.jpg)
On Monday candidates for the Babbitt city council gathered at city hall for a forum prior to the Nov. 5 election. There are six candidates for the two open seats.
All six participated in the forum, Terry Switajewski, Glenn Anderson, Paul Hoheisel, John Fitzpatrick, Duane Lossing and Craig Warlof.
Moderating the debate was Babbitt Weekly News publisher Nick Wognum.
Candidates were first asked to introduce themselves and then responded to groups of three questions each, rotated among the six candidates.
Switajewski listed being a U.S. Navy veteran and Babbitt’s police chief and that he previously served eight years on the city council. He currently works part-time at Northland Learning Center.
Anderson was also in the military, spending three and a half years in the Army. He has served as the city’s fire chief in the past as well as the assistant ambulance supervisor. He has served as mayor for a few years and is currently on the council.
Hoheisel worked as a machinist and came back to Babbitt. He has been on the council for eight years and helped with the city projects including the new campground, city garage and the proposed West Babbitt development. He is also a member of the Public Utilities Commission which recently completed an $18 million project.
Fitzpatrick worked as a master tool and die maker and later ran his own computer company. He retired to Babbitt 17 years ago. He is involved with the Babbitt Lions Club, the Knights of Columbus and the Babbitt History Center.
Warlof said he grew up here and graduated from Babbitt before working in the medical parts industry for 22 years. He now works for Blomberg’s and said he’s like to serve the community.
Lossing currently serves as mayor and listed his family’s business that he grew up and later worked in. He also said he started the Cat Shack and worked for Blade Snowmobiles. Lossing also worked for Negley Enterprises for seven years before taking his current job.
The first round of questions dealt with allowing people to have chickens, ambulance services and the campground.
On the chicken issue Lossing said he will look to a city survey for guidance but said he did do research on other communities who have passed ordinances allowing people to have chickens. “This is decision public should make,” said Lossing.
On the hospital’s proposal to create a regional ambulance service, Switajewski said, “Personally I’m against merging with anybody.” He said combining would hurt the current service being provided.
On the new city campground Fitzpatrick said initially he wasn’t in favor of it and “I’d like to see the campground take care of its own bills.”
Warlof said he has no problem with people have chickens. “I do believe that it should be up to the community as to whether that’s something that we do or not.”
Anderson said he has attended two meetings in Ely on the ambulance issue and “spoke against it and also for it.” He said Babbitt needs more time to look at the issues that the Ely hospital is proposing. He also questioned the last cost estimate of $45 to $55 per person per household. “That’s pretty high I can’t go for that. But that’s just am estimate.”
Hoheisel said the new campground is a “very beautiful site out there.” He said the campground is paying for itself and is largely booked for next year. “It’s one of the best campgrounds I’ve seen in a long time. As long as it doesn’t cost you which we said it wouldn’t it is fine."
Fitzpatrick said he didn’t have a problem with people having chickens but questioned who would be charged with making sure people follow the rules.
Lossing said the Babbitt ambulance service has been successful . “We need more information before we bail out of something that’s actually working.”
Switajewski said he was very proud to have been involved with the creation of the campground. “We truly have a diamond in the rough. If we can keep it running successfully it will be a real asset for the community.”
Hoheisel said he’s “been thinking a lot about the chickens.” He is waiting to see what people say in the survey sent out with the utility bills. I’m not for it, I’m not against. I want to see what the people say.”
Warlof said if the current ambulance service taking care of itself, “I don’t see a reason that we should be merging with anybody else at this time.”
Anderson said one of the keys to the campground was getting $2.5 million in state funding for the project and that he assisted in working with state legislators.
Switajewski said that as a cop he was against having chickens in town because he had to chase them. “If the public is in favor of chickens …I would vote for what the citizens want because they elected me it’s not up for me to vote how I feel personally.”
Fitzpatrick said he didn’t have a lot of knowledge about the ambulance issue other than there have been problems in getting Medicare to pay the full amount for an ambulance run. “I know that the Babbitt ambulance system is very good, one of the top in northern Minnesota.”
Lossing said the campground has been a plus for businesses in town but questioned the change to put in water and sewer and whether that could be extended to other customers down the road.
Anderson said he has had more phone calls against people have chickens that for. “When I came to the meeting if voted I would have voted no.” He added he will “listen
