Fridley Pedestrian Tunnel at the Northstar Commuter Rail Station

Met Council recently shut down the Northstar Commuter Rail Line on East River Road. While originally built for rail commuters, this tunnel has been used daily by the broader community: most notably from east to west as a safe route to walk their children to Stevenson Elementary or from the west to east to access critical resources like grocery stores. The City of Fridley is currently deciding the future of the pedestrian tunnel which connects East River Road to the rest of the community. Maintaining and securing this space or building a safe alternative will be a priority for me. The residents who rely on it every day should be central to that conversation.

I have spent years networking thoughtfully with businesses, government agencies, non-profits, and individuals. My most valuable asset will be to deliver existing relationships, create and maintain new relationships, and bridge gaps that might otherwise slow progress. I meet people with genuine curiosity to understand their roles and objectives and strive to be a good partner not only to individuals but groups as well. 

All of this coupled with deep seated integrity, positions me to operate in a web of authentic relationships and positive coalitions that strengthen my effectiveness to move important, community-centric work forward as a councilmember. 

Owning a home should be within reach for individuals that desire to do so. Rising home prices, utility costs, property taxes, and competition with large, corporate, cash-wielding investors are making homeownership near impossible. 

As a realtor, I have unique knowledge and experience that will help me tackle these challenges. Expanding and promoting down payment assistance programs, exploring emergency repair support, providing financial literacy education opportunities, and preventing large corporate investors from gobbling up our single family homes will be central to my term in office. I want to make sure more individuals and families are achieving their dreams.

There are a large number of individuals and families that prefer a multi-family living setting. They are an important part of our community and are welcomed in Fridley. If the time comes to bring additional multi-family residences to Fridley, we need to do it differently than in the past by attracting developers with intention and realistic guardrails.

A student’s success in the classroom depends on how we treat children in school, around school, and about school. Children need to feel whole and respected in order to learn. When any one of those is lacking, children cannot focus on lessons, complete tasks, or engage meaningfully with others. 

Bridging gaps to build and maintain strong relationships with district staff, educators, and the broader community will play a large part in my role as a councilmember. Additionally, our city priorities and policies need to have a strong emphasis on how they affect our students and their families.