Lisa Eng-Sarne

Name: Lisa Eng-Sarne
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 651-757-7090
Campaign Website: lisaforweststpaul.com
Twitter handle: (Instagram) https://www.instagram.com/lisaengsarne/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/lisaforweststpaul/
Candidate Bio
Lisa Eng-Sarne is a lifelong Minnesotan who has served on the West St. Paul City Council for six years. She is seeking re-election to keep the forward momentum the city has seen during her time in office. Lisa has been honored to serve as West St. Paul Public Safety Chair, Vice President of the Economic Development Authority, and Chair of the Smith/Dodd Revitalization Committee. Her state government experience, project management, conflict resolution, and public relations experience help her bridge division, make sound decisions for her community, and find results for constituents. Lisa graduated from the College of Saint Benedict with degrees in communication and peace studies, providing her with framework to be a unifier who builds strong relationships with community and partners. She attributes her toughness, strength in working as a team, and ability to think on her feet to 12 years of leadership on the roller derby track. Lisa works hard to heighten West St. Paul’s visibility, increasing economic development and advocating for public art. She has enjoyed serving on the League of Minnesota Cities Improving Local Economies Committee and LMC Cannabis Subcommittee. Lisa looks forward to serving West St. Paul for another term!
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
I bring an accessible, present, empathetic, and direct style of leadership to this position. I have learned a great deal in my six years of service on the West St. Paul City Council and I can’t imagine being more prepared than I am now. I show up, I’m studied, I’m enthusiastic for the opportunities to come, I know the people and issues, and I’m always ready to have challenging conversations that lead us to being a better city.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
Not ranked in order of importance:
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in West St. Paul?
The biggest challenge but also opportunity is that we are a fully developed city, so all development is redevelopment. We have significant opportunity in the former YMCA site where Hy-Vee didn’t build and have the potential for incredible public amenities and housing on that site. Additionally, Smith/Dodd is being realigned with a public plaza, memorial, and development likely to follow. If done right, these two sites alone create significant opportunity for creation of community spaces for connection in West St. Paul.
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?
Ideal collaboration looks like a two-way conversation where both parties have the ability to discuss challenges and solutions. I can only address policy I directly influence at a local level, and I feel like we have innovative solutions to building bridges with our businesses. We’re developing a business network with regular programming within the community development department that will provide opportunities for learning and networking with our West St. Paul businesses. We want to be the call businesses make when they are looking for help and new opportunity as well.
How would you characterize the business climate in West St. Paul and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in West St. Paul?
We are a geographically small city with a bustling business climate. With little developable land left, we are focused on supporting our already-existing businesses while welcoming redevelopment as consumer patterns are changing. Our businesses not only support quality of life in West St. Paul, but as a regional hub where communities beyond our own come here to meet their needs. Robert Street and Smith Avenue businesses are accessible via public transportation with some of them being the last of their kind on public transportation, and their access is important to many. This means access to healthy food, places to get your vehicle serviced, medical and health facility access, entertainment, and other essential needs are all met in West St. Paul. A supported and healthy business climate leads to a more vibrant city.
The city has worked with new and expanding businesses to provide grants that support growth and their ability to stay in our community. It is important that we maintain open communication with local businesses and adjust local code that may hinder their success.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
We have taken a holistic look at public safety in West St. Paul and that includes everything from street lighting, agreements with our JPA partners, community engagement, response times, and mental health. We have built strong community public safety cultures across our West St. Paul Police department and South Metro Fire Department. This has included a focus on mental health for both our employees and our citizens. Par 360 is a program first joined by South Metro Fire to support firefighters’ mental health. Our police department has a mental health/community engagement officer and a mobile crisis response worker. These officers support our PD and community in calls better served by trained crisis response workers. Additionally, we are a fully staffed department (our chief works hard to ensure this) that has a strong team culture. My role is taking great care that these teams are supported in our budget and as humans. We take community engagement seriously and make connections with community members so that the public knows who our officers are, people feel supported, and like they can rely on our team.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
As a city, we have been doing our part to address the housing shortage. I will emphasize that this issue needs to be solved at a larger scale than our five square miles. We have approved housing from affordable to market rate and are working on the “missing middle housing.” We are adjusting our zoning to not just talk the talk, but to walk the walk. However, for a real dent to be made in shortage and affordability, every community will need to step up and say “yes, in my backyard.”
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
I am very proud of how far we have come as a city over the last six years. In 2023, we completed a monumental 2.5 miles of sidewalk and 1.6 miles of trail in our five square miles of a city. Since 2017, we have provided the community an average of 1.2 miles of trails and sidewalks per year, which shows our deep commitment. We’ve completed the River to River trail through West St. Paul, and when we reconstruct streets we are adding sidewalk and trail where it makes sense. Additionally, Robert Street will soon host a BRT. We have been awarded Safe Routes to School grants to help us complete sidewalks for families to reach school safely. The State of Minnesota is currently evaluating how to make Robert Street safer as it is a state highway. I support their efforts and have participated in discussions to make this a better place for transit riders, pedestrians, and drivers.
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 have a long-term budgeting process that does not rely on temporary federal COVID dollars. We work together through the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and ensure we are on the same page with overall strategic planning and initiatives. We have a local option sales tax that funds roads of regional importance and we project that to sunset in about 2030. Our long-term planning ensures we maintain fiscal stability.
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?
There is sometimes a desire as a city to jump in where we might see holes in other levels of service. I am deeply familiar with the roles of state vs. city or county government. I think it is important to name the gaps we see with these partners so coverage can improve, and we can work on solutions. West St. Paul needs help with opioid response, and this is largely a county and state function. The formula for how much support we receive needs to be addressed and there is little we can do to get around that. Housing affordability and AMI (area median income) are determined by formulas in higher levels of government, but we know the median income in West St. Paul is different than our neighbors in Mendota Heights or Apple Valley, but we’re all lumped together. What is “affordable” is not as universal as the formulas prescribe. We are fortunate to have good partners to keep working through these issues together.
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 651-757-7090
Campaign Website: lisaforweststpaul.com
Twitter handle: (Instagram) https://www.instagram.com/lisaengsarne/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/lisaforweststpaul/
Candidate Bio
Lisa Eng-Sarne is a lifelong Minnesotan who has served on the West St. Paul City Council for six years. She is seeking re-election to keep the forward momentum the city has seen during her time in office. Lisa has been honored to serve as West St. Paul Public Safety Chair, Vice President of the Economic Development Authority, and Chair of the Smith/Dodd Revitalization Committee. Her state government experience, project management, conflict resolution, and public relations experience help her bridge division, make sound decisions for her community, and find results for constituents. Lisa graduated from the College of Saint Benedict with degrees in communication and peace studies, providing her with framework to be a unifier who builds strong relationships with community and partners. She attributes her toughness, strength in working as a team, and ability to think on her feet to 12 years of leadership on the roller derby track. Lisa works hard to heighten West St. Paul’s visibility, increasing economic development and advocating for public art. She has enjoyed serving on the League of Minnesota Cities Improving Local Economies Committee and LMC Cannabis Subcommittee. Lisa looks forward to serving West St. Paul for another term!
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
I bring an accessible, present, empathetic, and direct style of leadership to this position. I have learned a great deal in my six years of service on the West St. Paul City Council and I can’t imagine being more prepared than I am now. I show up, I’m studied, I’m enthusiastic for the opportunities to come, I know the people and issues, and I’m always ready to have challenging conversations that lead us to being a better city.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
Not ranked in order of importance:
- Redevelopment that fosters community connections
- Maintaining high-quality and efficient services for citizens and businesses
- The implementation of long-term strategic planning around our parks and infrastructure
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in West St. Paul?
The biggest challenge but also opportunity is that we are a fully developed city, so all development is redevelopment. We have significant opportunity in the former YMCA site where Hy-Vee didn’t build and have the potential for incredible public amenities and housing on that site. Additionally, Smith/Dodd is being realigned with a public plaza, memorial, and development likely to follow. If done right, these two sites alone create significant opportunity for creation of community spaces for connection in West St. Paul.
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?
Ideal collaboration looks like a two-way conversation where both parties have the ability to discuss challenges and solutions. I can only address policy I directly influence at a local level, and I feel like we have innovative solutions to building bridges with our businesses. We’re developing a business network with regular programming within the community development department that will provide opportunities for learning and networking with our West St. Paul businesses. We want to be the call businesses make when they are looking for help and new opportunity as well.
How would you characterize the business climate in West St. Paul and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in West St. Paul?
We are a geographically small city with a bustling business climate. With little developable land left, we are focused on supporting our already-existing businesses while welcoming redevelopment as consumer patterns are changing. Our businesses not only support quality of life in West St. Paul, but as a regional hub where communities beyond our own come here to meet their needs. Robert Street and Smith Avenue businesses are accessible via public transportation with some of them being the last of their kind on public transportation, and their access is important to many. This means access to healthy food, places to get your vehicle serviced, medical and health facility access, entertainment, and other essential needs are all met in West St. Paul. A supported and healthy business climate leads to a more vibrant city.
The city has worked with new and expanding businesses to provide grants that support growth and their ability to stay in our community. It is important that we maintain open communication with local businesses and adjust local code that may hinder their success.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
We have taken a holistic look at public safety in West St. Paul and that includes everything from street lighting, agreements with our JPA partners, community engagement, response times, and mental health. We have built strong community public safety cultures across our West St. Paul Police department and South Metro Fire Department. This has included a focus on mental health for both our employees and our citizens. Par 360 is a program first joined by South Metro Fire to support firefighters’ mental health. Our police department has a mental health/community engagement officer and a mobile crisis response worker. These officers support our PD and community in calls better served by trained crisis response workers. Additionally, we are a fully staffed department (our chief works hard to ensure this) that has a strong team culture. My role is taking great care that these teams are supported in our budget and as humans. We take community engagement seriously and make connections with community members so that the public knows who our officers are, people feel supported, and like they can rely on our team.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
As a city, we have been doing our part to address the housing shortage. I will emphasize that this issue needs to be solved at a larger scale than our five square miles. We have approved housing from affordable to market rate and are working on the “missing middle housing.” We are adjusting our zoning to not just talk the talk, but to walk the walk. However, for a real dent to be made in shortage and affordability, every community will need to step up and say “yes, in my backyard.”
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
I am very proud of how far we have come as a city over the last six years. In 2023, we completed a monumental 2.5 miles of sidewalk and 1.6 miles of trail in our five square miles of a city. Since 2017, we have provided the community an average of 1.2 miles of trails and sidewalks per year, which shows our deep commitment. We’ve completed the River to River trail through West St. Paul, and when we reconstruct streets we are adding sidewalk and trail where it makes sense. Additionally, Robert Street will soon host a BRT. We have been awarded Safe Routes to School grants to help us complete sidewalks for families to reach school safely. The State of Minnesota is currently evaluating how to make Robert Street safer as it is a state highway. I support their efforts and have participated in discussions to make this a better place for transit riders, pedestrians, and drivers.
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 have a long-term budgeting process that does not rely on temporary federal COVID dollars. We work together through the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and ensure we are on the same page with overall strategic planning and initiatives. We have a local option sales tax that funds roads of regional importance and we project that to sunset in about 2030. Our long-term planning ensures we maintain fiscal stability.
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?
There is sometimes a desire as a city to jump in where we might see holes in other levels of service. I am deeply familiar with the roles of state vs. city or county government. I think it is important to name the gaps we see with these partners so coverage can improve, and we can work on solutions. West St. Paul needs help with opioid response, and this is largely a county and state function. The formula for how much support we receive needs to be addressed and there is little we can do to get around that. Housing affordability and AMI (area median income) are determined by formulas in higher levels of government, but we know the median income in West St. Paul is different than our neighbors in Mendota Heights or Apple Valley, but we’re all lumped together. What is “affordable” is not as universal as the formulas prescribe. We are fortunate to have good partners to keep working through these issues together.