Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of four stories featuring candidates for Brookings City Council. Two council posts are up for grabs in the April 11 election. Vying for them are Isaiah Croatt, Dan Hansen, Ope Niemeyer and Nick Schmeichel.
BROOKINGS – April 11 will be special for Nick Schmeichel – his business, Sideline Productions, celebrates its fifth anniversary that day – but he’s also hoping to win a three-year seat on the Brookings City Council.
Schmeichel grew up on a farm near Salem and came to Brookings in 2003 to attend South Dakota State University, where he earned a degree in mass communications and a minor in political science.
He and wife, Joni, have a 2-year-old son.
After graduation in 2007, Schmeichel worked for Daktronics. He saw a need and left Daktronics to start Sideline Productions, which rents out Daktronics displays to major sporting events, music fests and fairs. It started in a garage, and this month they’re celebrating moving into a 5,000-square-foot shop.
“So in five years, we’ve been able to take something that started small and grow it into something that’s big,” Schmeichel said.
“I think a lot of the knowledge that I’ve gained growing and building my business can help me serve,” he said.
“My father and my grandfather both instilled in me quite a bit that if you don’t like something or aren’t in agreement, but you aren’t willing to change it, you shouldn’t complain about it,” Schmeichel said.
He wants your voice to be heard, so speak up.
“I don’t mind taking calls, I’ll listen to you. I want people to reach out with these frustrations; that’s how you make change,” Schmeichel said.
“Brookings is a great community; there are just things that I would like to see looked at in a different way,” he said.
While earning his political science minor, Schmeichel followed city politics and got hooked.
“If I’m going to make the long-term investment in my community to live here, I want to be a part of that community and help it grow,” he said. “I feel it’s important for people to serve people, whether it be local, state or country.”
Schmeichel thinks the council should represent a cross section of people from the community.
“Not one person has all the right answers. And that’s why there’s seven of them up there,” he said.
Brookings needs to have a long-range vision, he said.
“Being a father of a young son, that is soon going to hit the school district, I want to make sure our money is spent on needs,” Schmeichel said.
“Immediate priorities, I think our school system is a big thing. We’re gonna bottleneck at the middle school,” he said, adding he wants to save money to help toward that instead of relying on taxes.
“Infrastructure-wise, that overpass (on 20th Street South) is going to be, I think, a big thing long-term,” Schmeichel said. “Alleviate some things on Sixth Street for businesses that are out there, but I think long-term, if you look down the road, that’s going to help our city in the way it grows.”
Schmeichel sees Brookings’ future tied to SDSU’s.
“The university is obviously a big part of our community,” he said.
SDSU can draw companies and student retention “brings jobs, that brings revenue, that helps our city grow.”
That in turn helps Volga and Aurora grow, which is a benefit to the county.
He likes that the city council has focused on mental health and the bike plan.
“The city council is there to not only help create an environment of growth in our town but you have the responsibility of taking care of the people who are here, as well,” Schmeichel said.
Sometimes that means knowing when not to proceed with a project.
“I think that rec center was rushed,” he said, asking where the $700,000 to $800,000 annual operating expenses would have come from and adding the money could have been used to help fund the South Main Fire Station.
“One thing that needs to be put to bed is the Armory. One of two things: tear it down and make it into a park or they need to give that away to somebody who’s going to turn it into something beautiful. I would prefer the second. I would like to see that building re-used,” he said.
“We can’t have just a five-year, or 10-year vision plan; we need to look 50 years into the future, 100 years into the future. Where do we want this town to grow?” he asked. “I just want to be there to help that plan be implemented by listening to the people of our community.”
Schmeichel says everyone has a stake in the town.
“I think we have to look collectively at our town as a whole and utilize the strengths that we have here,” Schmeichel said. “Everybody in this town needs to be considered when making decisions. It can’t just be one group or one little part of the community. Everybody needs to be considered when making decisions for our town.”
Contact Jodelle Greiner at jgreiner@brookingsregister.com.
