A LOOK AT THE CANDIDATES:

FIFTH IN A SERIES

By Brooke Shepherd

There are two open seats for Hastings City Council, with seven candidates running. The primary election to narrow the candidate pool will take place on Aug. 9, and the final two individuals will be chosen based on number of votes on Nov. 8.

This is the fifth of weekly profiles of the candidates, who are: Joe Balsanek, 340 Crestview Drive

Angie Haus, 1421 Tyler St.

Dean Markuson, 436 Tiffany Drive

Ian T. Martin, 1770 Greystone Road

Dennis Gerald Peine,

120 Ninth St. W

Dave Pemble, 731 W. Fifth St.

Tom Wright, 770 Seventh

St. W.

Dave Pemble

Dave Pemble has been an active resident of Hastings, Minn. for 62 years. Over the decades, Pemble has done a variety of volunteering for the community, from clean-See See PEMBLE, Page 2

Dave Pemble ing up the flood damage back in the late 60’s, hosting the Rivertown Days parade for nine years with his wife, Dolores Pemble, and for the last five years he has been a board member at Lakeside Cemetery.

“There are burial sites from the 1860’s to today,” said Pemble. “We’re there to serve the community and the folks that have family members in the cemetery.”

Pemble was involved in the school district for more than seven years, spending much of that time working with the facilities committee to develop a plan for a bond proposed in 2017 for over $40 million. Pemble said repairs were needed, and the last facility upgrade had taken place in 2009. To assure that the bond would go through, Pemble ran for Hastings School Board, and served four years there.

“For kids in the school system you need not only the educational, but counseling service that’s available,” said Pemble. “The years that I was on the school board, we increased our counseling numbers and provided outside counseling service to the school district in addition to the counselors in the schools.”

The candidate said his family talked him into running for City Council, citing his community attachment, experience, and understanding of the needs of the community.

“The time that I’ve been involved over the decades, city, school district and private, those things have well set me up to have an understanding of multimillion dollar operations, big contracts, looking at more than just the short information on a piece of paper,” said Pemble. “If I’m part of some organization, I give 100%.”

For six years, Pemble was on the Hastings Public Safety Advisory Commission (P.S.A.C) and was also on the Hastings Police Reserves for 25 years. In addition to that, he participated on the 2030 Comprehensive Plan committee to help develop guidelines for land use, expansion, transportation, infrastructure, and other aspects of the community.

Pemble said Hastings needs growth, and he wants to support businesses in town that pay living wages with benefits to draw people to the community. Pemble said this is how the city can remain competitive as a southern suburb of the Twin Cities, while nearby towns continue broadening.

“We don’t have a Target or Menard’s here, people drive to Cottage Grove for that,” said Pemble. “I’m very grateful for the new Fleet Farm, I hope that they succeed.”

Another piece that is important to Pemble, is advocating for the city. He said he will be the voice for the citizens when it comes to projects like the Highway 61 rebuild, and the Metropolitan Council Construction of the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

“We have an aging sewer treatment plant,” said Pemble. “In the next few years, it will be moving out on East 10th Street. There will be a big impact in the roads because of additional piping, pumping stations, new sewer laid in to change that facility out to a newer one. We need folks aware that this is coming.”

Professionally, Pemble worked as a lead nuclear machinist at Prairie Island Nuclear Power Plant. He said it was the kind of job where no mistakes could be made, and employees were trained on how to communicate most effectively.

Pemble has been with his wife, Dolores, for over 40 years. Dolores Pemble does custom sewing, alterations, repairs, and fittings at the Spool House in Hastings. The Pemble’s have four daughters, and three grandchildren.

Dolores Pemble’s grandparents first attended Saint John’s Church in town back in the 1940’s, and their family still attends today.

For more information about Pemble’s campaign, visit the Facebook page Dave Pemble for City Council, or email him at [email protected] gmail.com

Pemble Family portrait. Photo taken by Mac McGoon Portrait Design Studio