At the end of this term I will have worked for the city for 8 years, with experience leading large, multi-faceted organizations. I was a MN Army National Guard officer and a soldier deployed to a war zone. I previously oversaw a $9.2 Billion investment portfolio. I own a successful, small business. During my tenure with the city, I have overseen a city that has had the highest property value increases, while maintaining the 3rd lowest city tax levy in Hennepin County – while also completing some of the largest infrastructure improvements in city history. And with one Councilmember leaving, I am the only person with budgetary experience on either the Fire Board & Police Coordinating Committee - roughly half of the city’s operating budget.
My primary duty is to maximize the real estate equity value for residents. We do this by continuing to improve & maintain our infrastructure, working to create a pedestrian-friendly community that will tie us more safely into our existing trail system, and continuing to improve our parks & proceed forward with the Manitou Park Master Plan developed in 2021 - with help of the Parks & Docks Commission I created as one of my first items as Mayor and now has an ongoing tax-neutral funding mechanism.
In short, as city leaders we need to follow the rules & make decisions together as a Council. The State has a number of provisions in place to ensure oversight and by extension we require staff to provide regular, public updates to Council to ensure we are meeting our fiscal & regulatory duties. I am a strict adherent to open meeting laws and keep in contact with city staff on virtually a daily basis. Ethical leadership comes from the top & I take my oath of office seriously.
While Tonka Bay is required to conduct meetings using a State mandated format, on a relative basis we run a more informal meeting that often enables residents to speak even when we are not having a Public Hearing. Along with a quarterly newsletter which is mailed, a weekly email update, and posting meeting items online, this provides a forum whereby virtually everyone has an opportunity to be informed & their voices heard. For larger projects we also host open-houses to inform & solicit feedback
I believe we have one of the best police departments in the metro. This year we approved updated body cameras for our officers & additional personnel to process the content which protects our residents & officers alike. Clearly since George Floyd we are in a new era of policing & need to be prepared to ask the hard questions. We should not rubber-stamp requests or passively conduct oversight, but it’s incumbent upon us to do so understanding the difficult responsibilities our officers have.
I’ve been a Tonka Bay resident for almost fifteen years, am a current city of Tonka Bay councilmember, served on the Tonka Bay Parks and Docks Commission prior to my elected position, am a Minnetonka alumnus and a local business owner. Throughout my life I’ve been a part of numerous academic, athletic and professional teams where I’ve had the honor of captaining many of them. From those experiences I have learned that this job is not about me. It’s about being a servant to the community and encouraging uncomplicated, open-minded engagement in city business. It’s about being responsive and leading from a place of humility and respect for the people we serve and the partners we serve with.
First, improving citizen engagement at city hall through better transparency of city business, well-advertised opportunities for citizen input and being responsive is a must. Second, our city leadership has developed a capital improvement plan to guide our infrastructure investments and continuing to implement this in a fiscally responsible way would be a top priority. Finally, I’d like to improve our partnerships with our neighboring cities and explore additional ways we can work together.
We have a responsive and experienced team at Tonka Bay city hall but we need to employ better tools for residents to communicate with them. Improving our website and expanding our communication platforms is imperative. We also need to revisit current policies on how and when city council meeting information is shared with the public and ensure it gives stakeholders an opportunity to be present and participate in discussions.
I’d encourage investment in improving Tonka Bay’s website to make it easier to navigate and locate current city business so people know when, where and how to be heard. Having a more robust social media presence and being consistent about utilizing a mix of printed and electronic communications will help broaden the city’s reach. Additionally, the creation of an opt-in city text messaging service for city events, emergencies and public input opportunities would be a first order of business.
I think our police department is doing a great job. They are well staffed, are continuously evaluating needs and communicating those to the cities they serve and have strong support throughout the community. I’d work with Chief Tholen to make sure the police department continues to be highly visible and responsive and that the needs of the community and the department are met.
