Randy Gustafson
Name: Randy Gustafson
Public Office Sought: Falcon Heights Mayor
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: home phone- 651-642-9694
Campaign Website:
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page:
Candidate Bio
I have brought my diverse life skills and experiences to my service with Falcon Heights as a councilmember 2016-2019 and Mayor 2019-present. I grew up in Lauderdale and attended local public schools. Since purchasing our home forty years ago my wife, Lyn, and I have taken an active role in our community raising two children who attended District 623 schools, state universities, and are responsible adults with their own families.
Community experience has included youth coaching, leadership positions with Brimhall PTSA, Little League, Ducks Unlimited, FH Planning Commission, and volunteering with our church and local organizations.
My professional career has included small business ownership, entrepreneurial ventures, financial industry, Minnesota Legislature, Governor’s Office, and I currently serve as Crime Prevention Coordinator for Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office.
I understand the value of seeking information, listening to all voices, setting goals, understanding financial implications, and government decision making from a community wide perspective.
For the last eight years I have helped guide our city through some difficult challenges. It has been a team effort by council, staff, and community members. I am seeking re-election as Mayor to continue to be an active participant to help our city continue to be successful.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
Respectful, thoughtful, collaborative, and principled with a focus on finding solutions that work for the whole of the city and its future.
(If you are looking for a firebrand using the bully pulpit of elective office seeking the spotlight, I am probably not your candidate.)
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Rebuild of Community Park in 2024. When I began my service on the council, and learned more of the need, I have worked purposefully to make this happen. We purchased the land from the UofM in March 2023 after decades of civic discussion. Our next step is community engagement on the vision of this community asset and finalizing plans.
Continued delivery of effective city services in a cost-efficient and environmentally sound manner. This includes our street maintenance, snow removal, sanitary sewer relining, sidewalk maintenance, permitting, code enforcement, and government communications and operations.
Continued cultivation of a caring community. Purposeful efforts to encourage residents along the journey of accepting each other for who we are and what we can do together to build a resilient community that is welcoming and forward focused will help each of us.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in Falcon Heights?
FH is a small fully developed city in the middle of a large metropolitan area. Our three square-mile area includes one square-mile of residential and commercial tax-paying properties, that we share with the tax-exempt State Fairgrounds and UofM campus. We have a State Highway (Snelling Ave), a county throughfare (Larpenteur Ave), and three county roads (Cleveland, Fairview, Hamline) slicing our city into eleven neighborhoods. This challenge presents an opportunity to find ways to build connections with residents and city services/policies/directions that work forward for community success.
How would you characterize the business climate in Falcon Heights and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in Falcon Heights?
FH has limited commercial property, most of which is located adjacent to our Larpenteur/Snelling Corridor. We are proud to be home to Warner’s Stellian, a great destination appliance retailer, and Spire Credit Union. We have several service businesses in our business zones on Larpenteur/Snelling and Hamline/Hoyt, and we have many licensed home-based businesses. In August 2023 the city secured a county grant and added city money to contract with WSB Associates to research and develop a plan with input from the community, Planning Commission, and Council for our Larpenteur/Snelling Corridor. The goal is to develop a vision document to help articulate and guide development and redevelopment to meet future community needs.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
FH contracts public safety services with other government units and staff works daily to assure community needs are met.
It seems that Falcon Heights has been at the epicenter of public safety challenges since July 6, 2016, when Philando Castile was killed on Larpenteur Avenue. In 2017, I served as the co-chair of the Community Policing and Inclusion Task Force that established community values and expectations surrounding policing in Falcon Heights. An effort that earned Falcon Heights the 2018 City of Excellence Award from the League of Minnesota Cities.
In 2019, the council terminated the Fire Chief for operating a disrespectful workplace. After working two years to salvage our paid-on-call volunteer fire department the council closed the department and began contracting fire protection services with the Saint Paul Fire Department. The result was response times were cut in half and financially the city saves about a quarter of a million dollars a year.
In 2022, the city hired the Center for Value Based Initiatives to conduct research of policing needs and services. This included resident experience and expectation input and an analysis of five years of service delivery data. The findings and council actions are on the city website. The city is currently exploring new contract options with area partners and will announce details when available.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
FH is a first-tier suburban residential community and housing is very important on multiple levels. Per Metropolitan Council guidelines FH is ahead of affordable housing requirements. Our land area is fully developed and new housing will need to happen via private redevelopment. In recent years we have seen additions to our housing stock. In 2018, The Hendrickson, a 72-unit market rate senior rental building built on a former florist parking lot, opened. In October 2022, Amber Union, a 125-unit 50% AMI affordable building with 40% 2,3, and 4 bedrooms, opened in the repurposed historic Grain Terminal Association building at Snelling and Larpenteur with TIF support from the city. Keeping housing affordable is an important puzzle component for community economic resilience and future success. Cost efficient delivery of effective city services helps everyone.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
The transit system is operated by the Metropolitan Council. Cities have a role to support the Met Council and its efforts to run a safe and effective service.
Current transportation options are a key advantage for FH and our location in the center of the metropolitan area. The A-Line on Snelling Avenue, bus routes on Larpenteur and Hamline Avenues, the bike/pedestrian trailways on Cleveland, Fairview, Roselawn, and Hamline all are community appreciated assets. The city has had three bike repair stations in place for several years. We have successfully negotiated with MnDOT and Ramsey County for pedestrian safety considerations along Snelling and Larpenteur Avenues, and continue to raise awareness. In 2020 a 20-mph speed limit on all residential streets was adopted and implemented. This work to assure safety for all who are impacted by transportation in all its forms is ongoing and will be continually addressed.
What will you do to expand Falcon Heights’s tax base?
A fully developed city without vacant land has few easy options to expand the tax base. Finding ways to move underutilized land/properties into productive uses that mesh with neighbors and community expectations is key to effect change. Efforts such as the Larpenteur/Snelling Corridor Study can assist this effort.
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?
Since the city was formed in 1949 the goal of the council has been to remain relevant and cost effective in the delivery of city services that our residents expect. Today we run a very lean shop staffed by local government professionals delivering services to meet resident needs. We collaborate with our neighbors via joint power agreements or contracts for services that individually we would not have the economies of scale to provide effectively. Currently we have agreements for IT services, civil attorney, criminal prosecution, engineering, building inspections, tree service, sanitary sewer maintenance, fire, police, and design/build projects. In today’s world of expertise needs/expectations, staffing shortages, and budget constraints it is prudent to analyze and consider all options.
Public Office Sought: Falcon Heights Mayor
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: home phone- 651-642-9694
Campaign Website:
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page:
Candidate Bio
I have brought my diverse life skills and experiences to my service with Falcon Heights as a councilmember 2016-2019 and Mayor 2019-present. I grew up in Lauderdale and attended local public schools. Since purchasing our home forty years ago my wife, Lyn, and I have taken an active role in our community raising two children who attended District 623 schools, state universities, and are responsible adults with their own families.
Community experience has included youth coaching, leadership positions with Brimhall PTSA, Little League, Ducks Unlimited, FH Planning Commission, and volunteering with our church and local organizations.
My professional career has included small business ownership, entrepreneurial ventures, financial industry, Minnesota Legislature, Governor’s Office, and I currently serve as Crime Prevention Coordinator for Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office.
I understand the value of seeking information, listening to all voices, setting goals, understanding financial implications, and government decision making from a community wide perspective.
For the last eight years I have helped guide our city through some difficult challenges. It has been a team effort by council, staff, and community members. I am seeking re-election as Mayor to continue to be an active participant to help our city continue to be successful.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
Respectful, thoughtful, collaborative, and principled with a focus on finding solutions that work for the whole of the city and its future.
(If you are looking for a firebrand using the bully pulpit of elective office seeking the spotlight, I am probably not your candidate.)
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Rebuild of Community Park in 2024. When I began my service on the council, and learned more of the need, I have worked purposefully to make this happen. We purchased the land from the UofM in March 2023 after decades of civic discussion. Our next step is community engagement on the vision of this community asset and finalizing plans.
Continued delivery of effective city services in a cost-efficient and environmentally sound manner. This includes our street maintenance, snow removal, sanitary sewer relining, sidewalk maintenance, permitting, code enforcement, and government communications and operations.
Continued cultivation of a caring community. Purposeful efforts to encourage residents along the journey of accepting each other for who we are and what we can do together to build a resilient community that is welcoming and forward focused will help each of us.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in Falcon Heights?
FH is a small fully developed city in the middle of a large metropolitan area. Our three square-mile area includes one square-mile of residential and commercial tax-paying properties, that we share with the tax-exempt State Fairgrounds and UofM campus. We have a State Highway (Snelling Ave), a county throughfare (Larpenteur Ave), and three county roads (Cleveland, Fairview, Hamline) slicing our city into eleven neighborhoods. This challenge presents an opportunity to find ways to build connections with residents and city services/policies/directions that work forward for community success.
How would you characterize the business climate in Falcon Heights and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in Falcon Heights?
FH has limited commercial property, most of which is located adjacent to our Larpenteur/Snelling Corridor. We are proud to be home to Warner’s Stellian, a great destination appliance retailer, and Spire Credit Union. We have several service businesses in our business zones on Larpenteur/Snelling and Hamline/Hoyt, and we have many licensed home-based businesses. In August 2023 the city secured a county grant and added city money to contract with WSB Associates to research and develop a plan with input from the community, Planning Commission, and Council for our Larpenteur/Snelling Corridor. The goal is to develop a vision document to help articulate and guide development and redevelopment to meet future community needs.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
FH contracts public safety services with other government units and staff works daily to assure community needs are met.
It seems that Falcon Heights has been at the epicenter of public safety challenges since July 6, 2016, when Philando Castile was killed on Larpenteur Avenue. In 2017, I served as the co-chair of the Community Policing and Inclusion Task Force that established community values and expectations surrounding policing in Falcon Heights. An effort that earned Falcon Heights the 2018 City of Excellence Award from the League of Minnesota Cities.
In 2019, the council terminated the Fire Chief for operating a disrespectful workplace. After working two years to salvage our paid-on-call volunteer fire department the council closed the department and began contracting fire protection services with the Saint Paul Fire Department. The result was response times were cut in half and financially the city saves about a quarter of a million dollars a year.
In 2022, the city hired the Center for Value Based Initiatives to conduct research of policing needs and services. This included resident experience and expectation input and an analysis of five years of service delivery data. The findings and council actions are on the city website. The city is currently exploring new contract options with area partners and will announce details when available.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
FH is a first-tier suburban residential community and housing is very important on multiple levels. Per Metropolitan Council guidelines FH is ahead of affordable housing requirements. Our land area is fully developed and new housing will need to happen via private redevelopment. In recent years we have seen additions to our housing stock. In 2018, The Hendrickson, a 72-unit market rate senior rental building built on a former florist parking lot, opened. In October 2022, Amber Union, a 125-unit 50% AMI affordable building with 40% 2,3, and 4 bedrooms, opened in the repurposed historic Grain Terminal Association building at Snelling and Larpenteur with TIF support from the city. Keeping housing affordable is an important puzzle component for community economic resilience and future success. Cost efficient delivery of effective city services helps everyone.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
The transit system is operated by the Metropolitan Council. Cities have a role to support the Met Council and its efforts to run a safe and effective service.
Current transportation options are a key advantage for FH and our location in the center of the metropolitan area. The A-Line on Snelling Avenue, bus routes on Larpenteur and Hamline Avenues, the bike/pedestrian trailways on Cleveland, Fairview, Roselawn, and Hamline all are community appreciated assets. The city has had three bike repair stations in place for several years. We have successfully negotiated with MnDOT and Ramsey County for pedestrian safety considerations along Snelling and Larpenteur Avenues, and continue to raise awareness. In 2020 a 20-mph speed limit on all residential streets was adopted and implemented. This work to assure safety for all who are impacted by transportation in all its forms is ongoing and will be continually addressed.
What will you do to expand Falcon Heights’s tax base?
A fully developed city without vacant land has few easy options to expand the tax base. Finding ways to move underutilized land/properties into productive uses that mesh with neighbors and community expectations is key to effect change. Efforts such as the Larpenteur/Snelling Corridor Study can assist this effort.
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?
Since the city was formed in 1949 the goal of the council has been to remain relevant and cost effective in the delivery of city services that our residents expect. Today we run a very lean shop staffed by local government professionals delivering services to meet resident needs. We collaborate with our neighbors via joint power agreements or contracts for services that individually we would not have the economies of scale to provide effectively. Currently we have agreements for IT services, civil attorney, criminal prosecution, engineering, building inspections, tree service, sanitary sewer maintenance, fire, police, and design/build projects. In today’s world of expertise needs/expectations, staffing shortages, and budget constraints it is prudent to analyze and consider all options.