Resigning Muskego Alderman Has 'No Regrets' as Council Seeks His Replacement

As city officials start seeking replacement for outgoing Alderman Noah Fiedler, the 7th District representative made it clear that he has truly enjoyed his time in office.

Fiedler, who has been on the council for five years, decided

His resignation is effective at the end of March.

Asked if he had any regrets in his time on the council, Fiedler stated almost immediately: "No — there are no regrets that I have. I've loved serving the city, loved my job as alderman."

"I can't single any one thing out" he said when asked to cite a particular success. "We've tackled a lot of difficult issues and made a lot of progress. I guess if there was a single accomplishment for the city, I would point to the GE facility. It required a reactive, quick-thinking local government, which doesn't always happen."

The facility was cited in a recent market study as a strong anchor for a business park in the city, something marketing consultants said was key for the city's economic growth. It's located in the Moorland Road commerce district, which was a focus of the study as perhaps the most promising area for development.

Fiedler's term doesn't expire until 2013, and the Common Council will interview candidates to fill the 7th District seat until then.

Aldermen met Tuesday to review the procedure and timetable for gathering applicants for the vacancy, and some concerns over contact with candidates were raised.

"I think we need to be fairly 'hands off' when it comes to talking to candidates prior to them being interviewed by council," said Alderman Tracy Snead. "Given the recent issues on council, I think it's just too easy to put our own biases out there."

Others agreed that while they can present questions to be included in the interview process, the questions to the candidates should be consistent in order to be fair.

Applications would need to be received by March 22, background checks would be performed and received by the Common Council by March 23, with interviews to be conducted on March 27.