Bill Flatley
Name: Bill Flatley
Public Office Sought: South St. Paul City Council
Email:
Phone: 651-237-2101
Website: n/a
Twitter handle: n/a
Facebook page: Coming
Candidate Bio
I am a lifelong citizen of South St. Paul and passionate about making it the best city it can be. I have been an independent thinker and my voting record shows the courage to be the only dissenting vote when I see something which may not be right for our citizens or businesses. I have served on the South St. Paul City Council for the past six years. In addition, I am currently serving as an EDA Commissioner, HRA Board Secretary and President of the South Metro Fire/EMS Board of Directors. I have previously served on the Central Square Community Center Board and the Dakota County Broadband Commission. I have recently joined the Neighbors, Inc Board of Directors and I’m proud to serve for such an outstanding organization which helps so many in need in our community.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
How would you characterize the business climate in South St. Paul and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
We need businesses to be successful now more than ever. In my time on City Council, I have heard from business leaders that we are generally easy to do business with. We have put a solid focus on planning and are executing it through our Economic Development Authority. In my opinion, the key to helping businesses grow and thrive is in helping find a way to say “yes” rather than be burdensome and say “no” when there may be a conflict with ordinances. I have supported our business community for the past six years and that will not change.
What role do you think the City should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in, South St. Paul?
The City Council, EDA, Planning and all city staff need to be good partners to work with. We need to listen to our business leaders and be collaborative.
Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in South St. Paul (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of an ordinance on the many types of businesses in South St. Paul and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I am not in favor of individual cities imposing employment standards above and beyond that of the State of Minnesota and the Federal government. We have benefited from other nearby cities negatively imposing mandates on businesses and I believe we will continue see more business growth in South St. Paul because of that.
What are your strategies to address public safety, housing, and transportation issues facing your community?
We have placed a priority on public safety over the past few years, providing more funding for police and fire. Given recent events, we will need to continue that support to provide safety and security for our citizens and businesses.
For housing, we have recently commissioned a housing committee which has provided the city a playbook outlining and prioritizing the housing needs in our community. We have multiple (workforce) housing opportunities currently being proposed and we have a long-term housing strategy developed for the Hardman Triangle area.
For transportation, we have a project in the works for Concord Street. Although it will beautify and enhance the corridor, I was the lone City Council Member to oppose the plan. I did so because it is going to increase ongoing city operational costs and will impact parking availability for our existing businesses. I realize there is long-term, visionary thinking to be had, but I felt we were not taking into consideration the impact to existing, dedicated businesses who have been in South St. Paul for so many years.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
We have had two consecutive years of large budget increases. Given the current economic situation precipitated by COVID-19, my priority is to keep the 2021 budget flat to avoid crushing our citizens and businesses who are already feeling the economic crunch.
What will you do to expand South St. Paul’s tax base?
Continuing to be business-friendly and encouraging growth in both new and existing businesses. The tax burden in South St. Paul is still very residential-heavy, so we need more business.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
I believe our public schools need to shift. Everything seems geared towards getting kids focused on the 4-year degree path, which works for many, but not all students. I think schools need to do a better job at identifying those kids for whom traditional college is not for them and encourage or promote tech/trade schools. We need more people in IT, electrical, HVAC, plumbing and other trades. I recently learned there is a plumber shortage in Minnesota – we literally have something like 1/3 the number of licensed/certified plumbers needed to adequately support the homes and businesses in our state. The trades are providing high-paying jobs without having to ring up the debt from a traditional four-year college.
I also believe high schools need to focus less on International Baccalaureate / Advanced Placement and place more focus on Postsecondary Enrollment Options. Colleges have caught up with IB/AP and no longer give kids credit towards graduation. PSEO allows students to earn college credits while in high school – free of charge. That savings alone could be the difference for some kids being able to attend or not attend college.
Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
We have partnered with Dakota County over the past few years in housing and law enforcement. We are exploring another county partnership for our library and I am hopeful something will work out which will give our citizens a top-notch library experience for years to come.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in South St. Paul?
Our City Council and EDA staff can play a key role through informing and helping to obtain grants and other financial assistance to help minority and women-owned business establish and grow their businesses.
What further policies can South St. Paul adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
Shy of completely defying state leaders, we as a city need to be as flexible as possible with our ordinances so businesses can adjust to the ever-changing rules which are imposed upon them. I frankly believe businesses have been unfairly treated and a more pragmatic approach to COVID-19 safety could have been taken.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
n/a
Public Office Sought: South St. Paul City Council
Email:
Phone: 651-237-2101
Website: n/a
Twitter handle: n/a
Facebook page: Coming
Candidate Bio
I am a lifelong citizen of South St. Paul and passionate about making it the best city it can be. I have been an independent thinker and my voting record shows the courage to be the only dissenting vote when I see something which may not be right for our citizens or businesses. I have served on the South St. Paul City Council for the past six years. In addition, I am currently serving as an EDA Commissioner, HRA Board Secretary and President of the South Metro Fire/EMS Board of Directors. I have previously served on the Central Square Community Center Board and the Dakota County Broadband Commission. I have recently joined the Neighbors, Inc Board of Directors and I’m proud to serve for such an outstanding organization which helps so many in need in our community.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
- Economic Development
- Keeping taxes and spending low
- Beautification of South St. Paul
How would you characterize the business climate in South St. Paul and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
We need businesses to be successful now more than ever. In my time on City Council, I have heard from business leaders that we are generally easy to do business with. We have put a solid focus on planning and are executing it through our Economic Development Authority. In my opinion, the key to helping businesses grow and thrive is in helping find a way to say “yes” rather than be burdensome and say “no” when there may be a conflict with ordinances. I have supported our business community for the past six years and that will not change.
What role do you think the City should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in, South St. Paul?
The City Council, EDA, Planning and all city staff need to be good partners to work with. We need to listen to our business leaders and be collaborative.
Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in South St. Paul (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of an ordinance on the many types of businesses in South St. Paul and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I am not in favor of individual cities imposing employment standards above and beyond that of the State of Minnesota and the Federal government. We have benefited from other nearby cities negatively imposing mandates on businesses and I believe we will continue see more business growth in South St. Paul because of that.
What are your strategies to address public safety, housing, and transportation issues facing your community?
We have placed a priority on public safety over the past few years, providing more funding for police and fire. Given recent events, we will need to continue that support to provide safety and security for our citizens and businesses.
For housing, we have recently commissioned a housing committee which has provided the city a playbook outlining and prioritizing the housing needs in our community. We have multiple (workforce) housing opportunities currently being proposed and we have a long-term housing strategy developed for the Hardman Triangle area.
For transportation, we have a project in the works for Concord Street. Although it will beautify and enhance the corridor, I was the lone City Council Member to oppose the plan. I did so because it is going to increase ongoing city operational costs and will impact parking availability for our existing businesses. I realize there is long-term, visionary thinking to be had, but I felt we were not taking into consideration the impact to existing, dedicated businesses who have been in South St. Paul for so many years.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
We have had two consecutive years of large budget increases. Given the current economic situation precipitated by COVID-19, my priority is to keep the 2021 budget flat to avoid crushing our citizens and businesses who are already feeling the economic crunch.
What will you do to expand South St. Paul’s tax base?
Continuing to be business-friendly and encouraging growth in both new and existing businesses. The tax burden in South St. Paul is still very residential-heavy, so we need more business.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
I believe our public schools need to shift. Everything seems geared towards getting kids focused on the 4-year degree path, which works for many, but not all students. I think schools need to do a better job at identifying those kids for whom traditional college is not for them and encourage or promote tech/trade schools. We need more people in IT, electrical, HVAC, plumbing and other trades. I recently learned there is a plumber shortage in Minnesota – we literally have something like 1/3 the number of licensed/certified plumbers needed to adequately support the homes and businesses in our state. The trades are providing high-paying jobs without having to ring up the debt from a traditional four-year college.
I also believe high schools need to focus less on International Baccalaureate / Advanced Placement and place more focus on Postsecondary Enrollment Options. Colleges have caught up with IB/AP and no longer give kids credit towards graduation. PSEO allows students to earn college credits while in high school – free of charge. That savings alone could be the difference for some kids being able to attend or not attend college.
Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
We have partnered with Dakota County over the past few years in housing and law enforcement. We are exploring another county partnership for our library and I am hopeful something will work out which will give our citizens a top-notch library experience for years to come.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in South St. Paul?
Our City Council and EDA staff can play a key role through informing and helping to obtain grants and other financial assistance to help minority and women-owned business establish and grow their businesses.
What further policies can South St. Paul adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
Shy of completely defying state leaders, we as a city need to be as flexible as possible with our ordinances so businesses can adjust to the ever-changing rules which are imposed upon them. I frankly believe businesses have been unfairly treated and a more pragmatic approach to COVID-19 safety could have been taken.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
n/a