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 anyone who wants it. Rising home prices, utility costs, property taxes, and competition from large corporate cash investors are making that dream harder to reach every year. As a realtor with nearly two decades of experience, I bring firsthand knowledge to this fight. As your council member, I'll prioritize expanding and promoting down payment assistance programs, greater promotion of Fridley’s emergency repair support, offering financial literacy education, and pushing back against corporate investors buying up our single-family homes. Every family in Fridley deserves a real shot at homeownership.

Not everyone is looking to buy, and that's okay. Many individuals and families prefer multi-family living, and they're a valued part of our community. If Fridley brings additional multi-family housing in the future, we need to do it differently than in the past: attracting developers with intention and holding them to realistic guardrails that serve residents first.

And homeownership isn't the whole picture. Renters deserve safe, secure housing and a local government that shows up for them, not just at election time. That means:

• Listening sessions with renters and property managers to catch concerns early

• Know-your-rights outreach, so tenants understand the protections already available to them

• Partnering with landlords and housing nonprofits to promote safe, well-maintained housing and quick responses to code issues

• Connecting renters to existing resources, from emergency repair assistance to tenant support hotlines

Whether you own, rent, or live in a multi-family home, you're a neighbor and Fridley's housing future should work for all of us.

As a former teacher, I know firsthand that 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 pieces is missing, they can't focus on lessons, complete tasks, or engage meaningfully with others.

That understanding will shape how I show up as your councilmember. I will:

• Hold regular check-ins with each district serving Fridley; not just when a crisis arises, to hear directly from staff and educators about what students and families need.

• Bring a student-and-family lens to every council decision, asking explicitly how proposed policies and budget priorities will affect kids and the households raising them.

• Create consistent channels for families and educators to reach City Hall, so concerns about schools don't have to wait for an election cycle to be heard.

• Champion more outdoor and hands-on learning opportunities by connecting each district's programming with city parks, recreation, and community spaces.

• Push for greater transparency between the school board and the City Council, so the two bodies are working from the same information instead of in silos.

Bridging these gaps and building lasting relationships with each district's staff, educators, and the broader community will be a cornerstone of my work on the Council. Open, ongoing communication is how we move Fridley Forward; for our students, our families, and our schools.

We are entering a new era of technology development, one where systems like automated license plate readers (ALPRs) are advancing faster than communities can build the policies needed to protect everyday residents. Flock and Axon are mentioned most frequently. Flock especially, marketed itself very aggressively to law enforcement entities across Minnesota.

These specialty cameras have become a growing concern as more details surface about how the data they collect is used and shared. The July 20, 2026 article in the Star Tribune found that federal immigration authorities had a pathway to information collected through Minnesota's Flock network, even though state law restricts how that data can be shared. Even with Minnesota's stronger data protections, there's still far too much room for this unconstitutional surveillance to be shared with entities that have no direct connection to Fridley.

The disconnect between local governments comes up frequently in conversations with residents. One thing has come through clearly: residents don’t support these systems. At a very minimum we owe it to our residents to further research with experts that have a counterperspective to the ‘we can’t solve crimes without this technology’ opinion.

On larger businesses: Fridley can't keep doing what it’s always done and expect different results. I keep hearing from staff and council leadership that the market decides who does business here, and to a point, that's true. But there's more we can do on both recruitment and retention. On recruitment, I'll push for professional consultation: what have other similar inner-ring cities, in Minnesota and beyond, tried? What's worked, and what hasn't? On retention, it comes down to relationships. Staff need to foster genuine relationships with our business community and authentically care about their success; knowing regularly what's going well, what isn't, who's coming, who's going, and why. That same relationship-building needs to extend to our commercial real estate professionals and developers, across every sector. Not just multi-family, but industrial, residential, and office too.

On small business: We've watched dozens of small businesses come and go over the years, and starting one today means sorting out countless details right from the start. The city currently offers a resource page for business owners, but I want to go further. In 2027, I want to launch a Business Mentorship Program connecting new and aspiring small business owners with established Fridley owners who've already walked that road; I've already recruited several local business owners eager to serve as mentors. I want the whole community invested in each new business's success. What sets this program apart from existing resources is its heart: this is Fridley residents helping Fridley residents, built on the kind of local, personal connection that only comes from neighbors investing in neighbors.

As a lifelong nature conservationist, I'm always looking for ways to use our resources more sustainably. We need to build systems that make it easy for everyone to participate. As our climate shifts, that means finding ways to cut back on chemical use, protect our tree canopy, and make sure the wildlife we share this area with continues to thrive.

There is a way for local businesses to join Fridley's Organics Recycling program. I participate in this program myself, and I love seeing how much waste is kept out of landfills. Knowing waste is put to good use reminds me that even small steps add up to a better waste system. 

Connecting our City staff with organizations built specifically to support conservation and sustainability work. Fridley sees a fair amount of construction, even as a landlocked, largely built-out city, and I want us to find thoughtful ways to minimize disruption to the ecosystem around us. 

Fridley needs a bigger push on cleaning up the land and water in the Superfund sites within our borders. Several of these cleanup projects are moving slowly or lack the funding needed to progress at the pace our community deserves.