BY DAN HILDEBRAN
A Michigan native who moved to the Lake Region in 2021 is challenging Vice-Mayor Chris Thompson for the Seat 2 Keystone Heights City Council.
Dave Welch said he first considered running for the city council when some council members, including Thompson, pushed for more direct control over the city-owned airport.
“I felt it was a bad decision as many, many people did,” he recalled, “partly because of the risk of losing FAA grants and the risk of exposing the city directly to liability, should there be any accidents or damage claims of any sort out at the airport. I think those are the primary concerns.”
Welch said that Thompson’s motion to fire City Manager Charlie Van Zant after the former school superintendent was on the job for only a few months also factored into his challenging the incumbent.
Thompson’s motion failed 4-1.
Welch, who has an aeronautical background and is a tenant at the airport, attends airport board meetings to stay informed about what is happening at the facility.
He said the city should maximize the economic development potential of the 2,000-acre parcel that straddles Clay and Bradford counties.
“Ultimately, I’d hope we would find a way to encourage more business out there,” he said, including airport operations. From what I gather, there’s some increasing interest in more aircraft maintenance and services and so on out there.”
Airport and Lakes
Welch said the airport and the city’s surrounding lakes are Keystone Heights’s most valuable assets and should be preserved and developed.
“We’re, I think, well along the process of restoring our lake levels and so on,” he said, “and the airport, those are the two big draws. I think those are the opportunities we have as a city to grow and to fund the growth that we’re going to need to make, funding other priorities like education and the parks and community services and so on.”
Welch said that while talking to voters about the upcoming election, the lakes have received much more attention than the airport. He said he hopes to raise public awareness of the airport’s importance to the community.
He said he has also heard complaints about the increasing traffic through the city and the noise, congestion, and speeding that accompany the additional cars and trucks.
“That’s a concern that I would like to propose we begin to tackle,” he said. “I’m not sure how to do that yet. Obviously, I’m sensitive to noise, so some sort of noise ordinance might be appropriate. Modify the speed limits, and try to encourage some way or another, especially the heavy traffic, to use other routes rather than directly through town.”
Welch added that he had observed one positive trend with the council over the past year. He said council members appear to be working together better and are more engaged with the community than in the past, and he hopes that pattern will continue.
Lived in Keystone for 54 years
Chris Thompson was first elected to the Keystone Heights City Council in 2022 and currently serves as vice-mayor.
The first-term council member seeking re-election said she has been endorsed by Sheriff Michelle Cook, Outgoing Council Member Tony Brown, and County Commissioner Betsy Condon.
Like Welch, Thompson said she is looking for ways to get residents more engaged with the city, not only raising awareness about the airport but also encouraging more public input at city council meetings. She said the city has focused on increasing events and pointed to a reduction in vandalism in the beach park. She said public safety will continue to be a top priority and added that her strong relationship with the sheriff will help keep city residents safe.
Thompson also said low taxes and improving the city’s appearance will continue to be priorities and pointed to the city’s ongoing streetscape project and the demolition of the China Chef restaurant as achievements toward the goal of beautification.
Thompson said one key to keeping taxes low is holding the line on spending. She said her opposition to a Smart Cities project and her rejection of an expensive design estimate for an ADA-compliant fishing pier at the beach park exemplifies her commitment to controlling spending.
The vice-mayor also emphasized her deep roots in the Lake Region.
“I’ve lived in Keystone for 54 years, and I’ve raised three children here,” she said. “My parents are buried here. Keystone is part of who I am, and I have a passion for the town, which is the reason I’m running again.”
Thompson added that longevity does not stifle innovation and used a new event at the beach pavilion as an example.
She said her inspiration for suggesting the Open Mic Night at the beach pavilion was inspired by her experience in the city during her youth.
“When I was a teenager, my parents used to bring me down and take me to the dances at the beach pavilion,” she recalled. “That gave me such good memories, and I thought (Open Mic Night) would bring something old back that people would enjoy.”
I asked Thompson about the two reasons Welch cited for his decision to challenge her for Seat 2: her support of bringing the airport under the city manager’s control and her motion to fire City Manager Charlie Van Zant last year.
Regarding the airport governance issue, Thompson said that members of the public spoke clearly during a city council meeting that they wanted the airport to remain governed by the authority.
“So that vote is moot, now,” she said. “I mean, the airport is doing as well as it can by itself, and I haven’t brought that up any further.”
Thompson added that she and the city manager have gotten beyond their prior disagreements.
“Charlie and I have moved on,” she said, “and we have a good working relationship.”
