faith for osseo Mayor

Proposed Plans

Budget/Ongoing Projects

One of the first things I would like to do upon becoming Mayor is the most realistic: take stock of everything that is an ongoing project in our city. Once we have that ascertained, we can halt whatever is not immediately necessary/contractually required to continue going forward. This gives an opportunity to reevaluate if it is something we want to spend money on, how we can triage the projects to be most beneficial to residents, and rid of those that we can agree on as frivolous if any.

The realistic thing about it is as much as we know on the outside, I do not think we know half of what goes on, on the inside. So, I do not want to make full forecast projections and promises based off what may be less than accurate information. I am dedicated to this community and additionally to not letting my mouth write checks that my [you know] can’t cash. Just know that I will do everything I can to not make life more expensive here because I want to keep living here, too.

Budget expenditures, revenue projections, and tax levies should be reviewed by the proper city staff who have the correct background and training to do so. This is where you would find the line-item savings, adjustments, etc., that are eventually brought to Council after a thorough review. City employees being properly suited to their roles is part of safeguarding our residents against preventable oversights and costly mistakes.

I was unaware of how much our city utilizes third-party contractors until I got someone else’s water bill and realized through a penalty fee that I had never gotten mine for the last quarter. When I called city hall, I found out that our bills are stuffed and mailed by a third-party contractor. I think we can find a way back to doing this ourselves among other things.

Budgeting for the right city staff to be in place is essential. In order to even begin the process on this, I plan to audit and realign staff job descriptions and expectations to match community needs.

Pavers

 A very important project to me (and many in the community who are elders or differently abled) is getting the pavers fixed on Central. I understand there are work schedules that these things are usually done on by Code, however, I want to go back to the contracts, see about any guarantees/warrantees on the work. If it’s not covered in any other way, then I would help represent Osseo to go to legislation or whoever and ask for a grant to get our central sidewalks fixed! They are a danger to our residents and guests, and they are a liability to the City.

Future Planning

I would like to work our way back to having a city planner on staff. This will help to have someone much more familiar with our community when looking at the 2060 planning that is coming up. We need realistic and purposeful plans with long-term thinking for the future generations of Osseo.

Additionally, having a city planner back on staff helps the community as well for quicker check-ins on variances for zoning and other related questions. An Osseo specific city planner can be a wealth of knowledge versus waiting several business days for a contracted planner to research and come back with an answer at a later time, every time.

We have made it 151 years now, let’s shoot for 151 more. This will take community input, expert input, and time. All three of these are very important so we do not rush a decision and regret the direction later.

For the Kids

I have been a kid in Osseo, now I’m a mom with my kid growing up in Osseo. It does not seem much has changed for opportunity or activities. Here are some of my ideas that I think will make a huge difference to the quality of life in Osseo and an investment in the future of its people.

Did you know as of 2024, only 49.5% of students in Minnesota are meeting grade-level reading standards and worse yet, 54% of third graders do not meet grade-level reading?

I would like to start some literacy initiatives for the young people here in two parts.

(1) Council Kids Book Club

This will be a book club where kids take turns selecting books for themselves and Council to read then discuss together on a regular basis. We will cap the reading level so it is inclusive to readers by ability rather than by age which can become more exclusive when not everyone is at the same reading level just because they are in the same grade.

These meetings will be an excellent opportunity to work on multiple skills in addition to reading, like social skills, the skill of summarizing information, and the skill it takes to explain your interpretation of what the book meant to you. These are fleeting skills in the day and age of hyper-technology and A.I. everything. Let’s get our kids reading, talking, thinking, and socializing.

(2) Reading Rewards Program

Much like what you think of with Pizza Hut back in the day, I want City Hall to incentivize kids’ reading. I would work with Council to find a local business to partner for reading rewards for the more books kids complete, that they may get a treat or something special from their store. That way this does not become something we budget for, but that we all benefit from. Investing in the future starts with investing in our kids! AND to be clear, when I say “our” kids, I mean as a community, we are all responsible for the future generations. So, let’s do everything we can for them!

Another important venture, as always, is the arts. From classes to city projects, we can find ways to get kids involved in art programming. In a study by the National Endowment of the Arts, they found that “[p]articipation in out-of-school arts activities was positively correlated with many social-emotional attributes and academic outcomes for children from kindergarten through fifth grade.“.  I would like to find grants that support this investment into the children of our community and their future which is ultimately an investment into the future of Osseo.

Finally, the other thing I would love to see for the kids is an opportunity to get more involved in civics. I am inspired by a nine-year-old I recently met. She told me she likes to go to City Council meetings, but then she gets bored (and hey I can’t blame her). This got me thinking how what we do can be done at a level where kids can voice their concerns to one another and then to us, City Council.

Whether this comes by kids self-selecting or electing their own representatives for age groups (in a fun way, not at the general election) that get together to be a “kids’ council”, or if it is simply planning an opportunity for a “kids townhall” – I think that would be a wonderful opportunity to hear things from their point of view. They see issues here that adults often overlook or may not even think about. Also, importantly, kids have great ideas. I want to hear them. Maybe I can’t get the town on board with a chocolate fountain, but I am certain there is something we can all largely agree upon.

Additionally, there is also an opportunity to build relationships with District 279 for opportunities to do mock City Council meetings, where they can learn the process and how everything works. Another great thing our community can provide for the future generations in the here and now. The Youth Coordinator of Osseo would help lead this programming.

For the Seniors and Elders

I would like to develop a program for reaching out to elders in our community that are still living in their homes and who may need a bit of assistance with the things we “have to” do outside our homes. Whether that is to mow the lawn, trim their tree, or pick up their mail – if these tasks can be assisted with, elders may be able to stay independent and in their homes longer than without it. I find great value in keeping our residents here with confidence as long as possible, or as long as they want to be without feeling their back is to the wall because they cannot seem to clear the sidewalk anymore. The intention of this program would also have outreach for those who are differently abled either permanently or temporarily. This program may be built of volunteers or incorporated into Public Works. I would hope to find a grant for this so we do not help them in one way, but hurt in another, by upping the taxes on someone who is likely on a fixed income.

I want to continue to increase senior activities in the Community Center and throughout the town. Using the senior coordinator, we can begin to implement more programming like art, computer/technology lessons (like online safety), and more. For programs like art, something unique but empowering we can do is intergenerational classes. This is good for everybody! We all have things to learn and to teach. Let’s make the most of one another while we are here together!

Art does not need to be limited to drawing and paint, this can be theater or choir, too. The arts for seniors continues to be researched for links to benefits such as improving cognitive function and memory and improving self-esteem and well-being. And additionally, the potential links of how music can be used to reduce behavioral symptoms of dementia, such as stress, aggression, agitation, and apathy, as well as promoting social interaction, which has multiple psychosocial benefits. Supporting our seniors and elders is helpful to them and everyone in our community.