Randy Wells is running for one of two vacancies on the Seward City Council. Other council candidates include Leighton Radner, Michael Calhoon and John Osenga, who were profiled in the Sept. 5 edition of The Peninsula Clarion. Wells was unable to speak with the Clarion ahead of those interviews due to scheduling conflicts and sent pre-written responses to questions via email.

Wells owns the Tufted Puffin, a cannabis dispensary in Seward, and also currently serves on the Seward Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He said his passion for certain issues stems from his belief that government “serves at the pleasure of the public.” He described the process of opening the Tufted Puffin as one of the most difficult business startups he has dealt with, but that — in combination with him building his home — it gave him a better understanding of how the city operates.

In seeking a seat on the city council, Wells said he thinks all communities deserve a governing body that acts with integrity and competence and that he hopes to continue to make Seward government accessible to city residents.

“I intend to embrace the integrity and effectiveness of the past City Council leadership, and chart a new path forward with fresh ideas rooted in small business, care for our great citizens and passion for this beautiful place we all call home,” Wells wrote.

Wells said that he became a parent when he was 18 — his three children are now adults — and that the struggles he faced as a young parent helped inform the knowledge he would bring to the council as it relates to affordable housing and access to child care.

“I will use my skills as a team-player, quality listener and creative problem solver to address tough problems we face,” Wells wrote. “My approachability, employee development, budgeting, forecasting, cash flow management, and goal setting experience means that I have the nuts-and-bolts experience to assist with running multiple companies — and our beautiful town.”

“At a time with so much uncertainty threatening our city, including a pending collapse of our local economy and a public health crisis, our council members listened to the community concerns and voted with the majority community voice,” Wells wrote.

That includes the city’s implementation of a mask mandate, which Wells said is something that many city residents asked for.

“It is the job of the council to listen, implement, and act,” he wrote.

Wells said he is also proud of how Seward businesses implemented their own safety mitigation protocols independent of the city, and how Seward worked to distribute federal COVID-19 relief funds to entities that applied.

“I know I can be a successful city council member because of my experience operating multiple local businesses, operating as my own general contractor while building my home within Seward city limits, participating with the Seward Chamber of Commerce as a board member, and supporting many local advocacy groups,” Wells wrote. “But far beyond that history is my true desire to participate in Seward’s future.”

The municipal election is on Oct. 5.

Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to note that Randy Wells has three children, not four.