Three face off for chance to run for Willmar mayor

Aug. 07--WILLMAR -- There are three men running for mayor in Willmar this year, triggering an Aug. 14 primary to decide the top two candidates who will be on the general election ballot Nov. 6.

The trio who have thrown their hat in the ring -- current Mayor Marv Calvin, Willmar businessman Steve Peppin and newcomer Zeke Dahl -- all have very different backgrounds and different visions for Willmar's future.

Calvin has lived in Willmar most of his life. He was Willmar's first full-time fire chief and fire marshal from January 2000 to August 2012 and also served as the fire training liaison for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System via Ridgewater College. He was elected to his first term as mayor in 2014.

Dahl moved to Willmar about a year ago to take advantage of the many programs the city has to help people get back on their feet. Prior to coming to town, Dahl lived in Austin, where he ran unsuccessfully for both mayor and city council. He is originally from San Diego and worked in border security.

Dahl came to Willmar to attend Project Turnabout to help overcome a gambling issue. In 2011 he was convicted of felony check forgery after stealing $8,000 from his grandmother to fund his gambling addiction.

Peppin is a Willmar business owner. He owns Pep's Barber Shop and Relentless Ink Tattoo and Piercing. Peppin moved to Willmar around 14 years ago, following his release from the St. Cloud Correctional Facility. He served several years for felony aggravated robbery in the first degree after being involved in robberies in North Minneapolis when he was younger.

In 2016 Peppin unsuccessfully ran for Willmar City Council in Ward 2.

The West Central Tribune sent all three a five-question questionnaire. Below are complete responses.

Marv Calvin

Age: 62

Family: Wife, Ginna, of 41 years, daughter Michelle and family, son Rob and family

Education: Paramedic degree 916 Vo-Tech

Occupation: Retired from fire service, your mayor

Please give some information on your qualifications and experience.

My wife, Ginna, and I grew up and have lived in the area for most of our lives. Willmar is our home and we love this community. I have been blessed to be in a leadership role most of my life and understand the needs of our ever-changing community. I am excited to continue all of the positive projects we have in place.

Four years ago my priorities were to restore leadership and trust; expand our economic engine; support Vision 2040; implement our park plan; improve housing and provide strong fiscal management. Through intentional planning, we have improved in each of these categories. We have also addressed items we hadn't thought about such as the transition to Carris Health, district heating at our utilities, and building the Destination Playground. When we work together, we can make things great things happen for our community.

It is my hope to continue to serve the residents of Willmar for the next four years.

I believe I have proven my leadership, not only as your mayor, but through a lifetime of community service. I have been on over 36 boards and commissions locally, regionally and statewide. Some examples include the YMCA, various committees within my church, the Kandiyohi County Lakes Association, Kandiyohi County Fire Chiefs Association and Minnesota Board of Fire Training & Education. While serving in a leadership role, I have created visions, long-range plans, built consensus and moved projects forward to protect our families and meet our basic needs.

What do you think makes Willmar special, and why is it important to protect and grow on that?

Willmar is a city that serves not only the people of Willmar, but people within our region as well. We have seen a significant increase in economic development. Once we conveyed the message "Willmar is open for business," we've seen an increase in new and expanding businesses from the industrial park to First Street. We have new housing developments to help our growing workforce meet its housing needs. We've added to our amenities by taking action on our park plans including the new Destination Playground, the splash pad at Rice Park and installation of new playground equipment in our neighborhood parks. All that enhances our natural resources such as our lakes and trail system.

Willmar's downtown has seen revitalization from the remodeling of the Barn Theatre and Midtown Plaza to new businesses such as the new Rice Rehabilitation facility, the Foxhole and soon to be Kwik Trip.

Our healthcare system continues to grow to meet the needs of the region with the merger of Rice Hospital and ACMC into Carris Health.

We can be proud of our community. It is a warm, inviting place people want to call home.

What are the top challenges facing Willmar, and how would you go about meeting them?

I believe Willmar's number one challenge is balancing our infrastructure needs and the community's desire for additional amenities with funding sources that do not overly burden taxpayers. Infrastructure needs include a new city hall and community center, restoring the auditorium and an adequate stormwater management system.

According to the current housing study, Willmar is lacking units in all housing categories. If our businesses are to meet their current workforce needs, not to mention growing needs, we must continue to address our housing shortage.

The city is excited to see the gap filled on Highway 23 and the completion of the Wye project. Both projects will have a positive impact on our community for years to come. We need to monitor these projects to guarantee their successful completion.

Lastly, expectations for open and transparent government continues to be an ongoing community concern. I have strived to be more transparent. One example of demonstrating transparency is the identification of the Municipal Utilities' transfers of funds to the city by reflecting this cost on users' monthly statements.

How do you feel about the council's facility priorities, including the possible new city hall and upgrades and additions to parks and recreation facilities?

I agree with the current priorities established by the City Council at their last council retreat.

The lack of strategic planning in the past placed Willmar behind other regional centers. We now have a vision for what we can accomplish if we sit at the table with commons goals and work together to achieve those goals.

Willmar needs a new city hall. I prefer a downtown location so we can continue to serve our citizens from a location they are comfortable with.

Our parks need to have equipment that is safe for our families to use and enjoy. Under my leadership we continue to replace our neighborhood park equipment that was removed for safety concerns. We also added park equipment at Robbins Island, Rice and Miller Parks. We approved a Master Plan for Robbins Island and we need to continue working to update our plan as future opportunities arise. The Swansson Regional Park complex should be addressed to meet the ongoing needs of our residents and regional partners.

Why do you think you are the right person for the job of mayor of Willmar?

It has been a privilege to serve as your mayor the last four years. As your mayor, I have worked alongside the council to create a common vision for our city. We have worked to intentionally achieve those goals. The common good and well-being of this community has been paramount in my decision-making. I believe I have proven my leadership skills and ability. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.

I love this community and would appreciate your vote in both the primary and general elections.

Zeke Dahl

Age: 40

No further biographical information provided

Please give some information on your qualifications and experience.

Common sense, think outside the box.

What do you think makes Willmar special, and why is it important to protect and grow on that?

A lot of recovery here, community involvement like the food shelf, humane society, employers that give people second chance like Cash Wise, Jennie-O.

What are the top challenges facing Willmar, and how would you go about meeting them?

Work, no new taxes, no new city hall, federal funding for recovery city status.

How do you feel about the council's facility priorities, including the possible new city hall and upgrades and additions to parks and recreation facilities?

No new city hall. Parks give kids something to do, stay out of trouble.

Why do you think you are the right person for the job of mayor of Willmar?

I care about people in the city, not just selected few. If you want something you never had before, you got to do something you never done before.

Steve Peppin

Age: 39

Family: Fiance, 4 children

Education: Pine City High School, Ridgewater College

Occupation: Owner of Pep's Barber Shop and Relentless Ink, motivational speaker

Please give some information on your qualifications and experience.

Throughout my life, I have acquired years of leadership experience. When I moved to Willmar, I attended Ridgewater for business, and to play football. During those years and again on the West Central semi-pro football team I created for our area, I obtained valuable lessons that carry far beyond the game. As a quarterback, you must know the plays, how to communicate them to your team, but most importantly, you must read the offense and field and never fear calling an audible.

As I grew my barber shop business, it was making and maintaining personal connections that I based my cornerstone upon. I have never denied fault in my errors, but instead learned to be smarter in the future. I have given back inspiration and hope to the penal system through speaking as a guest at facilities, mentoring those with the passion and determination to utilize their life experiences into positive applications in the world around them.

I have assessed the requirements and mayoral responsibilities and have been tirelessly grooming myself to conduct council meetings, understand and implement our city's charter and ordinances, and be a reflection and representative of our city.

Soft skills and the ability to truly communicate with others, regardless of varying differences, is something a leader is born with, and an attribute I proudly possess. Anyone can learn to play a role, but it is in my will and being to become a positive leader and better the community and world in which I live.

What do you think makes Willmar special, and why is it important to protect and grow on that?

When I first moved to Willmar, I immediately noticed the friendly and kind disposition of most people I met. Throughout the years, I have met many wonderful people from all walks of life. The citizens of Willmar are hard-working and dedicated; they fuel all other aspects of what make the area great.

Opportunities are abundant in every way imaginable. From thriving small businesses to large organizations. Groups, clubs, and committees make it possible for any dream to become a reality here.

Our education options, from early childhood through college, have continued to grow and provide for our youth. The area is beautiful and brimming with well-kept parks, trails, lakes and other recreational amenities. Childcare, special needs through retirement housing/communities, nursing homes and more, everyone has a place and accommodations to call our city home. Healthcare has always been top-notch and continues to provide special services, jobs and more.

When we cherish and protect what we have now, we make an investment to give future generations the best possible future we can. By protecting this we also honor the investment of all those that have come before us.

What are the top challenges facing Willmar and how would you go about meeting them?

We must check frequently to truly gauge what is impacting our area for the good and bad. If people take the time to voice their opinions and concerns through the proper channels, we must respond swiftly. It is not only what is 'in-house' but for us all. Decisions must be based on what would be best for the masses and what will ultimately play out for the greater good.

When talking to the citizens of Willmar, the top two problems they express to me is housing and jobs. Their children are moving away because they can't get housing and they can't find a good job. This is something that's been a issue for a long time. We need to come together and find a way to fix it as a team. Nobody wants their children moving away.

I fully support and commend our police force and housing authorities and feel they face the greatest challenges. To combat the ever-changing needs and problems that arise, they need adequate resources to properly function to address and resolve the issues. These are the civil servants that are not only worrying about the safety and well-being of their own families, but yours and mine as well.

Diversity should never mean adversity. This will be an ongoing struggle, but Willmar and surrounding areas provide much more than a stepping stone of opportunity to change that. We have faced many daunting challenges, and we need to remember that patience, understanding and fully supporting our impeccable departments on the front lines will lead to the resolution we need. With time, we can learn, grow and overcome any adversity that faces our city.

How do you feel about the council's facility priorities, including the possible new city hall and upgrades and additions to parks and recreation facilities?

I believe that we need a new city hall. To fully serve our community, we need a space that can live up to the needs of future decades. The troubling part is finding the proper location for city hall. Finding a way to keep it downtown would be best. Our downtown represents heart and should be preserved and respected, but I feel that it simply cannot accommodate the space necessary to structurally meet the requirements for a building fit to satisfy the growing needs.

Parking, traffic, and ease of accessibility are the main concerns I hear voiced everyday regarding this from the people that this facility will service. The Kandiyohi County Health and Human Services building, the high school, as well as the Civic Center all are doing great providing for the citizens, despite not being located in central Willmar.

Perhaps a subcommittee where citizens, civil servants and those involved could come together should be considered.

A major fiscal responsibility is necessary to carry out this project. It needs input from a broad spectrum of sources to ensure a high-quality usable space and 21st century architectural attractive facility.

Within reason, additions to our parks and recreational amenities can only benefit our area, as we are a destination for them. A place for families and the community to come together should always be well-maintained.

Why do you think you are the right person for the job of the mayor of Willmar?

The times are constantly changing, and this is currently the state of Willmar. A leader is someone who will grow with them, stand beside them and for them, and feel like they can connect with him.

Willmar is my home. It is where I grew my businesses, it is where I met my fiancé, it is where I will raise my children. I wake up every day to happiness, prosperity and encounter the people that give me the strength and purpose to truly be relentless. This city has given me the opportunity, the willfulness and the desire to give back.

If I win, we win. I will not deter from that God-given mission. I promise to do the best I can to be accessible, humble, and always weigh the input this beautiful city has to put in. I will always do my best and strive to be better. As the times and the facts change, I will grow, adjust and learn.

If elected, transparency and determination will remain intact; I will not overbear the council, our departments or administrator with personal views. I will allow them to do what they do best, praise them on a job well-done, and give them the space required to continue purposeful growth in their respective positions. Our governmental structure is designed for the people to win, and steering that ship means believing in them and the city.

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