Common Council Will Hear Those Interested In 1st District Seat

FRANKLIN, WI — Letters of interest for appointment to the 1st Aldermanic District in Franklin are due Aug. 19. Here is who has applied so far.

The seat became vacant when Mark Dandrea resigned July 14.

Clarke Johnson, Edward Holpfer, Scott Szalanski, James “Jim” R. Ziegenhagen and Katie Walczak have submitted letters so far, according to Sandi Wesolowski, the Franklin city clerk.

The Franklin Common Council will evaluate letters of interest on Aug. 25 at a public meeting. Those who applied will be able to give a presentation at that meeting.

The Common Council will then decide who to seat by a vote. The mayor will not vote except to break a tie, Wesolowski said. Applicants must live within the 1st District boundaries, must be 18 or older and must not be a felon.

The person who is selected will serve as 1st District alderman until April 5, 2022. A public vote will then be held to decide the next alderperson.

Holpfer told Patch it's the first time he's going for the 1st District seat after 40 years of living in Franklin.

"I haven't typically put my self in the forefront," Holpfer said. "When the seat became available, I thought, 'Well, let me try it and see what happens.'"

He moved into the 1st District in the 1980s. At the time, much of Franklin was still agricultural or undeveloped. Since then, a lot of development opportunities have come and gone. There may have been some missed opportunities, Holpfer said.

"Much of the land was vacant then, so the exciting thing was as a community, we could become anything we want," Holpfer said. "There's a number of parcels throughout the city that have been turned down over the years for development opportunities."

He added, "I often wonder, not saying anything good or bad about what was turned down, but sometimes you wonder what would have happened if ... . You wonder how many years of taxes would have been paid, how many donations to the community. ... How can we make sure properties are used to their best potential?"

It's a complicated issue, Holpfer said, one that he hopes he can provide more insight into in a temporary term as an alderman.

"I want to work with people to form a consensus and move things forward. I think I can make a difference and contribute," Holpfer said.

Will Holpfer run for a permanent seat in April?

"I've thought about it," he said. An appointment would "give me couple of months to see how I fit in. I would definitely consider running after."