COOK- In some election years, the number of candidates for Cook City Council have only equalled the number of seats available. But this year, six candidates are vying for three council positions.
The seats currently held by Jody Bixby and Kim Brunner are up for re-election, and both are running. They face a challenge from Ivette Reing in a three-way race for those two spots.
There’s also a special election to fill the unexpired term of former councilor Karen Hollanitsch, who resigned this past summer. Her temporary replacement until the election, Dave Danz, is running for the seat, as are Erin Danielson and Liza Root.
The Timberjay contacted each candidate and asked them the same series of questions. Recaps of those conversations are printed below.

Jody Bixby
Jody Bixby moved to Cook in the eighth grade and graduated from Cook High School in 1979. Bixby is running for re-election because she believes there’s more for her to accomplish.
“I’ve been working on the blight ordinance and we’re very close to having that done,” she said. “That’s really important for the town because I take pride in living here. I’ve also helped with hiring and employee stuff with (City Administrator) Theresa Martinson, which I really enjoy. I’m a big one for the parks, the arts people, and the library is wonderful, so I just want to keep things going.”
Bixby, first appointed and then elected to the council in 2010, believes she’s qualified for another term because of her council and community experiences.
She’s a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, vice-president of the church council this year, and helps with the community meal. She’s the city council representative to the Cook Housing and Rehabilitation Authority board. She also works at the food shelf and occasionally works in the Cook Care Center beauty shop fixing clients’ hair.
If re-elected, Bixby’s top two priorities would be housing and new business development.
“I want our town to keep growing,” she said. “Cook has a lot to offer. Small towns can struggle, and I think we should always have goals for the future on how we want to look and what we want to leave to our children.”
Bixby’s had a two-fold message for Cook voters. Get out and vote, and get out and volunteer.
“When you volunteer, you actually get back more than you give. There’s a lot of places looking for help,” she said.

Kim Brunner
Kim Brunner is a lifelong Cook resident who has been serving on the council since 2010. Brunner had previously served a single term on the council that ended in 2004.
Brunner said she’s running for another term in part because she wanted to ensure that voters had a choice, and because she wants to continue to add to the council’s accomplishments.
“The three times that I did run, there was nobody else in the running, ever,” she said. “It didn’t seem like anybody was interested, so I threw my hat in there. And through 12 years we’ve, we’ve accomplished a lot.”
Brunner didn’t add much to her qualifications for the position beyond her years on the council, noting she’s served on a few community committees in the past.
“I’m just a behind the scenes kind of gal,” she said. “And I love my city.”
A priority for Brunner if she’s re-elected would be street maintenance, including North River St. and 1st Avenue S by the Cook Public Library. As for a second priority, Brunner was nonspecific, saying that “we just have to keep moving forward.”
And Brunner’s message to Cook voters?
“I would say vote for me,” she said. “I’ve gotten a lot done and continue to get stuff done. We’re doing the best we can do. Hopefully I’ll get elected again, and if not, good luck to the next guy.

Ivette Reing
It was a family connection, her marriage to Dan Reing, that brought Ivette Reing to Cook in 2015.
Reing believes that a different generation should be represented on the Cook City Council.
“I think it’s time for people in our generation to step up,” she said. “If we want change or we want to impact the community, we can’t always leave it up to the people that have been there and served their time for years. We have to help out.”
As a former member of the Los Angeles Police Department, Reing gained grant writing experience that she would apply as councilor. Past experiences in nonprofit management and social services, and her current work as board chair for Vergie Hegg Hospice Partners have given her additional skills that qualify her for the council, she said. And Reing emphasized personal qualities that she believes would make her a good council member.
“I think I’m qualified because I’m motivated, I’m willing, and I’m not afraid to take on a challenge,” Reing said.
A priority for Reing as councilor would be to bring more revenue into Cook by tapping both public and private sources, noting the recent fundraising successes of the Friends of the Parks with Veterans Riverfront Park. A second priority would be the city’s emergency services. Reing served for a period of time as a first responder for the ambulance and is pursuing certification as an EMT to return to the service.
“The fire department, the ambulance, they need a lot of support,” Reing said. “I know the Cook Ambulance has missed calls and that makes me sad. I don’t know that the city council can do much, but from my perspective I feel like I could do more.”
Reing’s message for Cook voters was in part one of gratitude.
“I already feel like I’m a part of Cook. I have worked and volunteered in different ways, and I want to say thank you to the people of Cook for being with me and trusting me. People have been very open and welcoming. And I also want to say go out and vote, practice your rights.”

Erin Danielson
Erin Danielson was born and raised in Cook, graduating from Cook High School in 2002. After living elsewhere, she returned to the Cook area in 2015 to be near family, and took up actual residence in Cook last February with her two sons, both students at North Woods School.
Danielson said she was encouraged by friends to run for council, and she readily took up the challenge.
“I want to have a voice, I want to be part of the change that’s inevitably always happening,” she said. “I want to be part of that decision-making.”
Danielson said that wanting to improve communication between the city and the public also motivated her to run.
Community engagement is one thing Danielson cited as a qualification for office. She said she’s volunteered for Timber Days, is a member of the Cook Lions Club and was engaged this past spring in efforts to improve behavior issues at North Woods School, where she’s now a member of the Positive Behavior and Intervention Support committee. Her personal experiences as a member of a younger generation would also add a new perspective to the council’s work, she said.
A priority for Danielson would be housing. She noted that affordable housing of different options to meet various needs is in short supply in the city.
“If we don’t have places for people to live, why would they come here,” she said. “And isn’t that what we want so that we grow?”
Beyond that, Danielson said she would listen to constituents for ideas to keep people here in Cook.
“I feel like there’s something we need to try and I don’t know what that is yet,” she said. “But I think people would be more open to talking about it if the issues were brought up, and I want to be that person to say yes, I will help you, let’s see what we can do.”
Danielson’s message to the city’s voters was simple and direct.
“Even if you don’t vote for me, go and vote,” she said. “Your vote really matters.”

Dave Danz
Dave Danz has been a resident of Cook for about 20 years, and previously served on the city council.
After finishing out the balance of the unexpired position on the council over five months, Danz is eager to continue.
“Why not finish out the term?” he said. “Hopefully I have something to contribute.”
His potential to contribute is evident in his work history of four decades in development work, primarily with tribal organizations, pointing to two developments for workforce rental housing in Grand Portage as examples of his experience.
“I’m familiar with development work and working for and with elected officials, so I understand government,” he said.
Not surprisingly, Danz said that affordable housing would be a priority if he is elected.
“It’s just difficult to find a place to live in town or near town, and I think that goes for the whole region,” Danz said. “There just aren’t any vacancies.”
Danz has already actively raised the issue with the current city council and would support a targeted study that would determine what mix of various housing options would be suitable for Cook.
A second priority for Danz is to limit the number of rules and regulations imposed on people by government.
“Government plays an important part in providing services that are essential to a good quality of life,” he said. “But I don’t want to see us overburdened by more rulews and regulations we have to live by. I want to ensure that if we pass any more rules that they benefit the community as a whole and are necessary.”
His message for the voters of Cook was simple.
“Choose who you prefer, and may the best person win, whether that’s the most qualified or the most popular,” Danz said.

Liza Root
Liza Root has the distinction of being one of the last babies to be born at Cook Hospital, she said, and she grew up on a farm seven miles out of town in a house built by her great-grandparents from Finland. Root graduated from Cook High School in 1999. Having moved to Alaska, Root returned to Cook during the pandemic and worked remotely and ended up relocating here.
Root said she wanted to run for city council because, “It’s an exciting time to get involved in the community. Having lived away I have a lot of skills to bring to the city and I want to share them and give back to the community that gave to me.”
Root said her qualifications stem from her work in public health, which began working at a federally qualified community health center in Alaska. Transitioning to the Alaska Primary Care Association and later the state of Alaska, Root supported community health centers through policy and advocacy work and facilitating access to grant money. Work with various levels of government, Root said, provided valuable experience that would inform her work as a councilor. She currently owns a consulting business that includes the state of Oregon and state of North Dakota as customers.
Securing funding opportunities to update and expand affordable housing is Root’s top priority.
“One of the issues we experienced moving back here was access to housing,” she said. “It’s a challenge.” Dovetailing with that is a second priority focused on supporting growing businesses and neighborhoods. “I’m interested in continuing to preserve that small town character while maintaining attractive and safe residential spaces,” she said.
Root’s message to voters was in line with that of a traditional candidate.
“I’m really interested in serving as your community city council member and I hope you’ll consider me when you go to the polls to vote,” she said.