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Fritz faces off against Myers for Ward 2 council seat

Andy Fritz

Name: Andy Fritz

Address: 1222 S. 25th St.

Occupation: Human resources generalist for CJ Bio America

Education: Associate degree from Iowa Central Community College, graduate of St. Edmond High school

What is your vision for the future of Fort Dodge?

”I think for the vision of the future, you have to look at the past to see where we’re going. In the last 10 years, specifically, we’ve seen a lot of growth in the community, whether it’s in the ag park out west of town, whether it’s the Fifth Avenue South corridor of commerce, the crosstown connector. We’ve seen that growth from almost stagnation. In doing so, you’ve seen LOST, the local option sales tax dollars, increase. You’ve seen people moving to the community. You’ve seen housing developments. I want to keep that growth moving forward.’

What is the No. 1 issue facing the city and what would you seek to do about it ?

”Naturally, housing comes to mind — affordable new housing. To address that issue you need to have jobs.

”The housing will come much as we’ve seen in the last couple of years with the Williams Bend development, but the jobs are going to take collaboration between the employers, between Iowa Central Community College. You look further out than that, the Regents schools, working with Iowa, Iowa State, UNI to educate young people what manufacturing looks like now, what kind of money can be made in the trades. We need some skilled workers in the area.

”We’ve seen the developments going on with housing. It’s identifying those neighborhoods where we could put in whatever is needed, whether that be the multi-family townhomes, whether it is high-end apartments. It’s identifying the need, and I think we’ve got a great grasp on that from studies that have been done through the Growth Alliance and the city. It’s just to continue to find the right developers and provide, I guess, the right financial backing, whether it’s TIF or tax abatements.”

What would you recommend to improve public safety in Fort Dodge?

”I would love to say increased police presence. That takes money. I’m not saying money’s not there, that the City Council can’t reallocate funds from the general fund to allow for more police officers. It just has to be done the right way.

”I also feel mental health professionals are in short supply in Webster County. I would like to see the city and the county work with the state, work with the federal government, to secure any kind of funding, whether it’s grants or low-interest loans if need be, where we could possibly secure a mental health facility. Not just a three-day stay in a bed just to get somebody settled down, but something long-term where a person can be diagnosed, can be treated and try to go back to society as a functioning member of society.

”Fire safety, I think, is very solid in this town. Would I like to see a fire station out on the west side of town? Yeah., I think that’d be great. Again, it comes back to funding. Maybe that’s a partnership with Iowa Central and their fire science program where after so many months of classroom studies and ride-alongs with the Fire Department these young people in the program could actually man the fire station out there and be a support to our Fire Department.”

How do you think the city should proceed with the Warden Plaza project?

”We’re almost so far in that we almost have to ride this out.

”We’ve got a couple options. Ride it out, see if KDG can actually deliver on their promises, which is the best outcome. Second option is just let the building stand as is and let the insides continue to rot. That’s a horrible option. That’s just kicking the can to future administrations. And the third option is tearing the building down. What a horrible decision that is. Those second two options are just really bad ideas. So I really do think we just have to ride this one out and hold KDG accountable, hold their feet to the fire, and hopefully they can deliver.”

What do you think the next step should be in developing the riverfront?

”The riverfront should have always been the jewel of this community. You go to any town across the United States, around the world for that matter, and if they’re lucky enough to be on a river, they embrace it. It becomes who they are. we see the front of the LEC with the LED river lights. It’s in our logo.

”I think it starts at the, I believe, the casino park where the proposed casino was (central Avenue and First Street). You start there with maybe a boardwalk, different amenities for kids to play, to have families be able to picnic. Do fireworks go down there? Do we have a big Fourth of July celebration where everybody can gather, picnic, do things? Tie it to Sunkissed Meadows with a trail there.

”The big concern naturally is going to be flooding. By taking out the dams, I don’t know what that’s going to do to the flood plain in that area. So of course the (Iowa Department of Natural Resources) would have to come in and tell us what that looks like.”

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