring municipalities and those across the country. Budgeting is always a challenge because there are so many needs and never enough funds. As I mentioned above, we need to look at our comprehensive plan and perhaps reprioritize.

Eddy Herbison

1). Why do you want to serve on the village board?

I enjoy living in the Fall Creek area and would like to serve the community. I am a member of the Fall Creek Lions Club and also volunteer to deliver for the ‘Meals On Wheels’ organization.
I have over 30 years experience as a Technical Analyst and believe my problem-solving skills would be an asset to the board. Much like my current job, listening to others is another important skill.
I also own and run a small business with my wife. We have been in business for 9 years. We serve our clients and have over 50 employees. Running a small business includes making tough decisions, processing payroll, and working within a budget. That experience would help me review and assess the budgets that the Fall Creek Village has.

2). With gas prices high and looking to stay that way for the foreseeable future, is the moment for Fall Creek to try and bring businesses to town like a grocery store or restaurant or others that would save drivers from trips to Eau Claire or Altoona and how should the village go about to attract such businesses?

Fall Creek offers lots of potential to bring in business. As a member of the Fall Creek Board I would help to assess the options and reach out to potential business owners to consider Fall Creek. I’d also reach out to the current Fall Creek businesses to see if their needs are being met by the Village.

3). What are some upcoming challenges the village faces and what's your plan for meeting them?

In my opinion, Fall Creek carries more debt than it should. I’d work to prioritize retiring some of those debts. I also think a bigger priority should be put on building homes on some of the open lots that are currently available. Fall Creek still has a very ‘small town’ appeal to others looking for a place to live.