County Exec candidates sound off on various issues
Metro Wire Staff
Portage County voters will eliminate one person from the County Executive race in the Feb. 15 primary election.
Executive Chris Holman will run for a second term and has been challenged by Stevens Point resident Eric Olson, who is an educator at the UW-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources, and John Pavelski, who previously operated Pavelski Farms and Ortho Molecular, and now works part-time as an organic farmer and corporate communications consultant.
The top two vote-earners will move on to the April 5 general election.
Questions by the Stevens Point Area League of Women Voters. Candidate John Pavelski did not submit a response. Answers from Holman and Olson follow:
Eric Olson
Why did you decide to run for the position of Portage County Executive?
I’m running for County Executive because I think Portage County has untapped potential. In the midst of all the challenges around us, we could be taking advantage of opportunities to make progress on important issues. I love this community and I think we can go from being a good place to live, work, and play to a great one. For the last 11 years, I have worked statewide with hundreds of local governments and stakeholders to protect and restore Wisconsin’s lakes and rivers.
I’m a tireless advocate for the common good—from clean water to quality healthcare—who has dedicated my life and career to serving our community. I’ve volunteered to create initiatives in Portage County to advance sustainability and community resilience and I know that there are opportunities for the county to advance conservation and renewable energy. I believe it’s important to have an elected leader who represents and serves all the people of Portage County, and I want to strengthen our community through government transparency and civic engagement.
What relevant background and experience do you bring to the position of County Executive?
I have worked for over 15 years as a university extension educator helping local governments and nonprofit organizations carry out important natural resource protection work. For six years I taught courses at UWSP in land use planning and plan implementation. I have served on the Portage County Parks Commission and I currently chair the Stevens Point Deer Committee.
Shortly after moving to Stevens Point in 2004, I participated in meetings to plan educational events about the local food economy. That evolved into the Central Rivers Farmshed where I was a founding board member and officer. In 2010 I worked with my future wife to create the Central Wisconsin Resiliency Project, a collaboration with Portage and Wood counties, the City of Stevens Point, and area nonprofits and farms to create a multi-faceted and collaborative sustainability effort that leveraged federally-funded AmeriCorps positions. This program used the Jackson School site and helped the Stevens Point Area School District keep the building from falling to disrepair; it is now home to the PODS Charter School and the district’s technology training center.
I also was a volunteer on the City of Stevens Point Sustainability Task Force and a co-chair of the Portage County Hunger and Poverty Prevention Partnership. I have served on United Way investment teams and helped lead fundraising for United Way at my employer, UWSP. I have also volunteered at a wide range of fundraising events (CAP Services, JusticeWorks) and smaller-scale community initiatives (Central Wisconsin Invasive Species Partnership). These experiences have taught me that the power of Portage County is in its people. We can accomplish tremendous things by working together and celebrating each other’s accomplishments.
What do you see as the current top three issues facing Portage County and how would you address them?
The COVID pandemic: There are science-based strategies to control the spread of coronavirus and protect our vulnerable populations. We can do more to help distribute high-quality masks throughout the community. The county can also be a role model for requiring high-quality masks in its own workplaces during times of elevated community risk. I will work closely with our county departments and partner with community organizations to implement proven methods for increasing vaccination. Marshfield Clinic, for example, has piloted work that uses tailored messaging and trusted communicators to increase vaccination numbers in rural communities; we will augment and build off of that work to ensure more people are protected.
Groundwater pollution: I will propose meaningful initiatives and reasonable regulations to ensure clean, safe drinking water for everyone. Groundwater is a great example of a public good; we all benefit from having access to safe water but we collectively could not protect it without the government. I will rally against efforts to weaken the county wellhead protection ordinance, and I will propose new ideas to incentivize groundwater protection. I will marshal state and federal funds to ensure our community members have access to resources to help them remediate their contaminated wells.
Government transparency and inclusion: Portage County deserves a leader who shows up and listens to communities throughout the county. I will hold listening sessions in every community because the citizens’ voices matter. County government should set an example for openly sharing information about pending projects and soliciting meaningful input from citizens. For example, Portage County is receiving millions of dollars in federal COVID recovery funds (ARPA). We are given some discretion in spending this money. As Executive, I would use the ARPA funding opportunity to engage people in a participatory budgeting process, demonstrating that their input makes a difference.
Portage County has been dealing with several ongoing and unresolved issues (Portage County Health Care Center, nitrate well contamination, and space needs and location of the County Jail and Courthouse). What do you see as the role of the County Executive in working with the Board of Supervisors to bring these issues to resolution?
Throughout my life, I have been driven to collaboratively solve problems and make the world a better place. My experiences have taught me that local governments succeed when they engage the public and work with as many stakeholders as possible to develop shared understandings of both the problems and the possible solutions. The resolution to these long-standing issues does not come from my ideas; it comes from our ideas.
I would engage all of the County Board members and the various county committees in new processes of public participation and engagement that focus on these seemingly intractable problems. This will require time and effort on the Executive’s part to coordinate and carry out, but that’s a core responsibility of the position. Authentic citizen participation and collaboration will make the board’s decisions on these issues that much easier because they can take action and set policy while assured that the people of Portage County are behind them. We the people can demonstrate through our collective work that there is in fact a common good and that by pulling together we can move our community forward.
What do you see as the role of county government in addressing the needs of a racially and ethnically diverse population in Portage County?
As a county-wide leader, I will marshall Portage County government resources to welcome diverse community members and stand against hate and bigotry. When we collectively work to ensure our parks, libraries, health care, and other public-facing operations are accessible and inviting to everyone, our community is stronger and enriched by its diversity and inclusivity. We also must amplify the voices of our communities of color, listen to and act on their ideas, and empower their representation in leadership roles.
When ideas for new programs and strategies are offered by our diverse community members, I will use my time and energy to find ways to resource them and support their success. The county can draw from and support examples found in our community non-profits. CAP Services and Farmshed, for example, are collaboratively preparing and delivering culturally-appropriate meals to older adults and individuals with disabilities in our Hmong community.
As Executive, I would propose using our county ARPA funds to reduce the disparate impact of the pandemic on communities of color. I would look for ways that the county could support partners in faith communities engaged in the resettlement process of Afghan refugees, following the example being set in the City of Wausau. I will use my role to partner with community institutions that are recruiting people from a national and international talent pool (like Sentry Insurance and UW-Stevens Point) to create and support efforts that address racism in our community.
I will also highlight and recognize the people and groups doing good work to advance economic and social justice. Our comprehensive efforts should leverage and build on the plans and accomplishments of the Portage County Diversity Affairs and Inclusiveness Committee and I would ensure that the committee has what they need to be successful.
Chris Holman
Why did you decide to run for the position of Portage County Executive?
After talking with my family and reflecting on the last four years—which have brought unprecedented challenges to work through—I decided to run because I know that what I bring to the position is valued and respected across our community.
My approach of working with people and not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good has helped blow the dust off of things at the county that languished simply because those in leadership positions couldn’t get along. I respect how local government is a living, breathing process that is not fixed in time for all of eternity. So, while progress may come in steps, it’s important to acknowledge those steps, to accomplish what you can with those you’re working with, and to re-visit areas that are unresolved in ways that don’t keep us from moving forward in areas that there is broad agreement on. I want to build on what we’ve done and continue what I’ve started.
I intentionally pursue an approach of broad-based relational organizing that builds the trust, mutual respect, and understanding that you need to make progress. I have a deep understanding of county issues. I want to continue working with people and empowering them—especially policymakers—because anyone in my position cannot do anything alone.
The public should vote for the candidate who demonstrates the ability to do those things and insist that county officials work together. I have a very strong record in all of these areas, which is reflected in the fact that the people supporting my campaign represent a broad spectrum of politics and perspectives. Unfortunately, some find that to be problematic, but I’d ask them why. I will not apologize for being relatable and for not letting partisanship or personalities get in the way of doing the job.
What relevant background and experience do you bring to the position of County Executive?
I have made a positive difference at the county these last four years, and I have accomplished many of the things that I set out to do in 2018. I don’t let needless drama get in the way of serving the public, and I bring a no-nonsense approach that has no time for indulging in the type of negativity we see flourishing in other areas of government.
The county is not a simple organization to run, and while political campaigns bring out all sorts of statements and promises, the county has its own inertia and whoever is in this position has to respond to what comes with that first. I have done that and more.
As a business owner, I have to be fiscally responsible and have a deep understanding of what the numbers are telling me so that the adjustments we make are informed. You don’t have control over a lot of things, and being able to quickly and efficiently adjust to what comes your way is the hallmark of a successful business owner and farmer.
As a veteran, I found myself in situations that were high-pressure, high-stakes, and required calm under fire. There’s no time to complain about what has happened, you have to react, adapt, and bring all of your expertise to bear on a given situation.
This position is non-partisan, and as a lifelong Independent, I am not affiliated with any party. When it comes to running a campaign, many would think that this would put me at a disadvantage. It does not. The people who know me and who I work with speak from direct experience and knowledge of what I’ve done, and they’ve told me like they’ve told many others that the working environment I’ve helped to create is exactly what we need.
What do you see as the current top three issues facing Portage County and how would you address them?
One is COVID-19 and how the county continues to navigate the challenges it presents. It would be impossible to capture it all here, so I encourage anyone reading this with questions to reach out to me directly. At this point, we are seeing shifts in guidance from the state and will adapt to that as we look ahead to a post-COVID or endemic phase of the pandemic. A major component of that is the funding the county and municipalities throughout the county have received via the American Rescue Plan Act.
The Act has several areas of focus, and the initial steps we took were to address pressures in several areas of Health and Human Services. Nine months ago, I started a conversation with staff to put together a package that will support private well owners and TN well owners (local businesses, campgrounds, etc.) and addresses contamination in their wells by providing funding support for testing and the systems they need to get clean water. This is a short-term solution, but one that is needed.
A top issue for the county and the state are workforce challenges. I’ve already spent the last two years working with the Wisconsin Counties Association, Competitive Wisconsin, and other counties in a unique non-partisan coalition that engages business, education, agriculture, and labor in strategic collaborations dedicated to strengthening and growing the Wisconsin economy. That includes a systems approach to thinking about this problem, which would directly invest in people as a part of recruitment and retention.
Public engagement is also a perennial issue, and to that end, we are already working on recording meetings into a YouTube channel for people to view when they have time. I invested heavily into the county’s IT platform to enable this and remote participation as well.
Portage County has been dealing with several ongoing and unresolved issues (Portage County Health Care Center, nitrate well contamination, and space needs and location of the County Jail and Courthouse). What do you see as the role of the County Executive in working with the Board of Supervisors to bring these issues to resolution?
The HCC Committee spent over a year looking into a regionalization opportunity. We ultimately received what the Chair of the Committee called a “break up letter” and at that point, we needed to pivot. Where to, though? That’s when I stepped in with a plan. I worked with staff to improve it, we presented that to the committee for their input, and the County Board approved it unanimously. Now we are on a clear path forward.
Groundwater isn’t as straightforward. The county cannot legally do anything for groundwater where it is preempted by the state, which is in a lot of areas. So, it’s an issue that cannot be resolved at the local level alone—a point of frustration for many. The county can act within Chapter 92 of state statutes via the Land and Water Conservation Committee. So my focus is on supporting ongoing efforts like our farmer-led initiatives, promoting conservation programming, generating buy-in for new ideas, education efforts, keeping county staff in an objective role while supporting the science and all of the known data, and finding ways to get people talking to each other. If an ordinance is passed, it triggers a countywide referendum in each municipality where they vote individually to adopt it or not (See: Wis. Stats. § 92.11(4)).
As Executive, I lead on the space needs issue with Space & Properties and I serve as the coordinator for the overall effort by being the bridge for everyone involved. Our focus is on building in the downtown area or updating and renovating our current facilities via a Master Facility Plan. Sometimes there are detours, like the city’s greenspace proposal that they forwarded and then rescinded. Then COVID-19 hit. Through it all, the Executive is the steady hand on the rudder of a very large ship.
What do you see as the role of county government in addressing the needs of a racially and ethnically diverse population in Portage County?
This is something that really should be addressed community-wide, as there are businesses and organizations across the county that are all having similar discussions around this and related topics. When it comes to the county, we should be a supporting partner in the conversation as well as a convener of various groups and perspectives so that we can all learn from each other. No one has all of the answers, and each community is going to be unique. It’s understanding what makes you unique and then working to expand upon that in a way that everyone can feel a part of the community, welcome in it, and that their perspective is important.
This applies to diversity, but it also points toward inclusion. That’s important because while there are relevant and compelling reasons to have focused discussions around racial and ethnic diversity, this is a conversation that you need the entire community to see themselves in. That will be different for each of us, but what’s important is that the conversations take place and that we learn from them.
I have learned that whether it’s me in my position or the county in general, leading doesn’t look the same when it comes to this topic. Rather, leading is supporting. By that, I mean supporting the members of the community who are often marginalized or who simply don’t feel welcome because they haven’t been engaged or asked to participate in the past. It also means supporting the county’s Diversity Affairs and Inclusivity Committee, which I volunteered my office to provide staff support for as it moved through the approval process. It’s about facilitating progress and community building while helping the county organization identify areas where it, too, can improve in these areas.
