Candidate Q&A: Hartley City Council

Rodney Ahrenstorff, mayor

1. I am single and have lived here in Hartley all my life. I worked for USPS for 31 years and retired. I am a custodian at H-M-S schools, ambulance director and president of the Meadowbrook Golf Course board.

2. I am director of the Hartley Emergency Ambulance Response Team and was associated with the Hartley Community Center for 20 years and with Pete's Restaurant. I have been mayor for the last three years and four years previously.

3. I'm very community oriented. I want to be proactive to continue our infrastructure needs for our community into the future.

4. Flooding and housing will be the priorities on my agenda. Our lift station on the east side of town will be done next spring/summer and I will continue with flood prevention efforts.

5. We will continue to apply for grants, such as the CDBG funding we received, to keep our town progressive and thriving into the future.

6. N/A

Greg Cotter, city council

1. I was born and raised in Madison, Wis., and graduated from Madison East High School in 1975. I moved to Mesa, Ariz., after graduation and worked in the road building industry until 2001 when we moved to Hartley.

I am married to Rita Marie Cotter, having just celebrated 43 years. We have a son, Aaron, and a daughter, Holly. We also have six grandkids.

I am partially retired, working part time for Babcock Meat Co. in Sheldon.

2. I have not held previous office in government. While working in Arizona, I worked for a gentleman who ran and became mayor of Mesa. That's when my interest in politics started. I was put in charge of his company's daily operations and learned through him some of the ins and outs of city council's operations – eight years' worth.

3. Having talked to different people, I have heard a lot of criticism of our city council. Everything from needing new faces to why are property taxes so high? Everyone talks about Highway 18 turning into a high-speed raceway and being unsafe.

4. As with all small towns, we have to find different ways to attract businesses – new kinds of business.

Another concern is getting younger people involved. We aren't getting younger. We need them in businesses and politics.

5. We need events in town for people of all ages; new events that attract people to town. We have an award-winning golf course. We need to encourage more stay and play, kids' lessons and driving contests.

We need more volunteers – get involved in a program or start a new one.

6. We need to listen to the people of Hartley and get them on committees. We need to start thinking about replacing some of the old buildings and the cost of teardown and replacement. How to accomplish?

I am not here to keep a seat warm. Nor am I a "yes" man. I will question anything that I don't believe is in the interest of Hartley.

Nick Galm, city council

1. I have been married for the past four years to Madison Galm. I had one son previously, Charlie Galm (11), and Madison and I have one daughter, Adaley (3). Adaley currently attends Hartley Community Daycare and Charlie attends H-M-S, with Adaley to follow in a couple years. I currently work for CFE, and several months ago took a new role as fleet manager. I also farm on the family farm north of Royal. Previously, I managed an environmental consulting firm that I ran out of Arizona and California. I am a member of Trinity United Chruch of Christ here in Hartley.

2. I just finished a term on the Hartley Community Center board and was involved in the flooring project as well as a new point-of-sale system.

3. I am running for city council to hopefully get some new faces and insight on the board. With many of the council members in office for many years, I feel things tend to get repetitive. I am hoping bringing a new voice to the council will also bring new ideas and new visions for the future of Hartley.

4. There are plenty of items I would like to help out with, however, would really like to take on the housing issues and try and help figure out how to grow our amazing community. Others around us seem to be building and I hope to help make that happen here in Hartley.

5. I also want to make sure our town stays clean and safe for our younger generations to be able to stay and raise their families here.

6. No matter who you vote for, please take the time to get out to the polls and vote. Thank you for your support!

Ron Hengeveld, city council

1. I have been married to my wife, Deb, for 45 years. I have been a self-employed carpenter for 37 years and a resident of Hartley for 45 years.

2. I have served on the Hartley City Council for several years.

3. I enjoy being involved with the business of the City of Hartley. We need to continue to support a strong EMS-Fire-Police presence in Hartley and do what we can to retain our employees.

We need to continue to keep our equipment and infrastructure as up to date as possible including streets, gas, water, electric and sewer.

4. My main concern for Hartley and most other small towns is the decline of retail business, which struggles to compete against internet business. There is a lack of jobs in small rural communities for local graduates to return home to.

5. Increase the number of business to locate at our new industrial park. Also, continue to promote new housing starts. We need to offer residential and commercial building lots that are affordable.

6. It was very good to see such a huge positive support for a new swimming pool. We are also very fortunate to have a strong school system. It is great to have our local Lions Club, American Legion and other clubs and groups that promote and support Hartley.

Brian Myers, city council

1. My wife and I have lived in Hartley since 2014. I am originally from New Jersey, and my wife was raised in Ruthven. I have worked as safety manager at Sunrise Farms near Harris for the last 6 months. We have three grown children and four precious grandchildren that live in Spencer.

2. I have been a member of the Hartley Ambulance Team since 2015. I have previously worked with non-profit fundraising for children's services, volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and served on the board of a historical society. For the last four years I have served on the Hartley City Council.

3. I think we're heading in the right direction. I would like to keep the city on the path it's currently going.

4. No large concerns other than bringing new businesses into town. We have the new industrial park and need to get those spots filled. We need to think about the future of Hartley when we negotiate those land sales.

5. Again, filling the new industrial park is a main priority.

6. N/A

Mary Westphalen, city council

1. I was born and raised in Hartley and graduated in 1976, and had a career as a cosmetologist for 26 years in Hartley. In 2001, I went back to school at Iowa Lakes Community College in the Surgical Technology Program and started a new professional career.

I worked at Orange City Area Health System for 18 years and taught lab skills for the surgical technologist at Iowa Lakes in Spencer. I currently work 4 days a week at the college and am a Lab Instructor/Clinical Coordinator for the Surgical Technology Program.

My husband, Shelley Westphalen, and I have two children, Joey Rost (Sioux Falls, S.D.) and Molly Steinkamp (Hartley) and three grandchildren.

2. I have served two terms (eight years) on Hartley City Council. Being an active member who has attended Iowa League of Cities conferences each fall, so that I could best learn and serve the community by gaining knowledge in so many areas. Iowa League of Cities serves as a resource exchanging ideas on how to strengthen your city and improve local government. These conferences are optional, but I have learned so much by attending them about TIF (Tax Increment Financing), grants, nuisance abatement, ordinances, budget planning and so much more.

In 2019, I was recognized by the Iowa League of Cities as a Certified Elected Municipal Official by continuing professional development through the CEMO program. The CEMO program is designed to allow attendees meaningful, informative and useful information on topics that expand your knowledge and capabilities by plugging into budget sessions, conferences and town meetings provided by the League. Being a leader and not being afraid to learn more is key to providing leadership to your community. I feel like I have been a good listener to citizens reaching out to me and I am not afraid to tackle obstacles and work for the people.

3. Each year I have been a part of the city council, I have learned so much about how city government works, and I feel I have more to give to our community regarding decisions that are crucial to benefit our citizens. Decisions are made each day in making Hartley a beautiful place to live and thrive as a community. Several projects are currently underway, and I want to be a part of the completion of those projects that have been developed for our town. I enjoy making things happen and the outcome despite any struggles along the way.

4. There are always going to be concerns for small rural communities. Our downtown businesses on Main Street are always a concern. Obviously, we need growth and must also make sure our main street has an appealing eye to continue to draw new families to our town. Our school district has grown a lot in the last year, and offering a great school draws families.

It takes teamwork with Hartley Economic Development Corporation and city government to continue to make things happen while maintaining a financially sound and affordable city to live in for our citizens.

Adding amenities is always needed to thrive. Our swimming pool project will be a great asset to our city. I have been involved with the Pool Taskforce Committee for the last six years, meeting numerous times to plan as well as traveling to Des Moines a few weeks ago to present a CAT grant of $375,000 for the project. I am passionate about making it happen for our kids and the future of our community to continue to thrive as it is what draws people to our town.

5. I am looking forward to the new swimming pool that will provide an opportunity for our kids and neighboring towns to access, and it gives the kids something to do. Our pool will also provide jobs for our youth, and an opportunity for many to use and enjoy for many years.

Keeping out community free of blight and eyesores is also always a priority. Making sure ordinances are fair and enforced so that citizens are accountable is a continued process, but a particularly important one to me. We want to draw more families to our town, and it must appear inviting to newcomers and neighbors. Ordinances are set up for a reason and I feel as a council member I owe it to the citizens to follow through with the process and do the best of my ability to make sure to work together and achieve success.

Hartley's greatest asset is community, and it takes teamwork for many to keep it clean and inviting. Infrastructure is always needed as well as good streets and sidewalks.

We always need to be financially conscious as a council and keep a fair and affordable budget each year so spending wisely as a council is also particularly important.

6. I have the drive and determination to continue to be a part of the council by remaining a continually active part of decisions by listening to citizens, finding solutions, and serving with leadership and enjoying the opportunity to serve the people of Hartley to the best of my ability.