Finding a Green Way to Govern

Much of the most recent discourse about the proposed Conservation District ordinance I am bringing forward has turned into a pro-density vs. anti-density debate. While I can see why and how this has happened, and how in some instances a Conservation District could be used to protect a less dense area, it doesn’t reflect my intentions. I am a strong advocate of smart growth and increasing density in the urban core especially where there are walkable communities, connections to the cultural, commercial, recreational and natural amenities people appreciate and when it is located on, or near, transit corridors. It is, in large part, because I am convinced that having the Conservation District tool available will help ensure the harmonious, efficient and successful growth of greater density in our city that I am bringing it forward and have been working on it for over a year. Because of the recent discourse and because I want people to better understand and carefully consider ways ...

I am very excited about the new Health, Environment and Community Engagement committee that I will be chairing this term. The Committee is roughly based on the Health Energy and Environment Committee I vice chaired my first term.  I also vice chairs both the Publ and a Health Energy and Regulatory Services Committee I vice chaired my second term. Joining me on the committee will be Council Members Andrew Johnson (who will vice chair), Lisa Bender, Alondra Cano, Jacob Frey and Elizabeth Glidden. This term, the committee will oversee the work of a strengthened and larger Health Department which took on some functions from the Regulatory Services restructuring the Council did last year.  The key components of the Health department include: Food Safety, Lodging and Pools Healthy and Safe Children and Youth Healthy Sexuality Healthy Seniors Environmental Services Healthy Homes and Lead Control Healthy Living Public Health emergency preparedness. The He...

Because I have changed my City Council Committee assignments and will now be serving on the Transportation and Public Works committee (which meets on Tuesday mornings), I have had to find a new time to hold my "office hours in the ward."  Because the boundaries of the ward also changed due to redistricting and one of my locations, the Hard Times Cafe, was no longer in the ward and the new ward two stretches much further south, I felt the need to also adjust one of my locations.  While I have greatly enjoyed and appreciated my monthly visits at both the Hard Times and the Birchwood Cafe, after much deliberation, I have decided to change locations.  I have decided to relocate my West Bank location to the Nabo Cafe located in the new second ward on the Augsburg campus.  I am hoping that this will also be convenient to the University and to Seward residents.  I have decided to move my Seward/Cooper location from the Birchwood Cafe to the Bl...

Minneapolis and St. Paul have together been named the healthiest city  in the US by the  American College of Sports Medicine's American Fitness Index .  Some of the assets of our community are things that I'm working within the City to improve: the number of bicyclists per capita and access to healthy foods.  We also get points for having more parks per square mile than most other cities.