Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 134, Number 18, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 30 April 2015 — Page 2

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Advance News • Thursday, April 30, 2015

Making plans transparent

By Merrie Chapman Advance Correspondent NAPPANEE—‘Patricia Wyant is offering a fresh new face to the political ring in Nappanee. The mayoral candidate is full of new ideas in further developing the population and building a bigger economic base for the city. Her campaign has been focused on keeping her plans for the city "transparent" in that she intends for all Nappanee citizens to know exactly what is. going on at every level of the city. Most are unsure of exactly how much more public city operations can be as that information already appears in area newspaper articles, legal advertisements, on the city webpage and can be obtained through calls to city hall—or any individuals serving on Common Council, Board of Public Works and Safety, and all other city boards and commissions. Still Wyant is dedicated to making every resident more aware of city operations, and

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finds importance in meeting voters face-to-face as she has done already introducing herself as a mayoral candidate. One example of benefits from her personal outreach is her success in leading Nappanee residents to register. She is confident that those same people will remain inspired and make their first visit to local voting centers on May 5. TRANSPARENCY One message Patricia Wyant has stood firm on throughout her campaign is the need for transparency in local government —a need to know the everyday derisions being made in the community, online access to information on when boards and commissions meet, details of measures being passed, minutes from previous meetings, etc. An example of her transparency message is found in Wyant's knocking on doors to introduce herself to voters. Making that connection is the first step in the vision she has of keeping communication open See Plane, page A 3

Community

Working shoulder-to-shoulder

By Merrie Chapman Advance Correspondent NAPPANEE—In seeking to be Mayor of file City of Nappanee, Phil Jenkins brings a reputation of honesty, strong problem solving skills, a history of good planning toward file city in areas of growth, updating and safety—and experience in assisting in overall betterment of the community. The mayoral candidate has spent 18 years witnessing, and being a part of, countless developmental and renovation projects which have helped build and modernize the growing City of Nappanee. As an architect he has worked for firms hired by his hometown to assist with

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several of these programs. He graduated from that role to city leadership serving six years as a Nappanee Common Councilman. Jenkins had to leave his position due to moving nis family across town and therefore living outside his district. Constituents urged the Councilman to continue his honest and hardworking leadership in any form available. Jenkins listened to their wants —and his own desire to continue serving his hometown —by accepting a position on the Nappanee Board of Works and Safety. As a councilman it had been his job to make derisions for the city and submit those plans to the Board of Works for approval of the overall plan and funding to provide for it. As a member of the latter he now oversees the handling of the budget he used to help construct and then approve each year. Jenkins openly shares all good things about his hometown and takes pride in having grown up with a strong role model in serving good dvic duties. That example, he said, came from father Rick Jenkins whom also served on various city boards and commissions including the Common Council and Board of Works. The younger Jenkins has also learned from other civic leaders such as current Mayor Larry Thompson who serves his community in countless ways outside his role in office. "I can say that I've really learned a lot from the good leadership Larry (Thompson) has shown," said the mayoral candidate. "And I have a lot of respect for him.” Don't confuse Jenkins' nice words as a sign that he seeks to step iifto the retiring mayor's shoes. That is far from the truth. "I would like to build on the strong foundation he has

helped build in Nappanee but let me just say that I am not Larry Thompson," said Jenkins with tones of both admiration and authority. "I won't do things exactly the same. I'll probably change a few filings when I see a need to do so. I appreciate all I've learned from him but as mayor I will be separate from him." WORK TO BEGIN IMMEDIATELY Upon being elected Jenkins would not wait until January to begin preparing for his new job as mayor. Instead he would accept the voters' confidence with a serious commitment to serving them in the best ways possible. Jenkins said he would begin by sitting down face-to-face with department heads—and their workers—discussing what is going well, what things are working to their advantage in maintaining the city, and ask 1 for honest answers regarding any changes they feel need to be considered or made. The mayoral candidate also plans to continue meeting members of the community through his warm and welcoming smile which Ets them in passing on [ streets, across the aisles at church, inside local businesses as he shops, attending meetings while he still serves on Nappanee Board of Public Worlcs and Safety, and anyone he encounters most anywhere else. During those meetings Jenkins will seek insight from the public's perspective on how to grow ana further better the Nappanee community—what amenities they feel the city should try attracting and adding to the city—and identifying public concerns and potential problems needing addressed. In his own words, Jenkins said that if elected, he will begin his first term by working to achieve the following goals: • Build on the city's sucSee Working, page A 3