Carol A. Mueller
Name: Carol A. Mueller
Public Office Sought: Mounds View Mayor
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 763 458 2719
Website:
Twitter handle:
Facebook page: Carol Mueller for Mayor of Mounds View Minnesota
Candidate Bio
I am an experienced, non-partisan leader who believes common values outweigh differences, and everyone deserves to be treated with dignity & respect. I am seeking a third, 2-year term as Mayor, and serve our residents with passion & commitment to build community together.
Mounds View Mayor: January 2017-present
City Council Member: January 2007-December 2016
Charter Commission: 2006-2007
Festival in the Park Volunteer & Car Show Chair: 2006-present
Comprehensive Plan 2040 Chair
Streets & Utilities Task Force Member
Emergency Preparedness events & training, including Active Shooter scenario
I was honored to serve at a 34th Division Red Bull send-off and have been a strong voice for our small metro city with active participations & leadership positions with the League of Minnesota Cities as well as Ramsey County & statewide organizations:
LMC Board of Directors 2013-2016; seminars, workshops, conferences, policy committees
Ramsey County League of Local Governments 2008-present
RCLLG 2020 Collective Work Task Force member
Ramsey County Dispatch Policy Committee 2013-present; Chair since 2019
President of Minnesota Women in City Government, member since 2008
Minnesota Mayors Association member since 2017, Executive Board May 2020-present
North Metro Mayors and Local Mayors & Managers Associations
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Public health & safety: I support continued investment in NYFS for mental health intervention & support. I believe connectivity for all residents is essential & should be as accessible as gas & electric utilities. Everyone benefits with online access to health care, education opportunities, emergency alerts & other quality of life services.
With the economic stress & repercussions from COVID-19, I believe we can retain the levy cap in the Mounds View City Charter and still fulfill our essential services commitments to our residents & businesses. We need to promote growth in our city and implement programs to help recruit & retain our businesses that are struggling.
I support further improvements at City Hall Park, including a Veteran’s Memorial and a tribute to those who lost their lives or were injured in the 35W Bridge Collapse.
We need environmental cleanup & improvements to the trail between Greenfield Park & Quincy Street, and I would love to have a dog park in our city.
How would you characterize the business climate in Mounds View and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
Healthy business climate with great relationships in the city. The Mounds View Business Council meets regularly and we have strong partnerships with the TC North Chamber of Commerce and the New Brighton/Mounds View Rotary. Our businesses & non-profits provide essential services, sponsor community events, and support the Mounds View Police Foundations and Ralph Reeder Food Shelf.
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, Mounds View?
Mounds View is a welcoming & inclusive community with attractive housing options for all generations. Our school district is ranked in the top 10 in Minnesota. Our north-western Ramsey County location is roughly 20 minutes from either downtown with excellent highway & freeway access. We are a Tree City USA, with 9 parks & well-established trail systems in our 4 square miles. We have close to 130 businesses and approximately 2,500 jobs in our city. Medtronic is our largest employer.
In my time on the City Council, we have passed business friendly policies to recruit and retain businesses. We support expansion & attend ribbon cuttings & other celebrations. I proclaimed August 12,2020 as Multi-Tech Day in Mounds View to celebrate their 50th Anniversary. We have a Community Development Director, CD Coordinator, Building Inspector & Code Enforcement Officer on our City Staff to help us grow. We also promote our city through Twin Cities Gateway North Visitors & Convention Bureau.
Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in Mounds View (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 Mounds View and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I retired from Target Corporation’s Finance Division – Canada Project after 35 years with the company. I personally believe the city is responsible for city licensing, ordinances & codes that set a safe, fair & level playing field for all businesses in the city. As for wage minimums, benefits, & scheduling notices, the businesses know what is best to keep them profitable and competitive in the marketplace and still provide a decent wage & quality of life work environment for their employees. I believe we have great employers in Mounds View who value & compensate their staff in such a way to keep employee turnover low. Its not uncommon to have employees in the service industries (example waitress, cashier, gas station attendant) with over 15 years employment at a Mounds View business.
What are your strategies to address public safety, housing, and transportation issues facing your community?
I have personally attended Emergency Preparedness events, including Active Shooter Incident Training. I am a proven capable leader who follows the guidance and recommendations of our Emergency Response Team, with necessary flexibility and strong consideration given to rapidly evolving events and policies set by the Governor, state & county agencies & departments, and the needs of our first responders and mutual aid partners. In 2015, Mounds View adopted the Principles of 21st Century Policing, which is a large part of our MVPD Policy Manual today.
In September 2019, we celebrated the ribbon cutting at The Boulevard Apartments in Mounds View. Demand is so great for affordable/workforce housing in the Metro area, it was fully rented in less than a month. A group of 7 residents have combined the beautiful back yards of their large, treed lots & hired a developer for a future housing development of 10-12 new single-family homes. The developer is working with the City and other governing authorities at this time. In 2019, work began on Graystone Flats, a 120+ unit market rate apartment complex with undergrade parking & full amenities, which should be available to rent in early spring of 2021.
The collective voices of many cities & counties are needed to resolve transportation issues. I am proud to be a member of the North Metro Mayors. Lead by Bob Benke of New Brighton & other city leaders in the early years of the organization, the building & completion of the 610 Highway through the north corridor of the Metro (from 35W to 94) finally became a reality. I work with many organizations to try to improve mass transit service & other transportation issues for our cities.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
Retaining the levy cap in the City Charter forces the Council to prioritize spending for essential needs & services while evaluating our quality of life necessities. I believe we will see better value for our residents & budget savings by changing to in-house Park & Rec programs & rentals of our Community Center. We adopted the citywide HOPP Program to reduce inflow & infiltration in the sewer lines, resulting in cleaner groundwater & lower monthly payments of over $85,000 to Met Council every month.
In addition to energy cost savings with solar & other sustainable energy upgrades made to our city buildings and our new Public Works Facility, I support upgrades in smart technology & upgrades to software & programs to improve efficiency of services.
What will you do to expand Mounds View’s tax base?
Policies that support business retention & expansion, as well as recruiting new businesses to Mounds View, help grow our tax base & provide more jobs and services in our city. More single family homes contribute to the residential formula and help meet the high demand for housing created by our healthy school district. As a Charter City, we use the referendum process to hire more police officers.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
My family has lived in Mounds View for over 40 years. I cannot ever remember a School District Referendum that failed to be supported by our residents. Our City partners with the schools for permits & other needs in the District. For example, in a recent street reconstruction project, we worked with the district to ensure sidewalk and other public safety improvements at Pinewood Elementary. A strip mall in our city houses our Area Learning Center, and most recently, a vacant building was converted into classrooms for Pre-K & Kindergarten ages. School districts in Ramsey County attend RCLLG meetings, and we discuss common issues & solutions to improve quality of life for all of us. I support our manufacturing & other businesses that have reached out to the area high school with internship & OTJ training opportunities not offered in school curriculum.
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?
Our city runs a pretty ‘bare bones’ operation. All of the services we provide are basically public health & safety, which I will not cut.
For over 30 years, we have enjoyed great success with a Joint Power Agreement for fire protection, based on a volunteer model, with Blaine and Spring Lake Park, known as SBM Fire. We also have a JPA with Spring Lake Park for a city park on our borders. I could see sharing some of our staff, maybe our Arborist, Code Inspector, or Housing Inspector, on a JPA arrangement, but only if we have capacity to do so & the neighbor city had a need.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Mounds View?
The polices we have set as a Mayor & Council create a fair and level playing field for all businesses. The County & the State have programs to increase minority and women-owned businesses. We don’t have capacity in our city budget to create programs which would apply to specific business owner types.
As President of Minnesota Women in City Government, which includes elected and appointed city officials across the state of Minnesota, I know how important it is to mentor and support all women to achieve their goals. We offer a platform for speakers to share their stories and network with each other to stay current on topics facing women & society in general.
DEED, Ramsey County and the Libraries also offer resources to foster business growth.
What further policies can Mounds View adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
We cut our licensing fees for impacted Covid 19 businesses by 25%. We have tried to expedite removal of legal land issues for a company in our city that is trying to expand I have shared information regarding business loans & grants offered through Ramsey County & the State & Federal Governments, and personally spoken with business owners & management to learn of challenges & concerns. The Mounds View Business Council helps the businesses partner with the city to the benefit of everyone in the community.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
I am proud of our Mounds View Police Department and the passion & commitment with which they serve our community. I will not ‘defund the police.’
As always, I can be reached by phone or text to 763-458-2719 or e-mail to [email protected] with any questions or concerns.
I appreciate your support, and ask for your vote, to continue to serve as Mounds View Mayor
Public Office Sought: Mounds View Mayor
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 763 458 2719
Website:
Twitter handle:
Facebook page: Carol Mueller for Mayor of Mounds View Minnesota
Candidate Bio
I am an experienced, non-partisan leader who believes common values outweigh differences, and everyone deserves to be treated with dignity & respect. I am seeking a third, 2-year term as Mayor, and serve our residents with passion & commitment to build community together.
Mounds View Mayor: January 2017-present
City Council Member: January 2007-December 2016
Charter Commission: 2006-2007
Festival in the Park Volunteer & Car Show Chair: 2006-present
Comprehensive Plan 2040 Chair
Streets & Utilities Task Force Member
Emergency Preparedness events & training, including Active Shooter scenario
I was honored to serve at a 34th Division Red Bull send-off and have been a strong voice for our small metro city with active participations & leadership positions with the League of Minnesota Cities as well as Ramsey County & statewide organizations:
LMC Board of Directors 2013-2016; seminars, workshops, conferences, policy committees
Ramsey County League of Local Governments 2008-present
RCLLG 2020 Collective Work Task Force member
Ramsey County Dispatch Policy Committee 2013-present; Chair since 2019
President of Minnesota Women in City Government, member since 2008
Minnesota Mayors Association member since 2017, Executive Board May 2020-present
North Metro Mayors and Local Mayors & Managers Associations
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Public health & safety: I support continued investment in NYFS for mental health intervention & support. I believe connectivity for all residents is essential & should be as accessible as gas & electric utilities. Everyone benefits with online access to health care, education opportunities, emergency alerts & other quality of life services.
With the economic stress & repercussions from COVID-19, I believe we can retain the levy cap in the Mounds View City Charter and still fulfill our essential services commitments to our residents & businesses. We need to promote growth in our city and implement programs to help recruit & retain our businesses that are struggling.
I support further improvements at City Hall Park, including a Veteran’s Memorial and a tribute to those who lost their lives or were injured in the 35W Bridge Collapse.
We need environmental cleanup & improvements to the trail between Greenfield Park & Quincy Street, and I would love to have a dog park in our city.
How would you characterize the business climate in Mounds View and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
Healthy business climate with great relationships in the city. The Mounds View Business Council meets regularly and we have strong partnerships with the TC North Chamber of Commerce and the New Brighton/Mounds View Rotary. Our businesses & non-profits provide essential services, sponsor community events, and support the Mounds View Police Foundations and Ralph Reeder Food Shelf.
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, Mounds View?
Mounds View is a welcoming & inclusive community with attractive housing options for all generations. Our school district is ranked in the top 10 in Minnesota. Our north-western Ramsey County location is roughly 20 minutes from either downtown with excellent highway & freeway access. We are a Tree City USA, with 9 parks & well-established trail systems in our 4 square miles. We have close to 130 businesses and approximately 2,500 jobs in our city. Medtronic is our largest employer.
In my time on the City Council, we have passed business friendly policies to recruit and retain businesses. We support expansion & attend ribbon cuttings & other celebrations. I proclaimed August 12,2020 as Multi-Tech Day in Mounds View to celebrate their 50th Anniversary. We have a Community Development Director, CD Coordinator, Building Inspector & Code Enforcement Officer on our City Staff to help us grow. We also promote our city through Twin Cities Gateway North Visitors & Convention Bureau.
Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in Mounds View (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 Mounds View and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I retired from Target Corporation’s Finance Division – Canada Project after 35 years with the company. I personally believe the city is responsible for city licensing, ordinances & codes that set a safe, fair & level playing field for all businesses in the city. As for wage minimums, benefits, & scheduling notices, the businesses know what is best to keep them profitable and competitive in the marketplace and still provide a decent wage & quality of life work environment for their employees. I believe we have great employers in Mounds View who value & compensate their staff in such a way to keep employee turnover low. Its not uncommon to have employees in the service industries (example waitress, cashier, gas station attendant) with over 15 years employment at a Mounds View business.
What are your strategies to address public safety, housing, and transportation issues facing your community?
I have personally attended Emergency Preparedness events, including Active Shooter Incident Training. I am a proven capable leader who follows the guidance and recommendations of our Emergency Response Team, with necessary flexibility and strong consideration given to rapidly evolving events and policies set by the Governor, state & county agencies & departments, and the needs of our first responders and mutual aid partners. In 2015, Mounds View adopted the Principles of 21st Century Policing, which is a large part of our MVPD Policy Manual today.
In September 2019, we celebrated the ribbon cutting at The Boulevard Apartments in Mounds View. Demand is so great for affordable/workforce housing in the Metro area, it was fully rented in less than a month. A group of 7 residents have combined the beautiful back yards of their large, treed lots & hired a developer for a future housing development of 10-12 new single-family homes. The developer is working with the City and other governing authorities at this time. In 2019, work began on Graystone Flats, a 120+ unit market rate apartment complex with undergrade parking & full amenities, which should be available to rent in early spring of 2021.
The collective voices of many cities & counties are needed to resolve transportation issues. I am proud to be a member of the North Metro Mayors. Lead by Bob Benke of New Brighton & other city leaders in the early years of the organization, the building & completion of the 610 Highway through the north corridor of the Metro (from 35W to 94) finally became a reality. I work with many organizations to try to improve mass transit service & other transportation issues for our cities.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
Retaining the levy cap in the City Charter forces the Council to prioritize spending for essential needs & services while evaluating our quality of life necessities. I believe we will see better value for our residents & budget savings by changing to in-house Park & Rec programs & rentals of our Community Center. We adopted the citywide HOPP Program to reduce inflow & infiltration in the sewer lines, resulting in cleaner groundwater & lower monthly payments of over $85,000 to Met Council every month.
In addition to energy cost savings with solar & other sustainable energy upgrades made to our city buildings and our new Public Works Facility, I support upgrades in smart technology & upgrades to software & programs to improve efficiency of services.
What will you do to expand Mounds View’s tax base?
Policies that support business retention & expansion, as well as recruiting new businesses to Mounds View, help grow our tax base & provide more jobs and services in our city. More single family homes contribute to the residential formula and help meet the high demand for housing created by our healthy school district. As a Charter City, we use the referendum process to hire more police officers.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
My family has lived in Mounds View for over 40 years. I cannot ever remember a School District Referendum that failed to be supported by our residents. Our City partners with the schools for permits & other needs in the District. For example, in a recent street reconstruction project, we worked with the district to ensure sidewalk and other public safety improvements at Pinewood Elementary. A strip mall in our city houses our Area Learning Center, and most recently, a vacant building was converted into classrooms for Pre-K & Kindergarten ages. School districts in Ramsey County attend RCLLG meetings, and we discuss common issues & solutions to improve quality of life for all of us. I support our manufacturing & other businesses that have reached out to the area high school with internship & OTJ training opportunities not offered in school curriculum.
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?
Our city runs a pretty ‘bare bones’ operation. All of the services we provide are basically public health & safety, which I will not cut.
For over 30 years, we have enjoyed great success with a Joint Power Agreement for fire protection, based on a volunteer model, with Blaine and Spring Lake Park, known as SBM Fire. We also have a JPA with Spring Lake Park for a city park on our borders. I could see sharing some of our staff, maybe our Arborist, Code Inspector, or Housing Inspector, on a JPA arrangement, but only if we have capacity to do so & the neighbor city had a need.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Mounds View?
The polices we have set as a Mayor & Council create a fair and level playing field for all businesses. The County & the State have programs to increase minority and women-owned businesses. We don’t have capacity in our city budget to create programs which would apply to specific business owner types.
As President of Minnesota Women in City Government, which includes elected and appointed city officials across the state of Minnesota, I know how important it is to mentor and support all women to achieve their goals. We offer a platform for speakers to share their stories and network with each other to stay current on topics facing women & society in general.
DEED, Ramsey County and the Libraries also offer resources to foster business growth.
What further policies can Mounds View adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
We cut our licensing fees for impacted Covid 19 businesses by 25%. We have tried to expedite removal of legal land issues for a company in our city that is trying to expand I have shared information regarding business loans & grants offered through Ramsey County & the State & Federal Governments, and personally spoken with business owners & management to learn of challenges & concerns. The Mounds View Business Council helps the businesses partner with the city to the benefit of everyone in the community.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
I am proud of our Mounds View Police Department and the passion & commitment with which they serve our community. I will not ‘defund the police.’
As always, I can be reached by phone or text to 763-458-2719 or e-mail to [email protected] with any questions or concerns.
I appreciate your support, and ask for your vote, to continue to serve as Mounds View Mayor