RAPID CITY - Incumbent city councilman Bob Hurlbut and project manager Dan Michael will face off in the Ward 5 Rapid City Council election on June 5.

Ward 5 generally covers the western and northwestern parts of Rapid City, including the West Boulevard area north to Interstate 90, and a chunk of North Rapid between Anamosa and North Street and I-190 and Wood Street.

Following are profiles of the two candidates.

Hurlbut, 38, believes his role on the council the past three years has been to act as a voice of reason and enthusiasm for Rapid City.

"One of the things I've been able to do on the council is try to move things along positively," he said. "I'm up the learning curve on a lot of projects we have going and a lot of the things that need to be moved along and I think that's an inherent advantage."

A Rapid City native, Hurlbut grew up in Ward 5, attending Pinedale Elementary, West Junior High, and Stevens High School. He is a graduate of the University of South Dakota and Vanderbilt law school and operates his own law firm.

Hurlbut said he supports growth and development that brings businesses and good jobs to the city.

"I have the luxury of representing a fairly mature ward," he said. "Most of Ward 5 is built out; most of the neighborhoods are fairly mature and completely developed to where it's more a matter of preserving neighborhoods than it is of creating."

Hurlbut said growth is imperative to keep the city moving toward the kind of economy that can provide better paying jobs and bring in bigger businesses.

Hurlbut said the city is getting close to the kind of critical mass that generates opportunities smaller cities can't afford.

"I work with people day in and day out who work hourly wages, and it's unfortunate that we don't have better paying jobs. Yet it's difficult to attract them (higher paying jobs) when you don't have the kind of shopping, or professional sports that we're trying to get," he said.

Hurlbut believes the civic center expansion will "put us on the map" to a higher degree as an entertainment and cultural center.

But he said he is not happy with the rocky and controversial start of the project, and said the council should have learned sooner about potential spikes in market prices.

"To this day I don't think we really know exactly what went wrong, but I don't blame it on the architects. Perhaps we could have gotten better information from them but that's certainly not where the buck stops," he said. "I don't think anybody's happy with how it shook out. But I think it's something we have to press forward with because it is going to be such a leap forward for our community."

Overall, Hurlbut said the 2012 program could be improved by changing to a rolling five-year plan that is added to continually, rather than a once-every-five-years dash for cash.

"We've done a very good job of building out our civic improvements and now we need to focus again on the infrastructure that allows us to get to and from those places," he said. "We also need to be ready for any economic development opportunities that come along."

Hurlbut supports downtown revitalization efforts that create a vibrant atmosphere. He said the three important elements of successful downtowns are to have people living, working and shopping downtown.

"That's where I think the Rushmont project is a visionary leap forward," he said. "I'm confident in Hani Shafai's ability to make it work. Until we have more people living downtown, there will still be nice retail downtown but it won't be a bustling thriving downtown."

Hurlbut said the city is not doing enough to address older streets and infrastructure, and the street outside his office is a good example.

"We have curbs that are crumbling and I'm looking at a five-year wait to get just that simple item on the priority list. I think we really need to prioritize," he said. "We also have scattered problems with older sewers that were allowed to be built …lines back in the 40s and 50s that were allowed to be built substandard as private lines in alleys rather than public lines out in the street."

Michael, 56, a project manager-estimator for Action Mechanical, said he has always had a desire to serve the community and decided to run for the council to give something back.

"I want the city to be a place where our kids want to come back and live," he said. "I feel the city should be a place businesses want to come and stay, not just a tourist destination. I think through responsible growth and proper city management we can attain those goals."

Michael ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1997 and has run for council in the past. He and his wife, Sheri Jo, have three grown children. He is a graduate of Rapid City High School and a Marine Corps veteran and attended Rocky Mountain Eastern Montana College.

Michael said he favors responsible growth and development though he's not necessarily pro-growth.

"I think the city should take a proactive approach and say this section of land this is where water sewer and streets are going to go and if you decide to develop it in the future, this is where we're going to be," he said. "It should be like a blooming flower. Planned city development for the developer. Responsible growth and development is an effort for the developer to meet with the city and he doesn't have to jump through hoop after hoop."

More money should be earmarked for infrastructure, as well as basic services such as police and fire protection and providing clean drinking water and sewers.

"I think we need to look at infrastructure and we have to review the master plan for the city and the priorities in water, sewer, water treatment plants," he said. "If we have those services in place, quality drinking water, quality sewers, storm sewers, landfill, we are going to attract businesses."

Michael's top priorities are to create an action plan for water, storm water and development to avoid crises; eliminate what he calls the reactionary and defensive posture of City Hall by stopping the finger pointing, rolling up his sleeves and taking a "get 'er done" approach; and reviewing the 2012 program to make sure dollars are being used wisely.

Michael would propose stopping the current 2012 plan in order to have some brainstorming sessions about future funding. Projects currently under way would move forward, but those that have not yet started would be delayed until the plan could be reviewed.

"I feel it has to be completely revisited … and get some sort of consensus," he said. "It's like a budget item for the city anymore and that's not what it was for. I don't feel it's right that special interests take so much of a piece of the pie."

Michael said he has the knowledge and experience in construction and basic city development that is required of many projects. As a project manager in the plumbing/mechanical field, Michael said he has learned to lead, direct, listen and coordinate manpower, subcontractors and materials.

"I believe in this town," he said. "I'm not a politician; I'm a working man who desires to serve the needs of Ward 5 citizens."

Contact Scott Aust at 394-8415 or scott.aust@rapidcityjournal.com