6^th Ward candidate Dean Zimmerman answers to DFL Green Caucus

March 4th, 2001 Sunday at 1:00pm.

Please state brief positions on the following issues:

1. Airport noise and airport air quality impacts. What can the city do to alleviate these problems?

a: A high speed train--using French or Japanese technology--running between the twin cities and Chicago (including O'Hare and the Loop) could reduce the number of flights out of MSP by close to 20%.

b: A noise pollution tax or penalty could motivate the airlines, read North-West, to speed up the conversion of their fleet to quieter planes.

c: move the airport. -- not likely.

2. Lake water quality, reducing pesticide use and runoff into the lakes and streams.

a: There are other cities that have banned certain classes of Pesticides and herbicides for lawn and garden use, the passing of such an ordinance will be a top priority for me next January.

b: The construction of wetlands that the Clean Water Partnership is doing is actually making a significantly major impact on water quality in the Lakes. The Partnership includes the Park Board, The City of Mpls, Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, and other jurisdictions. We have already completed a number of wetlands including the west side of Cedar Lake and the SW corner of Calhoun. Currently under construction are three holding ponds (read wetlands) at Nokomis. This summer Powderhorn Lake will get Grit Chambers and some shoreline modifications and plantings along with other actions that will greatly enhance the quality of water in our dirtiest lake. In addition, the Park Board has build, and continues to build in small unnoticed wetlands and swales in its renovation projects. Oh, I forgot to mention that two new wet lands are going in this summer at Lake of the Isles. In addition, new ordinances that require the treating of storm water on site is slowly, but surely, making an impact on water quality. Both City and Park Board staff have a good grip on this issue and it just remains to be seen if we continue to elect public officials that will continue to push this agenda.

3. What is/has been your stance on the Hwy 55 re-route, and its impact on the urban forest, wildlife habitat and on Minnehaha Park?

a: I led the charge, on the Park Board, to stop the Hwy 55 from going through Minnehaha Park and the largest urban old growth Oak Savannah. Obviously, I failed to stop it. I was one of 3 commissioners to vote to not transfer the land to MN-Dot for the Project. I spoke at several large meetings against this project and I spend a great deal of time working with the protesters and taking their concerns to the Board. Both of my sons, with my blessing, have been arrested in connection with this project.

4. The Kondirator. Should the city have paid off American Iron & Supply for the inconvenience of delaying approval of its metal shredder?

a: This is the wrong question. Should we have a City council that is not asleep at the switch and see these things coming in the first place? Anybody with a lick of sense should have seen this coming. The mistakes were made long before the court ordered the payments to American Iron were

on the radar screen.

5. Green purchasing policies. Should the city buy recycled-based materials? What else can the city do to encourage waste reduction, re-use and recycling?

a: Yes. We actually have a pretty good recycling program that can get better. The Green Institute has a deconstruction program that goes into buildings a salvages tons of materials before the building comes down. We can learn from this and through tax or permit make this type of action mandatory or at least much more widely used. I would like to see a tax on excess packaging. Even it did not hold up in court, it would get a good discussion going. But, manufacturers need to account for the end use or disposition of their products, and if things are going to end up in the landfill, then the manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer must be held responsible for the cost.

6. Solid waste, landfilling vs. incineration. What do you see as the future of the downtown garbage burner? Was the building of the garbage burner a solution or a further part of the problem?

a: Good Question. I don't know the answer. Of course the real answer is to reduce the amount of solid waste. In fact we need to begin thinking in terms of zero garbage, only resources. Old newspapers are garbage? No, they are a resource. We are talking of a project in the Hi-Lake area of using the waste heat from Bituminous Roadways and Smith Foundry and using it to heat surrounding buildings, such as the Hi-Lake shopping center and the YWCA. The downtown burner does provide heat to downtown businesses.

7. Air quality issues. What can we do to improve air quality?

a: Fewer cars. Hybrid electric busses. Cleaner factories. More public transit. More Bike routes -- I mean real bike routes, not a painted line on a street -- although, that does help some.

8. Auto congestion and transit. What can we do to reduce dependence on the automobile, and reduce the burning of fossil fuels. Are we going in the right direction with LRT? Shouldn't PRT (personal rapid transit) also be considered?

a: We have made a big mistake in segregating housing from business from industry. If we allowed and encouraged businesses out of garages and backyards and basements it would. i) Keep more eyes on the block to reduce crime and truancy. ii) Reduce the number of commuters causing street congestion

and air pollution. iii) Reduce the number of buildings needed. iv) Encourage more community building.

b: We are on the right track with LRT. PRT should be build as a downtown or U of M people mover. If either of these was built and worked well, lines could easily be extended as obvious new needs arise.

>>9. Mention other issues that you wish to highlight. Include campaign literature that illustrates

a: This city has no energy policy. You might have noticed that the communities in California not affected by the recent problems are those with municipally owned utilities. The city should be thinking about establishing a Municipal Electrical Utility. We should look to a policy of buying more wind-generated electricity. We should build wind chargers. We should tax coal and nuclear power to subsidies solar voltaic and require every home or new home, including apartment buildings, have some solar voltaic on them as a supplemental source of power.

So far we don't have any paper literature. Our website is only just being born at zimmerperson.org

Dean Zimmermann

Commissioner District 3

Mpls Park and Recreation Board

Candidate for Mpls City Council, Ward 6

612-722-8768

deanzimm@wavetech.net