Their responses varied.

Councilman Neven Conrad said the failure of witnesses to come forward is allowing criminals to go free.

Challengers Eugene Newsome and Justin Myers called for the use of more security cameras, while Councilman Dave Flattery and former Councilman Andy Fritz pointed to the need for better mental health care.

Challenger Richard Higgins called for a form of community policing that would get individual police officers more in touch with neighborhoods.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Neven Conrad, at-large city councilman, introduces himself at the candidate forum at Iowa Central on Thursday evening. Eugene Newsome is at right.

While the candidates had diverse approaches to fighting crime, they were largely united in their dislike for the parking meters downtown.

”I think we should take the parking meters and take them to the Webster County Museum and leave them there,” Newsome said.

Thursday’s forum at Iowa Central Community College was the first one to feature all of the candidates on the Nov. 5 ballot. About 30 people attended the forum sponsored by the college and the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance.

Conrad, who is seeking a second term as an at-large councilman, is being challenged by Newsome.

In Ward 2, which is the southern part of the city, Fritz and Myers are seeking to replace retiring Councilman Dean Hill.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Andy Fritz, candidate for Ward 2, introduces himself at the forum at Iowa Central on Thursday evening. Justin Myers is at right.

In Ward 3, which is the northeast part of the city, Flattery is being challenged by Higgins. Flattery is seeking his fifth term representing that ward after serving one term as an-large councilman.

Crime

Flattery made a passing reference to the Oct. 2 death of the Rev. Al Henderson at St. Paul Lutheran Church as he talked about crime. None of the candidates specifically addressed the causes of that incident as they talked about ways to crack down on crime.

Conrad said that crimes are going unsolved because people won’t cooperate with the police.

”The crux of what the problem is, especially in the recent violent crime that we’ve had, is people are not talking,” he said. ”They are not cooperating with law enforcement.”

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Dave Flattery, city council member for Ward 3, introduces himself at the city council candidates forum at the Bioscience and Health Sciences building at Iowa Central Community College on Thursday evening.

”When it comes to violent crime, these people are on the streets because people do not talk,” he added.

Newsome and Myers said they want more security cameras, which Myers said will keep recording and will not be intimidated.

But Newsome added that if he’s elected, he will lead a new effort to fight crime in the city’s black community.

”I put on my Facebook page that if I’m elected to the City Council, we’re going to take the black peoples out of the equation,” he said.

”I can talk to the black people,” he added. ”They’re not going to talk to the police. They’re not going to discuss it. But we in the black neighborhood, we going to take care of it. We don’t want nobody shooting through the houses and stray bullets hitting.”

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
The candidates for the Ward 2, Ward 3 and At-Large seats on the city council participated in a forum on Thursday evening at Iowa Central Community College. From left are Neven Conrad, Eugene Newsome, Andy Fritz, Justin Myers, Dave Flattery and Richard Higgins.

Fritz followed up on Newsome’s remarks, saying ”I would agree with Eugene on the fact that the black folks that are good folks, they don’t want this to happen.”

”It’s going to take all of us to work together,” he added.

Fritz said city officials must work with state leaders to get the money needed to provide more mental health care in Fort Dodge.

Flattery also called for getting more money for mental health.

Higgins said that when he lived in an Illinois community, the police department there assigned individual officers to cover 10 or 12 block areas. He said everyone in those areas got to know the officers and felt comfortable talking to them. He said he would like to implement a similar program in Fort Dodge.

Parking meters

In 2012, the city government placed parking meters in part of downtown. Those meters weren’t very popular then and they still aren’t popular. The majority of candidates at Thursday’s forum said they would get rid of the meters.

Myers said the parking meters ”should go.”

”I don’t see how they help downtown grow,” he said.

Flattery said the meters make downtown ”less friendly.”

Higgins said he opposes the meters, while Conrad said he would vote to remove them.

Fritz said he would not expand the presence of the meters. But he said if they are eliminated, a new source of money will have to be found to pay for maintaining downtown parking lots.

Other issues

Myers questioned the proposal to provide $5.6 million through tax increment financing to assist an unnamed developer that has made an offer to buy Crossroads Mall.

”The city is presenting that as though it’s support for the new developer, but it really looks to me like we’re purchasing the property, effectively, and we’re essentially paying for the demolition costs, too,” he said. ”It feels like we’re giving this new developer a blank slate for next to nothing.”

”I’d love to know what guarantees we have in place so that this developer won’t turn out like the last one,” he added.

Higgins called for term limits on the mayor and members of the City Council.

He said the mayor, who serves a four-year term, should be limited to two terms.

At-large members of the council who also serve four-year terms, should be limited to two terms, he said.

Council members who represent wards serve two-year terms. Higgins said they should be limited to four terms.

”I feel this will give people more opportunity to run for elected office,” he said.

”I feel these City Council members have been in office too long and are set in their ways,” he said. ”That’s why I’m running.”

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