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Albert Lea Mayor

Ryon McCamish

Q: What is the top issue facing Albert Lea, and what suggestions do you have for solving it? 

Stagnation. Albert Lea has had growth in a lot of areas in recent years, but the diversity of that growth has changed. In order to attract and retain younger individuals and families, we need to diversify our job market, offer new events and year-round activities, update our current amenities, and lacking in critical services like mental health and those who need additional care or support. We can get the city moving forward by offering a full step-by-step program to residents who want to start up a business in sectors people are looking for, have more community brainstorming sessions to see what activities and events people want to enjoy, and look at what unique amenities other communities are offering to their residents. For critical services, there is no easy answer for this. Every rural community is struggling with getting and maintaining these and would take a team effort with the state and county. If Albert Lea doesn’t start modernizing things, we’ll be left behind.

 

Q: What are some of the things that you’d like to accomplish by the end of your term if elected?

Ultimately, my biggest goal I would like to accomplish is seeing Albert Lea become a better community for all. More specific goals are to lower the cost of our housing market, make Albert Lea a place people want to visit and make Albert Lea a marketable community to new businesses and residents.

 

Q: What are your greatest assets to bring to the City Council?

I feel that some of my greatest assets are that I’m personable, have an extensive marketing background and a forward thinker. I’m able to have civil conversations with anyone, I really enjoy thinking outside the box and working toward a better and stable future.

 

Q: What are some things you think the city does well at and should continue?

Albert Lea does really great job at highlighting and maintaining all our outdoor spaces for everyone to enjoy. We have so many activities that puts someone in nature, that it’s impossible to get tired of the same thing. We’re also really good, as a community, at offering up suggestions and help when people ask for it.

 

Q: What are some things you think the city needs to improve on or change? What are your suggestions to improve those?

We have got to change the overall attitude and temperature of the city. So many residents only have negative things to say about our community and government, that it drives potential new residents and businesses away. Albert Lea isn’t that bad of a city; we have a lot of good things that outweigh the bad. And if more people would at least watch the city council meetings, they would see that our elected officials and decision makers truly do care about this city and its people. I feel the only way to change the attitude of residents is for more transparency across all city branches. Drop a teaser to a new business coming to town or have Q&A sessions with our police and fire personnel or hold community town hall meetings discussing updates and taking questions. We just need to do everything we can to keep our residents properly informed and change the overall attitude of our great community.

 

Q: What do you think the city can do to further market the community to new and expanding businesses?  

I think we need to think outside the box for once. We need to create an entirely new and modern marketing plan that talks the city up. Promo videos, videos and landing pages highlighting land or buildings for sale, openly discuss available incentives, a “How to start a business in Albert Lea” guide, highlight what we have to offer their employees, anything that catches the eye of a potential business. Albert Lea still has plenty to offer; we just need to tap into it more.

 

Rich Murray

Q: What is the top issue facing Albert Lea, and what suggestions do you have for solving it? 

I believe one of the top issues facing the city of Albert Lea over the next several years will be the replacement of our wastewater treatment plant. We’re already faced with an aging plant that would cost somewhere in the range of $30 million to update. Then the MPCA come out and told us that we need to lower the phosphorus level on water coming out of the plant. This has doubled the cost, and inflation is making the cost go even higher. This would be a huge capital outlay for the city of Albert Lea. One that we cannot afford! Over the next several years we are going to be working on securing grants through the state of Minnesota while at the same time looking into federal grants and trying to figure out how we can finance the update of this infrastructure. We cannot place this huge burden on the residents of the city of Albert Lea, and therefore will be seeking to line up and secure assistance through the state of Minnesota to help with the replacement costs of our wastewater treatment plant.

 

Q: What are some of the things that you’d like to accomplish by the end of your term if elected?  

I would like to see growth in a number of areas within this community. I’m looking for growth in our housing stock through building both apartments and individual housing within the community. This is a huge issue as we talk to employers around the community. They can’t find enough good housing for their employees. I would like to see some population growth over the next few years in the city of Albert Lea, which we can achieve by growing the number of jobs within the community and by getting the story out about how wonderful it is to live in the city of Albert Lea. We can share the lower cost of living, a low crime rate, good schools and all the things there are to do in Albert Lea. I would also like to continue our work with the county in finding ways to work together to reduce costs to operate city and county government.  Last, I would like to see our efforts continue with helping the Albert Lea High School and Riverland to provide job training and job opportunities right here in our community. We have started to see some growth in the community with both employers already in our community and with the addition of a few new businesses over the past couple years. We have a great group of businesses within this community, and as we have visited with a number of them, we see some real good growth opportunities. Now we have to help find the employees, help with the training of those employees and develop more workforce housing to accommodate the growth.  

 

Q: What are your greatest assets to bring to the City Council?

I believe the greatest asset I can bring to the city is my experience.  Having served in the Minnesota Legislature and the City Council for the past six years, along with many years of serving on nonprofit and other boards within the community, I am ready day one to go to work! My work in the financial services field should also be of value as we try to balance budgets while faced with the highest inflation, we have seen in 40 years in this country. This is not going to be easy and will take a great deal of planning to achieve a balanced budget that doesn’t burden our citizens with a large tax increase. We will need to figure out how we can continue to offer the services we do within the community while not breaking the bank. I am very hands-on and will be a big promoter of the businesses within the community and Albert Lea in general. I like working with people within the community to solve issues and am very open to input from others. My only agenda is helping our city grow and continuing to do the things that make our citizens proud to live here. 

 

Q: What are some things you think the city does well at and should continue?

I think the city does a nice job of keeping our parks and trails well maintained so that the residents and visitors to the city can enjoy the abundant recreational areas. We have over 40 parks in the community, along with walking and biking trails around Fountain Lake, which provide our citizens with a wide variety of things to do. Our roads are well maintained, and the city does a nice job of keeping them clean. We have done a great deal of work on our downtown over the past several years, and our community can enjoy it when shopping, attending Wind Down Wednesdays, Thursdays on Fountain, car shows, Eddie Cochran weekend along with many other festivals and events. All these activities take a great deal of work provided by the CVB, Main Street and city of Albert Lea employees, along with a great group of volunteers. We are never lacking for things to do here in Albert Lea, and more activities are being added each year.

That doesn’t mean we should stop creating new activities or evaluating the ones we already offer, so I will be seeking your input as we look to the future.

 

Q: What are some things you think the city needs to improve on or change? What are your suggestions to improve those?

I think the biggest thing the city can do to improve our community is to find ways to help develop new housing and to find ways to help fix houses in need of renovation. As I walk, run or drive around the community I see a large number of houses in need of repairs, whether that be fixing basement walls, siding, windows or just painting. We have to take better care of the housing we have so we can avoid having to tear more houses down. Every time we have to tear down a house because it can’t be fixed it costs the city and therefore you the taxpayer $20,000-$30,000. Then we sit with a vacant lot that doesn’t have much value. If we can figure out ways to fix these homes up before they get to the stage of being condemned, we will all be better off with more housing available and tax savings from not having to tear a home down. We have a beautiful community, and this is just one more thing we have to do to make sure it stays that way. When people visit Albert Lea or prospective employers look us over, we want to show them our best side so they will want to move here or bring their business to Albert Lea.

 

Q: What do you think the city can do to further market the community to new and expanding businesses?  

I believe there are a number of ways we can market the community to new businesses and help business already here expand. Over the past year and a half, the Albert Lea Economic Development Director Phillip Johnson and I have visited with many of the current businesses within our community. We ask them how they are doing; we thank them for being part of the community, and we inquire about their plans for growth and any obstacles they are running into that are hindering that growth. I believe the greatest growth of jobs we can achieve going forward will not only happen with the new businesses we have helped start here over the past couple years but will also happen with our current employers adding jobs. We have had a number of employers tell us they could add 2, 5 or even 10 or more new jobs at their companies. The challenges they face in doing so include finding employees, housing for those employees, education and training, and childcare. These are the important challenges that our employers face that we must find a way to solve if we are going to grow this community in a meaningful way. I look forward to helping our employers succeed, and I know we have the where with all to do it. All of us will need to help, so I look to you for some of the answers to solve these issues going forward. Albert Lea can be a great city, a shining star in southern Minnesota, if we all work together to make it happen.

Let’s GROW Albert Lea!

 

Ward 1

Rachel A.B. Christensen 

Q: What is the top issue facing Albert Lea, and what suggestions do you have for solving it? 

The issue of most concern depends upon who you are. Young people and families who are just getting established need good paying jobs and affordable housing. Many struggle with and are concerned about addiction and mental health and of course the deadly drugs like fentanyl. Particularly those on a fixed income but we are all concerned about the rising cost of living including taxes. These are all important issues, and I believe that as citizens we need to become engaged and empowered to help our city address its challenges. We need to step up, speak out, and take action. 

As councilor for Ward 1, I would focus my attention on the efficient use of our tax dollars and promoting and growing Albert Lea. This would require a multi-pronged approach. In order to reduce the tax burden on the citizens, we must have more commercial properties and residences. To attract more people to our city, we need more housing. Our beautiful Albert Lea has so many wonderful attributes, we need to become better at telling our story! 

 

Q: What are some of the things that you’d like to accomplish by the end of your term if elected? 

Generally speaking, I’d like to see better communication and cooperation between the many stakeholders of the community. Various departments of the city and county, school board, law enforcement, social services, faith community, business community and Chamber of Commerces and the citizens of Albert Lea must talk and work together. 

More specifically, I’d like to focus on the budget and finance of the city to ensure that Albert Lea retains strong reserves and favorable bond ratings. Additionally, I’d love to see our community re-invigorate the Blue Zones programs in Albert Lea! 

 

Q: What are your greatest assets to bring to the City Council? 

My many years spent as a business banker and business developer/owner/manager has given me a great amount of experience with business and management skills. My goal would be to “ACE IT” to keep city government Accountable, Creative, Efficient with Integrity and using Teamwork. I prefer to listen than talk and if elected, look forward to being a representative of my ward. 

 

Q: What are some things you think the city does well at and should continue?

Albert Lea is a well run city. Our infrastructure is sound and continuously being maintained. We maintain and invest in our public spaces like our parks, ball fields, trails and trees. And certainly we have a very active events calendar. It seems there is always a festival or celebration in the works! 

 

Q: What do you think the city needs to improve on or change? What are your suggestions to improve those? 

Deserved or not, the city does get negative comments about its responsiveness to its citizens. I think it is important that communications to city staff or elected officials should be acknowledged. This does not imply agreement or any commitment of action; just an acknowledgement that someone took the time to reach out and express an idea, thought or concern. 

As a candidate, I have found it is difficult to go door-to-door asking people for thoughts or opinions. A suggestion would be for the wards to host periodic listening sessions so that people have an opportunity to share their thoughts and to discuss issues. It would also be a great way to meet our neighbors and build community. 

 

Q: What do you think the city can do to further market the community to new and expanding businesses? 

One of my key values is “creativity.” Certainly there are many creative people who are also savvy in marketing today who can be recruited to help with this initiative. I’d suggest we invite the citizens of Albert Lea to bring their best ideas and work together to promote and grow our beautiful city!

 

Nicholas Nesse

Form was not returned.

 

Ward 2

Larry Baker

Q: What is the top issue facing Albert Lea, and what suggestions do you have for solving it? 

The fact that in the next ten years at 40 million dollars or more will have to be spent to upgrade our wastewater treatment plant to attain the phosphorus level requirements the MN Pollution Control Agency has dictated to us and other Minnesota cities.

If Albert Lea is mandated to do this without financial help from the state the results would be disastrous for the community. In order to pay for the upgrade, property taxes would increase severely along with the water and sewer rates for everyone in the community. Businesses would be hit the hardest — especially the commercial and industrial companies. Companies that are heavy water users would be hit extremely hard — likely to the point where you could see them close or move out of Albert Lea.

If this were to happen, all the groundwork that has been laid to get Albert Lea to where it is today — a desirable place to start or expand businesses and a place where people want to live and visit — could be lost. I certainly hope this doesn’t happen, and I will work hard with the council and city staff to do everything possible to get help from the state for this project. I would encourage everyone to contact our state senator, representative and the governor’s office to express your concerns as to what could happen to our community if the state does not provide financial assistance to help pay for this mandate from the MPCA.

 

Q: What are some of the things that you’d like to accomplish by the end of your term if elected?  

The joint powers agreement the city has with the county has afforded Albert Lea an opportunity to develop more trails within the city limits. This will help with more connectivity within our community. Albert Lea became the first Blue Zone city in the U.S following a nine-month project in 2009. Adding new trails supports our Blue Zone status by helping us to become a healthier and more connected city. I am currently part a group that is working on the extension of the Blazing Star Trail. We are in the planning stages but hope to be ready soon so we can start executing the plan. We are planning next spring to clean the trail. 

I absolutely want to continue working to improve our existing housing stock and work to foster new and continue old relationships to keep moving Albert Lea closer to the vision we all have for this community.

 

Q: What are your greatest assets to bring to the City Council?

My greatest asset is my experience including 16 years on the City Council and 30 years in the building industry. This experience has given me the opportunity to meet and work with so many different types of people. Serving on the council is a lot like building a house; you work hard to build relationships, to build trust, to meet goals and fulfill aspirations as you create your vision of a great place to live.  

Experience has taught me that when making decisions of any kind I need to do my homework first in order to get a look at all sides of the issue and gain a clear and complete understanding of the issue at hand. I will talk to city staff and get their thoughts, and I try to talk to everyone who has a stake in what decision is ultimately made. I have found that for most people if you take the time to talk and listen and work through the process together, you build trust and mutual respect. Compromise comes a little more easily, and no matter what the outcome is, people are more accepting of it.  

The other assets I bring to the council relate to my character. I am honest, I work hard, I have a true passion for this community and genuinely care about the people who live here. Anyone that has gotten to know me or worked with me will tell you the same.

 

Q: What are some things you think the city does well at and should continue?

We do a great job of working with local companies that want to expand or companies that want to invest in starting new businesses here. The leadership in Albert Lea is committed to finding ways to make this a reality. We offer low-interest gap financing with partial loan forgiveness related to a given number of jobs for a specified time frame. Tax increment financing and matching grant funding is also offered for projects in qualified areas within the city.

The city is moving forward to address the housing shortage revealed by the recent housing study. Tax abatement is offered for housing assistance for new single family/duplex/multifamily units. Tax abatement is also offered for rehabilitation of existing properties. For dilapidated housing the city has gotten from tax forfeiture we are implementing a trial program. The city inspects these houses or buildings to determine which ones can be stabilized and makes the necessary repairs to stabilize the house. The aim is to get people to buy them and finish the rehabilitation to live in, rent out or resell, which would then get them back on the tax rolls. The alternative is that these houses are torn down at taxpayer expense. We currently have two stabilized properties that are in the process of being sold.

The city also does a good job of working along with groups throughout Albert Lea to be an all-inclusive community. We want everyone to feel welcome and a part of the community.

 

Q: What are some things you think the city needs to improve on or change? What are your suggestions to improve those?

I look at the city as a business that sells services and the people who live here as the customers who pay for these services. Looking at it this way, it is essential for the City Council and city staff to provide consistently good customer service in order for our city/business to thrive. We do a good job of providing good customer service in some areas, but there is definitely room for improvement. I would recommend the City Council and city staff complete a training course designed to develop and improve our skills in this area.

 

Q: What do you think the city can do to further market the community to new and expanding businesses?  

We need to continue the path that we are on. If along the way we need to make some adjustments, we can do that, but need to hold fast to our vision of who we what to be as a community and stay the course.

Over the years there have been different versions of our vision for Albert Lea that have been embraced such as “Growing the City in People and Jobs” and “Making Albert Lea a Destination City.” In the end, these all come back to the same thing — progress and growth. There are several key players in achieving this vision, including the Albert Lea Economic development Agency, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce, the city, the county and most of all, the citizens of Albert Lea. The best advertisement comes from the people who live in Albert Lea. Lets be a community that is welcoming, positive and be inclusive.

 

Brian Beasley 

Q: What is the top issue facing Albert Lea, and what suggestions do you have for solving it? 

The number one issue is growth. The city has grown zero percent in 20 years. The city infrastructure is still the same as 20 years ago, but the cost of operation still continues to rise. The city needs to look into studies and be transparent about what type of infrastructure is needed to bring manufacturers, retail and job opportunities. From there we need to create a team that reaches out to major corporations and manufacturers to tell them we want to earn their business!

 

Q: What are some of the things that you’d like to accomplish by the end of your term if elected?  

I would like to create better communication for residents to voice opinions, concerns and help decide what interests would benefit the community. I would like to come up with community meetings every few months so residents can help decide what direction our city should go in and add in their input. Also, I’d create a venue downtown with vibrant shows, arts and activities for the community as well as tourists venturing off the interstate. I would like to create a larger tax base, help the community with blight and beautification and provide the resources and vendors to help with the process. 

 

Q: What are your greatest assets to bring to the City Council?

Visionary, achiever, experience in management, business ownership, budgeting, grant writing, collaborating with teams to set goals, and I am a great listener to bring opinions forward to create solutions. Lastly I have what it takes to create a much needed change in Albert Lea. 

 

Q: What are some things you think the city does well at and should continue?

I think the city does well with keeping the city safe and quiet for raising a family. Today a lot of people are moving out of the metro for a safer environment. We have to make sure we keep our services intact to make it attractive for those looking to move into Albert Lea. Our schools do very well with keeping the youth involved in the community and connecting both groups of people. We should continue to do this if we want to attract younger audiences downtown. 

 

Q: What are some things you think the city needs to improve on or change? What are your suggestions to improve those?

We need to make an improvement on fostering new businesses and give them a faster route to resources and funding to help them grow and expand in the community. We need to engage with others outside to bring the new into our community that will be a fresh idea or something new that could create a new perspective. 

 

Q: What do you think the city can do to further market the community to new and expanding businesses?  

Albert Lea needs to hit the reset button on marketing. We have a grant platform to launch us to the new chapter. However, we can’t fail in how we launch. We need to collaborate as leaders and with downtown development and with the professionals in the area of marketing to showcase a new Albert Lea that is open for business and events.

 

Ward 4

Reid Olson

Q: What is the top issue facing Albert Lea, and what suggestions do you have for solving it? 

I believe the biggest issue facing Albert Lea is housing. We have a lack of options at all levels of our housing stock. We need everything from low-income, subsidized housing to high-dollar new construction houses. Homes have been selling quickly in the last few years, many to people moving here from larger communities. The city started a tax abatement program about five years ago to help incentivize new home construction. We need to continue this program to ensure we are getting our share of the regional new homes being built. We need to work with developers to help get housing to meet the demands for any new businesses looking at Albert Lea or existing businesses looking to expand. Recently developers have finished a large rental property, which is quickly filling up and another larger redevelopment in the Skyline Plaza should be done soon. The city needs to continue to partner with these large-scale housing units to sustain our population and encourage growth.  

 

Q: What are some of the things that you’d like to accomplish by the end of your term if elected?  

We recently started a housing rehabilitation program where the city is investing the money into repairing tax-forfeited properties instead of using the money to demolish these homes. By identifying the right properties to be saved, the city should be able to spend less to repair it and save a home than it would cost to be demolished. I would love to see this program flourish and continue to be in operation at the end of my term.

I would also like to see the continued revitalization of the downtown as that corridor continues to expand and grow. Revitalization of buildings will bring new spaces for small businesses and apartments. All of this is good for the growth of Albert Lea.  

 

Q: What are your greatest assets to bring to the City Council?

My greatest asset I bring to the City Council is my experience and knowledge of how city government operates. Over time you really get a good understanding of what your constituents are looking for and expecting from their local government. People are not shy about letting you know whether they like or dislike a decision or change, and this helps me be a representative voice for the betterment of Albert Lea.  

Another asset I have is my involvement and investment in the community. My wife and I were both born and raised in Albert Lea and are proud to be raising our family in the community we love. We have both been very involved in many community organizations through the years from city, church, school and our children’s extracurricular activities. Having three very active children it really helps you get out and be visible in the community.  

 

Q: What are some things you think the city does well at and should continue?

I believe that something the city does very well is collaborating and working with local groups and organizations to put on events around the community.  Examples of this would be working alongside the Chamber of Commerce to make sure all the logistics are in place for the 3rd and 4th of July celebration.  The city also works with the Convention and Visitors Bureau, who put on great events such as Wind Down Wednesday and Thursdays on Fountain. We are extremely lucky to have ACT on Broadway, who produces the plays at the city-owned Marion Ross theater. The city helps the Low Bucks Car Club, which hosts the Eddie Cochran weekend, by blocking off streets and making the event safe.  A major partnership can be seen between the city of Albert Lea and the youth hockey and baseball associations with facilities and tournaments that bring thousands of people to town each year. Bayside Ski Club hosts many shows as well as a major tournament at Edgewater Park in the summer. One of my favorite collaborations was when the city started working with a couple of pickle ball players who wanted to transform a set of tennis courts into pickle ball courts. This has been a huge success, and we continue to look for opportunities to increase this partnership. As you can see with all of these activities and groups that there is always something to do in the city of Albert Lea.

 

Q: What are some things you think the city needs to improve on or change? What are your suggestions to improve those?

Something the city needs to strive to do is provide the best customer service possible. All employees need to be mindful and diligent that they are being the best representatives of the city of Albert Lea. Whether it’s answering phone calls in an office, cutting trees or grass in a park, or answering questions at a city council level, we need to be respectful in our interactions with the public. 

 

Q: What do you think the city can do to further market the community to new and expanding businesses?  

The city has made great strides in the last couple of years, and I feel that the city needs to stay the course with what we have been doing. We have wonderful events that really showcase our city’s beauty. Two major additions to Albert Lea recently have been Design Ready Controls, which will be adding many high-skilled jobs to our community, and Vortex Freezer Warehouse, which is doing well and looking to expand already. In the last two years we have also seen the addition of several restaurants and eating establishments.  Jersey Mikes, Mocha and Mini, Al’s Burgers and Chicken, Scooter’s, and the reopening of Trumbles 2.0 are all welcomed additions to our community.  Patronizing local businesses is an important part of making our town appealing to new businesses.  

 

Sherri Rasmussen

Q: What is the top issue facing Albert Lea, and what suggestions do you have for solving it? 

It is my opinion that a major issue of our town is a lack of high-paying employment opportunities for our people (professional services like accountants, attorneys, engineers, computer programmers, medical professionals (how many doctors left Albert Lea when the hospital closed?), etc..  With the losses of Farmstead, Streaters, Bridon Cordage, the hospital, etc., many very good paying jobs were eliminated. I believe this has caused a ripple effect in our community through lessened disposable income. With less disposable income available, we have less money to put into the businesses we have, we become less attractive as a community to businesses looking for a location, we have less money to put into the real estate that we own, we start to lose more businesses, we are forced to go to other towns for goods and supplies that we used to buy here, and the cycle continues. Additionally, as people move away (the town had 19,418 people in 1970) and now has 18,588 residents (per 2020 census records), we lose taxes, income to support our businesses/community, and desirability for others to come (whether they be businesses or individuals). We need to keep growing and progressing, as many of our surrounding cities have done (i.e. Owatonna, Mason City). This may require providing incentives to companies but may be very necessary for us to have a thriving community that is healthy and growing.

 

Q: What are some of the things that you’d like to accomplish by the end of your term if elected?  

– Attract visitors to our area to help support our businesses through promotion of our lakes and parks

– Further beautify our town with more trees, flowers, upkeep of homes/businesses

– Work to continue to rebuild our downtown business district and mall areas by negotiating with options that are good long-term opportunities for us (how about a pharmacy downtown again?)

– Add high-paying jobs to the area by bringing opportunities in through networking and incentives

– Keep our taxes at affordable rates by increasing the tax base of residents

– Finally, I would like to see us develop a playground that will not only accommodate accessibility needs, but one that accommodates the parents as well!  How great would it be to be able to go down the slide with your little ones again? — or to swing together?  A few parents have talked with me about this, and I love the idea!  Let’s create an all-ages playground where Mom and Dad can turn back the clock for a bit and be kids with their kids on equipment that fits them properly, too.

 

Q: What are your greatest assets to bring to the City Council?  I have served on my church Board of Trustees, most recently as vice president, for many years as well as having worked in a professional capacity dealing with multi-million dollar budgets, many people and project management for the past 30 years. All these things have taught many of the skills necessary to be successful when involved in a city government. Beyond that, my greatest asset is that I truly care about what happens here. This is my hometown. I am back, and I want to help to improve it for all of us.

 

Q: What are some things you think the city does well at and should continue?

Although I am new back to town, I am pleased to see all the construction going on to make water/sewer and streets better. I’m especially pleased to see the Edgewater all-inclusive playground in the works. I think continuing to concentrate on these aspects of our city are very important and I am happy to see the progress and the updates!

 

Q: What are some things you think the city needs to improve on or change? What are your suggestions to improve those?

I have heard a lot of conversation from folks wanting more visibility to what is going on in city government before decisions are made. Again, I am new back here, but I would like to get involved to see if there is more information that could be presented sooner to the general public. If so, I would like to make those changes so that people feel heard, informed, and a part of our community.

 

Q: What do you think the city can do to further market the community to new and expanding businesses?  

We need to promote our assets — our lakes, our parks, our state park and our businesses. We need to get people fishing and keep them coming back. We need to get people hunting and skating and cross-country skiing (promote the trails!) — have contests, group events for skating and skiing, get the Fisherman’s Club re-invigorated, promote our campgrounds, have more events and contests (best lefse in town?!). Hey, other communities have CranFest — let’s have Lefse Fest! Let’s promote who we are and what we do here. We need to get people off I-90 and I-35 and get them into town. Maybe a few digital billboards that we can update with what’s going on this week in Albert Lea? If we bring people in and they start to fall in love, the businesses will follow. We need to promote, promote, promote. Let’s get signs on the freeways saying don’t pass Albert Lea (make it the next Wall Drug!). Let’s get signs all over promoting our community and our businesses. We need to remind folks why they should come here and get them to exit of the freeway or to drive in from Hayward. Let’s have a contest for the best pancake maker in town at the fire hall or one of our city buildings and let everyone vote? We might be surprised at the winner and may create a new business opportunity for someone!  

If we invite folks — they will come! Let’s start to ask! It sounds simple, but we need to take action.

 

Ward 6

Brian Anderson

Q: What is the top issue facing Albert Lea, and what suggestions do you have for solving it?

Albert Lea has many fiscal challenges on the horizon. I believe we need to find a way to meet these challenges without increasing property taxes on homeowners. And yes, that includes our wastewater treatment plant.

It is going to be difficult to balance our ongoing priorities while finding the money for these upgrades to the treatment plant. Many people are worried about their water bill skyrocketing in the future as a result of this. We can’t just assume the state will step in and save the day since they were the ones that made this upgrade necessary, but we still have to work towards that possibility with our other representatives.

Hard choices are going to have to be made. And we need a City Council prepared to make them.

 

Q: What are some of the things that you’d like to accomplish by the end of your term if elected?

When I knock on doors in Ward 6, many people have concerns but it is also wonderful to hear how many residents say some version of, “I really don’t have any issues, I love living here.”

I do, too. That is not to say Albert lea is without problems, but we are a great community. We have to be prepared to step forward and deal with each issue as it arises.

Campaign promises are often nothing more than platitudes. By the end of my first term, I would rather people think of me as having had their backs; that I hadn’t shied away from speaking up; that I hadn’t bent to the conventional opinion instead of doing what was best for the residents of Ward 6. I plan to listen and work with everyone to solve whatever issues come before the council in the future.

 

Q: What are your greatest assets to bring to the City Council?

My work experience has helped me greatly to see things from multiple perspectives. I have loaded trucks to make 5 a.m. grocery store deliveries, and I have sat at a desk with a tie, crunching numbers. I have even hired kids to do paper routes back when that was still the way people received this candidate information. From fast food, to car and home loans, to juggling several different businesses, I feel I have seen the issues we face from a lot of different angles.

I believe that each experience has something to teach us, and I am anxious to continue to learn.

I will keep an open mind about issues that come before the Council, and I want to be accessible so I can hear what the people of Ward 6 have to say about them.

 

Q: What are some things you think the city does well at and should continue?

The successes of our city begins with the people of Albert Lea. We the people make this city a great place to live. Some help organize events that the rest of us are able to enjoy. Others are members of organizations offering help where help is needed. Whatever our role, we all have something to contribute and I think Albert Lea has a great sense of community.

I hope that continues, but I also hope it improves over time as we keep solving our common problems, together.

 

Q: What are some things you think the city needs to improve on or change? What are your suggestions to improve those?

I would like to focus on transparency. A lot of people I talk to speak as if things are already decided long before the public has a chance to voice their concerns.

It is up to their representatives to prove that wrong. The only way they can do that is to build trust over time, so the community feels that their voices are being heard.

I want to be a part of that.

 

Q: What do you think the city can do to further market the community to new and expanding businesses?

Albert Lea is a jewel of a small city, and people love living here. With the backdrop of our picturesque downtown, parks, lakes and trails, I believe a proactive and enthusiastic council can go a long ways towards attracting the business we need.

There are obviously a lot of facets; however, to the decisions businesses make on whether to expand or build in Albert Lea. The ability to find workers, for those workers to find housing, our schools, stores, restaurants, public safety … there are so many things intertwined.

Albert Lea has a lot going for it. And I am confident we will find the opportunities that are right for us. We just need to keep working together so we are ready for them.

 

Nick Ronnenberg

Q: What is the top issue facing Albert Lea, and what suggestions do you have for solving it?

The biggest issue facing Albert Lea is how to continue to meet the needs of the people with our current rate of growth. Specifically in Ward 6, the taxes are literally becoming too much for the homeowners to bear. There are residents here who have actually sold their house to move to more tax friendly communities elsewhere in Minnesota. For the folks that have stayed, more than anything else, they feel that property tax is becoming unaffordable. Household budgets are already tight, and many residents are retired or on a fixed income. With the economy the way it is, our local residents, especially homeowners, are scared of rising costs and are looking for a light at the end of the tunnel. We can all spend less at the grocery store, or travel less to save on gas, but when it comes to the tax statement, options are very limited. One thing we can do is to continue to grow as a community and attract business to draw other people in. This is a multifaceted project, but as a representative of Ward 6 I am committed to not only advocating for continued growth but also to make sure we are in a position to not miss opportunities when they present themselves. Folks in our community look at other communities and see the growth they are having, and we need to be ready to hit a home run when the opportunity arises.

 

Q: What are some of the things you would like to accomplish by the end of your term if elected?

One of the main things I would like to accomplish is to mitigate the number of uncontrolled intersections. We have several in Ward 6, and folks have expressed a need for better traffic control. There are other needs like crime and drugs that will take a more collaborative effort. I promised Ward 6 improved safety, so I will do everything I can to see that through. Speed, in terms of driving too fast, blind curves and limited lighting are some of the biggest concerns I have heard in terms of neighborhood safety. I have firsthand experience for the effort it takes to mitigate traffic, so I know the effort it takes and what needs to be done to accomplish that.  

 

Q: What are your greatest assets to bring to City Council?

I bring leadership, communication and common sense to the council. I have served as a leader in both my military and civilian careers. I have proven ability to collaborate with multiple entities to find the best possible solutions with the greatest benefit. I have a commonsense approach to finances especially when it comes to other people’s money, namely the taxpayers. Especially now in our current economy, it is paramount to not just be cautious but to ensure we are making wise, calculated and necessary financial decisions and avoid frivolous spending. I am also an effective communicator. One of the biggest needs I have heard from the residents in Ward 6 is simple back and forth communication with community leaders. I know what it feels like to have your concerns ignored by local government. As the representative of Ward 6, I will make sure their voices will not go unheard by listening, understanding and having real, sometimes difficult conversations that are necessary to have, then follow through by reaching back to the residents to keep them informed. 

 

Q: What are some of the things the city does well and it should continue?

One of the best things the city of Albert Lea does well is host a lot of different community events and celebrate diversity. All throughout the year there is always a festival or celebration happening in Albert Lea. Whether it’s Wind Down Wednesday, Eddie Cochran Days, Thursdays on Fountain, Daisyfest, celebrating Mexican Independence Day or the Farmers Market, there is always something happening to bring folks out to celebrate and enjoy our community. We have an excellent community theater and there is always a show to see for all ages. I am also very proud of our green space. For the size of our community we have a lot of city parks and our very own state park. Our parks are clean, well lit and the city does an excellent job at maintaining them, not to mention the service clubs that contributed in ways like providing new playground equipment, and more. I applaud those efforts and we need to continue to do what we do best. 

 

Q: What are some things you think the city needs to improve or change? What are your suggestions to improve those?

One of the best things we can do to improve Albert Lea is to continue to grow. With growth comes opportunity. We need to stop the exodus, especially when it comes to our young adults, and attract new workers and families to our community. We need to work with our workforce partners to keep young talent in our community and become a place where people will want to come here and establish roots. As we grow, we will have more opportunities for our residents right here in town. Right now, a lot of our residents go out of town for work, for shopping, for entertainment or for their kids. We need to find more ways to not only get people to stay in town, but to attract others to come to town. Part of this effort involves public safety. We need to ensure that we have quality and sufficient medical and emergency services, police, fire, ambulance, so the people outside of our community know this a family friendly place to work and live. We need to make sure we are supporting the efforts of our local action groups like our health care coalition, who are on the front lines making Albert Lea a better place to live. We do that by putting the needs of the community first. We elect leaders who are committed to that philosophy, not afraid to challenge the status quo, and who will ensure transparency in government.

 

Q: What do you think the city can do to further market the community to new and expanding businesses. 

We need to advertise and promote what we do well in Albert Lea. We are a small community that celebrates diversity and is ready to take the next step to become a bigger community. We need to appeal to businesses that want to expand and attract families to our community. New business provides not only opportunity but also variety. We need to continue to provide incentives so that those businesses will want to expand here, create jobs, and attract workers and families. One way this is accomplished is through our website. That sounds simple but investing more into our website and letting the world know that Albert Lea is open for business is a primary way to reach people and businesses that are looking to expand. Other things we can do are make workforce development a priority and make our community college a destination to start a career and not a backup plan. All these things sound political. But they are not just words. To me they are promises of the effort I am willing to make to do everything I can to make Albert Lea better for all of us.