Brian Defferding for Alderman

Hello, my name is Brian Defferding and I'm running for the Alderman position in Neenah, Wisconsin, District 1.

I have lived in the Fox Cities for most of my life, born in Appleton in 1977 and raised there. I left for college in Minnesota, and I returned from Minneapolis in 2003 with a Fine Arts degree. In 2011, I bought an old house in Neenah. I enjoy walking my dogs through all the parks, lakefronts and around the Fox River.

What spurred me to run was a simple act of building a humble fence in my backyard.  One of my dogs is a large size breed, mixed with a Great Dane. I wanted to build a six foot wood fence behind a small line of lilac bushes that stand 9-10 feet tall along the sidewalk. However, I found out, I needed to apply for a permit to do that. Furthermore, I was hit with an excessively strict height ordinance; corner lots in Neenah cannot be taller than 3 feet if made from wood, 4 feet if chain link; when 20 feet or closer to the sidewalk.  Where I was building my fence was nowhere near the traffic intersection, nor was most of it visible behind my lilac bushes in the first place.  I attempted to get a variance, but I was told the City of Neenah does not typically grant variances for these things. I attempted to change the height restriction for wood fences to four feet, which required going to three City Council meetings, which upon the third meeting they ultimately decided not to consider it.

It was a very basic, simple symptom of what I would like to see changed in Neenah city government. Not every lot is the same, this is exactly why variances exist. City government needs to be flexible with its people, if we truly want a diverse economy and culture.  We need Neenah's government to be a perfect reflection of our accomodating people. More fun. More open. Less strict.

Campaign donations will specifically go towards printing signs and brochures. I am at a $2000 spending limit - these elections typically do not require spending beyond that limit. If you would like to do more, talk about me to Neenah residents. Mention my name, tell them I'm there to break up the stranglehold its government puts on its people.  It's amazing what an impact that one vote on the City Council has on policy.