SLEEPY EYE — Four Sleepy Eye City Council members, two of which are running against each other Nov. 6, agreed downtown revitalization plans are among the most important issues in town.

Ward 2 incumbent Dick Zinniel, who has served more than 20 years on the city council, and challenger Gary Windschitl, who formerly served on the council and wants to return, were joined by Ward 1 incumbent Doug Pelzel and Councilor-At-Large Nate Stevermer at the Sleepy Eye Event Center.

“We need partnerships, people going in the same direction,” Windschitl said. “It’s important the city council funds the EDA (Economic Development Authority), not restricts it. We need to partner with developers and create a downtown everybody wants to go to. Our downtown can really be great.”

Zinniel said downtown Sleepy Eye has looked the same for many years but the 60s, 70s and 80s are gone.

“It’s starting to take off,” Zinniel said. “There is money in a fund to revitalize downtown. I’m not sure how much is there, but it’s quite a bit of money. I feel we can bring Main Street back.”

Stevermer said he’d like to see quarterly public forums.

Zinniel said the people are the council’s bosses.

Councilors agreed Sleepy Eye is a wonderful town with many amenities.

Zinniel said a housing shortage keeps people from moving to town.

Windschitl said there is a lot of available Main Street apartment space.

Zinniel said Sleepy Eye can move forward if it doesn’t overspend but that it can invest in itself if there are budget funds left over.

Pelzel said the City Council is facing a $20 million street improvement project that needs to be done and will expand the city with the 12th Avenue East expansion.

Regarding doing a city budget audit before the new city manager starts working next year, most councilors said the annual audit now being done is adequate. Zinniel disagreed, saying another audit would be worthwhile for checks and balances and giving the new city manager a clean slate.

Windschitl said a bigger tax hike, 9 or 10 percent instead of 3 percent, to provide the EDA more money is critical and he’d support it.

Zinniel said he’d like to see money already budgeted for downtown revitalization be used for downtown improvement.

Windschitl said the downtown improvement money could be an interest-free loan requiring matching funds by property owners.

In his closing statement, Windschitl said he wouldn’t be part of a problem like recent issues that cost the city several hundred thousand of dollars in legal fees.

Zinniel said he wouldn’t “sling mud at anybody” up for election.

Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.