Mike Nowak

ALPENA — A transition is taking place in Alpena as some long-time staff members retire and others are on the eve of doing so.

A new city manager is set to take the reins in December after current City Manager Greg Sundin retires, and there will be at least one new face on the Alpena Municipal Council after the election on Nov. 5.

Incumbent Councilman Mike Nowak is seeking a third four-year term and will square off against challengers Danny Mitchell and Mark Hunter for one of the two seats up for grabs.

Nowak said that, during times of change in the city, especially with important decisions on the horizon, experience is critical. He said he is well-suited to continue to provide that experience and knowledge of the issues.

Nowak said the council has been proactive in filling the positions with young, professional, talented replacements, and intends to do the same in the future. He said the added youth and fresh ideas are already having a positive impact at City Hall, and he expects that will be the case for many years.

Still, it’s important during times of transition for council members to be in step with one another and get along, he said.

“These people are looking for new and innovative ways to get things done, and not doing things the way they always have been,” Nowak said. “That is the generation of the future, and, as they come up, it is really going to be a whole new staff and city.”

Nowak said he believes he has made decisions since being elected that reflected the will of the people and based his votes on the opinions, support, and concerns of his constituents.

Nowak said he enjoys serving on the council and said there are still things he wants to see to completion. That is one of the reasons he’s running for reelection.

LITIGATION WITH

ALPENA TOWNSHIP

The Michigan Court of Appeals is currently weighing a years-old fight between the city and Alpena Township over water and sewer rates.

Nowak said it’s time for things to wrap in a way that is fair, even if the city has to give up some things to reach a deal.

“I would like to see the township water issue put behind us, and not left behind for somebody else,” Nowak said. “In the simplest of terms, we need a fair agreement for both sides. I know the city isn’t going to get everything we would like to see in an agreement, but we can’t continue the path that we are in the current agreement. I want one that is fair for both sides — fair, not just one-sided as the current agreement is.”

MARIJUANA

Michigan voters have legalized both medical and recreational marijuana and given local governments the option of whether or not to allow marijuana stores in their borders.

Nowak voted to allow medical marijuana provisioning centers and to prohibit the sale of recreational marijuana — for now.

He said he wants to see how the state rolls out the rules and regulations governing marijuana sales and how the industry impacts other cities before casting another vote for or against Alpena pot shops.

Both of those votes, he said, were made after talking to many residents about the issue.

“I spent a lot of time talking to people and polling and just asked people what they wanted,” he said. “Medical marijuana people were in favor of it because they didn’t want to take medicine out of anyone’s hands and to be available if it will help people. Overwhelmingly, many of the same people did not want recreational. People didn’t want either in the heart of their downtown.”

MICH-E-KE-WIS

DEVELOPMENT

Now that improvement projects at Starlite Beach are complete, the city has embarked on a mission to do the same at nearby Mich-e-ke-wis Park.

A development plan is being put together and there will be public input meetings to include the thoughts and ideas of residents. Nowak said he has several ideas of his own, but stressed the public’s wishes and concerns must be listened to and considered.

“I see that park as a place for kayakers, people who parasail, paddleboarders, and recreation,” he said. “It isn’t used much for swimming, but there are a lot of people who want a place where they can easily get onto the water. Maybe someday there would be a place to rent jet skis and be able to launch from there. No matter what, in its current state, there are a lot of fix-ups that need to happen, which I think would improve the usage of the park.”

PAID PARKING

The council could be asked in the future to consider the installation of parking meters downtown, which could be used to raise money for the construction of a parking garage. The Alpena Downtown Development Authority is pursuing the proposal.

Nowak said there is a problem with parking downtown. It can become congested during peak times and even more so during downtown events.

He said that, anytime you add a cost to a person, it has to be done for a good reason.

“Any time you are raising a cost, it shouldn’t be something that is done easily, but the information I see tells me we need more parking downtown, and the only place we can go is up, with a parking structure,” Nowak said. “I’m looking at the big picture, 10 or 15 years down the road. If the city continues to grow and the retail base continues to expand, the need for parking isn’t going to go down. It will go up. It is better to get out in front of this now and come up with a solution. If we kick the can down the road, it will be more expensive later.”

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ss_alpenanews.com.

The Nowak file

∫ NAME: Mike Nowak

∫ AGE: 54

∫ FAMILY: Married, five children

∫ EDUCATION: Alpena High School Graduate 1983, Alpena Community College graduate in business management, 1985

∫ OCCUPATION: Sales manager, Enduraveyor

∫ EXPERIENCE: Alpena Municipal Council, two terms