Four seek to serve as Superior's 3rd District councilor
Feb. 3—SUPERIOR — The only open seat on the Superior City Council has four candidates vying for votes from residents in the 3rd District.
Voters will narrow that field to two during the Feb. 21 primary election. In-person early voting gets underway Tuesday, Feb. 7.
Among the candidates running for the seat are a chaplain who once served on the Lake Nebagamon village board; a current plan commissioner; a former city councilor; and a North Shore native who made Superior his home more than a decade ago.
Darrell Kyle served as village president when he served on the Lake Nebagamon Board of Trustees as a resident of that community.
"I've always been very active in communities where I live," Kyle said. "I think part of our responsibility of being a member of the community is giving back to the place where we live. That's a big reason that I'm running. Not only do I believe that we owe it to our communities to make it the best place that it can be, but I also think that what we really need right now on Superior City Council for Ward 3 is just commonsense government."
Garner Moffat, a resident of Roosevelt Terrace, was appointed to the Superior Plan Commission in April. Moffat said he hopes to accomplish many things as a city councilor, but his aspirations primarily fall under two categories: building community health and building community wealth.
"If we can make decisions that do both of those things, or one without compromising the other, we can make a big impact on the lives of each resident for the better," Moffat said.
Kevin Norbie has served as the 3rd District council representative in the past. First elected in 2002, he served three consecutive two-year terms on the city council.
"I want to serve as a conduit between the residents of the 3rd District and the city administration, and vice versa," Norbie said. "I love municipal service like this because I think it's the more pure form of politics, a one-to-one connection between the residents of the district and their government."
Mack Peters first came to Superior for college in 2010. Now the development manager for Girl Scouts of Minnesota Lakes and Pines and a river fishing guide in Douglas County, he said he wants to be the "best possible voice for residents of the 3rd District."
"I will constantly seek and encourage input from residents to ensure their voice is heard," Peters said. "I will work with the powers that be to resolve questions and concerns in a timely manner. I'm passionate about finding solutions ..."
All of the candidates say that infrastructure needs attention in Superior and is a primary responsibility of city government, along with public safety. Jobs, support for business and affordable housing are also concerns.
"Business growth and job growth in Superior is something I am extremely proud to have witnessed since I first moved here over a decade ago," Peters said. "I am eager to contribute to future business and job growth by representing the residents of District 3 to be an attractive place for new businesses to establish themselves and current businesses to continue their growth."
Health issues and declining city wealth are the root challenges, Moffat said. Everything a city does eventually relates to one or both of those issues, he said, and the city needs to focus efforts on affordable housing, economic development, environmental concerns, fair wages, the lack of neighborhood cohesion and equity issues.
"Infrastructure is a constant issue," Norbie said. "The condition of roads and sidewalks and upkeep of our parks and trail system. It's the core function of municipal government, in my opinion."
Norbie said he would also like to continue to attract new industry and good paying jobs to the city.
"I think that the biggest export that we have from this region is our children," Kyle said. "And I really am focused on making Superior, Wisconsin a place where our kids, when they finish school, can live, work and raise a family. And in order to do that, there has to be good paying jobs in Superior. I think that's a place where a lot of work has been done, but I think we can do more."
The mayor and councilors running in even-numbered districts are all running unopposed, but the top two vote-getters Feb. 21 will move on to the April 4 election.
Address: 2317 Hammond Ave.
Family: Wife Sheryl; son, Ted, acollege senior who is commissioning in the U.S. Air Force; daughter, Katie, a senior in high school who plans to attend the College of St. Scholastica for nursing in the fall.
Business/employment: Chaplain Essentia Hospice, Wing Chaplain at the 148th Fighter Wing, Air National Guard for almost 16 years.
Education: Bachelor's degree in history with a minor in sociology from Winona State University; Master of Divinity from Luther Seminary in St. Paul.
Government or civic experience and organizations: Served a term as village president in Lake Nebagamon; also, have been member of several service organizations such as the Lions Club and Rotary. On Sunday, Jan. 29, he did a presentation about military chaplains at the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center.
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Address: 1702 N. 21st St.
Family: Wife, Alison; 11-year-old daughter, June.
Business/employment: Work with community nonprofits; Board Secretary for the Douglas County Historical Society and Board Clerk for North Shore Community School. My previous work experience is in hotel and restaurant executive management primarily with work experience with property restoration and management, the basis of all of this is guest satisfaction and a strong calling for servant leadership.
Education: Bachelor's in Organizational Leadership from the College of St. Scholastica, as well as significant coursework in Community Development and Urban Planning at St. Cloud State University
Government or civic experience and organizations: Currently serve as a Superior Plan Commissioner; board secretary Douglas County Historical Society; board clerk North Shore Community School, and Roosevelt Terrace Condo Board vice president. Previously served on the Superior Community Development Block Grant committee; Douglas County Democrats delegate to state convention (twice); Duluth Planning Commission vice president; Duluth 2040 Comprehensive Plan Update Committee; Lincoln Park Small Area Plan Committee; Lincoln Park Business Group president; Visit Duluth board member; DFL Precinct captain; Twin Ports interchange advisory panel; St. Cloud Charter Commission president; St. Cloud Neighborhood Coalition president; St. Cloud Neighborhood University Community Council President; St Cloud Neighborhood & Preservation Association board; St Cloud Mayoral Salary Task Force; and others.
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Address: 2205 John Ave.
Family: Married nearly 30 years; adult son
Business/employment: Firefighter for the 148th Fighter Wing for 36 years; captain and training officer; president of AFSCME Local 2829; one of the chair officers for the statewide contract bargaining team.
Education: Some college, technical training for firefighting, professional certifications for FEMA, Department of Defense.
Government or civic experience and organizations: Superior City Council 2002-2008; volunteer with various organizations; Redevelopment Authority for the City of Superior for five years.
Address: 2218 Ogden Ave.
Family: Born and raised on the North Shore, my family hails from Two Harbors. I moved to Superior for college in 2010. I have a brother and sister in-law who live in Superior.
Business/employment: Development manager with the Girl Scouts of Minnesota Lakes and Pines; river fishing guide in Douglas County.
Education: University of Wisconsin Superior-B.S. Business Administration
Government or civic experience and organizations: Member of Superior Rotary Club; Superior Days lobby member as a student at UW-Superior.
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