Editor’s note: The mayoral forum last Thursday happened on the same evening as news broke about a Minnesota Department of Health report alleging abuse at a local nursing home, and the Tribune had to divert resources away from coverage of that forum. Here is a story on what happened at the mayoral forum.

With one candidate ending all of his statements with the word “period” and some candidates at times offering little more than agreements with other candidates, audience members and viewers of the Albert Lea mayoral forum last Thursday got to see which candidates could give in-depth responses to questions.

The main topics of the evening were jobs, downtown, water cleanup and Albert Lea City Council meeting decorum.

In his opening statement, candidate Mike Murtaugh said he had been encouraged to run for various offices but city issues interested him most. He said he is an advocate for open meetings and citizen input. He said he would eliminate the pre-agenda meeting.

“It fosters the impression that decision making is not being made openly. Why go through the same agenda twice? We don’t need a dress rehearsal,” he said.

He called for greater adherence to the city code and charter and wiser spending of money. He noted he has lived in life in Albert Lea except during his college years.

Mayor Randy Erdman said he served as a City Council member prior to running for mayor, giving him four years of council experience.

“I’m very optimistic about Albert Lea’s future. We have made great strides in the last six years, and some of those are very evident,” Erdman said.

He pointed out Larson Manufacturing’s new distribution warehouse visible from Interstate 35 and Flying J’s intention to build a truck stop near Trail’s Travel Center and Love’s. “We’re finally taking advantage of the fact we’re on two major freeways. For years, Albert Lea was not visible from the freeways. Now we are, and we’re starting to gain attention.”

Erdman talked about how Gov. Tim Pawlenty came to Albert Lea to sign the bonding bill, which provided funding to clean a former landfill beneath North Edgewater Park. He noted the Albert Lea Medical Center expansion, the renovated Freeborn National Bank building and the downtown loan program to repair building facades.

George Gillespie ran two years ago and he said the city faces many of the same economic-development issues. He said the city witnessed the expansion of the hospital and Albert Lea Select Foods, but saw others close or slow down. He held up a photograph of a company that built a plant in Fosston after facing difficulties with Albert Lea City Hall.

“If we’re going to expand business and attract new business to Albert Lea that will provide a living wage for our workers and our workforce, our city needs to put on their salesman smile.,” Gillespie said.

He also called for more citizen input at City Council meetings, wanting more than two minutes and one topic per person. He also said the city needs more youth activities.

David Reisewitz called for more jobs and more focus on retaining young people.

“The town has shrunk considerably. It should be 40,000 people. You’ve got two intersecting highways. And this only an under 20,000 population town.”

C.E. Vollum said his family homesteaded Riceland Township in 1868, and has lived in Albert Lea for seven years. He ran because people in area asked him to file.

He said he has objections to a lack of short- and long-term growth. He said he wants Albert Lea to retain youth and offer activities to stimulate the mind and body.

“One goal presently is to recover $60,000 in stolen and/or accumulated fines from our public library.”

Vollum ended all of his statements with a single word: “Period.”

One question asked about civil discourse at council meetings.

Murtaugh said people need to be heard.

“You know, when you come here week after week and you are immediately shut down before you get to say something, not that I condone necessary how the questions and comments are being delivered at all, but I think that’s been the problem,” he said.

He said he would let people have their say and not engage them. He said there is less of a need for rancor.

Erdman said the public forum is one of most difficult part of council meetings.

The council tried having the forum at the beginning but when a company moved to Albert Lea and applied for subsidies, the forum’s lack of civility left a poor impression, so it was moved to the end. He said the council picked the two-minute rule and he opposed it. But he goes along with the council’s wishes. He said one topic is sufficient because the council is approachable outside of meetings in person or via telephone and e-mail.

Gillespie said there needs to be respect both ways. He noted an instance when City Manager Victoria Simonsen gave a requested list and the person then claimed she didn’t.

Erdman said the city-county relationship is healthy. He said there might be differences of opinion but the county officials are approachable. He said the only weakness would be a need for more communication.

Murtaugh said the city and county share resources, such as the Law Enforcement Center, but noted a communication problem. He said the county needs to play a role in the issue of solid-waste disposal. He said he is acquainted with county commissioners and the commissioner candidates.

Erdman said many cities are switching to four-year mayoral terms because it provides consistency and that is good for business, and he said the city should consider switching the wards and having at-large councilors. Other candidates agreed with him except Murtaugh.

“The mayor position is in effect a city council person at large,” Murtaugh said.

He said keeping the mayoral terms at two years is good for allowing the voters to change the balance of power on the council at any election.

Gillespie said he envisions the city growing in the next 10 years. He wants the Freeborn National Bank building being looked at by Artspace as a project instead to be the home of a software company with living wages and top executives making $1 million or better with stock options. He said the new Wedgewood Cove golf course would be lined with homes for the software company workers. He said he envisions higher-paying jobs and skilled labor.

Erdman said the key to growth is showing appreciation for companies that are already in Albert Lea and helping them expand. He noted the city’s assistance to Lou-Rich and Albert Lea Select Foods.

“If you are looking for a mate you need to put make up on comb your hair brush your teeth. That’s what we need to do. We need to clean this community up, we have some initiatives, the housing initiative, to clean this community up,” he said.

Vollum said the citizens are the best ambassadors for the city. Reisewitz said the city needs jobs with better pay.

“I’d love to see Albert Lea thrive but unfortunately I don’t think it’s going to do that,” he said.

Murtaugh said everyone would have loved to land a major employer such as a Ford factory or a Target warehouse and not come in second to other cities. He said he agrees the city needs to maintain what companies are present. He noted local success stories of Mrs. Gerry’s Kitchen and Alliance Benefit Group.

All candidates said it will be difficult to cut the already-tight city budget. Murtaugh said it was a matter of how the budget was cut. He said the city needs a competitive tax burden to appear attractive to businesses, particularly because of the city’s close proximity to Iowa.

Erdman said the 2009 proposed budget is $14.8 million, adding that Freeborn County’s is $37 million and the Albert Lea School District’s is $35 million. He said the city has the smallest of the three and is asked to provide the most services. He said the present budget only leaves flexibility in police and fire. He said the city has expanded in streets and services, and he said all candidates were invited to budget workshops, which has never happened before.

Downtown vitality and the Freeborn National Bank building was address by many candidates. Vollum said he was struck by a brick that fell off the bank building. He also said he wanted to close a few blocks to cars and open them to foot travel.

Erdman said the downtown is coming around. He pointed out expansion of the city library and the hospital, the downtown renewal fund, the renaming of the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center and the work on improving and filling buildings such as the Lea Center.

“It takes time to develop a downtown,” he said.

Murtaugh noted the downtown offers many service-oriented businesses, rather than retail, then added he can recall what downtown was like. He talked about old photos that showed the downtown with awnings and neon lights.

“You could walk from one end of downtown to another without getting wet,” he said.

He said some signs now are just painting plywood. He would like to encourage better signs.

Gillespie said he would like to see Target occupy one of the old buildings like it does in downtown Minneapolis.

Erdman said the city is working to produce a three- to five-year plan for solving the problem of Fountain Lake turning green in the summers. He said the plan will address controlling the algae bloom running from Pickerel Lake and said the Edgewater Bay cleanup will help, too.

Murtaugh said he was glad the Shell Rock River Watershed District administrator found past lake treatments haven’t damaged the lake but said treatment isn’t cleaning.

“It’s not treating the problem. It’s just addressing the symptom,” he said.

He said he opposes the watershed district paying for lake treatment because its mission is cleaning water.