Tikkanen, Brodersen

HOUGHTON — Two candidates are running to represent the 1st District on the Houghton County Board.

Republican incumbent Tom Tikkanen, currently vice chairman of the board, is running against Democratic challenger Amber Brodersen. The 1st District includes Calumet and Hancock townships.

Amber Brodersen

Brodersen, of Calumet, is married with two biological children and three bonus children. First coming to the area to attend Michigan Technological University, she has worked in several business jobs. She is also taking online classes for a cybersecurity degree.

She decided to run after seeing a message from a Democratic group seeking candidates for local positions. After talking with the Houghton County Democrats, they recommended running for the board race, which would otherwise be uncontested. Giving voters a choice is important, Brodersen said.

“I have always been very passionate about fighting for rights and making things better,” she said. “Now that I have kids of my own and I see the way things are going, I decided it was time for me to step up and get involved and just whining about it online.”

Brodersen said one of her priorities would be to expand broadband access in the county. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of making sure broadband isn’t a luxury item, she said. Brodersen applauded steps like the Chromebooks schools provided to students and the wi-fi hotspots set up by the Portage Health Foundation.

“That’s awesome,” she said. “But if they don’t have a signal at their house, that’s not really going to be as useful as they need it to be either.”

On the issue of replacing the Houghton County Jail, Brodersen rejected the notion that inmates deserve cramped conditions. However, whatever solution the county comes up with shouldn’t overtax residents, she said. Brodersen said she would look into federal or state grants that might be used to offset the cost.

“I think that you need to figure out a way to make more space for the inmates so that they are being treated humanely,” she said. “That’s important, morally and ethically.”

Brodersen said she also backed the idea of a county-wide recycling program.

Although she lacks political experience, Brodersen said, voters should back her because she’s passionate about improving the county.

“I work best when I’m busy and like to have lots and lots of things to do,” she said. “It keeps me going. And I want to get out there. I want to contribute. I want to try to make things better.”

Tom Tikkanen

Tikkanen has served three terms on the board. If re-elected, he said his priorities would include stabilizing and improving the local economy and fostering business growth, without seeing sprawl. He has been deeply engaged in those efforts already, he said, serving on the boards for Michigan Works! U.P. Labor and Economic Opportunity, Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance and the Western U.P. Planning & Development Region. He would also like to see the county keep up its efforts to improve the overall appearance of some communities through the Houghton County Land Bank, which seeks to find the best way to return tax-distressed properties to the tax roll.

It’s also critical for the county to find ways to improve air service, said Tikkanen, who serves as chairman of the county’s airport board. The county has contracted with a consultant to work on adding flights to Detroit and Minneapolis.

“It’s an uphill fight, because as vibrant a community as we may feel Houghton is, we are a rural area,” he said. “That’s part of our charm. But as more people locate here that are engineers, researchers, consultants who are working from this area, they still need to be able to travel.”

Other improvements at the airport include the construction of six new hangars to foster more usage by private planes, and bringing in more businesses into the airpark.

Tikkanen also sits on the county’s solid waste committee, which has worked with the Copper Country Recycling Initiative to improve recycling. The county is considering leasing or selling the county transfer station to a private company that would offer full-service recycling at the station and also develop a network that would either offer to collect recycling materials and trash from surrounding communities and allow citizens to bring in trash and materials individually.

“We have a great facility, an excellent staff,” Tikkanen said. “It’s very efficient, we move a lot of material through there. But virtually none of that, with the exception of a small amount of cardboard, gets recycled. And that’s just now how a good community with its eye on the future should be operating in today’s world.”

Tikkanen also chaired the effort to implement a county recreational authority, which most municipalities, economic and trails groups have joined. Houghton and Keweenaw counties previously had a joint authority; the two counties agreed to separate due to the differences in recreational resources between them.

“That is imperative for our efforts to gain support and services from the Department of Natural Resources,” he said.

Having a defined group to deal with streamlines communications and planning with the DNR, Tikkanen said. That can be helpful in areas such as flood recovery, where a knocked-out section of trail could span several municipalities.

The DNR had designated engineering and some repair funds for repairs to trails between Hancock and Lake Linden and to Freda. However, those funds were frozen due to COVID-19.

“Because we didn’t at that time have our county-level authority established, we really weren’t getting the responses I thought we were entitled to,” he said. “I think you’re going to see some meaningful change in the upcoming year as the trail authority gets underway.”

Tikkanen said he strongly supports Canal View, the county’s medical care facility, which he said is particularly important due to the area’s older population.

The county should also maintain strong support of law enforcement and its facilities, including the county jail, Tikkanen said. The county is considering replacement of the county jail, which would come before voters in a millage proposal. One option being considered by the board is securing an option to purchase property on a location off of Sharon Avenue, which could house a jail and district court, and possibly eventually a new courthouse. Progress has been on hold due to potential budget impacts from COVID-19.

Tikkanen said the county should be prudent regarding the cost of any proposal. Programs such as the treatment court are also keeping some people out of the jail who it is determined would be better suited by counseling programs.

“I have confidence in our in our committee and most confidence in our residents to work together to reach a final resolution on that,” he said.

As for the site near Sharon Avenue, Tikkanen said one of his concerns is the potential cost of site development, where there might have been erosion from the Father’s Day flood.

He agreed with Commissioner Glenn Anderson that prices are going up, and the supply of potential spots for expansion is diminishing. However, he said, the need for immediate action might be reduced by another alternative, the county-owned location on Dodge Street. Average jail population has also been down recently from the numbers that prompted emergency declarations by the county sheriff.

Tikkanen said the county should also give some thought to a major upgrade or renovation of the county’s existing facilities.

“In the past I’ve been told that that’s just being pennywise and pound foolish, that it would be more costly and less effective,” he said. “Well, that may be, but the price tag that’s going to eventually be tallied up (by a brand-new facility) is may very well be something that Houghton County taxpayers and voters aren’t going to support.”

Tikkanen said voters should choose him because he is reliable, cares about the communities, is not partisan and has a strong working relationship with the county’s departments and other commissioners.

“The polarized feelings that seem to be prevalent throughout the nation should not have much to do with what we are trying to accomplish in this community,” he said.