Bryan Clapper
Name: Bryan Clapper
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 612-413-2002
Campaign Website: www.bryanfornorthoaks.com
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page: Facebook.com/bryanfornorthoaks
Candidate Bio
My wife and I chose to live in North Oaks for the peace and quiet, and to be closer to my parents (residents since 1998). But mostly we moved here for our kids. There’s no doubt that North Oaks is the best community in the Twin Cities to raise a family, and our focus should be on prioritizing safe roads for their benefit, stewardship of our natural resources, and planning for future needs.
As a real estate broker, I understand the fundamental roles that location and community play in the value of our homes. Our city leaders need to be willing to think creatively about defending and preserving our unique character.
And as a former journalist, I reported on all levels of local government. I understand how good government works, and I’ve built relationships over the years with many of the key outside decision-makers whose proposals may impact our community, both positively and negatively. I’m willing to be an advocate for our way of life, maintaining local control and protecting our private status.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
I’m a highly collaborative person who values asking good questions. In my prior career, I was a vice president at a national publishing company overseeing an operation with 55 employees and found that good people providing the right information led to the best decisions.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
1. Better speed enforcement on our roads. 2. A more efficient process for reporting violators of our no-soliciting rule and a process for dealing with companies who systematically violate it. 3. Continued preservation of our natural resources
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in North Oaks?
The biggest challenge we face is a general lack of awareness outside of our borders as to the purpose of North Oaks, and why we take defending our unique design so seriously. Our low-density model that puts preserving natural resources front and center is instrumental in protecting 70 percent of the St. Paul Regional Water Authority’s water supply, providing habitat for wildlife, and our dense forests and untouched wetlands play an important role in carbon sequestration.
Please characterize your perspective on the ideal collaboration between government and the business community when it comes to tackling challenges whether they be education, housing, or workforce development. Do you feel the outcomes of the 2023-2024 legislative session positively or negatively impacted that collaboration and our state's business climate?
Most of these questions are irrelevant to the scope of responsibilities for the North Oaks City Council. In general I believe city governments should regulate local businesses as little as possible.
How would you characterize the business climate in North Oaks and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in North Oaks?
Our commercial district is tiny, but our population of entrepreneurs who own businesses in other parts of the Twin Cities is sizable. I believe the role of the city council is to maintain a safe and welcoming community for all families and interfere as little as possible with the businesses already in place.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
Our biggest public safety challenge is speeding on our roads. I believe we should research speed awareness cameras in the areas of highest concern, similar to the pilot program being installed in Mendota Heights. The cameras notify speeding drivers of their infractions without necessarily issuing fines. I believe this would be an especially valuable tool for parents of teen drivers, and similar speed awareness cameras have been proven effective in reducing speeding in some European countries.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
There’s very little the city council can do to address housing affordability, and not many options for additional housing to be built within the city. I think it’s important that cities maintain local control of zoning decisions.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
Increased enforcement of speeding will make the roads safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.
Cities have addressed many ongoing needs with temporary, federal COVID relief dollars, what are your plans to ensure fiscal stability as these federal, one-time funds run out?
The city used very little ARPA funds and is well funded through property taxes, building permits and other sources alone.
Uber/Lyft wages and proposed childcare subsidies funded by local property taxes are just a few areas where local units of government are wading into policy debates that may be best suited at the state. Please articulate the different scopes of work between state and local government (City/County). Are there specific areas of policy that the city should lead on in lieu of the state or county government?
Neither of the provided examples are necessarily relevant in North Oaks, but in general I think city councils should “stay in their lane” and stay out of those types of debates.
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 612-413-2002
Campaign Website: www.bryanfornorthoaks.com
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page: Facebook.com/bryanfornorthoaks
Candidate Bio
My wife and I chose to live in North Oaks for the peace and quiet, and to be closer to my parents (residents since 1998). But mostly we moved here for our kids. There’s no doubt that North Oaks is the best community in the Twin Cities to raise a family, and our focus should be on prioritizing safe roads for their benefit, stewardship of our natural resources, and planning for future needs.
As a real estate broker, I understand the fundamental roles that location and community play in the value of our homes. Our city leaders need to be willing to think creatively about defending and preserving our unique character.
And as a former journalist, I reported on all levels of local government. I understand how good government works, and I’ve built relationships over the years with many of the key outside decision-makers whose proposals may impact our community, both positively and negatively. I’m willing to be an advocate for our way of life, maintaining local control and protecting our private status.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
I’m a highly collaborative person who values asking good questions. In my prior career, I was a vice president at a national publishing company overseeing an operation with 55 employees and found that good people providing the right information led to the best decisions.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
1. Better speed enforcement on our roads. 2. A more efficient process for reporting violators of our no-soliciting rule and a process for dealing with companies who systematically violate it. 3. Continued preservation of our natural resources
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in North Oaks?
The biggest challenge we face is a general lack of awareness outside of our borders as to the purpose of North Oaks, and why we take defending our unique design so seriously. Our low-density model that puts preserving natural resources front and center is instrumental in protecting 70 percent of the St. Paul Regional Water Authority’s water supply, providing habitat for wildlife, and our dense forests and untouched wetlands play an important role in carbon sequestration.
Please characterize your perspective on the ideal collaboration between government and the business community when it comes to tackling challenges whether they be education, housing, or workforce development. Do you feel the outcomes of the 2023-2024 legislative session positively or negatively impacted that collaboration and our state's business climate?
Most of these questions are irrelevant to the scope of responsibilities for the North Oaks City Council. In general I believe city governments should regulate local businesses as little as possible.
How would you characterize the business climate in North Oaks and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in North Oaks?
Our commercial district is tiny, but our population of entrepreneurs who own businesses in other parts of the Twin Cities is sizable. I believe the role of the city council is to maintain a safe and welcoming community for all families and interfere as little as possible with the businesses already in place.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
Our biggest public safety challenge is speeding on our roads. I believe we should research speed awareness cameras in the areas of highest concern, similar to the pilot program being installed in Mendota Heights. The cameras notify speeding drivers of their infractions without necessarily issuing fines. I believe this would be an especially valuable tool for parents of teen drivers, and similar speed awareness cameras have been proven effective in reducing speeding in some European countries.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
There’s very little the city council can do to address housing affordability, and not many options for additional housing to be built within the city. I think it’s important that cities maintain local control of zoning decisions.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
Increased enforcement of speeding will make the roads safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.
Cities have addressed many ongoing needs with temporary, federal COVID relief dollars, what are your plans to ensure fiscal stability as these federal, one-time funds run out?
The city used very little ARPA funds and is well funded through property taxes, building permits and other sources alone.
Uber/Lyft wages and proposed childcare subsidies funded by local property taxes are just a few areas where local units of government are wading into policy debates that may be best suited at the state. Please articulate the different scopes of work between state and local government (City/County). Are there specific areas of policy that the city should lead on in lieu of the state or county government?
Neither of the provided examples are necessarily relevant in North Oaks, but in general I think city councils should “stay in their lane” and stay out of those types of debates.