Two run for City of Wall Council position in Ward 2

Stan Anderson

How many years have you been in the community?
I have lived in Wall for 43 years.  After graduating from SDSU in Brookings I worked in the Ag. banking industry for three years.  My wife, Terri, & I moved to Wall in May of 1979 when we bought the Elkton House Restaurant & a few years later the Wall Dairy Queen.  
What involvement have you had with events, committees, or volunteer work within the Wall Community? 
Currently I serve on the Wall City Council and I am co-chairman of the Council’s financial committee. 
In addition, I have served as president, chairman, and board member in other organizations including:
Wall Chamber of Commerce
Wall Medical Board
Wall Golf Course
Wall Lutheran Church
South Dakota Tourism Advisory Board
Black Hills & Badlands Tourism Association
 I was a founding member of the Wall Badlands Hospitality group which was the group responsible for implementing the Bed, Board and Booze (3Bs) tax for Wall which generated over $150,000.00 in revenue in 2021 to promote Wall. 
I am a founding member of the First Interstate Greater Wall Foundation and currently serve as a board member.
What is your present profession? 
I am involved in farm & ranch operations in Perkins County and in the Wall area, along with owning and managing rental property. As a 30-year business owner in Wall I continue to stay informed with the retail & tourism businesses in Wall as well as in the state of South Dakota.
What do you feel are the top three concerns for the City of Wall in the coming year or near future?
(1) The critical staff shortages facing our local businesses 
(2) The availability of affordable housing 
(3) Medical and housing facilities for our elderly citizens so they are able to continue to live in Wall rather than having to move elsewhere.
What would your plan be to make more housing available in the City of Wall? 
As a member of the City Council, I supported working with the Echo Valley developers and providing funds for roads, water, and sewer for a portion of that development.  Because of that financial commitment Echo Valley will be able to have a portion of their lots available at a more reasonable price.
Is there room and expansion for new businesses in the Wall community? How would you go about bringing that into play?
There is always room for expansion of new businesses in the Wall Community. The Wall Comprehensive Plan which is nearly completed indicates the need and interest of having new & additional businesses in Wall. The Industrial Park is currently in the development phase.  Once water, sewer, and roads are completed there will be opportunities there for new businesses. 
It is important to expand businesses in Wall but it is just as important to provide services for the health, welfare, and safety of all the citizens of Wall.
What improvements would you propose to the community if elected to the council? 
Improvements to the community that I would propose would be to complete the projects the council is presently working on such as the Industrial Park and the ECHO Valley housing development.  These projects will provide housing and future businesses to Wall.  I also would support maintaining the infrastructure that keeps Wall productive and running smoothly.
The Comprehensive Plan indicated a need for additional parks & recreational facilities. The city needs a long-term plan to provide for those resources.
How do you plan to involve residents in the decision-making process for the City of Wall?
Residents are welcome to attend council meetings and offer suggestions as well as contact the council person in their ward. I welcome citizens to contact me if they have issues or concerns. Residents can also express their concerns and suggestions to the Wall Chamber & Economic Development offices.
Closing comments on why you should be elected to the Wall City Council.
The City of Wall and the Council are currently working on many projects.  I look forward to seeing those projects completed. I serve as co-chairman of the finance committee. I am fiscally knowledgeable and have a responsibility to keep the future of Wall in good financial standing.
I am running for the council to give back to a community that has provided me with a safe, wholesome, and high quality-of-life in which to live and raise my family.   I feel fortunate to have been welcomed to a community that provided me with opportunities to be involved in businesses and organizations that have improved the town of Wall.
 
Zack Hoffman
 
How many years have you been in the community?
 33 years. I was born and raised in the area, graduated from Wall High School in 2007, and have worked in the area since graduating. I am a 5th generation Hoffman whose family homesteaded in the area in 1908.
What involvement have you had with events, committees, or volunteer work within the Wall Community? 
 I have volunteered to take petitions door to door for 6 years. I have been a volunteer for Wall's T-ball program for 2 years. I graduated from Wall's first Leadership class in 2021 put on by Wall Economic Development. I have judged the Parade of Lights in Wall. I would also like to join community boards as well as committee's for the School.
What is your present profession? 
 Pennington County Highway Worker / Entrepreneur
What do you feel are the top three concerns for the City of Wall in the coming year or near future?
Housing for people looking at joining our community.
Senior Citizen living facilities
All ages year round recreational facility
What opportunities do you feel the residents of the City of Wall have in front of them that would better the community? 
The Industrial Park is a great opportunity for Wall to bring in new businesses. I believe working with Wall Economic Development will be key to build new opportunities in Wall. The Wall area also has a great youth baseball program that could benefit from updated fields and with those updates they could hold youth tournaments during the season. 
What would your plan be to make more housing available in the City of Wall? 
I feel Wall needs to retain their elderly citizens that want to stay in the area and encourage new people to move here. That all starts with housing. We have teachers, National Park employees, and 6 month job seekers that are looking for housing. I feel an apartment building with single and double bedrooms are needed for those type of people seeking those positions. Also Quadplexs would be a good solution for multi-family housing people that are looking to rent and not buy. Wall has a great school system, with a great facility, and has great sport programs. We will need more housing options if we want to grow our student population along with our overall population. For our elderly citizens we need to look really hard into a Senior Living Facility. I would have loved for my Grandmother to have had the choice to live her last days in the area that she had been in for her whole life. I would like for my parents to have the choice when their time comes. I would also like the option as well when it comes my time because this is the area that I call home.
Is there room and expansion for new businesses in the Wall community? How would you go about bringing that into play?
Wall has been doing a great job with Echo Valley on the South side of Wall. Also the Industrial Park is a great idea to bring in more businesses and more job opportunities.
What improvements would you propose to the community if elected to the council?
Housing complexes, senior living facilities, recreational center with indoor pool, better baseball fields, and talk with Wall School on how to help build a bigger gymnasium to be able to hold events to seat all attendees.
How do you plan to involve residents in the decision making process for the City of Wall?
I will treat it the same way with my door to door petition driving. I will go to the residents door, have a neighborly conversation about the decisions or issues that Wall is facing, and get their input on what they think the direction Wall should take. If there is no answer at the door I would leave my name, number, and a message in their door.
Closing comments on why you should be elected to the Wall City Council.
I chose to run for Council because I love this area and look forward to keep on raising my family here. My son will be attending school here next year and I look forward to him getting his education from the same school I received mine from. I want us to retain our citizens as well as bring in new members. We lost a little over 100 residents since the last Census. I feel there is opportunity to grow Wall and build the population back up. No one asked me to run for Council, I am doing it on my own accord because I care about our community and would like to be one of the voices for Ward 2.

 

The Pioneer Review

221 E. Oak Street
Philip, SD 57567
Telephone: (605) 859-2516
E Mail: ads@pioneer-review.com

Sign Up For Breaking News

Stay informed on our latest news!

Manage my subscriptions

Subscribe to Newsletter feed
Comment Here