After long delay, election coming Tuesday on Cedar Falls at-large council seat – Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier

Originally set for March 24, the election was delayed due to coronavirus concerns and then had to be pushed back to avoid conflict with last month’s primary vote.

On Tuesday, all voting will take place at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, 8201 Dakota St., on the University of Northern Iowa campus from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. In addition, votes can be cast at the Black Hawk County Courthouse in Waterloo until 5 p.m. Monday.

Five people are on the ballot, none of whom have served on the council in the past. They are vying to replace appointee Nick Taiber, who is not seeking election.

Candidates include Kelly Dunn, 42, a licensed practical nurse; T.J. Frein, 31, a Waterloo police officer; Fred Perryman, 39, an assistant manager at Blain’s Farm and Fleet; Penny Popp, 61, a retiree and neighborhood activist; and LeaAnn Saul, 64, vice president of the PIPAC Insurance Agency.

Cedar Falls’ use of public safety officers rather than separate police and firefighter positions remains an important issue for most of the candidates. The city’s last eight firefighter positions were eliminated earlier this year and will be replaced by cross-trained PSOs.

Perryman said he is against the replacement of career firefighters with police officers, noting they are “two different jobs, two different skill sets.” He suggested the change over time has resulted in an unnecessary “heightened police presence” in Cedar Falls.

“We really need to look at a strategic plan and reassess if we should go with a public safety model,” said Popp, who is founder and president of the South Main and Greenhill Corridor Neighborhood Association.

Saul is interested in the savings officials said would be realized with the change.

“I’m going to be looking for a full report on how much money we’ve saved,” she said. “I think the citizens of Cedar Falls need to see it, deserve to see it.”

Frein, who couldn’t be reached for comment, has said he doesn’t believe the public safety model is sustainable and puts unnecessary strain on people doing the jobs.

Dunn does not have objections to the PSO program, but said she would listen to any concerns as a council member. “If you’re open to it, there’s always room for change or improvement,” she said.

“The main concern for me is that we hopefully take this negative vibe and move on from that,” added Dunn. She wants to “hopefully steer away from what feels like our national politics trickling into our local politics.”

Her focus is on topics like ensuring the trail system is maintained year-round for bike commuters and learning more about future needs to upgrade the wastewater treatment plant.

Dunn believes the city has had good leadership and there are no issues she is upset about. She supports developing a resilience or sustainability plan, which the council recently acted upon. “As a city, I just hope that we continue on the right path,” she said.

While Saul said the city is “going in good directions,” her top issue relates to a lack of leadership among council members. In particular, she is critical of a tendency to accept staff recommendations when the public raises questions about an issue. “Even though they make an effort to get public input, they don’t consider what the public wants,” she said.

“I’m really going to be asking a lot of questions and digging in,” added Saul. “I’m not afraid to lead the way; I’m not afraid to ask the hard questions.”

Other issues she discussed are the effective marketing of the city to bring in more businesses and how future projects are being affected by a loss of revenues due to COVID-19 shutdowns.

Popp is concerned with the power that “sits in the hands of unelected officials,” which has been used to make decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic. She would like to see “a straight-forward plan that everyone can accept” allowing people to safely reconnect and get involved in the city again.

As she has in the past, Popp also spoke against the city’s rules limiting council members’ discussion with constituents about zoning decisions they’re voting on. “If you don’t question you don’t get answers, so I’m one to question and I think that’s really important,” she said.

“What’s needed now is honesty and integrity and a voice for the people,” Popp added, noting she is not beholden to any group in the community. “You need to hear both sides.”

Perryman called for getting rid of 24-hour surveillance cameras installed around Cedar Falls. He would like to see a number of council decisions reversed “to get government out of your way” — banning backyard chickens and monument mailboxes, for example. “They shouldn’t be getting involved with decisions of what you put on your property,” he said.

He would like to see increasing city property taxes for the new fiscal year reduced again. Perryman touted his experience in retail management for nearly two decades and ability to determine the highest priorities in a budget.

He also advocates for decriminalization of marijuana possession in Cedar Falls. “I firmly believe that if you’re not harming anybody you should be free to live your own life,” said Perryman.

Frein has been an advocate of long-range planning for the public safety department. He would also like to explore options to upgrade the wastewater treatment plant, including the possibility of a regional plant.

In addition, Frein is focused on expanding the city’s tax base to keep property taxes low. He proposed doing that by encouraging development in the northern Cedar Falls and its industrial parks.

At-large candidates for Cedar Falls City Council in July 7, 2020, election