2001 COPE CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE
Designed for Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board candidates only!
1. What is your position on contracting with private entities to provide public services that are currently provided by public employees?
I do not support the contracting out or privatization of city services now provided by public employees.
[I think we should occasionally look at possible joint public-private partnerships if no public jobs are lost. My example is the asphalt plant at public works in my backyard. In our neighborhood master planning for the “coming of the LRT” the neighborhood is proposing a discussion about having the two asphalt plants merge in to one efficient and environmentally friendly new facility. Is this idea possible or feasible? That I do not know. But I would talk with Todd Pufahl with the understanding that no public employee jobs are lost.]
2. Why are you seeking Labor’s endorsement?
Unions provide a support system and the ability to empower it’s members in order to join together on common concerns. By earning your support it will ensure our continued work together in making the park system the Number One park system in America, which in turn makes Minneapolis a great place to live, work and play. I believe in worker’s rights to organize and make their workplaces a safe and good environment to work. I want to listen to and meet the interests of the employees within the Park Board system.
3. Do you support prevailing wage?
4. What role do you see Local Government as an employer has in addressing the PERA Pension funding gap?
I support efforts to ask the State Legislature to provide the help for the funding gap. I believe that employers have a duty to share if the funding is split between the employee and the employer. Park Board lobbyists have also been asked to join with other jurisdictional units toward this effort.
5. What do you view are the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Boards core programs and services?
The two major core areas of the park system are: (1) its operations and maintenance of the system; and (2) the recreation programs we provide. In addition, our Enterprise programs need to receive a good return on our investment.
Without the maintenance of the trees, the grass, the lakes, the river and the buildings and facilities our park system would quickly deteriorate. Minneapolis citizens, and all their friends and relatives, expect and have grown very accustomed to a high quality maintained system. The citizens love their parks and lakes (to death almost) and want the system maintained as best as it can be.
These same citizens enjoy active and leisure activities in the system. From extensive youth programming to a full spectrum of programming for all ages; the casual walk, a visit to the woods, going out on the links, meandering along Father Mississippi or catching a pickup game of softball or baseball.
We work to provide and make accessible all these many services and amenities of the park system to each resident of Minneapolis.
6. What is the role of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board in providing for jobs and economic opportunities for people in the metropolitan area? Can you point to specific actions?
Increased opportunities abound. If ever we are blessed to have excesses of funds it should always go to hiring more people and creating new business opportunities within the system. Just as we expand from our core 450 people to the addition of hundreds more in the summer months we can always use more people. We have been trying to find funds to open our Park neighborhood centers for more hours and 7 days a week. These additional hours would provide more job options. Our youth programming can always use more workers.
Another example might be the building and construction of our trails and bicycle paths including the Midtown and Humboldt Greenways which may in the future have more public spaces that would be maintained by the Park Board, meaning more jobs. The same holds true for the Upper Mississippi River redevelopment efforts.
Our new Fort Snelling Athletic Complex will need more personnel to maintain this area adequately. This new complex will be used by people of the entire Metropolitan area plus visitors who will be able to come to the site via the new LRT.
7. Would you promptly consult the Central Labor Union Council on issues of interest to our membership?
8. What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board over the next four years? How do you plan on addressing them?
a. Money
Although we worked hard with the Mayor and City Council to increase funds from the city it is not enough. Changing formulas and seeking adjustments is difficult within the confines of the city and park board budgets. I believe it will be necessary to go out after a referendum from the public to support their parks for long term solutions.
b. Personnel
We are experiencing an incredible attrition rate and will be for the next two years. This leaving of qualified and competent staff will mean hiring good people to do quality work and have pride in the park systems as our employees of the past have done.
In addition, the current Superintendent will also have the same “option out”. If she chose to do so a new hiring would be the most critical task of the Board.
c. Overuse
Such a problem one should have. The masses of crowds on our lakes is pushing them [the lakes] ecologically to their very limit. We must work to move people to the other great amenities with in the system. It does, however, mean continued stewardship and caring for our precious jewels of the City.
9. Do you support “Buying Union” made products and services with Park Board dollars?
10. What do you hope to accomplish as a Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Commissioner?
Being a city wide at-large Commissioner allows one to have a broad vision for the City of Minneapolis and the park system within it. I am committed to sustainability and restorative thinking. My previous experience as a steward of the park system will provide a watchful eye, stability to the Board and protection of the Board’s independence.
Working to balance the system through equity and fairness to all parts of the city is my key interest in serving as an at-large commissioner. Accessibility to our facilities and making sure that all residents can be provided our park services is vital to the quality of life in Minneapolis.
I will continue to provide environmental leadership to the Park Board. The parks, lakes and trees are the base of an eco-city. I support and work every day for that goal: to be an eco-sustainable city for future generations.
I believe that a strong commitment to a great park system is needed for future stability on the Board. I have a commitment to safe parks, strong neighborhoods and citizen participation. Water quality in our lakes and the environmental restoration of wetlands and bringing back the prairie still need a watchful eye to ensure we keep on task. I am excited about the possibility of creating new park space along both Midtown and Humboldt Greenways. The same holds true for river and park development along the Upper North Mississippi. In northeast Minneapolis improving Botinneau Park, water park development and tree plantings along the Upper Mississippi River are high on my list of priorities. The ecological restoration of Bassett’s Creek and new parkland coming with the northside’s Hollman redevelopment project will also bring new amenities while athletic facilities will be enhanced by the new Fort Snelling Athletic Complex. I support enhancing our youth programs, Teen Teamworks and Youthline.
11. Please describe your campaign strategy and how you see Labor assisting in your strategy.
As the top vote–getter on the Park Board last election cycle this was accomplished by attending over 225 events, forums, festivals and activities throughout every neighborhood and community of Minneapolis. This will continue as I plan to run a vigorous re-election campaign by getting out and meeting with as many citizens as possible over the next 8 months. Advertising in local press will also happen. I will be seeking out non-traditional groups of voters with an emphasis towards young people who will inherit this great park system and city.
I think it is important to form a “Blue/Green” coalition. As an environmentalist I have a strong commitment to the health and safety of the workers by providing a productive, efficient and healthy workplace. We must all work on this together in order to address the issues of air and water quality, justice and equity for the poor and working class. Our unity is essential to create and maintain a healthy, vital society.
I plan to distribute thousands of Union printed
literature during this election cycle to the over 100,000 voters in Minneapolis.
Assistance with literature dropping, volunteers for events, and phone banking
would be extremely helpful from the labor community. The support of the labor
movement has always meant a great deal to me and I will be honored to carry
your flag again.
For further information about my campaign please visit my website at www.annieyoung.org
I respectfully request your endorsement and support in my campaign for re-election to an at-large citywide seat on the Minneapolis Park Board. Thank you for your time and consideration.