On Saturday afternoon, the Whitewater League of Women Voters hosted a candidate forum in light of the upcoming April 5 election. The candidates present included Jim Allen and Chuck Mills, who are both running for Whitewater Common Council at-large seats, and Jill Gerber, who is running for Aldermanic District 4. Lukas Schreiber, who is running for Aldermanic District 2, was not in attendance.
One of the areas of concern to residents was how each candidate plans to stay in touch with constituents if elected. Chuck Mills discussed his desire to foster a connection with individuals by engaging them and encouraging them to come out to common council meetings. Jim Allen discussed hosting meet and greets with community members, and also how he has made himself accessible in the community by being present through different community organizations and events. Jill Gerber talked about how she went door-to-door to get out and meet members of the community and answered questions they had. She also discussed her involvement with the public on social media.
A topic the candidates mostly agreed on was in regards to a grocery store in Whitewater. While many residents have wondered about bringing a grocery store in, all candidates seemed to agree that bringing in a grocery store would be difficult. Chuck Mills discussed that there isn't a big enough market for a grocery store, especially considering its competition in town. Jim Allen noted that traffic counts are not where they would need to be to bring in a grocery store, and Jill Gerber said that construction costs are too high for a grocery store in Whitewater.
The candidates also discussed environmental sustainability in terms of potential installation of electronic vehicle charging stations in the city. Jim Allen noted that he is not against installing electronic vehicle charging stations, but wasn't sure of the cost. However, he noted that he believes this will be something to look into due to its upcoming demand in the future. Jill Gerber talked about apps that show individuals where the nearest charging stations are, and how adding charging stations in Whitewater would bring those individuals who use the apps into the community and help foster growth. Chuck Mills was against installing electronic vehicle charging stations because he believes they will not be beneficial for the community.
The candidates each had an opportunity to discuss fostering growth in the city. Jim Allen discussed that he wants to foster growth through attracting new businesses in the area. He noted Whitewater’s economic development team, and how grant money could be used to bring new businesses in. Jill Gerber said that working on housing and bringing people in to live in the Whitewater community would facilitate growth. She went on to mention that making Whitewater schools more attractive would drive people to want to live in the area. Chuck Mills spoke about expanding Whitewater’s Fire and Rescue operations, and how he would like to see a bigger building for them. He also said that he would be interested in putting a task force together to see how other nearby cities attract businesses and what Whitewater could do to also be successful.
A full recording of the candidate forum is available at https://vimeo.com/cityofwhitewater.
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