Jason Steffenhagen
Name: Jason Steffenhagen
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone:
Campaign Website: vote-jason.com
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page: Jason for Council
Candidate Bio
The role that I am most passionate about is being a dad and husband. My wife and I have two boys (14 and 9). Making New Brighton a safe place for them to ride bikes and go to the park is of utmost importance.
As one of the initial (and current) members of the New Brighton Equity Commission, I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to learn first-hand about the ways our city continues to be an inclusive place for people from all walks of life.
I’m also a local pastor at a Methodist church in Shoreview. The best gift I can give the people in my congregation is the willingness to listen, learn, and take responsible action. Those same values are what I’ve brought to equity commission and will bring to city council.
Finally, I spent 16 years working in higher education - most recently at Bethel. In the classroom, I asked students to be critical thinkers. The issues facing our city will require thoughtful consideration and a willingness to challenge systems that don’t always work for everyone. To build a more equitable, safe, and neighborly New Brighton, I will be ready to put in the work!
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
There are two types of leadership approaches that best fit my skill set.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
Safety- New Brighton has a wonderful public safety department. I want to support the positive trajectory, while maintaining a keen eye on ways to continue recognizing blind spots in our biases and policies, and how we can keep residents and guests safe.
Neighborliness- Having great neighbors changes the sense of belonging in a community. Whether through great parks, more bike paths, or programming at the community center, creating opportunities to know and enjoy our neighbors makes our community stronger.
Functional- From potholes to pipes. From businesses to manufacturing to apartment complexes. Making sure we are responsive to the needs of our community in the most basic ways is so important, but often unnoticed (unless it goes wrong!). Keeping clear priorities on the functionality of our city will make New Brighton more hospitable to businesses and industry opportunities.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in New Brighton?
Communication is often the biggest barrier in a diverse and growing city. People don’t often know what is happening in their local city when national stories and social media grab most of the headlines. We need avenues to break through so our residents can experience all that our city has to offer. AND, in our politically polarized society, we often reside in our echo chambers. One of our great challenges is learning to listen and understand one another.
This last challenge is also our biggest opportunity. If we can learn to celebrate our diversity, by listening and learning about one another, New Brighton can be a place that celebrates people and is safe for everyone. Proximity is the key to celebration. I can’t celebrate what I don’t know. I can’t learn if I’m not close enough to listen. Bringing people together, creating relationships, sharing stories, will provide the foundation for a beautiful mosaic of a diverse community.
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?
Our relationship with local and large businesses is vital to our success as a community. We need good jobs for our residents to afford a living and continue improving our schools. Good jobs also allow parents and the community time to invest in the many extra-curricular activities that make a community dynamic - sports programs, drama clubs, marching band, scouting, faith-based activities, and many more.
Our local government stands in a unique position as it can help regulate the systems that help businesses and individuals both flourish, while also providing a necessary voice of education and learning for those seeking to follow best practices.
How would you characterize the business climate in New Brighton and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in New Brighton?
I would characterize the business climate in New Brighton as healthy and growing. Our schools are superb. Housing is diversifying and continuing to improve. Our public safety department is well-respected. And we are investing in our parks. Although not specifically related to businesses, these are all an interconnected part of what makes for a dynamic community where businesses are able to flourish.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
As I mentioned earlier, I have two young boys (14 and 9). They are both adopted, from Ethiopia and Haiti respectively. As the father of two black young men, public safety is of utmost importance to me.
Our public safety department has worked hard to develop quality relationships with the community and continues to address biases. They recruit and hire officers that represent our diverse community.
There is always more work to do. Part of how I see my role on council is diving into the details and asking important questions about how specific policies will impact our residents and support our officers in their continued growth.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
The city is looking into Additional Dwelling Units as a form of affordable housing and secondary income. Tackling both (affordable housing and secondary income) has the potential to be a win-win for our city. There are some important questions that need to be answered about utility impact, parking, and equitable rent practices.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
As our community continues to diversify, and as we provide more affordable housing options, transportation - especially public transit - will need to grow in tandem. Improving the frequency of routes and the location of stops is an important consideration.
Continuing the 25 mph speed limit on city roads is an important aspect of safety and traffic flow. Studies show that adding bike lanes, reducing speeds, and improving pedestrian crosswalks can actually make driving more efficient, while also making it safe. It sounds almost too good to be true, but we can make transportation safer and more efficient if we trust the studies being done and continue making the changes that might seem contrary to common sense.
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?
Clarity, clarity, clarity. We need clear and honest communication in order to ensure fiscal stability. The best gift leaders can give people is a clear understanding of how things are going and what is expected. Problems arise when we live in lofty visions of grandeur that lack the clear path forward and the honest assessment of our present situation.
We will serve our residents better if we are clear about our vision for our city and how we intend to address those needs.
We will serve the city staff if we are clear and honest about the resources at our disposal.
Finally, we need to be creative and industrious. Federal relief dollars were helpful, vital in an unprecedented time in our nation's history. But we don’t hang our heads and wait for the next wave of relief. We seek solutions to problems and find ways to bring the horizon into focus.
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?
At its best, government provides space to listen, learn, and take responsible action. The systems that we have can be terrific. Sometimes they can be harmful. Learning to listen to one another in order to best learn the needs of our residents, our businesses, our schools, and our non-profits is the best path towards creating systems that work for people. We are at our best when we collaborate and work together.
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone:
Campaign Website: vote-jason.com
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page: Jason for Council
Candidate Bio
The role that I am most passionate about is being a dad and husband. My wife and I have two boys (14 and 9). Making New Brighton a safe place for them to ride bikes and go to the park is of utmost importance.
As one of the initial (and current) members of the New Brighton Equity Commission, I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to learn first-hand about the ways our city continues to be an inclusive place for people from all walks of life.
I’m also a local pastor at a Methodist church in Shoreview. The best gift I can give the people in my congregation is the willingness to listen, learn, and take responsible action. Those same values are what I’ve brought to equity commission and will bring to city council.
Finally, I spent 16 years working in higher education - most recently at Bethel. In the classroom, I asked students to be critical thinkers. The issues facing our city will require thoughtful consideration and a willingness to challenge systems that don’t always work for everyone. To build a more equitable, safe, and neighborly New Brighton, I will be ready to put in the work!
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
There are two types of leadership approaches that best fit my skill set.
- Leading by example. A strong work ethic and a willingness to put in the time are paramount to leadership. I love tackling a project and inviting people to join me in the pursuit of something larger and loftier than what one single person can do.
- Strategic vision. Strategy is only as effective as the direction it is headed. Vision is only as effective as the steps required to get there. I hope to be a strategic leader who looks towards the horizon of what could be, not fixated on what has been.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
Safety- New Brighton has a wonderful public safety department. I want to support the positive trajectory, while maintaining a keen eye on ways to continue recognizing blind spots in our biases and policies, and how we can keep residents and guests safe.
Neighborliness- Having great neighbors changes the sense of belonging in a community. Whether through great parks, more bike paths, or programming at the community center, creating opportunities to know and enjoy our neighbors makes our community stronger.
Functional- From potholes to pipes. From businesses to manufacturing to apartment complexes. Making sure we are responsive to the needs of our community in the most basic ways is so important, but often unnoticed (unless it goes wrong!). Keeping clear priorities on the functionality of our city will make New Brighton more hospitable to businesses and industry opportunities.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in New Brighton?
Communication is often the biggest barrier in a diverse and growing city. People don’t often know what is happening in their local city when national stories and social media grab most of the headlines. We need avenues to break through so our residents can experience all that our city has to offer. AND, in our politically polarized society, we often reside in our echo chambers. One of our great challenges is learning to listen and understand one another.
This last challenge is also our biggest opportunity. If we can learn to celebrate our diversity, by listening and learning about one another, New Brighton can be a place that celebrates people and is safe for everyone. Proximity is the key to celebration. I can’t celebrate what I don’t know. I can’t learn if I’m not close enough to listen. Bringing people together, creating relationships, sharing stories, will provide the foundation for a beautiful mosaic of a diverse community.
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?
Our relationship with local and large businesses is vital to our success as a community. We need good jobs for our residents to afford a living and continue improving our schools. Good jobs also allow parents and the community time to invest in the many extra-curricular activities that make a community dynamic - sports programs, drama clubs, marching band, scouting, faith-based activities, and many more.
Our local government stands in a unique position as it can help regulate the systems that help businesses and individuals both flourish, while also providing a necessary voice of education and learning for those seeking to follow best practices.
How would you characterize the business climate in New Brighton and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in New Brighton?
I would characterize the business climate in New Brighton as healthy and growing. Our schools are superb. Housing is diversifying and continuing to improve. Our public safety department is well-respected. And we are investing in our parks. Although not specifically related to businesses, these are all an interconnected part of what makes for a dynamic community where businesses are able to flourish.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
As I mentioned earlier, I have two young boys (14 and 9). They are both adopted, from Ethiopia and Haiti respectively. As the father of two black young men, public safety is of utmost importance to me.
Our public safety department has worked hard to develop quality relationships with the community and continues to address biases. They recruit and hire officers that represent our diverse community.
There is always more work to do. Part of how I see my role on council is diving into the details and asking important questions about how specific policies will impact our residents and support our officers in their continued growth.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
The city is looking into Additional Dwelling Units as a form of affordable housing and secondary income. Tackling both (affordable housing and secondary income) has the potential to be a win-win for our city. There are some important questions that need to be answered about utility impact, parking, and equitable rent practices.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
As our community continues to diversify, and as we provide more affordable housing options, transportation - especially public transit - will need to grow in tandem. Improving the frequency of routes and the location of stops is an important consideration.
Continuing the 25 mph speed limit on city roads is an important aspect of safety and traffic flow. Studies show that adding bike lanes, reducing speeds, and improving pedestrian crosswalks can actually make driving more efficient, while also making it safe. It sounds almost too good to be true, but we can make transportation safer and more efficient if we trust the studies being done and continue making the changes that might seem contrary to common sense.
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?
Clarity, clarity, clarity. We need clear and honest communication in order to ensure fiscal stability. The best gift leaders can give people is a clear understanding of how things are going and what is expected. Problems arise when we live in lofty visions of grandeur that lack the clear path forward and the honest assessment of our present situation.
We will serve our residents better if we are clear about our vision for our city and how we intend to address those needs.
We will serve the city staff if we are clear and honest about the resources at our disposal.
Finally, we need to be creative and industrious. Federal relief dollars were helpful, vital in an unprecedented time in our nation's history. But we don’t hang our heads and wait for the next wave of relief. We seek solutions to problems and find ways to bring the horizon into focus.
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?
At its best, government provides space to listen, learn, and take responsible action. The systems that we have can be terrific. Sometimes they can be harmful. Learning to listen to one another in order to best learn the needs of our residents, our businesses, our schools, and our non-profits is the best path towards creating systems that work for people. We are at our best when we collaborate and work together.