City council candidates talk upcoming election

Among the bevy of important races during the spring elections on April 1, three people will vie for positions on the Prairie du Chien Common Council.

Two of the three, Jaaren Riebe and Nate Bremmer, are incumbent aldermen at large representing all six districts of the city, while the challenger, Sarah Hohlfeld, is a long-time resident of Prairie du Chien looking to capture a seat.

The city’s common council is made up of eight members, with one representative for each of the city’s six districts and the two at-large positions.

With the election less than two weeks away, all three candidates presented information on their background and their priorities for the city moving forward.

Jaaren Riebe

Q: What is your professional background, including positions you currently hold within the community?

A: I am a group sales leader for a beverage company based out of Sun Prairie. I graduated from Prairie du Chien High School and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. I am a lieutenant on the City of Prairie du Chien Fire Department, a member of Driftless Development, Inc. (an economic development joint service for Crawford County and the city of Prairie du Chien) and a board member and past president of the PdC Football Club. I am also a certified WIAA official in both football and basketball. I have coached numerous youth teams when my children were younger.

In regards to city positions, I have been elected as City Council President, Chairman of the Personnel Committee and member of the Public Works and Airport Commission.

Q: What do you believe is the role of the common council in Prairie du Chien? What is its basic function for the people it serves?

A: I believe the city council is there to represent the citizens and taxpayers of their city. That responsibility includes listening to constituents and supervising responsible spending of tax dollars.That sometimes is difficult since 6,000 people may have different ideas of what direction a community should move. I believe that we need to continue to look for businesses to locate in our tax district and have enough housing to provide for a workforce.

Q: There are many prospective projects on the city’s radar in the near future, including the public safety building, possible repairs and improvements for the wastewater treatment facility, and repairs to the water system. How will you prioritize projects for the city and its residents?

A: All of these are a priority. We should be able to do more than one thing at a time. The Public Safety Building is currently going out for bids for a contractor. The city has received a grant for nearly $5 million for a joint public safety building. The police’s current location will now be part of the county jail. Upgrades were needed, especially with evidence storage, and the current fire stations (four separate structures) have been outgrown and are unsafe.

The wastewater facility project is moving forward but slower. The current facility is basically broken and beyond repair. If you live in that area, you may have noticed that the odor the last few years has gotten worse. This is due to underground piping that has become corroded. The new upcoming federal government regulations regarding the discharge of effluent may not be able to be achieved with the current facility.

One of the city wells needed to be shut down due to PFAS levels detected during regular testing. We should be able to expect clean drinking water in our homes. This is currently the case, but a new well will need to be put online.

Q: As an alderperson at large, your job is to serve the constituents throughout all six districts of the city. How will you make yourself available to the people, and how will you work with alderpersons from the six districts to solve problems and address concerns?

A: I feel that in the years that I have been an alderperson, I have been very easy to get a hold of or contact. In the past, I have been contacted by phone calls, emails, Facebook Messenger, and letters.

I am very active in the community, and most interactions happen with someone just coming up to me on the street or at the local grocery store. I expect those interactions to continue.

Q: What other community involvement do you have within Prairie? How does community interaction help your position as an alderperson?

A: My work with DDI and the PdC Mainstreet program allows me to interact with many of the local businesses and hear any issues that they may have. I also help with groups that organize the Flea Market during Rendezvous, the Fire Department’s Family Fun Day and a golf tournament that raises money for scholarships for Prairie du Chien High School presented by the Class of 1986. All of these events keep me hands-on with a wide segment of the population.

Q: What do you believe are the top priorities for the city as of right now?

A: I feel that we need to continue to grow the tax base in order to reduce the tax burden on the current taxpayers. That includes continuing to assist where we can with workforce housing and small businesses.

With a county population of 16,000 people, there is a limited workforce and a housing shortage for employees to live. In the past five years, the city of Prairie du Chien has assisted in 94 new units being built and occupied. These include the Brunson Street duplex projects, the rental units at Prairie Bluffs Court and the new Prairie Cottages. There are more developments being worked on. I believe that it is important that we keep a diversified economic base. We do have a strong tourism base — which is important — but it cannot be our only economic income. We must continue to have manufacturing, retail, and agriculture as part of our community.

Q: What is the number one responsibility of the common council? How do they provide a balance of power within the city?

A: I think it is important that a city council be a good steward of tax money and public lands. We didn’t talk much about our parks and natural resources of our area. We need to make sure that any growth is conscious of the beauty and natural wonders that surround us.

As far as a balance of power, our system is set up that all wards are represented and all council members are on committees in order to let their voices be heard. The voters, of course, have the final say in how they are represented.

Sarah Hohlfeld

Q: What is your professional background, including positions you currently hold within the community?

A: With my current position as administrative assistant at the Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce, I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to meet many of our local business owners and front-line workers. It has given me a new perspective on some of the challenges they face and an immense appreciation for their tenacity. Representing the key players in Prairie du Chien’s economy is something I look forward to, and I will support them in any way that I can.

Q: What do you believe is the role of the common council in Prairie du Chien? What is its basic function for the people it serves?

A: The common council is the legislative body for Prairie du Chien. They are responsible for drafting and enacting our local ordinances and policies. The common council is also responsible for approving the city budget, permits and many other tasks. Balancing needs and wants can be difficult, and careful consideration must be made to ensure the policies enacted by the common council are to the benefit and interests of all of the people it serves.

Q: There are many prospective projects on the city’s radar in the near future, including the public safety building, possible repairs and improvements for the wastewater treatment facility, and repairs to the water system. How will you prioritize projects for the city and its residents? 

A: Like many people, most of our priorities are budget-driven. While I realize that some concessions may have to be made in order to maintain the integrity of the city’s infrastructure, I would work to ensure that projects are completed within the confines of the city budget.

Q: As an alderperson at large, your job is to serve the constituents throughout all six districts of the city. How will you make yourself available to the people, and how will you work with alderpersons from the six districts to solve problems and address concerns?

A: I welcome comments or concerns from any of the city residents within the six districts. They can reach out to me anytime by phone or email. I also look forward to learning from current council members and will strive to find appropriate solutions to any situation that might arise.

Q: What other community involvement do you have within Prairie? How does community interaction help your position as an alderperson?

A: For the last nine-plus years, I’ve had the privilege to be closely involved with Villa Louis Historic Site, first as an employee and now as a board member of the Friends of Villa Louis. I’ve come to appreciate not only Dousman family history, but the many layers of Prairie du Chien’s rich history. The city has always been a big supporter of historic events, and I hope to continue those efforts.

Q: What do you believe are the top priorities for the city as of right now? 

A: As a resident of Prairie du Chien, I feel the pain of increasing taxes. Most of us are aware that Prairie du Chien taxes are one of the highest in the area. I would definitely be interested in taking a closer look at where our tax dollars are going and if there are any sustainable solutions to lower the tax burden on city residents.

Q: What is the number one responsibility of the common council? How do they provide a balance of power within the city? 

A: I believe living in a small town is a gift. But like many, we want the small-town feel but with modern technology and amenities. The common council should be committed to offering residents the best of both worlds. Making policies that help keep residents safe while providing the basic necessities to live comfortably, like clean streets, safe drinking water, emergency preparedness, community programs and more. Balance comes when the proper ordinances are in place, but people have the liberty to hold themselves accountable.

Nate Bremmer

Q: What is your professional background, including positions you currently hold within the community?

A: I am currently employed with the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department. I am also currently the at-large alderperson for the city of Prairie du Chien. I am a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 1502 and currently serve as the Vice President. I am also a member of the Crawford County Treatment Court Team, the Children’s Advisory Board, and the Director of Corrections for the Wisconsin Field Training Officer’s Association. 

Q: What do you believe is the role of the common council in Prairie du Chien? What is its basic function for the people it serves?

A: The role the common council serves in the city of Prairie du Chien is to enact ordinances and resolutions, manage city budgets and projects and represent their community. The basic function it serves is being there for the community as a whole to provide leadership for the community they serve.

Q: There are many prospective projects on the city’s radar in the near future, including the public safety building, possible repairs and improvements for the wastewater treatment facility, and repairs to the water system. How will you prioritize projects for the city and its residents?

A: There are several ongoing projects and projects in the initial phase of beginning. The Public Safety Center has been a priority for several years, and hopefully in the near future we will see groundbreaking for that new project. How to prioritize these projects comes down to funding, the community’s need, the need for the department(s) and the overall safety of our community and our employees.

Q: As an alderperson at large, your job is to serve the constituents throughout all six districts of the city. How will you make yourself available to the people, and how will you work with alderpersons from the six districts to solve problems and address concerns?

A: I will and always have been available to my constituents via phone calls, emails, or other means necessary to communicate, and I will continue to be that way. I have worked and will continue to work with all the other alderpersons on the council to make sure we have a great running council and city as I have over my tenure on the council from being District 1 alderperson to now alderperson at-large.

Q: What other community involvement do you have within Prairie? How does community interaction help your position as an alderperson?

A: I am actively involved within the community by helping and volunteering on numerous occasions at the Prairie du Chien Eagles Club; a big one is the annual Heart and Cancer Telethon among all the other events we host. Also representing the City as an Alderperson at various events that members of the Common Council get invited to attend. It helps to be able to communicate amongst constituents within the city and talk to them freely in public when they have issues or concerns.

Q: What do you believe are the top priorities for the city as of right now?

A: The top priority of the city right now is to maintain and keep a balanced budget, which we have had over the last several years. [Another is] the start and completion of the new Public Safety Center and the future capital borrowing for the completion of this project.

Q: What is the number one responsibility of the common council? How do they provide a balance of power within the city?

A: The number one responsibility of the common council is to be there for their constituents, listen and be heard about their issues and concerns, and work collaboratively to achieve a positive end result.