John Mazzitello
Name: John Mazzitello
Public Office Sought: Mendota Heights City Council
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 651-249-7306
Website: www.mazzitello.org
Twitter: @jrmazz
Facebook Page: John Mazzitello for Mendota Heights City Council
Candidate Bio
My family and I have lived in Mendota Heights for 10 years. I have over 25 years of experience with infrastructure, land development, land use & comprehensive planning, traffic planning, natural resource management, budgets, & more. I am a current City Planning Commissioner, former Public Works Director/City Engineer, and a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel (Squadron Commander & Veteran of Five Deployments). I am a Professional Civil Engineer (PE), Project Management Professional (PMP), and hold a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.
I grew up in the Twin Cities (Saint Paul & Roseville), graduated from Cretin-Derham Hall High School, earned my Civil Engineering degree from Marquette University, and my MBA from Argosy University. I am currently a civil engineering consultant, but prior to that I served as the Mendota Heights Public Works Director/City Engineer for eight years. I have also worked as a land development consultant, and for the Alaska Departments of Environmental Conservation and Transportation & Public Facilities.
I believe my experience is what is needed on the City Council today given the issues surrounding recent developments within Mendota Heights and surrounding communities, as well as to help manage our existing assets and preserve our natural resources.
Business climate
1. How would you characterize the business climate in Mendota Heights?
The business climate in Mendota Heights is growing. Our highly desirable geographic location with proximity to both downtowns, as well as Twin Cities International Airport, and access to Interstates 494 & 35E give businesses a lot of options when choosing to locate in Mendota Heights. In addition, growth at the airport, the resurgence of downtown Saint Paul, and developments in Eagan and Inver Grove Heights make Mendota Heights a more and more desirable place to do business.
2. 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, Mendota Heights?
The City and business community should have a symbiotic relationship where communication between businesses and the City is constant. The City needs to understand the issues and needs facing the business community in order to keep and grow job opportunities and make sure Mendota Heights remains a vibrant and relevant community from a local and regional perspective. I would work with our principal business landlords to gage the business climate and how the City can encourage development of amenities needed to keep our business community growing.
3. Would you support hiring a business advocate as a member of the city senior staff, to concentrate on business retention and expansion; new business recruitment; and business impact of proposed regulations on the business climate in Mendota Heights?
I believe this role already exists within the leadership team on the City staff. Between the City Administrator, Assistant City Administrator, and the Community Development Director, the ability to communicate with Mendota Heights’ businesses should be able to be covered. Mendota Heights is a smaller city with limited resources, so while I support the function of the Business Advocate, I would like to utilize the existing leadership team rather than burden the taxpayers with an additional City staff position.
4. Do you support an increase to the minimum wage in Mendota Heights? If so, what specific steps would you take to understand the impact of an increase on the many types of businesses in Mendota Heights and do you support proposals to mitigate the effects on businesses like a tip credit, a youth wage, a training wage, and/or a phase-in?
I do not believe it is government’s place to overly regulate how a business operates and competes within the market. While I understand the desire for everyone to make a wage or salary that they can live off of, a competitive business market makes the whole of the community stronger. If local governments get too involved in mandating compensation and benefits packages, the competitive edge for a business is removed, and the potential for businesses to relocate elsewhere will loom.
5. Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in Mendota Heights (such as mandatory sick time or scheduling notice)? If so, what specific steps would you take to understand the impact of an increase on the many types of businesses in Mendota Heights and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
Similar to the previous question, local government should support business efforts, not over regulate them. Time-off, health-care insurance, and scheduling notices are all part of how businesses compete to attract top talent. Those items should remain part of the competitive equation.
Public safety
6. What is your strategy to address public safety concerns?
Public Safety is one of the core, essential, and foundational services a local government provides. Mendota Heights enjoys outstanding police, fire, and medical services. I would make this service a priority as a City Council member to ensure the high quality of service we enjoy continues into the future.
Budget
7. What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
I want to focus on the essentials: Public Safety, Infrastructure (including parks and trails), and Planning. These are the foundational items of local government. We must keep our foundation strong in order to support the wide variety of activities, residents, and businesses in our community. In order to retain and attract residents and businesses, these essentials need to remain strong and supportive of the community as a whole.
8. How do you view the relationship between commercial and residential property taxes?
Because commercial property is valued higher then residential property, the revenue derived by the City from commercial property taxes helps to reduce the revenue needed to be collected from residential properties. Mendota Heights has levied and should continue to levy a flat rate for property taxes regardless of use. By keeping our business community vibrant, we can ensure a good balance of tax revenues between commercial and residential properties.
9. What will you do to expand Mendota Heights’ tax base?
Mendota Heights is almost completely developed. There remains only two or three significant pieces of property that could be developed to expand the tax base. Looking into the future, we need to add value to the tax base that is already in place to keep our community vibrant and competitive. Redevelopment and renovation opportunities can help grow the city’s tax base through thoughtful and logical planning. I welcome the opportunity to work with our commercial property owners to discuss how these progresses can take place to benefit the businesses as well as the entire community.
Workforce development
10. How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
I am already doing something similar to this. For the past 10 years I have been a volunteer at Friendly Hills Middle School (FHMS) in Mendota Heights, mentoring 6th through 8th grade students as part of the Future Cities Competition Program. The Future Cities program teaches middle school students about how a city functions and challenges them to develop their own “city of the future” based on a specific annual theme. Each year FHMS has participated, they have brought home awards. Some of the students from the program have even gone on to become civil engineers! I have brought in representatives from the business community to speak to the students about how cities and business need to work together for the benefit of the entire community. As a City Council member, I would encourage volunteerism and the blending of academics and business in manners such as this.
11. What do you see as the city council’s role with regard to Mendota Heights Public Schools?
The City Council should promote and support all of our educational institutions, including our Public Schools. Independent School District 197 is consistently rated among the best Public School Districts in the state academically, and the success of graduates from the District has proven the ratings to be accurate. Similarly, the private institutions we have in Mendota Heights are also very well regarded and deserving of support from the City. An educated community is a strong community, and Mendota Heights is fortunate to have so many excellent educational institutions in our City and in the surrounding communities as well.
Other
12. What is the biggest challenge facing the city and how would you address it?
The biggest challenge facing Mendota Heights is understanding what is happening within and surrounding our City with respect to development and redevelopment. There are those who are afraid of the changes happening in and around our City. Concerns (and fears) about traffic congestion, increasing residential density, and other potential impacts have our community divided. As someone who understands these issues, having built a career incorporating municipal engineering, land development, traffic analysis, project management, and more; I can help navigate these waters and find balanced, logical, and pragmatic solutions.
13. What would be your top three priorities if elected?
1) High quality, efficient, essential City services
2) Thoughtful Planning for future generations
3) Taking care of (maintaining) what we have
14. What do you think should be the city’s top transportation related priority?
The City needs to take a deep dive into planning (in conjunction with MnDOT and Dakota County) the future of the Highway 149 (Dodd Road) and Highway 110 (62) corridors. These key transportation corridors have been neglected for decades as development in and around Mendota Heights has taken place. Traffic has increased steadily for the past 30 years and is reaching a critical point in the coming 10-15 years as development and redevelopment continue. I would spearhead an effort to study, develop, and program improvements to these corridors to help alleviate future traffic congestion before it arrives. Transportation improvement projects take time and being out in front of these needs can provide better solutions than being reactive after a problem has gotten out of hand.
15. Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Or, are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
The City runs a pretty lean machine already and enjoys one of the lowest property tax rates in the Metro Area as a result. There are a few minor, small-dollar subsidy expenditures I would look at if we needed budget reductions; but, as a rule I would budget based on the essential services listed above, and see where the budget falls in the end. If program cuts are needed, I would start talking to the taxpayers early to get a feel for the community desire.
Sharing of services is something I supported and actively worked while Public Works Director/City Engineer for Mendota Heights. Cooperative agreements with West Saint Paul, Eagan, Saint Paul, Lilydale, and Dakota County helped all entities involved increase efficiency and reduce unnecessary duplicative costs. I would continue to support such agreements as a City Council member.
16. Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
As someone who has spent their entire adult life in public service, I am committed to the long-term prominence and vitality of Mendota Heights. If elected to the City Council, I will be a year-round Council Member who will be inclusive, positive, and excited about our future. The best is yet to come! I ask for your vote on November 6th!
Public Office Sought: Mendota Heights City Council
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 651-249-7306
Website: www.mazzitello.org
Twitter: @jrmazz
Facebook Page: John Mazzitello for Mendota Heights City Council
Candidate Bio
My family and I have lived in Mendota Heights for 10 years. I have over 25 years of experience with infrastructure, land development, land use & comprehensive planning, traffic planning, natural resource management, budgets, & more. I am a current City Planning Commissioner, former Public Works Director/City Engineer, and a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel (Squadron Commander & Veteran of Five Deployments). I am a Professional Civil Engineer (PE), Project Management Professional (PMP), and hold a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.
I grew up in the Twin Cities (Saint Paul & Roseville), graduated from Cretin-Derham Hall High School, earned my Civil Engineering degree from Marquette University, and my MBA from Argosy University. I am currently a civil engineering consultant, but prior to that I served as the Mendota Heights Public Works Director/City Engineer for eight years. I have also worked as a land development consultant, and for the Alaska Departments of Environmental Conservation and Transportation & Public Facilities.
I believe my experience is what is needed on the City Council today given the issues surrounding recent developments within Mendota Heights and surrounding communities, as well as to help manage our existing assets and preserve our natural resources.
Business climate
1. How would you characterize the business climate in Mendota Heights?
The business climate in Mendota Heights is growing. Our highly desirable geographic location with proximity to both downtowns, as well as Twin Cities International Airport, and access to Interstates 494 & 35E give businesses a lot of options when choosing to locate in Mendota Heights. In addition, growth at the airport, the resurgence of downtown Saint Paul, and developments in Eagan and Inver Grove Heights make Mendota Heights a more and more desirable place to do business.
2. 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, Mendota Heights?
The City and business community should have a symbiotic relationship where communication between businesses and the City is constant. The City needs to understand the issues and needs facing the business community in order to keep and grow job opportunities and make sure Mendota Heights remains a vibrant and relevant community from a local and regional perspective. I would work with our principal business landlords to gage the business climate and how the City can encourage development of amenities needed to keep our business community growing.
3. Would you support hiring a business advocate as a member of the city senior staff, to concentrate on business retention and expansion; new business recruitment; and business impact of proposed regulations on the business climate in Mendota Heights?
I believe this role already exists within the leadership team on the City staff. Between the City Administrator, Assistant City Administrator, and the Community Development Director, the ability to communicate with Mendota Heights’ businesses should be able to be covered. Mendota Heights is a smaller city with limited resources, so while I support the function of the Business Advocate, I would like to utilize the existing leadership team rather than burden the taxpayers with an additional City staff position.
4. Do you support an increase to the minimum wage in Mendota Heights? If so, what specific steps would you take to understand the impact of an increase on the many types of businesses in Mendota Heights and do you support proposals to mitigate the effects on businesses like a tip credit, a youth wage, a training wage, and/or a phase-in?
I do not believe it is government’s place to overly regulate how a business operates and competes within the market. While I understand the desire for everyone to make a wage or salary that they can live off of, a competitive business market makes the whole of the community stronger. If local governments get too involved in mandating compensation and benefits packages, the competitive edge for a business is removed, and the potential for businesses to relocate elsewhere will loom.
5. Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in Mendota Heights (such as mandatory sick time or scheduling notice)? If so, what specific steps would you take to understand the impact of an increase on the many types of businesses in Mendota Heights and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
Similar to the previous question, local government should support business efforts, not over regulate them. Time-off, health-care insurance, and scheduling notices are all part of how businesses compete to attract top talent. Those items should remain part of the competitive equation.
Public safety
6. What is your strategy to address public safety concerns?
Public Safety is one of the core, essential, and foundational services a local government provides. Mendota Heights enjoys outstanding police, fire, and medical services. I would make this service a priority as a City Council member to ensure the high quality of service we enjoy continues into the future.
Budget
7. What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
I want to focus on the essentials: Public Safety, Infrastructure (including parks and trails), and Planning. These are the foundational items of local government. We must keep our foundation strong in order to support the wide variety of activities, residents, and businesses in our community. In order to retain and attract residents and businesses, these essentials need to remain strong and supportive of the community as a whole.
8. How do you view the relationship between commercial and residential property taxes?
Because commercial property is valued higher then residential property, the revenue derived by the City from commercial property taxes helps to reduce the revenue needed to be collected from residential properties. Mendota Heights has levied and should continue to levy a flat rate for property taxes regardless of use. By keeping our business community vibrant, we can ensure a good balance of tax revenues between commercial and residential properties.
9. What will you do to expand Mendota Heights’ tax base?
Mendota Heights is almost completely developed. There remains only two or three significant pieces of property that could be developed to expand the tax base. Looking into the future, we need to add value to the tax base that is already in place to keep our community vibrant and competitive. Redevelopment and renovation opportunities can help grow the city’s tax base through thoughtful and logical planning. I welcome the opportunity to work with our commercial property owners to discuss how these progresses can take place to benefit the businesses as well as the entire community.
Workforce development
10. How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
I am already doing something similar to this. For the past 10 years I have been a volunteer at Friendly Hills Middle School (FHMS) in Mendota Heights, mentoring 6th through 8th grade students as part of the Future Cities Competition Program. The Future Cities program teaches middle school students about how a city functions and challenges them to develop their own “city of the future” based on a specific annual theme. Each year FHMS has participated, they have brought home awards. Some of the students from the program have even gone on to become civil engineers! I have brought in representatives from the business community to speak to the students about how cities and business need to work together for the benefit of the entire community. As a City Council member, I would encourage volunteerism and the blending of academics and business in manners such as this.
11. What do you see as the city council’s role with regard to Mendota Heights Public Schools?
The City Council should promote and support all of our educational institutions, including our Public Schools. Independent School District 197 is consistently rated among the best Public School Districts in the state academically, and the success of graduates from the District has proven the ratings to be accurate. Similarly, the private institutions we have in Mendota Heights are also very well regarded and deserving of support from the City. An educated community is a strong community, and Mendota Heights is fortunate to have so many excellent educational institutions in our City and in the surrounding communities as well.
Other
12. What is the biggest challenge facing the city and how would you address it?
The biggest challenge facing Mendota Heights is understanding what is happening within and surrounding our City with respect to development and redevelopment. There are those who are afraid of the changes happening in and around our City. Concerns (and fears) about traffic congestion, increasing residential density, and other potential impacts have our community divided. As someone who understands these issues, having built a career incorporating municipal engineering, land development, traffic analysis, project management, and more; I can help navigate these waters and find balanced, logical, and pragmatic solutions.
13. What would be your top three priorities if elected?
1) High quality, efficient, essential City services
2) Thoughtful Planning for future generations
3) Taking care of (maintaining) what we have
14. What do you think should be the city’s top transportation related priority?
The City needs to take a deep dive into planning (in conjunction with MnDOT and Dakota County) the future of the Highway 149 (Dodd Road) and Highway 110 (62) corridors. These key transportation corridors have been neglected for decades as development in and around Mendota Heights has taken place. Traffic has increased steadily for the past 30 years and is reaching a critical point in the coming 10-15 years as development and redevelopment continue. I would spearhead an effort to study, develop, and program improvements to these corridors to help alleviate future traffic congestion before it arrives. Transportation improvement projects take time and being out in front of these needs can provide better solutions than being reactive after a problem has gotten out of hand.
15. Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Or, are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
The City runs a pretty lean machine already and enjoys one of the lowest property tax rates in the Metro Area as a result. There are a few minor, small-dollar subsidy expenditures I would look at if we needed budget reductions; but, as a rule I would budget based on the essential services listed above, and see where the budget falls in the end. If program cuts are needed, I would start talking to the taxpayers early to get a feel for the community desire.
Sharing of services is something I supported and actively worked while Public Works Director/City Engineer for Mendota Heights. Cooperative agreements with West Saint Paul, Eagan, Saint Paul, Lilydale, and Dakota County helped all entities involved increase efficiency and reduce unnecessary duplicative costs. I would continue to support such agreements as a City Council member.
16. Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
As someone who has spent their entire adult life in public service, I am committed to the long-term prominence and vitality of Mendota Heights. If elected to the City Council, I will be a year-round Council Member who will be inclusive, positive, and excited about our future. The best is yet to come! I ask for your vote on November 6th!