Lowell City Council Candidate and Question Recap

Lowell voters, have you decided who’s getting your vote in the November 7 general election?

There are three city council spots up for grabs and five men running for the seats. If you haven’t decided who garners your vote, here’s a look at who’s running and where they stand on the issues.

Lowell City Council Candidates

Let’s start by taking a look at the candidates. Lowell’s First Look has met and profiled each person running. By clicking each name below, you can read the full profiles. Names are listed in alphabetical order.

Greg CanfieldThis longtime resident and businessman is no stranger to the Lowell community. You may know him as the owner of Canfield Plumbing & Heating, the person who rehabilitated condemned buildings along the Flat River to create the Main Street Inn or the force behind the renovation of the Superior Furniture Factory and other downtown buildings. Canfield won a special election last November to replace recalled Mayor Jeff Altoft and is hoping residents will return him to the council for a full term. If elected, he hopes to help continue economic growth in the city as well as work to improve area roads.

Jake DavenportAs a college student, Davenport has the distinction of being the youngest candidate in the race. He’s currently wrapping up studies in political science at Ferris State University and expects to have his degree by December. He hopes the next chapter of his life will include sitting on the Lowell City Council. If elected, Davenport hopes to make the council more proactive and help it respond more quickly when addressing city issues. He is concerned about unfunded liabilities in the city’s pension fund and the deteriorating roads.

Mike DeVoreDeVore is the current Mayor of Lowell. He won his first election to the city council in 2015 and ascended to the position of Mayor a year later. DeVore moved to Lowell in 2002, thinking it would be a temporary landing spot. However, he quickly grew to love the community and can’t imagine living anywhere else now. He is proud of the work he’s done during his two years on the council, citing the hiring of City Manager Mike Burns and shutting down the biodigester as two of his biggest accomplishments.

Mark RitzemaLongtime residents may be familiar with the name Mark Ritzema. He spent 25 years with the Kent County Sherriff’s Office and was also a member of the Lowell Police Department. Currently working in the private sector, Ritzema is nearing retirement age and feels as though he now has time to devote to public service once again. He is frustrated with the negativity and lack of civility that has marked city politics in recent years. He is also concerned with inaction by the current council to address city issues. If elected, Ritzema says he will listen to residents and help move the city forward in a positive way.

Jim SalzwedelSome say that when Mayor Pro Tem Alan Teelander resigned from the council in August, the position was Salzwedel’s for the taking. As a member of the Planning Commission and the Lowell Light & Power Board, Salzwedel has garnered a reputation for being level-headed and taking a thoughtful approach to decision making. However, he didn’t want to be appointed to city council. He’d rather let city residents choose whether he gets a seat on the council. If that happens, Salzwedel says he’ll work to address practical issues like the roads while also helping the community identify common goals for the future.

 

Lowell City Council Candidate Questionnaire

In addition to talking to the Lowell City Council candidates about their background, qualifications and vision for the city, we asked them to respond to a questionnaire about specific issues. These are the questions we asked:

Biodigester

Would you support restarting the biodigester either as an energy producing facility or a water treatment plant for Litehouse waste if you felt assured there would be no odor?

If not, what do you think should be done with the facility should the property be placed back in the hands of the city?

Showboat

Do you support removing the name Robert E. Lee from the Showboat?  If yes, what should the boat be named?

Should there have been a community discussion prior to removal before decommission of the current boat?  Should the City Council have voted on the name change or was it an appropriate decision for the city manager to make independently?

Community Relations

How important is it for Lowell’s government to have a working relationship with Lowell Township and Vergennes Township?  If so, what should that relationship look like?

Economic Development

What role should the Lowell government have in fostering business development within the city?

Do you support allowing vacation rentals (such as those offered via websites like Airbnb) within the city limits?

Do you support passing an ordinance allowing for the sale of medical marijuana within city limits?  If so which type of facility do you support?

Infrastructure

How should the City of Lowell address road maintenance and reconstruction?  Would you support putting a millage proposal on the ballot to fund road repairs?

Recreation

How should the city promote its recreation opportunities?  Do you support creating a connector within city limits from the Fred Meijer Trail that runs from Saranac to the Lowell Area Trailway?

Misc

Why should people vote for you in November?

You can find each candidate’s answers at the end of their profile. Or if you want to compare their answers, side-by-side, click on these links:

Biodigester Questions

Showboat and Community Relations Questions

Economic Development Questions

Infrastructure Questions

Recreation Questions

 

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