001they were they were thank you everybody we're going to go ahead and get started thank you to the BL community and candidates for attending the first annual spring candidate Forum this forum is co-sponsored by Wisconsin policy LLC and I on bit school board thank you to the school district of bit who's video who's providing video support and the venue for us tonight my name is Tori champany and I've been invited by the sponsoring agencies to serve as your moderator this evening we do have all of our city council candidates with us this evening Yousef Adama Sher Blakeley Nancy forbeck Lori Marshall and Kim Nightingale Schneider a little bit about Forum procedure to start each candidate will have one minute for opening remarks next we will have our question rounds candidates were provided the questions ahead
002of time one of those questions will be drawn at random for each individual candidate to answer the order that you're sitting does not matter since each candidate will not answer the same question you will each get your own question your initial response to the question will have a two-minute time limit after that initial response I will ask if anybody has a rebuttal response if a candidate would wish to speak on the topic please raise your hand nice and high so I can see it and you will have just one minute to respond if I call on you we will have a maximum of two rebuttal responses per question I am keeping track so that we spread that opportunity around after our question session each candidate will then have one minute for closing remarks maranne is
003sitting over here at the desk she will hold up a sign when you have 20 seconds remaining and then when your time is up she will hold up a stop I will interrupt you if you didn't see the Stop and you're still talking so bear with me on that any questions before we begin okay we're going to start down at the end with Yousef Adama with a one minute opening hello my name is Yousef Adama I've grown up in booy it's a city that I've very much come to love after having um lived in a couple other cities growing up it's the first place that we really called a home I've done a lot of community service here and also worked in a lot of fields that put me in contact with a lot of
004people and helping them find resources and um being a par educator and helping people access their voting rights and helping all types of uh different initiatives it's been honor and privilege to be on city council for this last term and I hope you vote for me again thank you thank you Sherry blle thank you I am Sherry Blakeley I can check my name tag if I get too nervous I'm finishing up my fourth term on booy city council which means I'm in my eighth year of service on the council I've lived in booy for 50 years um yeah serving the community and city government is very important I have a lot of empathy I am told and I am open-minded but I have a firm backbone when it comes to government I work hard to
005research all the important information before council is called on to make a decision I make up my own mind based on the facts and input from City staff and the community I don't just go along to get along when needed I argue my own point of view and work then to find consensus among the council members we've made a lot of progress in bloy over the last eight years toward improved employment opportunities reducing the crime rate and much more in making beloy a better place to live thank you thank you Nancy forbeck hi everybody I'm Nancy forbeck and I've been around out in the community for a long time I grew up here um my parents were both teachers here I started my life out as a teacher then um eventually I did some entrepreneur
006work um and um after that I was at visit bit I was responsible for the first five River fests where B responded so beautifully we sometimes had 3,000 volunteers working at Riverfest so again I love lyd and I'm proud of it and I want to continue hopefully working for you which which I always try to do um I I'm I'm proud and I'm happy and I'm uh experienced so I'd love your vote thank you thank you Lori Marshall first of all I would like to thank both Wisconsin policy Monitor and the Ison bit school board for hosting this candidate forum and allowing us to speak here today my name is Lori Marshall and I am asking for your vote on April 1st I am very proud to call booy home while I love the whole
007city the west side of bit has a special place in my heart I live in a quiet neighborhood facing the beautiful Krueger golf course with my husband of 39 years in that home we raised two children who both graduated from boo Memorial I have two grandchildren who also live in booy I graduated from Blackhawk Tech with a degree in Accounting in 1987 and I have worked in a variety of small businesses recently 20 plus years with Grover woodcrafters I currently serve on the Rock County Board of Supervisors representing District 11 I am running for city council because I feel there needs to be more transparency and accountability to the residents and taxpayers of Beloit the everyday people who do not feel heard or represented need a voice and to be included from day one in
008decisions affecting their neighborhoods thank you Kim Nightingale Schneider hi my name is Kim Nightingale Schneider um I'm from boo graduate of boo Memorial in 1994 I'm a speech pathologist here here in town at the Lincoln Academy and I've served in boo in different areas bot youth hockey board of directors and Girl Scouts also I've been um a bus leader for the Vets role since 2015 which I'm very passionate about um some of the things I'd like to do on bot city council is focusing on community safety um supporting local First Responders I want to ensure that tax dollars are spent responsibly so that they get the best equipment and technology that they deserve and um need um fiscal responsibility I know that every dollar the city spends is money that taxpayers work hard to earn
009I also want to grow bit making sure that we're supporting our local businesses but also for attracting new businesses we need to do things that families um want so that I want to um make sure that local facilities and activities in booy are supported um I'm excited to run for boo city council and building on the successes of the previous boards and that's time Kim sorry okay thank thank you all right we're going to start with the question round starting with Yousef again remember I will draw a card out when Yousef completes his two minutes I will see if anybody else would like to respond with one minute I will only be able to take two people uh for each question so please raise your hand nice and high so I can see you when
010the time comes okay citizens have expressed frustration with the increase in commute times resulting from decreased traffic Lanes on Main Road s what is your response to these concerns I would first uh ask how one knew that the increased traffic times were the result of decreased Lanes as far as I can tell there doesn't seem to be any actual relationship between like decongesting traffic and adding more Lanes of traffic in fact sometimes it can do the opposite I think if we want a more walkable uh and more drivable City we have to look at uh making sure that our lanes and everything are really well maintenance and put together and also increasing our use of public transportation and R share programs of things of that nature those things actually decongest traffic and could help a
011lot [Music] um yeah I guess that's it thank you Yousef would anyone like to respond I would sure Sher go ahead thank you um one of the possible questions that this forum has is about expanding youth programs in booy we all know most children do not drive cars at least not cars that are allowed on the actual roadways if the moderators want us to be serious about expanding youth programs we need roads and transportation options that make it safe for people to attend these events that means supporting bike Lanes making safer and more narrow road designs we can't have one without the other additionally businesses vote by how they hire and where they locate in the past four years we've created over a thousand new jobs in beloy before I was sworn into councel our
012unemployment was well past 6% today it's just 3.4% so our changes are making a difference thank you thank you sure go right ahead Lori I hear the frustration and I feel it too as a Westside resident I'm one of many stuck Crossing town during school hours because of closed schools and now there's talk of slashing the Lanes on Milwaukee Road traffic's already a mess near freisen during drop off and pickup and narrowing roads will only make it worse heading up Henry Avenue hill I've waited through three light cycles just across the river all because of the land reductions that have choked the flow westsiders still haven't seen any proof these school closings help the district but we're sure feeling the Fallout from the longer commutes and snarled streets we're not a Transit Rich Metro we're
013a car reliant community most folks aren't biking to work in a Wisconsin winter or car pooling with a trunk full of groceries they're right idling and traffic late to jobs or daycare thanks to the road diet thank you thank you Lori the next two-minute question is going to go to Sherry excuse me T um I just wanted to point out that Kim was Raising her hand but are we at our limit for yep only two rebuttal and I just go off who I saw first and I keep track so that we don't have somebody with five rebuttal and someone else with one she has a very well organized chart over there that's why they invited me just Kidd okay Sherry boo school district has one of the highest treny rates in the state years ago
014the city joined the school district in enforcing compulsory School attendance laws should we reinstate this partnership renew this effort in order to reduce skyrocketing treny treny rates please explain School attendance and education rates are vitally important to our community it is vital that we address this with facts and evidence not emotions it doesn't matter what feels correct what matter matters is what actually works and here is the bottom line if we arrest parents because they have a disobedient kid skipping school that parent could lose their job and without a job they can't pay rent simply put making an entire family homeless will not improve School attendance we have the data Wisconsin law already allows for fines and impr impris imprisonment of parents for truancy that is an issue better left to the school board to
015decide not city council thank you thank you would anyone like to respond to that please go ahead NY yeah I happen to be the executive director of um the chamber when in fact the city was trying to make some kind of difference um for our truant kids and I recall very much there were Business Leaders I was there representing the chamber and talking you know from my board and Etc and business businesses in bit the chief of police at the time was there but I'll tell you who was missing who was missing was frankly anybody from the school system so I you know we made a lot of rules it was uh the fines were increased um but I am not at all sure that it made a big difference after saying that I just
016want to say that this if the city can do anything to help with this issue of course we would but but you have to be really deliberate and and work with our school systems and our professionals who know what's going on thank you any others yes Kim thank you I think I would just like to add that looking back at what was done and speaking to the people that were um were responsible for that might be a good idea Gathering parent input and how they think that a relationship might um increase attendance for their students that are that are having a difficult time um also talking to Administration and asking them what they think the reasons are the kids are Trent or asking the teachers too so Gathering all that data and trying to figure
017out the roots um is is always a good place to start with the collaboration so I think it's it's good to have talks but also have data before you make those decisions thank you Kim moving on to the next two-minute question we'll go to Nancy what are your thoughts on cities and townships sharing resources such as fire and police services well we need to govern smartly um you know when again when I was at the chamber it was the Chamber of Commerce of Greater booy and that of course included the city both our townships on the Wisconsin side South Beloit even for a while I went down and helped um administer both the Rosco and Rockton Chamber of Commerce because the truth is this is a community it makes it difficult for us um governmentally
018because we've got so many things that separate us so I am very pleased that the years of the city of booy and the townships or South boo literally not talking um I it seemed to me gone we have a city manager right now who meets constantly weekly with the head um administrators of all of our different townships and cities and and we are getting things done hopefully we are not only saving some money which is always important and part of being a good government but also what we're doing is being able to serve our people better I mean certainly having the most ambulances that can be called to help around the area is essential for our safety and health so I'm pleased with it I'm trust trusting the uh profession who know what they're doing
019with this and uh so it's not that we don't ask and wonder and talk about it but the concept itself is is I think a a good one thank you any response comments go ahead please Em are you going to cut me off at some point Tori if I give too many response comments no not necessarily if you have like four and Kim only has one and Kim raises her hand I'm going to pick Kim I'll I'll keep track all right thank you I just want to say that with dwindling state aid and an obvious concern about raising property taxes we have to be creative and work together to deliver essential services our community needs as Nancy said we're bordered on all sides by various communities and the fact is that Fire's natural disasters and
020even criminals fleeing a crime scene none of these care about Municipal bound Ines we are not our neighbors enemy so I believe in strong collaboration thank you thank you any other response comments Kim I would say that that is a good idea to share resources to be fiscally responsible but I think that if resources are shared that both the city and townships should have um be paying equally towards the cost of services that makes sense to me um I know currently we share a fire chief um and share ambulances with some neighboring communities um I want to make sure that as long as our services are providing the safety that we need for our citizens then I think it's probably a good thing and fiscally responsible but I think it's always also good to talk
021to the police and the firefighters locally here to make sure that they think it's a good decision too so keeping that communication open um but definitely I was looking at those opportunities thank you our next two-minute question is going to go to Lori should public transportation be free to school district of bit students traveling to and from school please explain your thoughts e sorry about that thanks for bringing this up it's a vital question about supporting our kids and family and as a city counselor I do everything in my power to help students Thrive let's be clear though students Transportation Falls squarely on the school district not the city still that doesn't mean we can't pitch in where it makes sense with Westside middle schools closed we could repurpose some of our underused city buses
022to take students from the West Side Hub to an East Side Jamesville is already doing this letting kids ride city buses but it's worth a look to see if we could adapt their model there's also Rock County Health Department's walking School Bus program where adults guide groups of students on foot it's a solid start why not build on it safe routes to school matter especially now since the superintendent closed those Westside schools kids can't walk anymore and parents are stuck navigating reduced Lane roads to to drop them off in a perfect world public transit would step up free for students that could cut absenteeism and give students success in a real boost the city can also play a role by keeping sidewalks near schools clear after snow hits It's a small fix but it adds
023up I'm all about practical support let's ease the burden on families and get kids to class safely without overstepping our lane thank you are there any response comment requests sure go ahead I'm sorry Sherry Sherry I'm sorry thank you um I just want to say that I do favor public transportation being free for school district of boo students uh there's still a lot of poverty in booy although we've added a thousand new jobs and things are improving by the month but we are in the midst of a Transit development plan that's considering among other things free bus transportation for Bello students I will say if we want more activities for Belo youth they need a way to get to those events so I strongly favor that thank you thank you Nancy did you want to
024go thank you I do um you know we had something like this before I want to say maybe 10 years ago it was before I was on the council so unfortunately I don't know the about that but we should look at that because I at the time I remember thinking this is a great plan and um I'm sure that I I cannot imagine any city council when uh given an opportunity to be able to help their kids um would not do it uh we get down of course to funding and uh Transit rules and of course our transit system is entirely paid for by the federal government so um I but this is certainly something that I'm sure that we would be willing to bring on as a something to really consider and um if
025it would be helpful be all for it thank you Nancy our next two-minute question will go to Kim do you support the current trend of Road Lane reductions and bike lane addition please explain how you view the effects as positive or negative for the city our citizens and the environment I think the thought on Lane reductions was for safety as far as speed to include bike Lanes also um possibly to control some of the carbon emissions um and these ideas definitely have validity but reducing Lanes in a city where the current infrastructure creates heavier traffic at stop lights and major roads people use such as um shopier Cranston Henry Avenue um often can bottleneck cars especially at the stop lights I I drive that every single day to working back and notice that the lights
026get really backed up um I've also talked to a few NE or people that live in neighborhoods near Cranston and they see some of the traffic actually bombing through the neighborhoods to avoid the one lane on Cranston so I think that maybe needs um to take a look at traffic counts on those roads also in the neighborhoods to maybe take more data to see if if these lane closures are in fact working but the one thing I would like to say um is that we need input from our citizens on these um Lane reductions um decisions sometimes I think are made before we're getting input from citizens and since that's already happened on some of the roads I think maybe it would be good to revisit the data with those traffic counts in those different
027locations and have listening sessions um to to determine how people are feeling about those that are driving those roads every day thank you thank you rebuttal comments Nancy well I live in one of the neighborhoods that have to go out on Cranston and I have to tell you I was stunned uh I went to all the meetings there were a lot of meetings before the diet was put on Cranston and um first of all I never heard that a road diet you know um but these were professionals these were state professional um traffic people who had data and said that these things work and I just want to tell you it has worked I have to come out on cobblestone on Cranston nearly every day and I've also seen the DAT data we've had it
028we talk about it they are analyzing it um so you are right and I agree but it's there it has cut down the speed tremendously on granston um that's also of course a part of the reason for the state also has done this for the Milwaukee Road coming in and I know it's a shock but if it if it slows people down that's what we need thank you thank you any other responses go right ahead Sherry okay um transportation infrastructure is really the Cornerstone of a healthy Community how we design our roads and ensure Transportation access to all of our residents including those of us who live near one of these Road diets did by the way if anybody needs a bribe to let me finish talking I have a candy bar up here it's
029dark chocolate I'm just saying I am incredibly proud that we've allowed people to access the jobs and take part in the success of our community in the past four years we've added over a thousand new jobs to beloy before I was sworn into Council or Nancy was our unemployment was well past 6% today it's just 3.4% so clearly our changes to how we do roads are working because it's literally putting more people to work thank you thank you our next two-minute question we're headed back down to the end again to Yousef many people say that we need more youth activities in booy please share your opinion on this concern along with any ideas that you may have for youth activities or those that you may have supported in the the past for the incumbent please
030tell the audience specifically how you have supported youth activities during your Council Service uh one of the things and I think this context is important when we look at a lot of the questions that are happening now and trying to make decisions and decide how everything looks is being very mindful of the fact that this is coming off of covid which is like one of the biggest disasters in uh America's history and we handled it quite well um one of the most important things we did was allocate arpa funds to youth programs and um parks and things that can help uh get young people uh outside cuz the most important thing or one of the most crucial things when it comes to community safety is community investment when people feel connected to their cities when
031they feel like they can actually move around and walk around and you know play in them they are less prone to doing things that you wouldn't want your neighbors to do there uh the city council does a great job of promoting and supporting all the different cultural events here most of which are family oriented um I personally also collaborated with Samuel KS and the school district of beloy for the backpack Drive which is really crucial getting resources to people uh keeps everything safe but I think one of the most important things we need to do um and we can all be better at it is making sure that young people get to our events or get to our meetings and get to our town halls often times they're just not I went to one where
032I was by far the youngest person there probably by 20 or 30 years um and during the whole meeting no one including myself brought up child care as a need for beloy and I think that is absolutely something that would be mitigated if we had more young people in the rooms there uh so we need to be better at Outreach and accessibility to our meetings uh a lot of people working can't show up at you know 7 on a Tuesday or something and I know we can't do weekends but it's something we need to figure out truly uh I think one of the silver line of Co was that we had so many Zoom inputs and so much was easily found online and I feel like we need to adopt some of those prati practices
033to make our um just city government run with more representation so thank you thank you any response comment requests Lori it's a shame that so many youth activities have shifted to the side or like the new Boys and Girls Club landed outside walkable neighborhoods where it often feels closed and rarely open when kids need it most the old Club let the ball fields fall into disrepair which is a missed opportunity meanwhile Boo's got a gem in its beautiful Krueger Golf Course a perfect spot to promote youth golf with some fresh marketing the city's pool is another underused asset Staffing's been a hurdle for both lately years ago free or discounted access lured workers maybe it's time to start using that as an incentive the parks department also runs some fantastic youth programs that deserves to
034keep going and maybe even grow our parks are stunning and we should make the most of them I'd love to see an affordable arcade or fast food pizza joint pop up on the west side or on Madison Road Corridor something fun for kids that could also spark new business there historically parents churches and local groups have been the heart of Youth activities in beloy and they still are nonprofits like boys and girls club done thank you thank you any other response requests sure go right ahead Nancy yes when we I know um we've mentioned this but when we had some of the arpa money there were two organizations that I hadn't known anything about one is a boxing club that actually is um uh I think housed on the west side and um it's amazing
035to me these wonderful vol unteers you guys I I said this at the last time I'm going to age myself here but there was a program does everybody remember Mr Rogers and I'll tell you what he used to do he used to say look for the helpers and we have so many people who are trying to help the boxing it's all volunteers and there's lots and lots of people then quickly also the volunteers who work for the baseball we are up to over 5,000 kids now who have joined this group of volunteers they've been going for about eight years they started out with 2000 they were B they were begging the parents were saying get it older and so they did thank you all right our next two minute question we're going back over to
036Nancy is the city responsive to the concerns of our citiz to our is the city responsive to the concerns of our citizens please give specific examples to support your answer um well I have to say I hope so um we the count city council has our number published our personal phone numers so you can call us or you can email us on a city our city email account so really if you have something it's so important call a couple counselors um also I have to say that our new city manager Jerry has been really good about having you know he takes his office out he's been several times to the pig he's been to some barber shops he's been to dasas on the on the west side I mean you are right it's hard you
037have to really always try to get out there um and so um it to me it's a sort of a privilege to be able to have somebody call me and somebody say say can you help and not that I can help everybody but I can at least get them in touch quite often with people who can really help so we don't mind those phone calls at all right thank you just a quick note of order Sher I apologize I skipped you it was your turn but they're random draw so we'll finish up the responses on this and then the next draw will go back to you and then over here so I I would like to make a comment no problem sure go ahead um so the city being responsive to the concerns of our
038citizens I'm very happy that we invite all citizens to attend uh boo City Council meetings which take place on the first and third Mondays of every month people can stand up during public comments and talk about anything we had one gentleman come in who was troubled emotionally and we helped although we couldn't help him right then and there we referred him to the people he needed to speak to so that later he was able to get the help we need um on we' like I said before we've in the last four years created over a thousand new jobs and we brought employment down from well over 6% to just 3.4% as Nancy said we make every effort to listen and people are always invited to call us on our personal numbers which are printed on
039our business cards if if we don't know the answer we'll look into it for you thank you thank you are there any other one minute responses Kim please thank you um I think often times um the safety part um is is one that people tend to notice um with responses from the city um fire um ambulances if you have an emergency in your family um when I had to experience the ambulance coming to my mom's home for my dad they were wonderful and fast and topnotch service so I give them so much praise same with fire um they and they go hand inand but I think they're they're wonderful so I praise um all of those First Responders um and I also think that um we've had a few snow emergencies here this season and
040um I think the the public works is also very responsive we we do need to often consider um people's input continuously for that so thank you thank you all right I'm going to go to a two-minute question so we're back to Sherry because I got out of order last time all righty pick a good one to all right I'm trying let's see schools are being told to end all Dei programs or face the loss of federal funding if the same directive comes to the city what changes can you see happening as a result result just a sec uh diversity equality and inclusion are important aspects for any government uh right now with our new um Federal Administration um there are threats being made against communities regarding Dei but we don't bow to bullies around here
041we stand up to them let us be 100% and absolutely clear it is impossible and illegal for any president to sign an executive order withholding Federal funding over a personal political disagreement there is no federal law ban Dei in local communities it doesn't exist beloy has the third largest black population in Wisconsin and a very strong Hispanic population as well I will never apologize for our values or who we are and if our president wants to break the law we will not sit idly by we we are prepared to use our legal department to file a lawsuit to protect our city and remember the current president has has already had has lost a lot of these cases in court when he tries to illegally withhold funding thank you thank you any rebuttal requests Lori the
042Civil Rights Act of 1964 already sets the bar no discrimination based on race color religion sex or national origin That's the Law Dei has no no dii has no legal teeth unlike the Civil Rights Act taxpayers here can't shoulder higher bills to prop up these addition initiatives bloy is a diverse hardworking Town that's long excelled at giving everyone a fair shot and picking the best talent endless training sessions and murky diversity diversity quotas drain our budget with little to show it if Federal funds like for housing our roads hinge on this I say we don't need it we can pave streets and build homes with local grit and private dollars our budget's tight bloy has done a good job hiring we're diverse diverse Workforce and residents want Safe Streets steady jobs not councils squabbles thank
043you time thank you any other responses to this topic Yousef please I think when you're looking at Dei it's really important to measure the reality with it versus the reality without it and if we don't have Dei initiatives you will not hire the best people for the jobs and that is just shown continuously time and time again we have to be very deliberate with how we do Outreach and also so many people are included under Dei that aren't just one type of person uh if you don't make your initiatives we can't say that we want everyone's input and then not do everything that we can to get everyone's input it doesn't cost any extra money to hold Dei initiatives it doesn't cost us anything and the Investments and returns that we get you're right bid
044is a super diverse City and it is super important that we keep that diversity but it doesn't matter how many different types of people are here we aren't being very deliberate on getting those people to the tables that they deserve to be at thank you next two-minute question we're over to you Lori water pollution in boo is not frequently discussed by local environmental groups do you believe there is a reason for concern what preventions and interventions would you support um would you support uh to prevent I don't know if it's pasas or pfas I'm sorry and other contamination of our waterways and wellwater great question thank you I'm worried that some of the agendas being P pushed like the new turf football field in Belo Memorial High School's massive referendum might actually worsen pfa's contamination
045the field with a mere 10year lifespan would sit right beside the Rock River risking runoff into our waterways what about the solar Farms their disposal is a messy issue that could quietly add to the problem it often feels like today's Solutions just kick bigger headaches down the road one's taxpayers end up footing the bill to clean up no one in bit wants polluted Waters or Wells and I'm committed to keeping our water safe but not at the expense of our economy or our wallets here's how I'd tackle it first lean on what's already out there DNR free well testing kits to pinpoint real trouble spots not slap costly systems across the whole city second team with local Industries voluntarily offering tax breaks to upgrade filtration not burying them in regulations that chase jobs away third
046double down on proven fixes maintain our storm water setups in partner with Farmers on affordable runoff controls that actually work clean water is a must but so is a bit that stays affordable and strong let's protect what matters without creating new burdens thank you thank you rebut responses okay let's go with uh my here Nancy yes um I think this what you said Lori is good uh I do have to say and I only know this because of course I've been on the uh Council and so we discuss our water issues and Bill frisbee we we very lucky we've got a great guy who heads up our public works department um and we do have wonderful um uh deals with our farmers in the area um he had brought this forward I think twice in
047the last year um that the they have formed even more Partnerships to um so the farmer has a reason and the resources to divert runoff from their um you know the fertilizer that they're putting on their fields so it doesn't go into our water acore and so I'm thrilled that we have those things also we have gone to a different system um with our within our Wastewater Plant that really helps um we don't use chemicals anymore um to clean our water instead we have these wonderful dryers and things and they're going to last Lorry for years and years one of the reasons that we bought them is the initial payment but then it's going to be for a long long time thank you any any other responses yes ma'am thank you chair um I just
048wanted to say that water pollution is something we're aware of here in booy and one important step we're taking is removing over 2900 lead pipes in booy so that our children don't get literal brain damage from drinking a glass of water thank you thank you our next two-minute question we'll go to Kim air pollution is it a problem here in beloy please share current data to support your response and explain what interventions you would support there are something that I think the county and or the city invested in called IQ air monitors and those are strategically placed throughout all of of booy and Rock County um that gives us a rating on our air quality um I've looked at that um over the past few months when I first um realized that we had those
049I was at my um Board of Health meeting um in jeansville for Rock County and there's one right out of that building and when we went out to look it was green green means it's good air quality I know that the 2023 um Canadian wildfires definitely had an impact um which we couldn't really control very much but as I looked um at some of those different monitors located around booy I've noticed that every time I've looked they're green so I think that's a really good sign I don't hear a lot of people talking about having bad air quality when you ask citizens when I was collecting signatures um it's not first on their mind but I do know that there have been some articles in the paper about it um so to me um I
050think you have to look at the data so knowing about those monitors that's a good start um looking at other data talking to our citizens and getting their input and asking them do you think our air quality is good or do you feel like you're you're having um difficulty breathing things like that um always looking at data always asking for input is is the best thing thank you thank you any responses yes I'm just checking both ways because I got to keep my T absolutely okay Sher goad I do have that candy bar it Still Remains right up no go right ahead please okay thank you um today there's an effort to put a methane plant here in booy and it is projected to by itself put out more pollution in our tiny County than
051all of Cook County experiences wheat bloy has the third highest black population in Wisconsin and dangerous pollution is usually located in communities of color that is racist that is wrong and it is always something that I will stand against uh we are committed to being climate neutral by 2040 because no one should get sick in Beloit from drinking our water or breathing our air thank you thank you any other rebuttal comments I'm going to move on um this will be our last round of questions and I'm just being cognizant of the time this next round there will only be one rebuttal opportunity I want to make sure we're able to get all closing statements in as well all right we are back to Yousef on this two-minute question I'm like where are all my all
052stuck on the side all right we hear quite a bit about the need for more affordable housing is there also a need for executive housing in bit please explain your response we need housing at every level in this city um I think it was really important that we supported uh projects that got us more affordable housing I think it's really important that we support um our developments in our Tiff districts and uh trying to um change different ordinances and I'm not sure if I'm using the language right but changing the different ways that um land can be used in the city to have a more diverse uh type of portfolio for the type of houses that we have um we need more infrastructure for like buildings and um community centers and potential businesses as well
053but on every level we absolutely do need more housing thank you Kim I would definitely say um that we could support I would support more executive housing um I get flyers in my mailbox daily almost daily about are you ready to sell your house we're ready to pay you cash for it so I know that a lot of people are getting those we um we hear of people coming and getting new jobs in boo but having to buy a home in Jamesville or across the border in Illinois so I know that um one of the people that that came and worked at First National Bank literally their realter had to go to um owners current owners of homes saying do you think you'd want to sell your house and that's how they bought their house
054so I think um houses um also give you a tax base which which supports your community um so in all of those areas definitely um across all levels we need additional housing thank you and apologies I do have to cut it at one rebottle otherwise we're going to run out of time so we're going to the next two-minute question and we are to Sherry I wonder what it could be let's see a record received from the city showed about 125 uni Unique city bus riders each day considering these low numbers what other Transportation options might you consider to decrease cost and reduce the environmental impacts of the buses here's the truth we know how to make an effective transit system the data exists examples across the country and around the world exist this isn't rocket
055science if you make a system that is slow and infrequent it's not going to get as much use as one that is fast incomes more frequently no one ever drove on a highway before a highway was built okay there were the wagon trains but that's another story there are a lot of questions this form has asked about road construction and traffic times mass transit can improve traffic I hope that the state legislature will finally allow us to build a Transit Network that can and will generate more rides by offering faster and Moree frequent service thank you thank you any response Yousef I think that this is also uh crucial when we're looking at how we're developing the city again making sure we're getting input on every level and especially from our youth who have to
056grow up here and um you know have jobs and houses here when we look at our transportation system I think one of the reasons it's not frequently used is cuz a lot of times there's not too many places to go in Boo there's not a whole lot of reasons to use a bu until it's at a crucial time but we still need to make sure that we have good Transportation especially for people that use it for work but also figuring out right your programs or things of that nature but again if we develop more uh less bars if we get more you know entertainment centers and uh community centers I think people will then have reasons to go travel together I remember Riverfest and walking miles as a kid to make sure we win I
057would love to see things like that again thank you back to our next two-minute question and this is going to be for you Nancy should we continue to invest in reconfiguring main roadways or should we shift our Focus to repairing and maintaining our neighborhood streets and frequently used City roads well I mean it seems to me that the way that that is written it it sounds obvious obviously like why in the world aren't you fixing our roads better uh it's different pots of money here I mean it's not one or the other um we're not um ignoring our some bumpy City roads and um I'm really aware of where they are at um in fact uh this year where I grew up on Emerson Street was the first time I think since I was Tiny
058that that road had even been repaired I'm so excited about it I drive back past my old house all the time but so I I absolutely believe of course we wish we had tons of money to make our streets beautiful and great it's not that we're taking money away from them to do some of the road diets and the things you know there's two State projects that are going right on right now now one is the whole Milwaukee Road and the other one is where they're going to change the configuration coming in from Madison Road and so these are have been State professionals it's state money um which frankly of course we are happy to have uh some help in paying for some improvements Etc but um I just want to assure you that we
059should do everything we can to make traffic and and roads and streets the best they can again thank you any other responses to that Yousef I think when we look at every issue uh whether it's Community safety Health uh walkable cities all that including our infrastructure we also need to make sure that we're getting ahead on climate change and supporting initiatives that Harden our infrastructure for that when we look at the trees that got knocked down the roofs that got torn off uh the river is rising every year if we don't get ahead on that that's also going to cause uh dramatic damages to all of our roads and we need to make sure that we're really prioritizing initiatives that get ahead of that and aren't responsive or reactive if we just wait for it
060to happen we're going to end up paying way more money uh than if we get ahead of it thank you all right our next two-minute question is going to you Lori as a city council member how will you ensure that citizen input is sought and carefully considered before decisions are made thank you for asking this it's at the heart of what matters most to me and what brought me on the path to Public Service I personally felt the impact of not being listened to by decision makers and I and had to take this fight straight to the city council because it's a matter of fairness when a Project's in the works especially one that'll hit a specific neighborhood Hood residents deserve a seat at the table from the very start they shouldn't be blindsided by
061a done deal too far along for their voices to matter property taxpayers putot the bill for this city and that earns them the right to weigh in early not just get a letter right before the plan commission rubber stamps it and the city council nods it through take the potential rezoning of mcneel for instance in the land south of it quietly put into the new comprehensive plan as a future housing neighborhood how many nearby residents got a heads up not enough I'd wager that's why I would Champion neighborhood listening sessions zeroing in on areas too often left out of the loop for major decisions like housing developments and Road overhauls I push for citizen advisory panels drawn from the very communities in their crosshairs these folks wouldn't just react they'd help us wrestle with details
062before any vote is cast it's about respect giving taxpayers a real V voice and not an afterthought thank you thank you responses Nancy yes and I have to say that Lori the city council did not give the goahead to the Sixth Street housing project um and part of that was the data we had but part of that also was all your uh impassion talking and Lor we appreciated that so that's you know what can happen and that's why it's so important to be able for people to talk all the time um the other thing I would have to say is that um I I think that any way somebody can stop me when I'm out grocery shopping or you know people need to hear and you want to have that happen cuz there isn't a
063person that has ever been my colleague on the the council since I have been on I really didn't realize I'd been on eight years until Sherry figured it out so um yeah yes it certainly does um anyway there stop thank you okay and our last question will go to Kim there's two let's see which one you get Kim what can the city do to encourage more retail stores to come to booy so that can be tough um but I actually had a really good conversation with a gal who is kind of in charge of belit 2000 and last night um she had some really exciting things to share with me I thought that you know I think it's always good to support local businesses and support things that families um Can can come to and
064be a part of in booy so always encouraging activities but also facilities that support the family but what she talked about to me last night is um looking at some of the entryways into boo so it's not necessarily the east side or the west side at that point um she talked about some of um coming into bate like where the old Garden Hotel was that maybe that's I think the the plan is to have some sort of beautiful entryway into booy that sounds amazing um she also talked about um the casino and the opportunities that that might bring um I sort of chuckled about we're never going to get a Target but she actually had some positive things to say about that so I got really excited about my conversation with her so I think
065those that was really exciting to me the bit 2000 I think has gone back since before the year 2000 when I was a kid and a lot of good things have happened and those are just our community members being passionate about living here so that is great um retail and um home ownership is another way to support local businesses that are coming here um that um executive housing would be helpful to have extra housing here but also um I'm really excited to hear about um the ax housing where it gives opportunities for firsttime home buyers to um to own their own home so all of those ways I think contribute to um possibly um having some good retail opportunities here thank you Kim anyone want a last response to that question Lori please thank you
066we've got to breathe new life into the West Side Beyond piling housing projects and sunshades picture this a thriving Corridor of small businesses and specialty shops down Madison Road like downtown's Vibe tailored to the locals who are eager to spend and support their own vac storefronts are sitting there ready for tenants the West site is primed to back its own economy B also needs to team up with the school district to turn it into a magnet and not a warning sign a struggling District doesn't just scare off families it chases away businesses looking to bring jobs and workers here thank thank you that will conclude our question section so now each candidate will have one minute to give closing remarks and we'll start down on the end again with you Adama again I very deliberately
067go into businesses I make sure I'm constantly collaborating in different meetings uh the black wi black women in business event I made sure I was at the different culture events I'm at because at the end of the day uh what we need to do as a city and as Representatives is make sure that we understand what our citizens are asking for even being able to show up to a meeting is a privilege and if we're not meeting people where they are we're not going to get every perspec perspective that's important as we see these rapid changes in our culture and in our environment and everything else uh I really think it's going to be the communities that get ahead on making sure they have that community buyin that are going to be the most important
068the longer we go making decisions without the input from everybody the longer people are going to feel boxed out and the less hardened we're going to be when things do get rough if they do get rough I think it's very important to be very accountable and transparent and accessible and I really uh embody all of that in the volunteer work I've done in the city and the job that I've chosen and in everything else thank you thank you Yousef Sher Blakeley thank you first I want to thank our hosts for um conducting these forums tonight and thank you all in the audience for your steadfast interest in bit in my four terms on the bit city council I've become more knowledgeable about our community I'm more aware of the challenges we face face now and
069in the near future but most of all the growing positives of beloy I understand the processes of city council and how we work as a vital part of boo government currently I represent City Council on three boards and commissions boo Public Library landmarks commission and traffic Review Committee I've been a hardworking member 20 seconds of the bloy city council for the past eight years I used to be an Auctioneer I'm responsive to people who ask for help I am a good listener and researcher and have helped bring real progress to bot in areas such as Workforce Development Public Safety housing and Recreation I humbly ask for your vote on April 1st thank thank you Sher Nancy forbeck thank you well you can see I think I'm the only person here maybe who didn't write out
070my responses so um you can until it's maybe the old old teacher in me um it has been a privilege um and an honor to um be able to try to help bers in any way I can really my whole life in a way has I've been lucky enough to have wonderful jobs that are positive and brought things in that were fun or good for the city and um i' so I've been really privileged that way and I'd like to keep it going I still think I have some um good ideas and um certainly I can often talk about how things used to be and but very much because I have two sons working and living here uh I'm interested in the future for all of us so I'd appreciate your vote too thank you
071thank you Lori Marshall once again again I would like to thank the Wisconsin policy Monitor and Ison boit school board for this candidate forum and for allowing me to speak here today I'm running for city council because I feel there needs to be more transparency and accountability to the residents and taxpayers of booe the everyday people who do not feel heard or represented I am passionate about bringing new initiatives and ideas to help grow and develop the west side of Belo not just the east side which I feel has been left behind as the rest of the city continues to move forward Bel needs a change we need a change from the people who for too long have been nothing but a rubber stamp on the city council putting the interests of developers contractors and
072special interests over the needs and concerns of the people who live in boo I ask you to vote for me on April 1st for new ideas and fresh perspective on making both sides of bit the best place it can be thank you thank you Kim Nightingale Schneider I want to contribute on bit city council by making thoughtful databased decisions that are fiscally responsible every dollar the city spends is money each taxpayer worked hard to earn safety is a concern of mine and in everyone in the city I'll strongly support our First Responders police firefighters and EMS a successful B City can attract businesses and families I'll support measures to bring businesses to Beloit and keep the needs of Children and Families First decisions made by the city council are not taken lightly and should be
073made um should never be made before receiving adequate citizen input what seems less significant decision to to us may be very important to our citizens I want to strive for understanding concerns of the people and bringing a voice for the people please vote for me and I'd be honored to have your vote on April 1st thank you and thank you again to The Forum sponsors Wisconsin policy Monitor and Ison bit School Board thank you to the community for attending and watching online and most of all thank you to all of the candidates um your public service is greatly appreciated and often um unrecognized by many so we appreciate your efforts we appreciate your willingness to support the blit community and to everybody remember to get out on April 1st and make your vote matter thank
074you thanks everybody thank you you did a great job great