Chad Noetzel:

·  AGE: 37.

·  RESIDENCE: 2631 16th Ave.

·  OCCUPATION: Co-owner and captain of Northern Marine Towing and Salvage in Marysville. ·  POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: None.

·  EDUCATION: Port Huron Northern High School graduate; two years at St. Clair County Community College.

·  FAMILY: Wife, Tracey; two children.  

"Will the new council promote boating for Port Huron like keeping the Black River Canal finally dredged out or allowing alcohol consumption on the south side of Black River downtown." Submitted by Rick Niemietz, seconded by Chad Noetzel 10-27-09.

'Yes we should allow drinking on the south side of Black River. The problem is that most of the property is private on that side east of Military St Bridge.

As far as the canal. That is a little more complicated. That canal was not designed to be navigable. It was to help flush out Black River.

The time the DEQ will allow to dredge is a very short window. But I would like to at least try to keep it dredged until a permanent solution is found. I believe there have been studies in the past and it was too expensive to make that a navigable waterway with a guaranteed depth. The amount of sand that gets moved in a storm is a big factor. The Coast Guard Station has to be dredge 2-3 times a year. And There are boulders the size of trucks that get moved around like pebbles.

I have also noticed that the banks are starting to slide in. More rip rap is sliding into the canal. I believe the slope is too steep to allow for a slow runoff of rain water. The more gradual the slope the slower the water will run down the banks. And last but not least. I believe there are a few landowners that are against any development. One in particular!

The best way would be to get a boat launch somewhere on the lake. We all know how dangerous the St Clair River can get in a south wind or heavy traffic.  20 miles between launches is too much for this area. Metcalf Rd or Harris Rd would be better. But expensive!

If elected boating will be promoted heavily. The Water St Marina needs to be open. There are going to be boats leaving when they start tearing up the Black River overpass. We need those people here for the summer. There are quite a few businesses that depend on them during the boating season.

We are called The Maritime Capital of the Great Lakes. And we need to prove it."

"Do you favor a ‘Ward System’ or ‘At Large System’ for our city, and why?”

"I'm in favor of a ward system.

I think it would almost force citizens to pay a little more attention to who is running for office and will therefore vote. It would be a lot easier for candidates to get out and meet as many voters as possible and get their views on what are the major concerns to them.

If people feel they are not going to have a say they will not vote at all. We as a city need to be more receptive to the needs of the city as a whole. What happens in the south end of Port Huron should matter to residents in the north end.

My biggest concern is the apathy that is currently in some sections of town. That apathy is passed on to the young people in that area and it never ends.

I want more people in Port Huron to vote. Regardless of how they vote. 

I think this would help start that."

"What is your opinion of Port Huron's city income tax? Submitted by Alice O'Neil, seconded by Chad Noetzel 10-2-09."

It should have went down the sewer it was set up to pay for 40 years ago!

I can't for the life of me figure out why we penalize our citizens to live and work in Port Huron. How do other cities survive without a city income tax. It creates a negative environment for commercial and residential progress. Just promising to not raise water rates is not enough anymore. The City income tax needs to go. If elected, reducing the city income tax to nothing will be my goal. And it can be done.

"Do you feel it is necessary for a councilperson to read the sales agreement, prior to voting, when the city is buying or selling real estate?"    Submitted by Gerald Frendt seconded by Chad Noetzel 9-30-09.

"It is the duty of any elected official to read every word of a proposal set before them. It is not their money they are spending. The first question they should ask themselves is,"if this was my money would I spend it like this".I know that the legalities may not be understood by every elected official. So a professional should explain it to them before they vote. The future ramifications should be explained in depth also. All to often decisions are made without looking ahead. It would be nice if elected officials could cast a vote without thinking of their own immediate political lives."

"This forum has been set up for the candidates to ask the questions. Do you feel that the opportunity to ask questions should be offered to non-candidates as well? " Submitted by James Fisher 9-16-09

"Yes that way I'm not the only one hanging myself on thetimes herald forum board"

"How do the candidates feel about having fundraisers outside of Port Huron city limits. Do they get most of their contributions from non residents or from residents? Also do they feel that township resident contributions can sway their opinions and how they vote?" Submitted by John Edison 9-11-09

"How do you like the work new city manager Bruce Brown is doing ? Please give examples of what you liked or disliked so far." Submitted by Mark Byrne 9-3-2009.

No Response

"A few months ago the City Council removed funding for the EDA and hired their own Economic Development director. Do you support the direction this council has taken?" Submitted by John Edison Pamer 8-27-2009.

"I would have liked to see the whole dialog between city council and the EDA at the time. How many phone calls and meetings/workshops were held when council noticed a problem. It seemed like a very short time between the time the Times Herald got involved and the time council "fired" the EDA in my opinion. The EDA is still working for us and we are still paying them. Except now we are paying the EDA and Mr. Schiffano. I believe we are going to see a big change in how the EDA is viewed and how the city works with them in the near future. I think Pay for Performance is a good option to get back on track. The taxpayers are fed up with study after study and bigger government. And I personally think manufacturing is going to take a long time to get back to where it was, if it ever will. I don't want to wait that long, we need to make conscious decisions now to improve the lives of the Blue Water Area."

During the pre-primary debate. A few of the challengers commented that too much time has been spent on "trivial matters." Specifically, over the past two years, what items up for council consideration have you considered "trivial?"  Submitted by Jim Fisher 8-26-2009.

"Jim, If you recall I was not one of those that was of that opinion. I'm not sure what a trivial issue is, because what may be trivial to some may be a life changing decision for someone else. You guys were in charge, you were elected to make decisions even if some did not think they were important or correct. Although I have to be honest, it seems a lot is getting done this summer. But I guess that will make it better for the city and that is always good even if it is "politics as usual". If I don't make it to council I still have to live here."

The current city council drastically reduced the pay for the new city manager compared to the previous city manager, would you favor reducing the pay  level for department heads and eliminating severance pay when they quit?  Submitted by Chad Noetzel 8-12-2009.

8-12-2009  "I would never ever raise taxes. City government needs to reduce the budget to a bare working minimum. Even in good times. City officials and dept. Heads are the servents not the masters. The citizens are the masters. They should not get more than anyone in the private sector, especially when they retire. I would honor the current contracts that are in place."

1.  What strategy should the city employ for economic development?

"I would like to see Port Huron focus on becoming more of a tourist destination spot. First and foremost, we need to get downtown and our waterfront properties developed for commercial use. Port Huron has all the amenities that a vacationer is looking for. We have the most beautiful waterfront on the Great Lakes. We have two interstates, an international border crossing, marina facilities and usually great weather five to six months a year. I think the casino could still be an option. We need to get the talented people of Port Huron together to figure it out.

2. What should be done to pay the debt from the sewer separation project?

"I don't think raising taxes or rates is ever an option. That is the easy way out for government. We should be looking for ways to cut our spending and slim down city government. But, I believe we need to increase our customer base. We have to make it more affordable for people and businesses to live and work in Port Huron. We should lower taxes and attract quality customers. But we really have to get our government to operate on a small budget so we can spend money where it needs to be spent."

3. After economic development, what is the biggest issue facing the city?

"One of the problems in the area is the lack of activities for our kids and young adults. I would like to see more local people using our parks and beaches. I can't figure out why we don't have lifeguards at our public beaches. One other issue is that we need to communicate and cooperate with the township and surrounding cities to possibly regionalize some of our public services. If Port Huron is vibrant, the whole county will prosper."

4. What would you do with McMorran Place if you had the final say?

"I would like to give the current management and board a chance to make McMorran profitable. But the taxpayers of Port Huron should no longer be the only ones paying to subsidize it. Port Huron citizens make up a small percentage of the users of the facility. We need to have a regional authority and have McMorran supported by a countywide millage. It would not take much to support it. If we put that to a vote and it doesn't pass, we should mothball McMorran and wait for a buyer to take it over."