Jeff Zeitler
Name: Jeff Zeitler
Public Office Sought: St. Paul City Council Ward 1
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: (651) 235-2726
Campaign Website: jeffzeitler.com
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page: Facebook/jeff-zeitler-for-ward-1
Candidate Bio
I've lived in St. Paul for 20 years and am a husband to Gita and dad to our two kids. I've served on the Union Park District council for 4 years and am the founder of the Merriam Station Community Garden, a former board member of the Eastside Food Co-op as well as founder and co-owner of a small business, Urban Forage Winery and Cider House.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
Direct and practical. I'd like to see the basic functions of city government being performed efficiently within its current budget. While the current council has been concerning themselves with national issues, our streets have gone unpatched and unplowed, public safety has declined, and businesses are leaving the city.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Restore public safety
Make the streets safe and driveable
Reduce red tape and unnecessary regulation of small businesses that are the lifeblood of our city
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in St. Paul?
The biggest challenge is making our streets safer. Clearly, that affects every part of our lives here, so that also presents the biggest opportunity for improvement.
How would you characterize the business climate in St. Paul and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in St. Paul?
The business climate could use some improvement. It's not easy to start a business here. Building officials hold projects up, and there are fees and regulations that could be scrapped. In addition, the Met Council's fees for water and sewer connnections are exorbitant, especially those for patio or outdoor extensions. As the home to the Met Council's headquarters, I'd like to see St. Paul put some pressure on them to back off.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
Most imporant is to make the individual police officers feel supported by their city government. Right now they're not sure if we have their backs, and as a result, are hesitant to do their jobs. More money isn't necessarily the answer- more support is.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
Streamline and simplify the building permitting process within the city of St. Paul. Work with developers, rather than throwing obstacles in their way.
St. Paul candidates only: Do you support the rent stabilization ordinance in its current form? If not, what would you like to change?
It's the will of the voters- more than 50% of St. Paul voters approved it on a ballot question, and we need to respect their will. I think that we should, however, cap all tax and utility increases to landlords in St. Paul to 3% per year. If landlords can't raise rent more than 3% per year, they cannot be expected to shoulder more than 3% increases in costs yearly.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
I think that the Met Council is on the hook for increased transit safety- providing more transit police- riding on the trains and buses, not just in squad cars. Also, some station redesign needs to happen to insure payment of fares, so the stations aren't places to loiter and harrass legitimate transit riders. Bike riders need more separated lanes and paths, like the new Ayd Mill bike path. However, the poorly designed Summit bikeway should not be implemented, as it replaces already existing bike paths at a high cost and with the loss of many trees.
What will you do to expand St. Paul’s tax base?
Find a creative new way to tax the government buildings and religious institutions. It's not fair that the largest landowners in the city pay nothing for our streets, public safety and infrastructure.
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?
I think that we can leave some administrative positions unfilled as city workers retire. We need more street maintenance workers and fewer office workers in St. Paul.
Public Office Sought: St. Paul City Council Ward 1
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: (651) 235-2726
Campaign Website: jeffzeitler.com
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page: Facebook/jeff-zeitler-for-ward-1
Candidate Bio
I've lived in St. Paul for 20 years and am a husband to Gita and dad to our two kids. I've served on the Union Park District council for 4 years and am the founder of the Merriam Station Community Garden, a former board member of the Eastside Food Co-op as well as founder and co-owner of a small business, Urban Forage Winery and Cider House.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
Direct and practical. I'd like to see the basic functions of city government being performed efficiently within its current budget. While the current council has been concerning themselves with national issues, our streets have gone unpatched and unplowed, public safety has declined, and businesses are leaving the city.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Restore public safety
Make the streets safe and driveable
Reduce red tape and unnecessary regulation of small businesses that are the lifeblood of our city
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in St. Paul?
The biggest challenge is making our streets safer. Clearly, that affects every part of our lives here, so that also presents the biggest opportunity for improvement.
How would you characterize the business climate in St. Paul and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in St. Paul?
The business climate could use some improvement. It's not easy to start a business here. Building officials hold projects up, and there are fees and regulations that could be scrapped. In addition, the Met Council's fees for water and sewer connnections are exorbitant, especially those for patio or outdoor extensions. As the home to the Met Council's headquarters, I'd like to see St. Paul put some pressure on them to back off.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
Most imporant is to make the individual police officers feel supported by their city government. Right now they're not sure if we have their backs, and as a result, are hesitant to do their jobs. More money isn't necessarily the answer- more support is.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
Streamline and simplify the building permitting process within the city of St. Paul. Work with developers, rather than throwing obstacles in their way.
St. Paul candidates only: Do you support the rent stabilization ordinance in its current form? If not, what would you like to change?
It's the will of the voters- more than 50% of St. Paul voters approved it on a ballot question, and we need to respect their will. I think that we should, however, cap all tax and utility increases to landlords in St. Paul to 3% per year. If landlords can't raise rent more than 3% per year, they cannot be expected to shoulder more than 3% increases in costs yearly.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
I think that the Met Council is on the hook for increased transit safety- providing more transit police- riding on the trains and buses, not just in squad cars. Also, some station redesign needs to happen to insure payment of fares, so the stations aren't places to loiter and harrass legitimate transit riders. Bike riders need more separated lanes and paths, like the new Ayd Mill bike path. However, the poorly designed Summit bikeway should not be implemented, as it replaces already existing bike paths at a high cost and with the loss of many trees.
What will you do to expand St. Paul’s tax base?
Find a creative new way to tax the government buildings and religious institutions. It's not fair that the largest landowners in the city pay nothing for our streets, public safety and infrastructure.
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?
I think that we can leave some administrative positions unfilled as city workers retire. We need more street maintenance workers and fewer office workers in St. Paul.