Chris Kwapick
Name: Chris Kwapick
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone:
Campaign Website: https://www.facebook.com/kwapick4lc
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page: Kwapick4LC
Candidate Bio
It has been my privilege to serve as a member of the City Council for the past 18 months. Since being appointed last year, it has been an enlightening and often humbling experience, but at the same time quite rewarding and fulfilling serving with so many great individuals at the city. Prior to joining the Council, I served on Little Canada’s Planning Commission since 2017, including as its chair for over a year. Both of these roles have made me appreciate the importance of public input and consultation in order to run a successful city government. When people have a seat at the table, they feel more ownership of what is taking place and helps to make them included.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
The mindset of collaboration is present in almost everything I do. The learning curve of a position like this is fairly steep, and I have come to rely upon the expertise of the mayor, other council members, and city staff to make informed decisions. The more you discuss and collaborate, I have found that find better solutions. I try to be as inquisitive as possible to better understand why the city does things the way they do and see if there are alternate paths as well. Also, being an empathetic listener is an important quality for this role. I try to put myself in other people’s shoes when they have a concern that I perhaps do not understand. That way we are more likely to find common values from where to start to seek common solutions.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
If elected to another term on the Council, my top priorities will be to work with state and local officials to continue to improve our infrastructure for greater public safety. The city has done a wonderful job in recent years to expand access to our parks and trails and I want to make sure that these amenities are available to every member of our community. I want to work to find solutions to fund a pedestrian bridge over I-35E to make it safer for folks to get from the east to west side of town, and vice versa. I also want to continue exploring the possibility of building an indoor community space. One of my favorite things about living in this community are the times when our neighbors get together, such as during Canadian Days or Night to Unite. But that becomes more difficult when our temperature turns cold. I would love to see more sustained community engagement all year round, and a community center would be a great start to enabling those opportunities. In order to accomplish these things, I would definitely want to work with our leaders at the state level to find multiple funding sources, possibly including bonding dollars. Obviously that state’s financial outlook, as well as the make-up of party power at the state level will likely have an impact on the 2025 session.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in Little Canada?
I think that one of the biggest challenges for Little Canada is the fact that the city is nearly fully developed. It’s small geographic size in the middle of the metro area makes it difficult to plan for newer expansion projects. However, that doesn’t mean that we should stop looking to develop, as redevelopment of certain areas are certainly possible. The city has recently partnered with the Urban Land Institute to assess the possibility of re-imagining several areas around the city, including ways to potentially develop a more typical “downtown” area which the city currently lacks. My time on the Planning Commission has taught me that through re-zoning and planning, a city can create an outline or strategic plan for future development. It is my hope to work further with the city’s new community development director to bring better focus to these types of projects.
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?
As previously stated, cities have certain powers to zone their land in a way that can encourage different types of development. But a city should also be willing to be flexible when unique opportunities are presented. For example, a developer recently approached the city with a plan to build a senior housing building in a uniquely shaped lot just south of Highway 36. This land, designated as commercial, would have had a hard time developing something in a more traditional business sense. But the developer presented a plan that they thought could work and worked with the city to present a plan that will hopefully address the ongoing need for more housing units of this type. So in short, government should always be willing to work with the business community to look for unique and better ways to serve the community.
How would you characterize the business climate in Little Canada and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in Little Canada?
I think the business climate is doing well in Little Canada. Given our central location to both Minneapolis and Saint Paul, we are ideally situated for business locations. We have worked with companies such as Bix to redevelop some industrial areas which created several great jobs in the area. The city has also advanced a few TIF districts to attract and build new facilities that will allow them to strive in the area for many years.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
As I mentioned earlier, public safety is a top priority for me. I would ideally like to make the city more pedestrian safe in several key areas. The first I already mentioned with pedestrian safety crossing I-35E. The lone connector of our two sides of the city is Little Canada Rd and it is a frustrating crossing to say the least. Access to a pedestrian bridge and existing trails would make things safer and offer easier access to many of our city parks. Additionally, as further redevelopment happens along the Rice Street corridor, I want to stay active in encouraging the addition of sidewalks. There are several sections along the street that have no walk way and can be rather unsafe, especially when children are involved. It is my hope to work with not just commercial developers but County Officials as well (it is a county road) to emphasize the importance of these improvements.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
The city has had a recent boom in housing development in both the single-family home variety as well as apartments. These developments have often included the assistance of the city to create workable development plans. I have been pleased to see that these developments have included a wide range of affordability and that several have included a percentage of units that are classified as more affordable. When further development is proposed, the city should be open to the possibility of assisting financially including the possibility of creating new TIF districts where appropriate.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
This is an area that we as a city council are currently trying to tackle. The I-35E/Little Canada Rd/County Drive interchange has been a problem for years and we have been working actively to find a way to re-engineer the intersection to make it safer. This has included a proposal to re-route Country Drive to the west to alleviate congestion. I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that several community members are concerned about this plan and if it is the right thing to do, especially if it routes the road closer to existing homes. I want to continue to work with our city engineer, our neighbors, and possibly our state partners to find the best solution to this issue. I expect this to be a divisive issue over the next months and possibly a difficult decision, but I want to continue the conversations with neighbors to make sure that they are included and brought along should the project proceed.
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?
We are currently in the process of reviewing the city’s budget for the following year. This is my second time going through this process and it quite complex and a continual learning process. Last year, there were some one time funds that allowed the city to keep its portion of property taxes more flat. For this year, we are working to make sure that budget increases address cost of living adjustments without increasing taxes to heavily. Encouraging further development on both the residential and commercial side will help to add to the city’s tax base and further lessen the burden on individual property tax payers.
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?
Different levels of government have different levels of responsibilities. I feel that it is important for cities to wade into other areas when it is appropriate. Typically, cities rely on the work of the League of MN Cities or Metro Cities to better understand the local impact of state policies. One area where I think it was appropriate for cities to weigh in on state level policy was a piece of legislation last year that would have impacted local government control the cities possess. I’m a firm believer of local control and this legislation could have impacted the city’s ability to conduct its business, or plan for their future development. Utilizing the service of the League is important, as is maintaining positive working relationships with our county and state leaders. Working with them can make the biggest difference in passing policy that works for everyone.
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone:
Campaign Website: https://www.facebook.com/kwapick4lc
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page: Kwapick4LC
Candidate Bio
It has been my privilege to serve as a member of the City Council for the past 18 months. Since being appointed last year, it has been an enlightening and often humbling experience, but at the same time quite rewarding and fulfilling serving with so many great individuals at the city. Prior to joining the Council, I served on Little Canada’s Planning Commission since 2017, including as its chair for over a year. Both of these roles have made me appreciate the importance of public input and consultation in order to run a successful city government. When people have a seat at the table, they feel more ownership of what is taking place and helps to make them included.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
The mindset of collaboration is present in almost everything I do. The learning curve of a position like this is fairly steep, and I have come to rely upon the expertise of the mayor, other council members, and city staff to make informed decisions. The more you discuss and collaborate, I have found that find better solutions. I try to be as inquisitive as possible to better understand why the city does things the way they do and see if there are alternate paths as well. Also, being an empathetic listener is an important quality for this role. I try to put myself in other people’s shoes when they have a concern that I perhaps do not understand. That way we are more likely to find common values from where to start to seek common solutions.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
If elected to another term on the Council, my top priorities will be to work with state and local officials to continue to improve our infrastructure for greater public safety. The city has done a wonderful job in recent years to expand access to our parks and trails and I want to make sure that these amenities are available to every member of our community. I want to work to find solutions to fund a pedestrian bridge over I-35E to make it safer for folks to get from the east to west side of town, and vice versa. I also want to continue exploring the possibility of building an indoor community space. One of my favorite things about living in this community are the times when our neighbors get together, such as during Canadian Days or Night to Unite. But that becomes more difficult when our temperature turns cold. I would love to see more sustained community engagement all year round, and a community center would be a great start to enabling those opportunities. In order to accomplish these things, I would definitely want to work with our leaders at the state level to find multiple funding sources, possibly including bonding dollars. Obviously that state’s financial outlook, as well as the make-up of party power at the state level will likely have an impact on the 2025 session.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in Little Canada?
I think that one of the biggest challenges for Little Canada is the fact that the city is nearly fully developed. It’s small geographic size in the middle of the metro area makes it difficult to plan for newer expansion projects. However, that doesn’t mean that we should stop looking to develop, as redevelopment of certain areas are certainly possible. The city has recently partnered with the Urban Land Institute to assess the possibility of re-imagining several areas around the city, including ways to potentially develop a more typical “downtown” area which the city currently lacks. My time on the Planning Commission has taught me that through re-zoning and planning, a city can create an outline or strategic plan for future development. It is my hope to work further with the city’s new community development director to bring better focus to these types of projects.
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?
As previously stated, cities have certain powers to zone their land in a way that can encourage different types of development. But a city should also be willing to be flexible when unique opportunities are presented. For example, a developer recently approached the city with a plan to build a senior housing building in a uniquely shaped lot just south of Highway 36. This land, designated as commercial, would have had a hard time developing something in a more traditional business sense. But the developer presented a plan that they thought could work and worked with the city to present a plan that will hopefully address the ongoing need for more housing units of this type. So in short, government should always be willing to work with the business community to look for unique and better ways to serve the community.
How would you characterize the business climate in Little Canada and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in Little Canada?
I think the business climate is doing well in Little Canada. Given our central location to both Minneapolis and Saint Paul, we are ideally situated for business locations. We have worked with companies such as Bix to redevelop some industrial areas which created several great jobs in the area. The city has also advanced a few TIF districts to attract and build new facilities that will allow them to strive in the area for many years.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
As I mentioned earlier, public safety is a top priority for me. I would ideally like to make the city more pedestrian safe in several key areas. The first I already mentioned with pedestrian safety crossing I-35E. The lone connector of our two sides of the city is Little Canada Rd and it is a frustrating crossing to say the least. Access to a pedestrian bridge and existing trails would make things safer and offer easier access to many of our city parks. Additionally, as further redevelopment happens along the Rice Street corridor, I want to stay active in encouraging the addition of sidewalks. There are several sections along the street that have no walk way and can be rather unsafe, especially when children are involved. It is my hope to work with not just commercial developers but County Officials as well (it is a county road) to emphasize the importance of these improvements.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
The city has had a recent boom in housing development in both the single-family home variety as well as apartments. These developments have often included the assistance of the city to create workable development plans. I have been pleased to see that these developments have included a wide range of affordability and that several have included a percentage of units that are classified as more affordable. When further development is proposed, the city should be open to the possibility of assisting financially including the possibility of creating new TIF districts where appropriate.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
This is an area that we as a city council are currently trying to tackle. The I-35E/Little Canada Rd/County Drive interchange has been a problem for years and we have been working actively to find a way to re-engineer the intersection to make it safer. This has included a proposal to re-route Country Drive to the west to alleviate congestion. I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that several community members are concerned about this plan and if it is the right thing to do, especially if it routes the road closer to existing homes. I want to continue to work with our city engineer, our neighbors, and possibly our state partners to find the best solution to this issue. I expect this to be a divisive issue over the next months and possibly a difficult decision, but I want to continue the conversations with neighbors to make sure that they are included and brought along should the project proceed.
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?
We are currently in the process of reviewing the city’s budget for the following year. This is my second time going through this process and it quite complex and a continual learning process. Last year, there were some one time funds that allowed the city to keep its portion of property taxes more flat. For this year, we are working to make sure that budget increases address cost of living adjustments without increasing taxes to heavily. Encouraging further development on both the residential and commercial side will help to add to the city’s tax base and further lessen the burden on individual property tax payers.
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?
Different levels of government have different levels of responsibilities. I feel that it is important for cities to wade into other areas when it is appropriate. Typically, cities rely on the work of the League of MN Cities or Metro Cities to better understand the local impact of state policies. One area where I think it was appropriate for cities to weigh in on state level policy was a piece of legislation last year that would have impacted local government control the cities possess. I’m a firm believer of local control and this legislation could have impacted the city’s ability to conduct its business, or plan for their future development. Utilizing the service of the League is important, as is maintaining positive working relationships with our county and state leaders. Working with them can make the biggest difference in passing policy that works for everyone.