My Focus Four
A healthy community requires the fundamentals of transportation infrastructure, sufficient variety of housing options, opportunities for people of all ages to learn, work and develop professional careers, which naturally lend to a more robust and growing economy and is necessary for a community to thrive. These four fundamentals: Transportation, housing, education/employment and urban economic vibrancy, should be accessible for all. These areas will be my focus if elected mayor of the city of St. Cloud.
Regional Transportation System
Transportation is a major driver of economic investment. As the third largest metro area in the state, my vision for St. Cloud is to become a leader in transportation infrastructure designed for the 21st century including all modes: rail, air travel, cars and buses, and increased bike and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure. I want to actively shape and pursue our Area Planning Organization’s (APO) long-term transportation plan and advocate for greater expediency in the decision-making process together with local elected officials and other board members, at the APO table.
I want to ensure greater transportation flow in and around the St. Cloud area, liberating our local economy and creating better connections for people. As mayor, I will advocate for the extension of Amtrak passenger rail service to Moorhead/Fargo from the Twin Cities metro, (building on current advances toward intercity rail in the state such as increased service from St. Paul to Chicago and passenger rail to Duluth). I will increase expediency in decision-making regarding the 33rd Street bridge as well as other projects related to the creation of the beltway. The creation of the beltway is imperative, along with increased investments in public transportation and infrastructure, to my vision of greater flow and increased economic activity in our area. We are the third-largest metro area in the state and we are growing. Our community needs ways to get into and around the area, more than just coming in off highway 10 to St. Germain, and through the intersections along highway 15 and Division street, among others.
I will be a proponent of working together with other area cities to expand fixed bus routes regionally to better serve residents and businesses that will expand educational opportunities and related activities for students at the high school and higher education levels.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
A robust urban core is critical to the success of a strong and thriving regional economy. If elected mayor, I will encourage and actively pursue economic investment in our downtown. I am open to using all the tools in the city’s toolbox: TIF, tax abatement, a revolving loan fund for small businesses, and exploring the creation of a renaissance zone. When needed, I commit to getting creative about ways to incorporate and use city resources to enhance and complement the investments of the business community. Developing the urban core is of regional economic interest and increases the city and region’s ability to leverage state and federal dollars for further city and regional development.
Housing
The lack of housing across the state and country is an issue, but it doesn’t have to be for St. Cloud. We have a downtown that could be revitalized to include housing. We have land and my plan is to increase regional transportation infrastructure, which naturally opens up possibilities for additional housing options in and around the area. Historically and presently St. Cloud is home to many businesses and companies in the construction industry. I believe they would welcome future opportunities.
I want to signal to outside business and investment that St. Cloud is a city committed to ensuring we have the housing we will need now and in the future. More than capitalizing on the current crisis we are in nationally and statewide, I want to lead by example. I want to demonstrate that a city can and should, ensure the basics.
Educational and Employment Opportunities
St. Cloud has an attractive number of higher education systems in the area, but enrollment in some of these institutions has been declining. I want to change that direction. I want to increase access to the existing schools and training opportunities, in such a way that these institutions can continue to thrive again, creating a trained workforce that may not only come to our area for educational purposes but choose to stay. Additionally, emerging opportunities in the field of education, such as the Centracare medical school being created must be taken into account along with other trends and changes in the employment field when we think about what will define our local economy in the coming years. Infrastructure investments such as rail, increased air travel as well as housing, will only strengthen our signal to businesses that the St. Cloud community is committed to drawing business, potential students and workers to our area.
