Why I'm Running
I was appointed to the City Council in December of 2020.  When I interviewed for the appointment, I stated that I was not eligible to run in 2022 because of the policies of my employer. Although I was under the impression that was true at the time, I have since learned that I can run to be elected to the City Council with no issues from my employer. When I learned I could run, I thought for a long time about whether I would abide by my interview statement. Honor, honesty, and integrity are very important to me, which is why I am explaining this issue here and now. I came to the conclusion that the work we set out to do as a Council less than two years ago is not done yet, and it is important that we see these important issues through to conclusion.  These issues are summarized below.

After the new Mayor (Stephanie Levine) took office in January 2021, the Council set out on a number of new initiatives, set as goals and policies in the 2020-2040 Comprehensive Land Use Plan.  While most of these initiatives are underway, many are yet to be completed. I am running to keep my seat on the City Council to see that these important initiatives are completed, implemented, and programmed for future continued improvement of our city.  These items include:

• Implementation of the Natural Resource Management Plan

• Completion of the long-range strategic plan for our park and trail facilities with recreation programming additions

• Securing sustained funding for both the natural resources program and parks capital improvements

• Complete the revision of our city code to reflect the new goals & policies in our Comprehensive Plan, without changing the character & nature of our City

  • Just to be clear... In conjunction with this code revision, I do NOT support the creation of any new residential zones in Mendota Heights.

• Re-Invigorating our code enforcement program and process

• Finding new revenue streams to reduce the city's dependence on property taxes as virtually the sole source of revenue to the city

• And more.....

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Therefore, I am seeking election (or retention) to the Mendota Heights City Council to help the city move towards a thriving and prosperous future logically, pragmatically, and sensibly.  I welcome the viewpoints of our residents as we move forward with these and other initiatives for the long-term benefit, and the sustained vibrancy and vitality of our wonderful city.

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Comp Plan
There will likely be talk of our City's 2020-2040 Comprehensive Land Use Plan during this campaign. While on the Planning Commission, I was one of several individuals championing the updating of the Comp Plan.  The old plan had language held over from the early 1980's that was no longer applicable to our city, and it did not adequately reflect the large amount of development that had taken place in Mendota Heights over the past several decades. 

The Comprehensive Plan serves two purposes: to accurately reflect the City as it exists today, and to provide a road map for the future of the city.  I humbly take credit for much of the content of the Comp Plan, including the Vision and Mission statements (see top of page).  Several months of public engagement, and online surveys helped to paint a picture, and the plan that resulted is an excellent depiction of our city as it stands today. The new Comprehensive Plan provides a far more accurate map into our future for the coming decades.

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Development

Change is hard.  With Mendota Heights almost completely built out, there is not much opportunity for new development in our city.  If we are to keep pace with rising costs, and keep our property tax rate among the lowest in the Metro Area, we need to find ways to add value to our tax base over and above increases in residential property value.  One of those ways is targeted and thoughtful redevelopment opportunities.  A site in our industrial park (Commerce Drive, off Highway 13) is looking at that possibility right now.  In fact, several sites within our industrial park are candidates for logical redevelopment. 

Our city needs to work with the land owners and agents in the industrial park to seek suitable partners to revitalize these sites.  We also have to make sure our 40+ year old zoning code will allow for modern construction and make these sites desirable to prospective builders in order to realize this potential.  Redevelopment opportunities need to be vetted, evaluated, and decided upon based on their fit within our city, and benefits and impacts from redevelopment should be thoroughly analyzed before moving forward with any proposal.

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Natural Resources

More than any other issue, the preservation and restoration of our natural areas in the city is of the upmost importance.  Our residents, the long term health and viability of our city, and the preservation of the character of Mendota Heights depends on meeting this obligation.  Our spacious, natural feel is one of the hallmark qualities of our city, and one of the many reasons people find Mendota Heights such a fantastic place to live.  This is why the Planning Commission (while I was a Commissioner) and the City Council (since I have been on the Council) added a chapter to the 2020-2040 Comprehensive Plan, specifically to address natural resources. 

Following through on the goals and policies in the Comp Plan, Council appointed the first ever Natural Resources Advisory Commission, comprised of resident experts from a wide area of environmental expertise to help build a natural resources program to meet the long-term needs of the city.  But we didn't stop there.  The Council recently adopted a robust Natural Resources Management Plan that contains a plan for short-term investment and long-term maintenance of our public open spaces. 

Implementing this program is going to be a challenge, and it is imperative that the City Council go about this implementation properly and responsibly.  Having been a driving force behind the Comp Plan and the Natural Resources Management Plan, I am running for City Council to help see this implementation through and set the future of our city up for success.

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Commitment to the Office

I believe that a City Council member should be in attendance at all the meetings during their term (with rare exceptions for unforeseen circumstances).  They should also be available and responsive to the public throughout the year and able to meet residents, visit sites for permit/planning applications, and be able to participate in community events.  Year round!