Candidates for open board seat interviewed

The Thomson Township board of supervisors interviewed finalists for its vacant board seat on Nov. 17, after nearly three months without a full board.

The three candidates, Eric Rish, Gary Bonneville, and David Sunnarborg, were asked a series of questions about their intent to apply for the seat, what they view as hot issues for the township, and what they would bring to the board.

Eric Rish is a retired Duluth Police Department lieutenant and Esko resident. He served on the Esko Sports Alliance board for four years and was a member of the Cloquet Area Fire District Board for four terms, including two years as chairman.

Rish highlighted aging infrastructure, township employment, and the Cloquet Area Fire District levy as the biggest issues facing the township. He explained that he would focus on being fiscally responsible and a good communicator if selected to fill the empty seat on the board.

Gary Bonneville retired from Delta Airlines, where he served on various boards and helped develop leadership teams around the world. He served on the board of directors for the northeast Minnesota United Way and was appointed to serve on the Thomson Township board of appeals, planning and zoning commission, and comprehensive plan board.

When asked about the most important issues facing the township, Bonneville told the board: “Every issue facing the township is the most important issue; there aren’t too many things that come before the board that aren’t important. So then the primary driver becomes how do we support these residents in the most fiscally responsible way.”

Bonneville explained he would use his time spent on the township’s comprehensive plan board to continue to address that plan as a board member and work with the state legislature to get the most done for the growing township.

Dave Sunnarborg retired from USG and is a lifelong Thomson Township resident. Sunnarborg said he has served the township in some fashion, on either the board itself or various committees, for 20 years.

Sunnarborg said the most important issues for the township were the CAFD ambulance service contract with the township and the township’s aging infrastructure. He explained he has the time to give to the issues to make sure things get done and that residents’ concerns are heard.

“I have time to do more things, because there’s more stuff that is done between meetings; meetings are just a formality,” Sunnarborg said.

When the candidates were asked what improvements they think the board needs to make, all three candidates cited communication with residents as an issue.

Bonneville explained that during the planning process for the comprehensive plan, the board felt its outreach to the community was great, but still heard grumblings from the community that they did not know what was going on. Bonneville told the board he isn’t sure of the best way to have better outreach to the community, but a bigger focus on communication could decrease resistance when hot topics come before the board. Sunnarborg and Rish agreed with Bonneville, both stating that communication needs to be the board’s focus. Rish told the board he would like to see better follow-through by the board, by publishing its minutes and showing its progress, rather than simply telling residents that they are “working on it.”

The board supervisors will rank the candidates to make the final decision on who will fill the empty seat. The township’s attorney, David Pritchett, gave the board the option to choose a candidate during their regular meeting on Nov. 17, or wait until their meeting Dec. 1. The board members decided they needed more time to make a decision, and would come with their votes ready on Dec 1.