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Leadership With Experience

Philosophy:

- High Quality & Efficient Essential City Services

- Responsible Use of Taxpayer Dollars

- Thoughtful Planning for Future Generations

- Continued Support & Investment in Community Assets

- Communication, Fairness, Inclusiveness, & Honesty

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​Leadership With Experience

14+ Years of Service to the City of Mendota Heights

I have served Mendota Heights for the entire 14 years I have lived here.  I believe in serving our community.  Whether as the Public Works Director/City Engineer, Planning Commissioner, or City Council Member, I have held a philosophy of trying to find ways to make things work for all parties involved.  

 

During the eight years I served as Public Works Director/City Engineer, I was responsible for many of the features our city enjoys today.  In eight short years I was able to:

  • Establish the city's first long-range Capital Improvement Plan 

  • Created Improvement & Maintenance Plans for

    • Streets

    • Sanitary sewers

    • Storm sewer & surface water

    • Trails 

    • Water system including our iconic water tower

  • Transferred ownership of our water system to St. Paul Regional Water Service

    • Saved the city an estimated $23 million in liability costs​

  • Developed a work plan in support of the city's Pollinator Friendly Policy​

  • Paved skating rinks in the parks for easier flooding and higher quality ice

  • Instituted a fleet management system for equipment replacement

  • Worked with Dakota County on developing the North-South Visioning Study

    • Accurately forecasted traffic need based on future development proposals​

  • Shifted the way we did infrastructure improvement projects

    • Held neighborhood and public meetings ahead of the project

    • Gathered information from the public on the needs of the project 

    • Incorporated non-traditional design features into city projects

      • Traffic calming

      • Landscaping

      • Bicycle and pedestrian accommodation 

(these can be seen on 1st Avenue, Wagon Wheel Trail, Hunter Lane, and Victoria Road, just to name a few.)

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As a Planning Commissioner for nearly 4 years, I am most proud of our efforts to update our 20 year Comprehensive Plan.  In addition, being able to work with planning case applicants to get their projects to work within the rules established in our city code, where possible, was particularly rewarding.  It was also enjoyable to discuss planning issues with a group of people with differing perspectives and arriving at conclusions that best benefit the city as a whole.

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Serving on the City Council for the past 20+ months, we, as a Council, have been able to accomplish a number of fantastic things that will help set Mendota Heights up for vibrant, thriving success for many years to come.  Including:  
 

Natural Resources:  

  • Established our first ever Natural Resources Commission

  • Adopted an overhauled Natural Resource Management Plan 

  • Established budgeted line items to support Plan implementation

  • Completed erosion control project for Valley Creek

  • Continued and invested in invasive species removal in Valley Park

  • Furthered our commitment and investment in Oheyawahi (Pilot Knob Preservation Site) restoration and preservation

Parks & Recreation:  

  • Initiated a long-range strategic plan for our parks and trails 

  • Began building a Capital Improvement Plan for park & trail facilities 

  • Opened new pickleball courts at Friendly Hills Park

  • Installed dugouts at several park ball fields

  • Expanded recreation programs and partnered with neighboring communities

Public Works:

  • Replaced aging snowplow with a brine truck (named "KaPlow" at our Touch a Truck Event) to reduce salt use on our roads without compromising safety

  • Completed the 25 year Street Improvement Plan - now starting over with a maintenance plan

  • Repaired a critical segment of our sanitary sewer trunk main

  • Revised the sanitary sewer utility billing structure to make it more fair and equitable to residents, while providing stability and sustainability for the long-term future of the utility

Budget:

  • Established a revolving Equipment Replacement Fund

  • Replaced aging equipment including ordering a new fire engine

  • Fully funded all departments and increased investment in key departments

  • Kept property tax levy among the lowest in the metro 

Volunteer Programs:​

  • Started a city wide volunteer program

  • Initiated the volunteer Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program for emergency response assistance

Listening to the public:

  • Approved the 2020-2040 Comprehensive Plan

    • Included Natural Resources & Resiliency chapters by public request​

    • Modified several chapters after receiving public comment

  • Instituted the Natural Resources Commission​

  • Worked with planning applicants to address concerns of neighbors

  • Redesigned and increased frequency of the Heights Highlights newsletter

  • Participated in "Coffee With Council" meet & greets

  • Community conversation regarding Mendota Plaza apartment development

    • Currently working with the owners at Mendota Plaza on concepts for improving the site amenities ​(public open space, walkability connections, landscaping, etc.)

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These are some of the accomplishments we've achieved as a Council, but much more needs to be done to secure the future of our great city.  I look forward to continuing to serve the City of Mendota Heights on the City Council for the next four years!

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