Gazette Staff

STEVENS POINT — General elections are on the horizon, and the Portage County Gazette asked candidates from multiple districts questions about why voters should pen them in on April 2. Answers are verbatim.

Questionnaires for Districts 1 and 9 will be published next week.

Candidate: Cindy Nebel – District 3

What is your general background?

Nebel was elected to her position in 2017 and is the incumbent.

I am a native to Stevens Point, although, at an early age my family moved away from the area when I was three. However, my family and I returned to Stevens Point when I was a sophomore in high school.  I attended Stevens Point Area High School, SPASH, and graduated in 1974. While my family once again moved away from Point I made the decision to remain. It is a decision that I have never regretted and why I remain commitment to Stevens Point as the place that I chose to live, work and raise a family.

I have been employed at several Stevens Point area businesses. I held several positions during my 10 years of employment with Sentry Insurance in various departments including: Customer Service, Sales & Sales Training and Investments. While working in Sentry’s Investment Department I took and passed the FCS Series 6 Financial Securities License.

I was also employed in the Stevens Point School District for several years as an education assistant, beginning with elementary students and then offered a position to work at the secondary level with at-risk students at SPASH. My final position as an educational assistant led to a move from SPASH to the Emerson School building and a new district program, the Alternative High School Diploma Program.

This new educational initiative, along with the staff and students I had the opportunity to work with, both encouraged and challenged me to return to UWSP as a non-traditional student.  I graduated from UWSP with a K-12 Educational Teaching Degree in December of 2000.

Do you have any background in local government?

My background with local city government includes my past two years as an Alder for District 3, as one of eleven members of the Stevens Point’s Common Council and as a current member of the Personnel and Public Protection Committees. I started to become civically active more than 39 years ago as a homeowner, wife and parent to two children. As a resident among a diverse population of students, families, elderly and working adults, I gained a broader life view of how livability and economical values affect its cities residents, as well as its businesses and institutions. As an active member and co-founder of the city’s only neighborhood association, the Old Main Neighborhood Association (OMNA), and as a member of the Friends of Emerson grassroots community revitalization group involvement, I have actively shown that I am committed to improving the quality, safety, and livability issues in District 3 and throughout our older central neighborhoods.

What is your vision for Stevens Point? What, if any, changes would you like to see in the city?

I believe my vision for Stevens Point is one that we can all agree upon, to build upon our city’s assets, work to revitalize our neighborhoods and address issues of concern that affect its livability and economical values. As individuals we may have a difference of opinion on how we get there, yet still have a shared vision. And in order to make that vision a reality we will need to listen and work with each other.

What changes, if any, would you like to see come to common council and local government?

There are several issues that currently challenge our city. These include Parking; on street and off-street. Housing; its quality, and its assessed value and desirability for homeowners, renters and landlords. Safety; for self, property and the value of one’s property both economical and its value towards neighborhood livability.  Each of these issues has had an affect on our city’s ability to increase the livability and economical values for its residents, businesses, UWSP, and city institutions.

What are your thoughts on some of the more controversial local projects? (Stanley Street, Roundabout, New City Hall)

In regards to the several controversial issues, such as Stanley Street, I support our city’s efforts to offer alternative traffic calming initiatives.  The proposed changes to Stanley Street will allow our city’s police department to conserve its enforcement resources, to service throughout the city, and reduce the cost and need for additional enforcement for speeding limits.

What, if any, housing concerns in Stevens Point would you like to see addressed?

We need to broaden our efforts beyond attracting new housing developments and really address the basic issues and concerns that have we have had for decades. The city has implemented a housing study that has identified the city’s needs to improve the quality of existing single-family homes, without promoting outward expansion of the city. The study highlights the notable issues found, especially near the University.  These include the excessive parking of cars in yards and beyond original driveway areas.  Also noted in the study is the poor maintenance and conditions of much of the housing stock in District 3 with recommendations to address these as one of our city’s top priorities as well as the importance to begin actions that will help improve the perceptions about the quality of our city’s neighborhoods.

This is why it is essential that as we rewrite our zoning and codes of ordinances that we be clear while also reflecting upon our community’s needs. In amending an ordinance code we must also assure that we are protecting and determining the impact upon existing situations that will affect the quality of life for its residents.  An example of this is the ordinances regarding parking on and off our city streets. As we bring new residential development into the city we must develop optional parking options such as park and rides or incentivize those who choose to use other forms of transportation.  With this in mind, we need to create a parking management department that can concentrate on a comprehensive plan to our existing parking issues, now and for future inner city development.

If elected, what do you promise to do with the power of your position?

If re-elected, I will continue to be committed in my belief that it is essential that our city’s zoning and codes of ordinances be clear and reflect on our community’s needs and visions. While the city continues its revision of our city’s codes and zoning I am committed to make every effort to insure their impact does not have a negative impact upon existing situations in regards to the quality of life for our district and city residents. In addition, I will work to further address parking issues; seeking options and resources to promote a comprehensive parking plan that includes a position of management and monitoring of parking throughout the city.