2 incumbents, 2 write-in challengers vie for 3 Ferrysburg council seats

Fri, Oct 30, 2009    to del.icio.us

FERRYSBURG — Two incumbents will be facing off against two write-in candidates for three seats on the Ferrysburg City Council in next week's election.

The top three vote-getters out of the four will take the four-year term seats on council.

Term limits have forced Councilman Tim Scarpino from seeking re-election.

Write-in candidate Rebecca K. Hopp, 46, works as a job coach and facilitator with Hudsonville Public Schools. After spending 24 years in Hudsonville, Hopp and her family decided to relocate to Ferrysburg a year ago because they enjoyed their cottage, 16868 Cecelia Lane, and what the city has to offer, she said.

Hopp helped establish the Smith's Bayou Chili Cookoff. She said she's running for City Council because she wants to give something back to the community.

"I want to speak for those who are too timid," Hopp said. "I want to be that advocate."

As far as what to do with urban deer, Hopp hopes the city will expand the number of possibilities before any action is taken. Getting a task force together and citizens involved are important, she said; adding that professional experience will also help council make an informed decision.

"There might be some options that haven't been explored yet," she said.

Write-in candidate James Marek, 16901 Carlson, is an attorney with Even and Franks PLLC in Muskegon. He specializes in general litigation, and criminal and family law.

Marek was a partner in a law firm in Illinois for the past five years before moving to Ferrysburg in April 2008. He graduated from the University of Denver Law School in 2003.

Marek, 36, said he and his wife "were enthralled with Michigan's recreational aspects," and have friends in the Spring Lake area and had visited here before making the move.

Marek said he hopes to bring an outsider's voice to City Council with fresh views and ideas.

"I like Ferrysburg, and I have always been interested in getting involved," he said. "... Now I have the time to do it."

Marek said he sees room for improvement for council action, especially in economic development issues.

"I see some things I would like to change," he said. "I see more opportunity for recreation and parks. ... The water and sewer connection fees are way too high and it scares off people who are in a pretty tight economic squeeze."

Marek said he personally doesn't view urban deer as a big issue in Ferrysburg and has yet to see any deer in his yard. However, if it affects public safety, he thinks perhaps the deer should be culled or moved — but it should be handled by the county or Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

"Personally, I just don't see the big uproar about that particular situation," Marek said.

City Councilman Dan Ruiter, 59, is seeking re-election.

"I don't feel like I've completed my job yet," he said.

Ruiter has served on Ferrysburg's Beautification Commission, Economic Development Task Force and Board of Review since first joining council in 2003. He currently sits on the city's Planning Commission and Deer Advisory Board.

Ruiter joined the city's newly formed Deer Advisory Board in order to be the neutral party on the panel, he said. With all the passion surrounding the issue, Ruiter hopes his level-headedness will help the board make a sound recommendation to council.

"To be the neutral party is very important in this case," he said. "I want to be that equalizer."

The deer problem isn't limited to Ferrysburg, Ruiter said; it's a problem the entire region has to deal with. Ruiter said he envisions some sort of cooperation among local governments on the issue, particularly between Ferrysburg and Spring Lake Township.

Ruiter is employed as an information manager at SkyTron, a medical equipment company. He lives at 16865 Lake.

City Councilwoman Regina Sjoberg, 17542 Parkwood Drive, said she initially resisted running for office. It was her strong community service ethic that first drove her to run for council, she said.

"I love Ferrysburg," Sjoberg said. "I want to be a positive force in making the city a better place."

Sjoberg, 59, who works as a case manager with Ottawa County Michigan Works, currently serves on the city's Zoning Board of Appeals and Deer Advisory Board, and is a current member and former president of the West Michigan Academy of Arts and Academics Board of Trustees. She was appointed to City Council in January 2008.

If elected to council, Sjoberg said she hopes to continue work on a communication plan to inform citizens of what is going on in the city and get citizens more involved.

"We have a lot of empty board seats and I'd like to see those filled by concerned and involved citizens," she said.

She also hopes to form some sort of youth council in Ferrysburg and hopes to further develop the dog park at Coast Guard Park.

As far as the deer issue, Sjoberg wants all information gathered before a decision of what to do is made, with culling the last option on the table. After the Deer Advisory Board's first meeting, that seems to be the case, she said.

"I wanted to make sure we weren't going into this thinking we were going to kill deer," Sjoberg said.

Tribune Multimedia Editor Mark Brooky contributed to this story.