2023 Elections are coming up!
SENA wants to provide our community with some general information and resources to ensure your voice is heard.
First, learn about voting in the state of Minnesota (both local and statewide elections).
https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/how-elections-work/minnesota-elections-facts/#share
Next, learn about City Council candidate positions for Ward 12.
We asked each of the four candidates the following questions:
- What would you propose to increase safety at light rail stations and nearby areas?
- What is your stance on the 9-hole compromise for the golf course near Lake Hiawatha?
- What resources and tools would you advocate for regarding Ward 12’s concerns around public safety and policing?
- What is your position on the Roof Depot demolition? Many residents are concerned about contamination from arsenic and other hazardous waste going airborne throughout our community.
- What are your proposals for keeping our sidewalks safe to move on for residents of all abilities in varying weather conditions?
- How would you push for more pedestrian-friendly businesses (i.e. pharmacy, bank/credit union) and senior engagement (i.e. senior center) within Ward 12?
- How are you connected to Ward 12?
- What are your plans to support Minneapolis public schools?
- What is one issue where you would’ve voted differently than outgoing City Council member Andrew Johnson?
Here are the responses we’ve received so far:
Aurin Chowdhury
https://www.aurinchowdhury.org
What would you propose to increase safety at light rail stations and nearby areas?
We need to address the issue head-on, and the reality of the situation is that it is multi-jurisdictional in nature. Even if safety issues are taking place on Metro Transit, Hennepin County, MN State, the City of Minneapolis and the Met Council need to come together if we are going to disrupt the culture of livability issues and crime on our trains and stations. We need to work closely with Metro Transit and the State legislature to implement a transit ambassador program on our train stations to stop smoking, littering, and other nuisances on the train. Transit Ambassadors will also act as friendly faces to help with wayfinding and be a liaison to support people experiencing a mental health crisis or contact law enforcement if something dangerous happens. This could look like calling Behavioral Crisis Response and MPD when needed.
I have been working to be in conversations with Metro Transit on what they plan on doing regarding our Lake Street and Franklin light rail stations. What we need immediately is getting together a coordinated group of violence interrupters, de-escalators, security, and service providers from both government and local nonprofits to have a consistent presence at light rail stations and on our trains. This is an emergency and there is a need to pull emergency funding from the City, County, and State as we work on getting a more permanent solution online. Law enforcement and their presence should factor into the equation. Still, we must keep in mind that law enforcement has limited capacity, and we cannot arrest away the issue because it only leads to mass incarceration and recidivism, causing deeper social problems in the long run. We all deserve to be safe in transit; it is a public good and needs our attention and action.
What is your stance on the 9-hole compromise for the golf course near Lake Hiawatha?
I was heartened to see that the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office has made efforts to approve the Hiawatha Golf Course on the Historical Site registry. I know that it was a difficult process to come to this decision, and it required much deliberation. I thank all the community members and elected leaders who participated and debated coming to a
compromise. I understand the great challenge it takes to come to a compromise, especially when this is a golf course that is regarded as a part of Black History and that the current form of the golf course has disrupted the natural ecosystem of Lake Hiawatha, caused increased pollution, and Black, Brown, and Indigenous community members have long called for the protection of this natural gem.
I support the 9-hole compromise; it was passed by the park board 6-3 and upheld by the Mayor of Minneapolis. This compromise preserves the history and legacy of the Hiawatha Golf Course. It preserves the environmental integrity of Lake Hiawatha– ensuring that the historic golf course and the natural bounty of Lake Hiawatha can be enjoyed for generations to come. I look forward to working with the community and hearing from all voices as implementation goes forward.
What resources and tools would you advocate for regarding Ward 12’s concerns around public safety and policing?
When it comes to public safety, our next City Council needs to understand that it is multifaceted and dynamic. I will do my part to fund the 731 officers required by the charter and support efforts for recruitment while being a strong voice on police accountability. As a City Council Member, I will have a huge role in investing in alternative public safety tools other than police, and my role will be to shape policy around them.
I will advocate for expanding 311 by investing in an in-person location on the Southside, increasing outreach to community members that do not know about the resource, and being able to take on non-emergency calls and file police reports. I would also like to see the expansion of the Behavioral Crisis Response over the years to 24/7 access to provide crisis mental health response. I work with law enforcement, who have been really thinking about how we need to build our public safety capacity, and they have noted that it has been a big help to have mental health responders that work with them and understand the city’s role in delivering public safety and they have provided so much relief in reducing the number of calls police officers need to take on.
There are many sectors of our city where the crime prevention specialist role is vacant and need to be filled. I would also like to see an increase in funding from community crime
prevention specialists that serve our community by serving as plain clothes liaisons to connect with community members on public safety concerns, identify patterns, direct residents to resources, and work with law enforcement to help solve, prevent, and reduce crime. Finally, I have worked to advocate for a community safety specialist program on the Southside of Minneapolis which has been successfully piloted on the Northside to create a new model of first responders, who know how to tackle emergencies, are trained in intervention, de-escalation, and are community-based. This model has been a way to create community safety that utilizes the talent of union security guards while centering racial justice and creating good union jobs.
Overall, trust is at the core of delivering public safety services to the community. I have been a strong voice in the accountability of our police and contracts out to groups that do violence prevention and de-escalation. You can count on me to work to expand civilian oversight and put an end to the coaching practice that has allowed officers that break policy and harm the community to skirt discipline. I will be ready from day one, with my experience in local government, to carry out the Consent decree that the Minnesota Department of Human rights will bring forward to our Police Department.
What is your position on the Roof Depot demolition? Many residents are concerned about contamination from arsenic and other hazardous waste going airborne throughout our community.
As a Senior Policy Aide to the Ward 9 office, I have been working on this issue for wellover a year and am very familiar with what is happening with the roof depot site. The community has asked the city not to have the Hiawatha Campus Expansion project for over a decade. Council Members Johnson, Council Member Gordon, Council Member Alondra Cano, and then Council Member Frey voted against it being at this location in 2015. The community of East Phillips is working class, predominantly Black and Brown, and home to the state’s largest urban Indigenous community, Little Earth. They have disproportionately experienced negative health impacts such as asthma, heart disease, and cancer from over-pollution. This area of Minneapolis is over-polluted, and home to BIPOC communities is why it was designated an official city green zone where we work to reverse the effects of pollution. That is why having the Hiawatha Campus Expansion project at the roof depot site is so unwelcomed by the community, and pollution from industrial and work vehicles is rightfully a big concern.
I fully see the need for having a public works facility for workers in our city; they deserve it. The city has spent a decade in this fight without a facility like this. I do not want to see our interest in environmental justice pitted against our interest in supporting workers. Let’s get a facility up and running for workers now, and it does not have to be in East Phillips. This is a complicated and storied issue, and it requires nuance. As someone who has considered all sides and facets of this issue, I firmly am of the position that we should follow the leadership of the Council member and the community of Ward 9 and honor the wishes of the community of East Phillips by giving them the agency to determine how this site should be used to best serve the people in the area.
What are your proposals for keeping our sidewalks safe to move on for residents of all abilities in varying weather conditions?
In the City of Minneapolis’ Transit Action Plan, we have a defined pedestrian priority network that consists of major corridors and city streets where we see the most pedestrian traffic. I propose we focus on ensuring this priority network is the most accessible and safe for all people to walk and roll on across seasons. As the next Ward 12 council member, I will be vigilant year-round on taking action on our Vision Zero goals to ensure we are eradicating pedestrian injury or death on our City streets. I will work with the Public Works Department, and community members to work on traffic calming measures, create pedestrian safety infrastructure, increase lighting, and work with other jurisdictions on improving safety on streets that may not be city-run but run through our city.
ideas to improve our city streets and sidewalks during the Winter months. What is clear is that when our roads, alleys, curbs, transit hubs, and sidewalks are not properly cleared there are negative impacts on Minneapolis residents. Minneapolis residents need help getting around, and some cannot leave their households at all, which means people feel isolated, miss work, and are burdened by difficulties in getting their basic necessities. The negative impacts disproportionately impact our Senior and Disability community, and the City of Minneapolis needs to be a part of finding a solution to this problem. As your next City Council Member, I will consider all perspectives and weigh out outcomes and consequences. I have heard many ask for Municipal shoveling, and many are also concerned about the feasibility and effectiveness of a program led by the city. We should increase enforcement and explore what is possible for a city-led sidewalk shoveling effort that includes neighborhood associations, small businesses, and volunteers focused on the pedestrian priority network.
How would you push for more pedestrian-friendly businesses (i.e. pharmacy, bank/credit union) and senior engagement (i.e. senior center) within Ward 12?
Pedestrian-friendly businesses are a big piece of the vibrancy of Ward 12 and our local economy. In this period of economic rebuilding, we should do all we can to incentivize new
business development. A few things that I will explore and push to quadruple to commercial property development fund a successful economic inclusion tool that allows business owners to get zero-interest loans to support an array of purposes including but not limited to land purchase, construction, and exterior/interior improvements.
In order to develop senior centers, pharmacies, and grocery stores that are more accessible by food and in our neighborhoods, I will explore reforming our zoning code to include
some types of commercial development in neighborhoods so Seniors and families can have easy access. We also need to fill vacancies on our corridors like Minnehaha Avenue and 38th Street– one thing we can do is implement a vacancy fee for property owners that have not activated a storefront for some time to incentivize them to sell or rent the space. Activating new and existing commercial areas of our Ward for the benefit of our community is a top priority of mine and I am really interested in creating community spaces such as senior and youth centers. I believe that it gets us closer to having well-connected multigenerational communities.
How are you connected to Ward 12?
When my parents immigrated from Bangladesh and moved to Minneapolis, they picked the Southside of Minneapolis in Ward 12 to live in. This is the community where I spent my earliest years, and my parents got their footing as new Americans. I played here, I learned English here, and I made my first friends. Since those younger years, I have organized in this community and built relationships in my campaign work to get then Congressman Keith Ellison re-elected, worked as Commissioner Angela Conley’s organizing director, and, as a current resident, helped Senator Zaynab Mohamed win her seat in the trifecta. I had lived all over our city when I was younger, and I live in Ward 12 because I wanted to come back to my roots; this is where I want to own a home, this is the place where I picture building my family, and it is a part of the city where much of my support system and friends live, teach, and spend time. I am honored to be asked to run to be the next City Council Member by the community here in Ward 12.
What are your plans to support Minneapolis public schools?
Ward 12 is a multigenerational ward with the highest concentration of public schools in Minneapolis. Our parents, students, and educators will have my full support as their next Councilwoman. I have long stood beside our educators in their efforts to improve our public schools and ensure fair pay and equity so they can best serve our students. Supporting our schools and supporting our families go hand in hand. Education is the cornerstone of so much of our community, and our kids only can learn well if they are cared for and have support built within the community. I will lead on expanding the stable homes, and stable schools program, so families do not fall into homelessness or housing stability. I will also continue to build relationships with the Youth Coordinating Board and Parks Board so we can have after-school and Summer programming for our kids to have a sense of freedom and places in our community to spend time.
As a council member, I will continue expanding support to school-based clinics that have served the needs of students–from mental health services, reproductive healthcare, nutritional support, physicals, and so much more. Roosevelt High School currently has a school-based clinic supported by the Minneapolis health department, and I will push for continued support and explore ways to expand this resource and include them in other public schools. I have been endorsed by school board members Lori Norvell and Collin Beachy, and they have expressed to me how important it will be for me if elected to group partnerships with Minneapolis Public Schools to support wrap-around services for students and families in addition to building and preserving affordable housing in our community. We must ensure these services are in place and housing is affordable, so our families don’t have to move out of our city as their families grow.
What is one issue where you would’ve voted differently than outgoing City Council member Andrew Johnson?
There was a budget amendment that would have increased funding to the Labor Standards Enforcement division of the Civil Rights Department so that they would have the base funding needed for important Co-enforcement of ensuring that employers adhered to the Minneapolis’ Wage Theft ordinance– preventing employers from engaging in underpayment or failure to pay wages owed. This funding is necessary to enforce critical workers protections that help vulnerable low-wage workers in our city and makes our city a better place to work. I worked as a policy aide in 2019 to help pass this Wage Theft Prevention ordinance and we need strong tools to ensure compliance. The funding needed would have been moved from regulatory services, and I would have voted in support of this. While there are important enforcement functions of regulatory services, it is essential to balance them with having what we need to enforce workers protections such as this.
Jerome Evans
https://jerometevans.com/
What would you propose to increase safety at light rail stations and nearby areas?
I live very close to the 46th Street light rail station and have been personally impacted by crime associated with our light rail system. As your council member I will work closely with Metro Transit to ensure that they stop allowing our trains and buses to be used as shelters and prioritize people who would like to leverage our trains and buses as safe and affordable means of transportation. I also support the rider code of conduct that is working through the State Legislature and would support further measures that ensure safety in and around light rail stations.
What is your stance on the 9-hole compromise for the golf course near Lake Hiawatha?
At the time of this writing I believe that our Park Board passed a plan and our mayor refused to sign it. Just as our mayor respected our elections in celebrating our shift to a strong-mayor system, I would call upon him to respect the decisions of our democratically elected Park Board.
What resources and tools would you advocate for regarding Ward 12’s concerns around public safety and policing?
The 3rd Precinct is the largest police precinct in Minnesota and we don’t have a police station. Our inspector does not have a place to meet with community. Our crime prevention specialist is not able to office in our neighborhoods. Moreover, some neighborhood associations were previously able to offer grants for safety and security but they can no longer do so because our City Council is seriously underfunding our neighborhoods.
The #1 thing that we can do as a community is elect a council member who is serious about keeping us safe and who understands our community well enough to properly fund the organizations that contribute to our safety and community well-being.
What is your position on the Roof Depot demolition? Many residents are concerned about contamination from arsenic and other hazardous waste going airborne throughout our community.
In my day-job I work for a public, nonprofit governmental program that evaluates and awards government contracts for work similar to government building demolition. Given the tension between the city’s statement that the job can be done without releasing contaminants and the evident resident distrust – I call on the city to hold a public hearing on the demolition so that everyone can hear the awarded contractor’s assurances of their ability to do the job safely. Walk us through the details of the demolition, let us ask questions, and otherwise engage in an open and transparent process.
What are your proposals for keeping our sidewalks safe to move on for residents of all abilities in varying weather conditions?
Minneapolis already has a framework for adding charges onto a property owner’s tax bill when the city has to step in and take care of a property owner’s responsibility. We have a program in place for owners who are not keeping their sidewalks safe – we just aren’t leveraging it. Let’s take a look at our existing sidewalk safety program, tweak it as necessary, and work to keep our sidewalks safe without burdening every taxpayer in Minneapolis.
How would you push for more pedestrian-friendly businesses (i.e. pharmacy, bank/credit union) and senior engagement (i.e. senior center) within Ward 12?
My neighbor drives to the suburbs to do her grocery shopping because she doesn’t feel safe going to the grocery store across the street. We’re a great community and we support our local businesses, but we’re not going to compromise our safety to do so. Once we reestablish our community as safe in the minds of our most vulnerable, our existing small businesses will thrive and other business will follow.
How are you connected to Ward 12?
There are so many answers to this question!
– I currently represent Ward 12 on the Public Health Advisory Committee where I have worked with colleagues to remove toxic lead from the homes of our blackest, brownest, and poorest residents.
– I served on the Nokomis East Neighborhood Association where we helped hold our community together during the riots that followed the murder of George Floyd and helped feed our most vulnerable by turning NENA into a satellite distribution center for Second Harvest Heartland during the beginning of the pandemic.
– While living in a condo in the Minnehaha neighborhood, we got a dog who quickly outgrew condo life. We then bought a fixer-upper in the Ericsson neighborhood.
– I married my husband in Wabun Park!
I’m most connected to the people of Ward 12 – people that I call friends, neighbors, and community 🙂
What are your plans to support Minneapolis public schools?
This is a tricky question. Our city government isn’t chartered to assist the school district per se, but we can certainly support students! I am a lifelong learner who wholeheartedly supports investing in youth activities, literacy and mathematics programs, and youth civic engagement.
What is one issue where you would’ve voted differently than outgoing City Council member Andrew Johnson?
Ah – I called Andrew on this one. CM Johnson voted to give MPD a retroactive raise and bonus. I did not agree with this decision because the Department of Human Rights alleges that MPD was using social media to disrupt the political campaigns of people of color in 2020.
As someone who was running for office in 2020, I disagreed with giving a raise to the department during the time when some members were interfering in my candidacy.
Nancy Ford
https://www.nancyforward12.com/
What would you propose to increase safety at light rail stations and nearby areas?
Give immediate attention to the stations that are considered most problematic (probably Franklin and Lake Street). Lock the enclosed stations immediately after the last train and thirty minutes before the first train. Do we have transit ambassadors and if so, have they been effective? Provide private security and split the cost with metro transit. Transit staff should be monitoring cameras 24/7 and should be in communication at all times with patrons on platforms and in cars. Improve lighting on platforms and at street crossings. Inventory and repair all broken equipment including but not limited to escalators, elevators, glass panels, heating equipment. Power wash/steam clean the platforms and stations weekly. Our public transportation is a service provided for all. It needs to be clean and maintained and safe or all riders and employees.
What is your stance on the 9-hole compromise for the golf course near Lake Hiawatha?
I need to look closer at proposed cost and lost revenue that will be caused by the course redesign. There are some serious infrastructure issues in our city parks that need to be addressed. Maybe the golf course redesign should be postponed and some of these large projects get attention sooner. One of our busiest parks, Minnehaha Falls needs one of the gorge stairways to be replaced, it is currently closed and should probably be considered hazardous. We can mitigate storm water runoff that enters both Minnehaha Creek and Lake Hiawatha. We need to reduce the amount of street sand, salt, and litter that enter the waterway through our storm drains.
What resources and tools would you advocate for regarding Ward 12’s concerns around public safety and policing?
[No answer given by candidate]
What is your position on the Roof Depot demolition? Many residents are concerned about contamination from arsenic and other hazardous waste going airborne throughout our community.
I support the neighborhood’s desire to utilize the property for farming and other green ventures. East Phillips, Central and Powerderhorn need support from our city council. These neighborhoods have unique needs that can be served by supporting the EPNI farm project. The project site is included in what is defined by the city as a green zone.
https://www2.minneapolismn.
Let’s support the community and environment and move forward with the project. If there are questions surrounding the sustainability of the project, let’s identify the obstacles and help the project to succeed.
What are your proposals for keeping our sidewalks safe to move on for residents of all abilities in varying weather conditions?
Our city needs to improve access to high frequency public transportation routes and commercial hubs and corridors. This includes but is not limited to snow removal, repair of broken sidewalk sections, braille curb cuts, better marked crosswalks, improved lighting, more litter receptacles, more trees and green space and public seating. We need to prioritize snow removal in these corridors and residential snow removal should remain the responsibility of property owners. Our neighborhood associations can help residents that might have physical limitations that get in the way of prompt snow removal. My business, Repair Lair, donated $5000 to Longfellow Community Council specifically for this purpose. I personally shovel out the bike racks and bus shelter in front of my store. I feel its my responsibility as a business owner to make sure my business is physically accessible to all modes of transportation.
How would you push for more pedestrian-friendly businesses (i.e. pharmacy, bank/credit union) and senior engagement (i.e. senior center) within Ward 12?
Increase building setbacks, reduce building footprint size if possible, provide safe, public spaces in the lobbies of government owned buildings. Support our neighborhood associations by providing financial assistance for their office space so that they can include space dedicated for workshops and classes not just for seniors but for everyone. This may include but not be limited to free internet service and free document printing and notary service, cyber security classes, a location for community swap events such as clothing swaps, media swaps, tool swaps and plant exchanges. Also be able to host frequent fixit clinics. Entrances to new construction should be well lit and free of physical obstruction. Cluster zoning also helps guarantee business success.
How are you connected to Ward 12?
I own Repair Lair, one of the greenest businesses in Minneapolis. We sell and repair secondhand clothing and camping equipment. A large percentage of my customer base lives in Ward 12 so many residents know me through my shop. A very large percentage of dollars that flow through my business circulate back through the ward because I almost exclusively spend money in the 55406 zip code. I also volunteer 15-20 hours a week in the spring/summer/fall picking up litter along Minnehaha Creek, Lake Hiawatha, Minnehaha Park and around the 46th/Hiawatha intersection. I currently sit on and have served on the East Lake Street special services committee for five years. I contribute funds to Longfellow Community Council and Longfellow Healthy Seniors. I have business memberships with Longfellow Business Association and Lake Street Council. I donate goods and services and money to any and every organization that asks. I work one on one with the homeless population that panhandles at 46th/Hiawatha and through this outreach I have seen folks secure sobriety, housing and work.
What are your plans to support Minneapolis public schools?
We need to insure public safety is enhanced in and around our public schools. Our city also needs to make sure we are providing affordable, stable housing in which families can live and raise their children. Home stability is key to a child’s educational success.
What is one issue where you would’ve voted differently than outgoing City Council member Andrew Johnson?
https://lims.minneapolismn.
Settlement for somali firefighter cadet. Johnson was the only nay vote. Goodman was absent. Eveyone else was aye. Ive been a structural firefighter. I believe the cadet. And why was Johnson the only nay vote?
https://minnesotareformer.com/
Luther Ranheim
https://www.lutherforward12.com/
What would you propose to increase safety at light rail stations and nearby areas?
The public safety situation on the light rail is completely unacceptable. The open drug use, smoking on trains, violent assaults and gun violence has created a culture of lawlessness on our Metro Transit trains.
First, we need a 24/7/365 Metro Transit Police presence at the Lake and Hiawatha Station of at least two officers.
Secondly, we need the state to fully fund a transit ambassadors program that would put folks trained in de-escalation tactics on our trains.
Thirdly, we need the rider code of conduct to actually be enforced. All of these steps can only take place if the city, county and state fully fund our transit safety apparatus and create and implement new public safety programs immediately. The status quo must change.
What is your stance on the 9-hole compromise for the golf course near Lake Hiawatha?
I support the 9-hole compromise for the Lake Hiawatha Golf Course because it achieves multiple goals sought by various community stakeholders: the plan would support wildlife reclamation and mitigate stormwater runoff into nearby neighborhoods. The site would also remain a golf course out of respect for the history of the site, a pioneering space for racial integration in Minneapolis and in the golf community. Achieving compromise is about giving various stakeholder groups with competing interests as much of their visions as possible, even when those visions compete. I will be a person in search of compromise on as many issues as possible on the city council.
What resources and tools would you advocate for regarding Ward 12’s concerns around public safety and policing?
We need comprehensive funding of our public safety system. That means that wherever possible, we should identify and scale alternative responses to armed-policing for nonviolent crimes. Violence interruption organizations such as T.O.U.C.H Outreach who are already doing this critical work are underfunded by the city to be able to effectively scale their operations. I would work to change that. We should provide increased funding to the Behavioral Crisis Response (BCR) team to ensure they can operate at all times and with the resources that they need to respond to all mental health calls. We also need MPD to hire a full complement of officers who are professional, accountable, transparent and ideally, from our own communities. The new Community Commission on Police Oversight (CCPO) structure lacks power to affect change as it can only issue non-binding recommendations. I would advocate that CCPO’s disciplinary recommendations need to be binding for that body to be effective. I also believe that we need to identify a use for the vacant 3rd police precinct building and identify a new space for a revived 3rd police precinct in one of the city wards that is a part of that geography.
What is your position on the Roof Depot demolition? Many residents are concerned about contamination from arsenic and other hazardous waste going airborne throughout our community.
I find it unfortunate that the city did not select a different site for this public works facility, I would have preferred that this project be put at a different site. I understand the concerns of the residents of East Phillips regarding arsenic and hazardous waste. I also understand the need for all residents of Minneapolis to have ready and proximate city services. A compromise proposal was developed between City Council Members, representatives of the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute (EPNI), and other stakeholders, in which the city would give 3 acres (40%) of the site to EPNI for exclusive development. That proposal was rejected by the EPNI Board. As an advocate for compromise wherever possible, this outcome is disappointing. We are now in a state of limbo as the demolition is in litigation. The future of this project is now in the hands of the courts.
What are your proposals for keeping our sidewalks safe to move on for residents of all abilities in varying weather conditions?
The conversation around a potential municipal snow removal program has increased, as we are in the midst of a larger-than-average snowfall winter. The reality of this proposed program is that it would cost roughly $20M per year to institute and would require an additional 6% property tax increase to fund. A random sample study found that 95% of residents and businesses are in compliance with shoveling regulations. For these reasons, I don’t believe that we need a municipal sidewalk shoveling program. I believe that we need the following things to improve our sidewalks in the winter:
■ Improved city services and timeliness in plowing publicly managed sidewalks and pathways
■ Increased funding to neighborhood association shoveling volunteer programs that directly support residents who need assistance
■ Increased regulatory enforcement of shoveling ordinances, particularly of residents, apartment complexes and businesses that are frequently or always out of compliance. We should consider increasing fines for those that do not shovel in a timely manner to discourage shoveling delinquency.
How would you push for more pedestrian-friendly businesses (i.e. pharmacy, bank/credit union) and senior engagement (i.e. senior center) within Ward 12?
I would love to see a city and community funded Senior Center within Ward 12. If elected, I would advocate for funding this initiative. Our Seniors are a rapidly growing population that need more support from our city to allow them to age in place if they choose, or move to alternative housing arrangements if they need. A Senior Center would allow this growing population to have a space to gather for activities, exchange ideas, and develop new relationships. As for pedestrian-friendly businesses, I believe that all businesses should be friendly to pedestrians and transit riders. The 2040 Plan leans into development along high-density transit corridors, which I support, and will continue to advocate for this model of development. I also will work to improve the safety of our pedestrian infrastructure to prevent tragic accidents such as the death of a pedestrian at the terminus of MN Hwy. 77 at Cedar Avenue just recently.
How are you connected to Ward 12?
I grew up in South Minneapolis and aside from 4 years away at college, I have lived here my entire life. I grew up near Lake Nokomis and went to the beach in the summers. I grew up door knocking in South Minneapolis for DFL candidates with my parents. I have lived in the Howe neighborhood for 22 years. I am a product of Ward 12, of Minneapolis Public Schools, and of all that South Minneapolis has to offer. So I’m intimately familiar with and connected to Ward 12. I understand the needs of the population of this Ward.
What are your plans to support Minneapolis public schools?
I plan to engage regularly with (Minneapolis Public Schools) MPS Board of Directors if elected, particularly the at-large members and those that represent geographies that overlap with Ward 12. It’s not a secret that MPS is struggling right now with enrollment and other key challenges to our district. I want to work with the Board and MPS administration to support their work in doing everything they possibly can to support our students, teachers, parents and staff while also reviving MPS as an attractive option for enrollment. MPS also needs to determine what to do about its vacant properties that aren’t already listed for sale. For example, the Cooper Community School in Ward 12 closed in 2004 and is still owned by the district. I’d like to work with the School Board to determine a future alternative use for that property that will benefit the surrounding community.
What is one issue where you would’ve voted differently than outgoing City Council member Andrew Johnson?
I have great respect for Council Member Johnson and I admire his commitment to public service and his tenure on the council of nearly 10 years. The events of Summer 2020 in Minneapolis shook the entire world. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, many current and former Council Members signed onto a pledge, circa Summer 2021, to dismantle the MPD as an agency. Council Member Johnson was one of the then-9 Council Members who voted in favor of this pledge. The voters of Minneapolis later formally rejected this proposal on Ballot Question 2 in 2021. While I understand where this sentiment comes from, we have seen a marked increase in violent crime since then, and it is clear that we need a balanced approach: We need and deserve a professional, responsible, accountable and transparent MPD that does not commit acts of police brutality. We also must shift responses to non-violent crimes to alternatives other than armed police including moving non-violent calls from 911 to 311, expanding the work of the Behavioral Crisis Response (BCR) unit, rapidly scaling funding for opioid addiction treatment programs, and properly funding community violence prevention organizations who are already doing this work on the ground. So I would have not supported that vote. Instead, I would have developed a plan for a comprehensive, balanced and pragmatic approach to public safety such as this one which grounds my position on this issue.