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

As we face extraordinary issues of sprawl, this region desperately needs a Mayor of the state's largest city to be a leading spokesperson for sensible growth and innovative planning. I have a deep, long-term commitment to these issues, have been an outspoken advocate as a private citizen and will use the Mayor's bully pulpit to be even more visible.

These are not new issues to me. In the early 80s, I developed a deep understanding of these issues during my time as a Star Tribune reporter and business columnist covering commercial development, housing, architecture and urban planning issues. In the mid 80s I used my position as development director of the Downtown Council of Minneapolis to become a visible spokesperson on sane, smart growth and innovative planning.

During those two careers, and since, I have been a frequent public speaker on these issues, appearing before more than 100 civic groups around the metropolitan area. I have also written a number of opinion pieces on planning and development for local media.

The Mayor's office will provide me the opportunity to dramatically expand these opportunities to reach new audiences with the message that our region needs comprehensive, strategic planning. Key issues that I will focus on will include transit planning (especially mass and alternative transit), inclusionary housing, sustainable small-scale commercial development and historic preservation.

But no Mayor of Minneapolis will be a credible partner in regional development until we reform the city's own development activities. This city used to be a national leader in urban planning and development, but in recent years, many other cities have passed us by as we lurched from one development crisis to the other without any regard to a master plan.

That's why I feel three of my proposals are especially important:

1. Reinstate the MCDA's citizen board, and include members of the NRP policy board.

2. Refocus the Planning Commission on creating a large-scale development vision.

3. Merging the MCDA and the Planning Department.

These three proposals are aimed at creating a single vision for the city's growth that reflects the collective vision of the people of the city. In this way we will have, not only a mayor who helps steer the region's growth, but an entire city that is engaged in the vision for its future.

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

The first principal is that we have to stop thinking about the river as separate entities: downtown, north, northeast, south, etc. That's why I have proposed a citywide riverfront commission that includes citizen groups, elected officials and representatives of other stakeholders (environmental groups, foundations, the University, industry, etc.). If we recognized that all parts of town are equal stakeholders, we would not be shifting problems from one neighborhood to the other, as we did when the gravel pits from the downtown riverfront were moved north.

The second principal is protection of the environment. This includes restoration of natural habitats, vegetation and landscapes. It also means getting serious about water quality, including the phosphorous ban I will refer to below, as well as increased monitoring of all elements of output and creation of sediment-capturing wetlands to help filter storm water.

The third principal is citizen access. Too much of the river is walled off from citizens, or difficult to access. Changing this includes far more aggressive development of recreational uses. I was a member of the original Riverfront Recreation Entertainment and Cultural Committee, which laid the groundwork for much of the development of boating and other recreation uses we see today. I want to continue this work by supporting innovative recreation like whitewater boating, and more passive recreation along the river's edge.

The forth principal is comprehensive planning with compatible uses. The river serves many uses and there is lots of room for many of them. The residents of Northeast Minneapolis are showing leadership on this as they find ways to coexist with some light industry. However, for far too long we have allowed blatantly inappropriate uses to locate there, most notably the Kondirator and the University's energy plant.

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

We first have to understand the extent and the cause of the problem. Recent studies have shown serious air quality issues in the city and they seem to correspond to the areas with the most serious auto and plane traffic. There also appear to be some hotspots that could relate to some nearby industrial uses, especially in the northern parts of the city. This needs to be quantified as soon as possible and, to the degree possible, identify sources of pollution so we can take special actions.

Once we know the extent of the problem we need to aggressively use that information to advocate for neighborhoods. The city is not a "neutral" information gathering resource. Once it identifies a problem it should use its legal and lobbying might to bring relief to its citizens.

I have laid out specifics below that relate to how the city could use air pollution information to limit airplane flights over neighborhoods.

These problems may well be far more acute when it comes to pollution from cars. To date much of the work on limiting auto emissions is on spreading out the impact (eg. creating one-way streets in Uptown to spread the pollution over several blocks). I would like to see the city's strategy shift to reduction of traffic, especially through alternative transit options.

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

I have already had many years of service to our parks and boulevards. This work includes citywide projects that have been part of my work as a board member of People for Parks, and very local projects, including organizing and raising money for daffodil planting on several blocks of boulevards in my neighborhood. I have also been an extremely active volunteer for recreation programs, including coaching a wide range of soccer and baseball teams.

This work has given me valuable experience understanding the role of citizens and government in our parks. I will use this to open what I hope will be a new era of cooperation with the city and park board. More important, I will focus on mobilizing more citizens to become active in the parks.

I want to play a key role in ensuring that the benefits of these amenities are available in all parts of town. That's why a key project for me is the development of the J.D. Rivers Children's Garden on the edge of Wirth Park on Glenwood Ave.

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

This is an area where a Mayor can be especially successful if he/she forms a solid relationship with downtown employers. They, too, have a vested interest in solving transit pressures, and can a pivotal role in creating incentives that encourage employees to use mass transit, car pools and other alternatives to single-occupancy cars. My work at the Downtown Council gave me on the job experience developing this transit partnerships, which will be helpful as I continue this work in the Mayor's office.

The Mayor has a responsibility to ensure good access in and out of the city. However I will make it clear that any highway improvements I support will also have to be matched with a plan for encouraging mass and/or alternative transit. A model I will point to is the part of the 394 project that linked car pools and HOV lanes with dedicated parking on the edge of downtown.

There are many large scale solutions to transit options but we also cannot lose track of the small changes that make a big difference. For example, when I was at the Downtown Council, I worked with the MTC on extending express bus hours past 5:30 p.m. This continues to be an important goal of mine because a high percentage of the suburban commuters polled said they would ride a bus if they did not stop so early. If we could make this change we would not only cut down the number of cars on the highways, we could also decrease commuter traffic through city neighborhoods.

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

Right now we have the worst of both worlds: a congested airport that cannot compete in tomorrow's economy that also produces massive air and noise pollution over up to 1/3 of Minneapolis. While the other candidates in the race stood by and did virtually nothing to attack these core problems, I have:

· Helped organize hundreds of citizens through Residents Opposed to Airport Racket (ROAR).

· Lead the protests that stopped the airport's "dewatering" protect that would have harmed our groundwater and our lakes.

· Lobbied state and federal officials for tough limits on airport noise and air pollution.

· Begun to form a coalition of citizens and political officials surrounding other regional airports who could also join the fight against the core issues producing airport pollution.

· Developed a comprehensive statewide aviation plan that will cut airport noise and air pollution in our neighborhoods.

· Lobbying legislators and business leaders to make this plan a reality.

In the comprehensive plan that I have been promoting for two years, Minnesota will develop a statewide policy that immediately shifts some traffic from the existing airport to alternative sites (ie. Cargo to St. Cloud, additional passenger to Rochester) and begins comprehensive, objective 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.) The legislature will also authorize an objective study of long-term statewide aviation needs and, to preserve the option of a second airport, will authorize funds to begin landbanking. Minnesota's elected federal representatives, aided by the city and state's federal lobbyists, will push for new aviation pollution restrictions, including shifting oversight from the FAA to the EPA.

Much of this is not under the direct control of the Mayor, but the Mayor can be far more active in coordinating the work of the city's state and federal delegations. The current Mayor has not done this. As I private citiezen I have. For example:

During the current legislative session I worked with members of Minneapolis' delegation to introduce legislation to change the make up of the Airports Commission (MAC) so it includes more members within areas impacted by pollution. I will continue this work as Mayor.

We need new membership on the MAC, but I strongly disagree with the plan by another Mayoral candidate to appoint herself to the MAC. Minneapolis needs a representative on the MAC who can devote the vast amount of time necessary to become fully steeped in these very complex technical and political issues.

Minneapolis also needs a Mayor who will finally stand up to the interests who have allowed this massive pollution to get this bad.

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?

I have been very active in this issue for the past decade. My wife and I started Save the Water In Minneapolis (SWIM) to educate citizens about responsible lawn practices. While public education programs like this have been helpful, it is clear that the problem is serious enough that we can no long depend on voluntary efforts, which is why I have championed the citywide ban on phosphorous-based fertilizer.

This alone will not solve the problems, which is why I have been a long term supporter of developing wetlands to capture storm runoff near our lakes. I also support expanding this program to include wetlands near the river and creeks.

8)Would you support a citywide phosphorous fertilizer ban?

I have been a leading advocate of this ban, have raised this in virtually every campaign appearance and have spoken extensively about this to city council candidates. I have believed from the start that if I made this a campaign issue, and encouraged other candidates to talk about this, too, we would be able to go into City Hall with a mandate to make this a reality. I am now confident we can get the votes to pass this, and have proposed making this one of the first acts of the new council and mayor, which will send a clear, early signal that the new leadership is serious about environmental stewardship.

9)Would you support a storm water treatment system?

When I think back about planning choices made in this city, I can't think of too many that are more short-sighted than the decision to dump our untreated storm water directly into our lakes and river. Changing this will not be easy, and it will be expensive, but it is a long-term goal that we should state clearly now and do everything we can to make it happen.

Minneapolis cannot continue to sacrifice the water in its lakes and river while we are getting this long term plan in place. That's why I have been a strong supporter of the development of sediment-capturing wetlands (see below), and why my wife and I started Save the Water In Minneapolis (SWIM) to educate residents about responsible yard practices for those in critical watersheds.

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

I strongly supported developing these ponds and have for many years. My advocacy includes very public support (including writing editorials for both the Star Tribune and Southwest Journal that supported them) and private support (including one on one discussions with nearby homeowners that helped diffuse their early opposition to the projects.)

While these ponds are now being embraced by the community, I was not afraid to be an outspoken advocate before this was popular. For example, during the Chain of Lakes Framework committee several years ago, my neighborhood was in an uproar over a plan to close the lower road on the east side of Lake Harriet for a holding pond. When several hundred very angry neighbors met to plan strategy to fight this, I was the only person in the room to speak in favor of the plan, and I did not win many more friends when I followed that with an editorial supporting the plan in the Star Tribune.

The plan finally died, in large part because park board and city officials did not show the leadership that was needed. Unlike some of those currently in office, I have proven that I will not duck these controversies.

In the Chain of Lakes, I believe Lake Harriet now has the most crucial need for a holding pond and I will continue to be an advocate.

I also want to explore developing similar wetlands to help filter storm water runoff now going directly into the river.

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

Before doing anything I would make sure I'm walking the walk. I ride my bike to many meetings today, and I have always ridden the bus when I work downtown. I will continue these practices as mayor, and will reinforce this message by converting the parking stall reserved for the mayor in front of city hall into a bike rack. One bike rack will not make much of an impact for the many riders in need of a place to park, but it will be a signal at the front door of City Hall that we place a high value on alternative transit.

I have been very outspoken in my campaign about the need to recognize the bicycle as a viable transit option in the city, and I will continue to promote additional development of bicycle commuter options. I believe we can go much further on providing additional protection for riders in traffic. (This is most critical in downtown, especially on Hennepin Av. and Marquette Ave.)

Along with bike lanes, we have to recognize the lack of bike parking. This is especially chronic in downtown.

Accomplishing both of these goals will be much more likely if we do not isolate bike planning but, instead, integrate it into overall planning for the city. I have done this in my own neighborhood as we developed bike lanes as part of a comprehensive traffic calming strategy, and have proposed integrating the planned 40th St. bikeway into the neighborhood gateway project. I am also encouraged that recent meetings of the community groups planning developments in the Hi Lake Shopping Center have focused on integrating the existing transit (bus, LRT) with access for bikes along the Greenway.

We have made great process on bike development in recent years but it seems with pedestrian development we are moving backwards. This first became clear to me about 15 years ago on a trip for the Downtown Council to Portland, Ore., where I saw first-hand what a city can do to protect the interests of pedestrians. Lighting, decorative paving, landscape development, seating, innovative street crossings and the like were all integrated into comprehensive development.

Meanwhile in Minneapolis, we are building a city that is a collection of buildings; We have to learn more from those who make it easier for pedestrians by building a city from the sidewalk up.

To fund these initiatives for both bikes and pedestrians, I would support dedicating a portion of the city's parking fund. Not only would this be a good source of revenue but it would be a powerful message that the city values those who help Minneapolis develop a future that is not wholly dependent on the automobile.

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

As I stated above I am deeply disturbed by the massive suburban sprawl that jeopardizes our region's quality of life. Far too much of the population growth is taking place on the far edges of the region, and not enough is taking place in the central cities and older, inner-ring suburbs. We will only attack sprawl if we reverse this trend. But as that happens, it is very important that it be coupled with commitments on the part of suburban areas to include a wide range of housing options so the region does not continue to stratify along economic lines.

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

I am the only candidate in this race who is proposing city level campaign finance reform.

I am the only candidate who has offered to release his complete list of contributors.

I am the only candidate who has said he will not take money from individuals with business before the city.

I am the only candidate who is not accepting PAC money.

My campaign finance proposal includes a call for banning contributions in non-election years, full disclosure of all contributors and monthly release of contributors during the election year.

My years as a reporter covering City Hall taught me that too many people who made financial contributions to candidates get too much access at the expense of the ordinary taxpaying citizens.

At a time when the public has never been more cynical about political life, and when citizens of Minneapolis are increasingly concerned about their city's spending priorities, I believe campaign finance reform is essential.

I have made great progress in promoting these ideas throughout the campaign and welcome a partnership with the Sierra Club to make this reform becomes a reality.

14) How will you use your position as Mayor 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?

I strongly support Green Government Initiatives and feel you have identified the most likely areas for us to put this into practice. One additional area where I would like to put focus is in computers, where the city could join the growing movement to recycle spare parts in a field that has, to date, seen extraordinary waste.

Green purchasing is one example of using the city's buying power in the marketplace to effect policies beyond our borders. As I have said many times in the campaign, one of the core values we share as a community is a deep respect for the environment and it's about time our government reflected that value.

have thought quite a bit about how to put this into action as Mayor. In the past many well-intentioned efforts to implement elements of this kind of program have been unsuccessful, and marginalized in the media. Part of the problem, I believe, is that often these efforts are brought forward as individual cases and not as part of a comprehensive program.

In an effort to be more successful, I am proposing a special task force made up of city purchasing teams and outside resources like Sierra. The group will be charged with the goal of taking a comprehensive look at the city's purchasing patterns and finding a series of green opportunities. This report will be due two months before the budgeting process begins, the recommendations will be brought to the council as a comprehensive package and I will identify them as Mayoral priorities in the budget cycle. In this way it will be harder to marginalize one or two elements.

In addition, I will search for ways to integrate green purchasing elements into the competitive bidding process so those vendors that propose green solutions can receive credit when compared with those who do not.

Finally I will seek to expand this partnership with other local governments, especially St. Paul and Hennepin County, and other major cities around the country.

15) (Minneapolis Mayoral Only) What will you do to preserve the 27 acres of land on the Bureau of Mines Property, also referred to as Camp Coldwater "The birthplace of Minnesota" and Coldwater Spring?

As a student of Minneapolis history, both pre- and post- settlement, I have long recognized the importance of this site. As a environmentalist, a hiker and a biker who has spent many hours in this area over 40 years, I have long seen this site as a precious resource.

On both historic and environmental grounds, I believe the reroute of the highway through this property was a tragic mistake. The very least that can be done to make up for this mistake is to have the city play an aggressive role in ensuring appropriate stewardship of the land and the spring that is left.

First, governance and monitoring of the spring must be placed completely under the direction of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District. The current split jurisdiction between two watershed governing boards has created confusion and today's news that water levels may be dropping should be a red flag that immediate action is necessary.

Second, the land itself must be placed in the hands of an appropriate steward, which I outline below.

Third, beyond the political issues, we need as a community to recognize the significance of this land to our history and our environment. This issue goes well beyond the borders of this site and, as mayor, I want to play an aggressive role in helping our community embrace it's land and it past.

A) Have you in the past supported transferring the Bureau of Mines property "Camp Coldwater" to the Metropolitan Airport Commission in the past and will you support such a transfer in the future?

I would have opposed this land transfer, and I would---and will---oppose any plan for parking on the site. I can't think of too many symbols that would be more destructive than paving this land for cars.

Having been extremely active in opposing airport pollution, I believe the Airports Commission has been an exceptionally poor steward of our natural resources. In spite of this I do not want to completely rule out working with the MAC on this site because restrictions on construction under flight paths may provide us with an opportunity to have this land placed in a long term preservation trust. I would only support this type of plan if it guaranteed a long term use that preserved the land in a natural state and protected its historic significance. In general I believe the DNR would be a more appropriate steward than the MAC, and I support Sen. Julie Sabo's legislation that would make this occur. I also believe the Minnesota Land Trust can also play a key role in implementation.

B) Have you in the past supported the Metropolitan Airport Commission building any type of parking facility (ramp or surface grade) on the Bureau of Mines Property or will you in the future?

I have not have supported parking on this site and would not under any circumstance in the future.

Thank you.

R.T. Rybak