Sierra Club

North Star Chapter

Twin Cities Group

Political Committee

City Council Questionnaire

1) Urban development is an important issue to our members. What role do you see for yourself as a central city council member to affect our region’s growth patterns?

As the next City Council Member from the 10^th ward I will bring my urban planning experience to address regional growth patterns. Presently I serve the City of Minneapolis as the first Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) planner in the planning department focusing city resources on ensuring that all aspects of the physical environment (streets, building and open spaces) are designed to create safe, livable neighborhoods.

Citizens look to Minneapolis, the regions economic engine, for leadership on key issues. I will be a leader in ensuring Minneapolis is focused on building sustainable urban communities. These mixed use communities will decrease people’s need for vehicles, since they will provide people the opportunity to live, work, learn, and play.

In addition I will be a leader in ensuring our region works together to develop a comprehensive sustainable development and transportation plan. Key issues that I will focus are multi-model transportation planning (especially mass and alternative transit), inclusionary housing, sustainable small-scale commercial development and historic preservation.

To be a credible partner the City of Minneapolis must reform our approach to development projects – from design to funding issues. Sadly, Minneapolis has lurched from one questionable development to another without any regard to a master plan.

That's why I will be advocating the following:

1. Focus the city on creating a development vision that is focused on building urban communities that safe, affordable and livable.

2. Strengthen our planning department, make the MCDA a city department and ensure the planning department and the MCDA have shared priorities and processes.

3. Develop working relations with surrounding cities to develop a regional strategy of building sustainable communities.

2) What urban design principles will you support for riverfront development?

Mixed use development that fits into the rich river environment. We must develop the riverfront to be vibrant in a way that respects and includes the environment of the river. The City must conduct a comprehensive systems analysis of the river. How riverfront development impacts the Mississippi’s vitality is one aspect of the study. We must ensure environmental protection.

3) What will you do as City Council Member to reduce air toxic concentrations in our city?

1) Minneapolis must develop and lead partnerships to create sustainable urban communities that are served by an effective regional transportation. Past city policies, codes, and development have often been suburban in nature, creating a greater reliance on the use of automobiles and discouraging other modes of transportation like walking, biking, and mass transit.

As council member, I will work to build a strong planning department leading our city in developing and implementing urban development and transportation solutions. Appropriate increase in residential densities, mixed-use development, strong pedestrian realm, bike friendly streets, and mass transportation will be priorities for Minneapolis. Our zoning code, comprehensive plan, and city policies will promote sustainable, urban communities.

In addition Minneapolis will be a regional leader in developing a regional transportation system that recognizes the environmental impacts of airplanes and automobile use. Long term, we must work to develop a transportation system that serves our region and minimizes the negative impact on residential areas. The abandonment of the dual track planning process was a mistake on both accounts. We must also work at the federal level to get the environmental impacts of airplanes taken seriously.

These efforts will require developing strong partnerships with other municipalities, the Met Council, state and federal leaders, and the residential and business communities.

4) What will you do to maintain and improve our parks and boulevards?

The City of Minneapolis must partner with the park board to ensure annual neighborhood review of short term and long term plans for city parks. We must ensure sufficient resources and effective plans.

5) With the increased commercial development of our downtown what will you do to help solve the growing transportation pressures into our city?

Minneapolis must work to build livable communities that provide people the opportunity to live, work, learn and shop. Only by building these livable, sustainable communities will we effectively reduce the dependency on the auto and the burning of fossil fuels. The success of LRT and PRT systems is dependent on these types of community development.

The development of LRT and the consideration of PRT are steps in the right direction. We must also work to ensure that we have a regional transportation vision that is guiding our work. This vision must be shared regionally, prioritize public transportation, incorporate all modes of transportation, and promote development that reduces a reliance on automobiles.

I will only support highway improvements that supports encourage mass and/or alternative transit.

6) What will you do to deal with the continued airport expansion and transportation pressures related to increased airport traffic?

Before the tragic events of September 11^th, the airport was on track to hit capacity within 5 years, even with the new run way going online latter this year. This is both an environmental and economic crisis for the city and the state.

We need to begin work in a number of areas:

1) Develop other modes of transportation, like high speed rail.

2) Shift some traffic from the existing airport to alternative sites (i.e. Cargo to St. Cloud, additional passenger to Rochester, and a new airport)

3) Begin comprehensive, testing of noise and air pollution from the airport.  (The goal of this testing is to establish damage from the pollution and if the results determine a serious issue, the state and city should begin legal action to restrict pollution at its source.) 

Much of this is not under the direct control of the City, but or city leaders must be far more active in coordinating the work of the city's state and federal delegations. We appoint a MAC representative who can devote the vast amount of time necessary to become fully steeped in these very complex technical and political issues.

7) Run off from impervious surfaces, roads, sidewalks, roofs and lawn chemicals are impacting our lakes, rivers, and creeks. What will you do to improve water quality in our city’s waterways?

Minneapolis needs to work on banning phosphorus and other chemicals harmful to city waters. We must also continue the wetlands creation program to naturally filter water before it enters our lakes and rivers. We need to reprioritize street cleaning to be done first near waterway and around sewer intakes that drain directly into our waterways.

A) Would you support a citywide phosphorous fertilizer ban?

Absolutely.

B) Would you support a storm water treatment system?

Yes.

C) Would you support building additional holding ponds to protect our city lakes?

Yes

Minneapolis must continue its wetlands creation program. Having worked with my brother, a biology teacher, in creating a 6-acre wetland, I know first hand the many benefits of wetlands.We must also look for other ways to enhance and protect the quality of a resource that provides us great civic pride, the water of our lakes and rivers.

8) What would you do to promote bicycle and pedestrian transit?

As an active bus and bike commuter I would work very hard to promote bicycle and pedestrian transit. To accomplish this we will need to promote urban communities that provide great pedestrian environments. This will include reducing speeds on residential streets, ensuring all residential streets are parkways, requiring buildings to be pedestrian oriented, enforcing the state law which gives pedestrians the right of way in a crosswalk and utilize enforcement and education to give bicyclist the right to be on the road.

9) Do you believe central cities should accept a greater or lesser share of the Twin Cities projected population growth?

As the state’s jobs and economic epicenter, I believe Minneapolis should accept a greater share of the population growth,

10) What if anything will you do to promote city level campaign finance reform?

I will lead an effort to study various reform plans and then actively pass the best proposal. This will likely include decreasing the size of contributions a candidate can received from an individual or a PAC

11) How will you use your position as City Council Member to direct city procurement policies towards green products and buildings, such as super high efficiency vehicles, passive solar construction, chlorine free paper, recycled carpets and clean fuels?

The city needs to be a leader, through example and education, in environmental issues. I believe the city should purchase recycled and environmentally friendly products. In addition, the city should continue to develop stronger educational campaigns and waste reduction and recycling programs with strong incentives. I will use my position to ensure Minneapolis adopts policies and practices that are environmentally sensitive.

12) What will you do as a City Council Member to help protect Camp Coldwater Springs (Bureau of Mines Land) and the 27 acres of green space that surrounds the area?

A) Would you oppose the Metropolitan Airports Commissions efforts to build on the current land a parking facility or any other type of development that would disturb the current green space?

YES

B) Would you support turning the Bureau of Mines Land over to the either the Department of Natural Resources, State Park System or Minneapolis Park Board to be restored to it original natural state. 

YES