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| Vote Falcon Heights |
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| Written by Dave Healy | ||||||
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On Nov. 3, Falcon Heights voters will elect two City Council members. The three candidates for office were asked to respond to this question: What are the most important issues facing Falcon Heights, and what qualifications and ideas would you bring to those issues?
Keith Gosline 1969 Summer St. 492-3477 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it www.keithforfalconheights.com
Please visit my Web site at www.keithforfalconheights.com for more information on my three points of action which our city can benefit from now and for many years to come:
Preparation. Our council has a goal for 2010 to protect the public health. A Prepared Emergency Response Kits project (P.E.R.K.) is an initiative that will help. Using the checklist provided by the state of Minnesota (http://www.codeready.org/getprepared.cfm), we can save our community and country time and money while providing revenue for our city.
Prevention. Taking responsibility for our health reduces health care costs. Our city has a rental facility that can host nutrition and exercise classes. Our city should provide flu shots, wellness checks and car seat safety checks at a low or no cost. These initiatives may generate additional revenue for the city.
Progress. We need to move forward with creative, long-term and environmentally secure revenue-generating sources. One way to do so is to incentivize businesses to come here. One type of business we want is a grocery store. I will work to bring an organic, locally farmed and raised, co-op grocery store to our city. This will increase our city’s tax base over the long-term.
I have owned and operated a healthcare corporation since 1997. My background is in accounting, health and wellness, post-secondary school administration and management. My curriculum vitae is available at www.pfswellness.com. Please vote for Keith Gosline on November 3rd! Thank you.
Pam Harris 1865 Snelling Ave. N. 645-33189 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
The most important issue for Falcon Heights continues to be the challenge of maintaining our excellent city services while balancing the budget. We are faced with annual increases in our contract for police services (about one-third of the general fund budget) and significant decreases in local government aid funding in 2008, 2009 and projected for 2010. As always, two-thirds of our land is owned by nontaxpayers.
I am finishing four years of service on our City Council, which has succeeded in meeting these challenges through good ideas from our residents, hard work by our staff, the use of 19 cooperative agreements and grant funding. In February 2009, the Star Tribune labeled Falcon Heights the second-least expensive city in Minnesota, based on city government cost per resident.
During my term we have also sponsored initiatives to promote open, accessible government, making ordinances and sign-ups for city programs available online, using stimulus dollars to archive records and place them online, and implementing our resident public safety e-mail service.
I am also proud of our innovative environmental initiatives, including the community garden, the permeable pavement and rain gardens at City Hall, our rain barrel program and numerous efforts to make the city more pedestrian friendly.
An 18-year resident of the city, I hope to assist the city in continuing on this thoughtful path. Besides serving on the council, I have been a member of the city planning, human rights and parks commissions. Professionally, I have practiced employment law for 31 years.
Melanie Leehy 1547 Idaho Ave. W. 646-8113 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
If you’re hoping for a council member who will listen and serve, please vote for me. As a four-year Falcon Heights resident, I quickly came to love this fine city and its residents. For three years I’ve served as a neighborhood commissioner and am now co-chair. I was also privileged to work at City Hall for almost two years.
I believe we are postured to be a model city with caring communities. However, we have the unique challenge of the State Fair grounds and U of M making up more than 60 percent of our land, yet without contributing to our city’s revenues. It is vital that their activities and plans for land use flow with our needs. Knowing that our 2009 LGA has been cut $46,786, with plans for a $107,953 cut in 2010, means we must be wise with our budgeting.
I believe that my 25-plus years of experience as an entrepreneur with nonprofits, public organizations and banking prepare me for these challenges.
I’m committed to strengthening our sense of community, increasing inter-generational relationships, supporting our seniors, maintaining fiscal responsibility and promoting stewardship of the environment.
With this in mind I intend to increase relationships with U of M staff and our legislators. I want to create bridges of opportunity between our children and university students. It’s important that they’re aware of our city’s strengths, concerns and their need for us.
If I can answer any other questions for you, please do not hesitate to contact me.
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