On June 2, local elections will be held in conjunction with the primaries. Local election races were initially scheduled for April 14, but health concerns with regards to the pandemic pushed city and school board races to the later date. This allowed the SD Secretary of State to send out applications to all South Dakota residents to request absentee ballots, so anyone who did not want to vote in-person would be able to.
In Garretson, most petitions filed this past February for available positions in the school board and city council races did not have challengers, which means those who filed will automatically be seated at the next scheduled meeting after the election. However, Ward 3, which had two positions available, had four community members file a petition to run.
Ward 3 is made up of the area that goes from Center Ave to Railroad Ave along Essex St, and then every household south of Dows St. to the city limits.
The Gazette asked each of the four challengers for Ward 3 to write a profile on themselves, so voters can have as much information at their fingertips as possible. In a time where door-to-door visits and coffee hours are discouraged, having the candidates get their information out to voters has been difficult. Two incumbents and two new challengers have explained their qualifications, what they believe makes them right for the position, and what their goals are while on council. Their profiles are in alphabetical order: Bruce Brown, Jodi Gloe, Richelle Hofer, and Karen Stainbrook.
We encourage you to get out and vote on June 2 for your preferred candidates! Election voting will take place at the American Legion from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. If you plan to vote in person, please take precautions to protect poll workers: wear a mask, observe social distancing, vote absentee if you are ill, and clean your hands before and after visiting the election location.
Bruce Brown
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I was born and raised in Estherville, IA.
I attended SDSU College of Pharmacy and after graduation I worked as a Pharmacist in Vermillion, SD. I then went to work for a large Pharmaceutical Company out of Indianapolis, IN. I worked for them for 31 years (25 of it based in SD). I started as a sales rep, then a hospital rep, then as a specialty rep. I moved to Indianapolis for 4 years and worked as an associate manager in International Marketing, Sales Training and Hospital Injectable Antibiotics. When I came back to South Dakota I worked with a specialty sales group and then moved into US Medical as an Endocrinology/Diabetes Medical Liaison. That job entailed coverage of 6 states setting up clinical trials, acting as a medical education resource and information specialist.
I moved to Garretson about 4 years ago, after I retired from Lilly. I worked for a couple of years for Walgreen's as a staff Pharmacist.
As for hobbies, I have more than I generally have time for. I love wood working and tinkering with things. I restore vintage tube audio and guitar equipment. I also love to cook and bake.
I have been active in the community, I do volunteer work as well as serve on the board of the Garretson Historical Society. I am active in a local church, and do my best to help anyone who needs it. My dog Star and I live at 304 Royce Street and many have seen me out working with her on her obstacle course. We both love Garretson and the people who live here.
Why do you think you’ll be an asset to the council?
I have a very strong business background, with training in marketing, sales, people management and negotiation. I have managed a $100,000,000 product successfully.
My management style has been to get as much input, thoughts and ideas, weigh them and discuss the pros and cons of each ideas and put together a consensus.
The experience I have had with city government has been very positive. Two years ago, I ran for Mayor and received encouragement and support from many in the community. I attend city council meetings and offer input and ideas. I have worked with the parks board on a couple different projects and enjoy the great group of people who volunteer in this community. I would bring to the city council, as much time and effort as it takes to get a job done. Since I am retired that will be my only job.
What are your goals for the council and/or the community?
Continue to expand and improve infrastructure for the growth of Garretson. This includes adding a second water tower, expanded natural gas availability, and growth of the industry and business base.
I believe 100% that you are either growing or declining, controlled growth is my choice. We need continued development of housing in all financial ranges, to attract new people to our community.
My biggest disappointment has been the street development project and lack of completion. While it is not the fault of the council for the weather last year, it had very negative effect on the contractor’s ability to complete the project. There seems to have been a lack of accountability with the bonding company, as they have not found a new contractor to complete the project and to start the next phase. Some streets have become extremely bad, like Railroad Ave, which was destroyed by Nachurs Alpine, when they had a fertilizer leak that required a lot of heavy equipment. While they did get the spill cleaned up there remains many dumpsters filled with contaminated dirt, ground and hazardous waste that has remained at Essex and Railroad. It is time for some legal and civil action to address some of these issues.
What are some of the strengths of this community?
The people of this community are some the nicest, kindest and most giving people I have ever dealt with. When someone in the community needs help, people step up.
What are some of the potential weaknesses? What steps would you take in order to reduce or eliminate those weaknesses?
We have a number of great businesses and we need to encourage more to establish themselves in Garretson. People here work for the good of all and it shows. Many good things have happened here and I would like to see that continue. The child care/day care project resulted in a beautiful complex that will benefit the working people of Garretson.
With the condemnation of the Senior Center and Jesse James Playhouse, there is a huge need for replacement of this facility. This will require careful consideration and planning to make the best use of the tax payers’ money. The parks in Garretson are wonderful and a huge part of the attraction to the community, we need to continue to expand and improve the parks of Garretson.
What is your vision for this community?
My vision is a controlled growth and expansion, bringing in more diversity in our community, to make Garretson a place where people want to move!
Any other comments you’d like to make?
I welcome any and all input and ideas. My home phone is 594-3315 and my cell is 605-351-1038.
Please vote on June 2nd, and I would love to be your Ward 3 Representative.
Jodi Gloe
Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Jodi Gloe. I have lived in Garretson since 1995, and my husband, Bill, is a graduate of GHS. Together we have one daughter, Morgan, who is currently working on her Master’s degree at SMSU in Marshall, MN. I currently work at GHS, where I’ve been for the past four years as an attendance coordinator and study hall director. I am very active within the community, coordinating or participating in many events, fundraisers, and activities. When it’s time for relaxation, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, especially up at the lake.
I’ve been active on city council for many years; my first term, I was on council for six years, and I have been serving my second term for the past two years. I consider it a privilege to have served my community in this way, and always try to do my best for the folks in the community.
Why do you think you’ll be an asset to the council?
I have strong experience with City Council, as I’ve served for eight years. I have seen the city change from a quiet, small town to a growing community that’s increasing in residential size. I will work hard toward maintaining existing infrastructure while planning for growth and improvement.
Part of the city’s contribution to its growth was the completion of the comprehensive plan, which included anticipating growth in certain areas.
For the past two years, I have been the council representative and liaison for the Garretson Parks Advisory Committee. During this time, we have worked hard on cleaning up our parks, hosted movie nights, and just this past Christmas, started a new tradition in the Light the Park event, which was a huge success. We have many more plans for improvements, and if I am re-elected, I intend to help keep that progress moving forward.
What are your goals for the council and/or the community?
I would like to see the city continue to move forward with bike trails and continued improvements to our parks. With those improvements I feel like our tourism will increase. Another goal of mine is to seek out new ways to entice businesses to our community. I also am planning to work on completing our current street projects while maintaining current streets and evaluating when improvements are needed.
What are some of the strengths of this community?
“Community.” This community comes together in times of need. I’ve seen it happen with storms, and I’ve seen it in spades for our GHS Seniors this year.
What are some of the potential weaknesses? What steps would you take in order to reduce or eliminate those weaknesses?
I’ve seen our weaknesses improving over the past several years. One of them has been property maintenance. Our community members take pride in their property and have been increasing maintenance. Another potential weakness would be the loss of business, but we’ve been seeing new businesses coming to town, such as Rae’s Greenhouse, Dakota Stained Glass, and Pinman’s Lock & Key, which are big assets.
What is your vision for this community?
My vision is to keeping moving forward with a community center. This would provide space for City offices, meeting rooms, events, and give options for organizations in our community (such as the Jesse James Players).
Any other comments you’d like to make?
I have been seeing so many improvements in our community over the past two years while I’ve been on council. It hasn’t been without its hiccups, but as part of the council, we’ve been working hard to provide the community with the infrastructure and foundations it needs to keep being a thriving city. If I’m re-elected, I pledge to keep the progress moving forward.
Richelle Hofer
Tell us a bit about yourself.
Thirteen years ago, my family moved to Garretson after my company transferred me to our Sioux Falls office. My husband and I wanted to raise our little boys in a small town with a slower pace of life… where we’d actually have relationships with our neighbors, our children could play outside and attend a school with smaller class sizes. I remember when we moved into town and we were unloading the truck, all the neighbors came out to welcome us to the neighborhood and one of our neighbors even mowed our yard!
My little boys are not so little anymore. My oldest boy will graduate from Garretson in June and my youngest son will be a freshman.
My husband volunteered on the fire department for about 9 years including 2 years as chief.
I helped to found the non-profit Grow Garretson and continue to serve as Vice President of that organization. As a member of Grow Garretson we hosted Second Saturdays in 2016, created the beautiful Garretson Visitors Guide, raised funds and orchestrated the landscaping of the rock on the southeast corner of Garretson. I served as a member of the Minnehaha County Economic Development board for two years. I am also a member of the Garretson Commercial Club.
Why do you think you’ll be an asset to the council?
I have served for 7 years as a member of the City Council. There is a LOT to know about municipal government. I have spent countless hours learning municipal law, the inner workings of our city government, attending municipal conferences and collaborating with other cities’ leaders. I consider myself a fast learner, but it’s only been within the last few years that I’ve felt like I’ve gained enough knowledge to be an effective member of council. That’s why I decided it was important for me to run for city council again this year.
What are your goals for the council and/or the community?
When I first was appointed to council, we had no proactive financial plan. Everything we did was reactionary. As a financial planner, this seemed completely unbelievable to me. In 2015 I went on record as saying that I wouldn’t vote to approve another budget without some type of proactive capital improvement plan. At that time Garretson was one of the only cities in the region that was not a part of an organization called SECOG (Southeastern Council of Governments). SECOG exists to promote community planning, help communities write/rewrite ordinances, do disaster planning, find funding, etc. Somewhere along the line the council had voted not to pay their SECOG dues. When we inquired about rejoining, SECOG was going to charge us for years of missed dues. I met with the director of SECOG on my own time and helped to negotiate an agreement to get Garretson back on with SECOG. In the last three years SECOG has helped us tremendously. We’ve been through ALL of our ordinances, all of our zoning, and we’ve done proactive community planning of the land 1/2 mile around the city limits of Garretson. We also now have a Capital Improvement Plan that outlines all of our future capital improvement projects. I was an advocate of creating the TIF district that helped to bring Nielsen Construction in as a developer of the land on the east end of Sarah C St.
When I was appointed to my seat on council, I thought it was odd that “the city of parks” didn’t have anyone specifically “managing” the parks. In answer to that concern I worked with council member Bill Hoskins to propose an ordinance which created the Garretson Parks Advisory Committee.
Now, it is an important time for Garretson. Tourism is a vital part of our city economy and tourism is being threatened a bit by the expansion at Palisades State Park which will move the entrance away from town. Trails have been talked about for years. It’s always been a nice idea, but now it is absolutely vital that we get a plan to connect Palisades State Park to Garretson with trails. If I’m reelected, trails will be my mission. There are a number of challenges with getting trails put in… the first challenge is that in order to get any grants, we have to work with the township and county to get a plan in place for properly maintaining the road that connects Garretson to the Palisades currently. This is going to be a challenge and it’s going to take someone who is committed to the cause. Trails will be a multi-year project, but it will never happen if we don’t have someone championing it.
What are some of the strengths of this community?
The strength of this community is just that - community. I have lived in Garretson through a number of difficult times: the ice storm, the wind storm, Covid-19. It’s neighbors truly caring for neighbors.
What are some of the potential weaknesses? What steps would you take in order to reduce or eliminate those weaknesses?
Our aging infrastructure is a big potential weakness. We have to plan carefully in order to replace and protect that infrastructure. The capital improvement plan that we have created is very instrumental in this, but it has to be updated EVERY year and it has to be USED. Putting these planning pieces in place has not been an easy feat and I worry that if we don’t have someone championing this, the plan will quickly become an outdated book collecting dust on a shelf.
In the past we have had something communities often called “Same 10 People Syndrome” - no matter what happened in the community you could guess who was behind it, who was making it happen and you would be right… because it was always the same 10 people. I think we’ve started to see that change. I think it’s absolutely fantastic that we have people interested in these open city council seats. I believe that competition makes us better! I hope that I have earned the Ward 3 vote but I am happy to have to earn it vs being given the seat each year no contest.
What is your vision for this community?
We have a LOT of great things on the horizon, but we also have some challenges. The entrance of Palisades State Park is moving and that is a huge potential concern for our city. I am excited to work with Oran Sorenson to try to bend the ear of the governor about what we can do to keep Palisades State Park connected to the city. I am also looking forward to working with businesses on what we can do to continue to bring campers into town. We have already started work on a plan for bike trails. We are working on plans for a new community center/city hall. I am very excited about the potential uses of that building and how it can contribute to our community. I hope that I have the opportunity to see these projects through. I am excited about what this community can accomplish with proper planning.
Any other comments you’d like to make?
There are a lot of communities in our area that are struggling with “growing pains”. Proactive planning is the most important way to minimize those growing pains as the future unfolds. I really believe that you need experience on the council in order to accomplish that proactive planning and keep this community moving forward. Be sure to get out and vote!
Karen Stainbrook
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’ve lived in Garretson for over 5 years. The things that brought me here are no longer a part of my life. But the community is what has kept me here. My ex-husband and I ended up in Garretson because it was still in South Dakota and mid-way between Luverne, where I was working as the pharmacy manager at Shopko and Sioux Falls, where he would end up getting a job. And we found a house that had a garage big enough for his long box pick up. Neither he, nor the truck, nor Shopko are still around. But the other things that made me fall in love with Garretson are. I love that we have been able to maintain high school sports teams without combining them with another district. I love the parks. And that we have a grocery store. I can’t wait to see how Dakota Stained Glass becomes a part of the community. I love the wineries and am amazed that we have such a concentration of them. The restaurants are top-notch. So are the TV, internet and phone. And, if you need anything done, there is someone here that can do it for you.
I grew up in West Sioux in Sioux Falls, moved to Minnesota, then to Rapid City and back to Garretson. Sioux Falls has changed so much from how I remember it. It’s too large and, while it’s a good place to visit, I don’t see myself wanting to live there again. I love to knit, bake, read, garden, sew, hunt for treasures at thrift stores and tackle projects that require saws and drills. I feel better when music is a part of my life and I miss singing in the church choir because of social distancing. My mom and step-dad live on a farm outside of Canton. My sister and her family live in the suburbs of Minneapolis.
Why do you think you’ll be an asset to the council?
I am educated. I’m not afraid to speak my mind. But I know how to listen. I’ve been around long enough to know that there are multiple ways for things to be done that can all end up being the ‘right’ one. It takes listening to all the options and weighing pros and cons to make the correct choice. I am also a flexible person. One thing pharmacy has taught me is that you always need a plan B. When there is not a supply of a certain medication to be purchased from a supplier, then there needs to be a plan so patients don’t have to go without. I’ve been a department manager, which gives me familiarity with budgeting and costs. My work on the finance committee at church helped to hone those skills as well. Growing up, I had the opportunity to have a number of leadership roles in 4-H and pharmacy student groups.
What are your goals for the council and/or the community?
The current members of the council have done a great job. We as a town welcomed a chain store to our town and have begun to deal with the difficult task of enforcing city codes. This city will continue to expand and will have some growing pains as a result. It will take continuing forward-thinking and flexibility to keep us going. As those in older generations are looking towards retirement, it will be up to the younger generations to keep us headed in the right direction. I hear talk of the need for a community center and a different location for city hall and see that as a great opportunity for setting this town apart from others our size in the area.
What are some of the strengths of this community?
This community is strong because of those that make it up. It was so heartwarming to see the outpouring of offers of help for those that might be in need of basic supplies due to the COVID-19 outbreak. I walk around town and see stuffed animals in windows and am amazed at how a little spark of an idea can be implemented city-wide in a few hours to days. And be large enough to get interest from TV news stations. I see good people doing good work, not because they’re looking for recognition or a reward, but because they feel a need to share their abundance with those that lack.
What are some of the potential weaknesses? What steps would you take in order to reduce or eliminate those weaknesses?
Any small town runs the risk of tunnel vision, doing things the way they have been done just because they’ve always been done that way. It is important to have people from a variety of backgrounds in leadership positions to provide the opportunity for fresh points of view to enter discussions. I have a unique point of view and am looking forward to hearing ideas others may have to make our town better. We are also a community of a specific amount of monetary resources. It’s going to be important to ensure they are allocated in a forward-thinking, future-proof manner.
What is your vision for this community?
As Sioux Falls continues to sprawl, there will be more people looking to move our direction to distance themselves from the bad things that can come with large urban populations. We need to welcome them and make them feel like part of the family, but not at the risk of losing the great things that will make them want to stay. I see a good mix of home prices currently and in the future. The city does not seem to be landlocked and has made infrastructure investments to support residential, commercial and industrial growth. The sky is the limit for what Garretson can develop into. We have to be open to the possibilities of what may come.
Any other comments you’d like to make?
I have entertained the thought of seeking office for a number of years. My current position allows me the flexibility to participate in discussions and be present and prepared for council meetings that my previous work schedule did not. If given the opportunity to represent Ward 3, I look forward to presenting the views of those I represent in person at every given opportunity.
