It’ll be the end of an era in the City of Delavan
By Michael S. Hoey
After 18 years as mayor of the City of Delavan and three years before that as an alderman, Mayor Mel Nieuwenhuis announced he will not seek re-election in April.
Nieuwenhuis said he had intended on serving one more term to get to an even 20 years as mayor, but a friend suggested he make a list of what he had accomplished and what more he could accomplish in two more years.
He said that process really made him think long and hard because he struggled with the decision and even consulted Alderman Gary Stebnitz. Stebnitz, who is also not running for re-election in April, agreed with Nieuwenhuis that it might be time. Nieuwenhuis said once he made the announcement on Facebook he felt relieved.
“I know I made the right decision,” he said. “I never envisioned doing it this long, but there was always something that kept me in it.”
As mayor, Nieuwenhuis said he is most proud of getting the former Geneva Lakes Kennel Club property redeveloped, making progress at filling the industrial park after years of it sitting vacant, saving Lake Lawn Resort after it closed and the construction of the new fire station.
“To have a true fire station for the department has been a great success,” he said.
The previous fire station was located in a former used car sales garage. The current building is the first in the department’s history that was built specifically as a fire station. As a former fireman himself, Nieuwenhuis said that was a big step.
Other things accomplished while Nieuwenhuis was mayor included the hiring of a new police chief, Jim Hansen, the construction of a new public works facility, a gracious donation to Delbrook Golf Course by the Nelson family which Nieuwenhuis said will set the course for a long time, progress on redesigning Tower Park, and improvements downtown.
Read the rest of what Nieuwenhuis – and some of his fellow councilmen – had to say about him hanging up his mayor hat in the Dec. 19 Delavan Enterprise.
