Rich Dujmovic
Name: Rich Dujmovic
Public Office Sought: North Oaks City Council
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 612-718-3025
Campaign Website:
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page:
Candidate Bio
I have enjoyed serving on your North Oaks City Council since 2020. I have been active as the City’s Police Liaison, during challenging times, securing reduced speed limits for Rapp Farm, placing radar signs in residential neighborhoods where desired, holding community forums on safety and security to understand community priorities, and have engaged with Ramsey County to secure those priorities for our community. I am committed to doing all that is within my power as a City Council member to preserving the legacy that is North Oaks, maintaining its uniqueness both regionally and nationally. I am working with NOHOA, Engineering, and the City Council to explore the effectiveness of temporary traffic calming measures aimed at improving safety for pedestrians and reducing traffic speeds in problem areas. As an approach to representation, I believe the ability to collaborate and seek first to understand others helps foster an environment of trust, mutual respect, professionalism and commitment to common goals. My volunteer work with underserved students, the American Heart Association, and MN Veterans Groups prepares me well for working on a variety of projects and perspectives. I will always be honest. Thank you for considering me to represent you on our City Council.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Safety and Security for North Oaks
Respect for all Citizens
Protecting the precious natural resources with which we have been entrusted – Advancing the North Oaks Legacy
How would you characterize the business climate in North Oaks and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
Our North Oaks’ businesses are an important part of our community. We enjoy the convenience, products, and services provided to us and our surrounding neighbors through our North Oaks’ businesses. We appreciate that these entities have a number of places where they could take their business, and they chose North Oaks. We are committed to providing them an environment where they can safely and confidently operate their business knowing that we have their interests in mind as we advance the legacy that is unique to North Oaks.
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, North Oaks?
Talent is increasingly mobile. Businesses can operate from many locations and business leases are favorable. We cannot take for granted our present businesses in North Oaks, and we must prioritize an environment that makes North Oaks an attractive place to operate. Our businesses supply not only revenue for the city but also conveniences which shape our Quality of Life. The city is responsible to provide a safe environment for owners, their suppliers, and their customers.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address the labor shortage?
I think the most important thing we can do for employers and labor alike is to make the North Oaks’ Commercial District a safe place to operate a business. If we sustain a predictably safe community in which to do business, one that supports their efforts to provide their products and services to others, we will attract and retain partners. As our community grows, we bring additional customers as well as potential employees to support these businesses. There are also a number of housing developments going up in our neighboring communities which help support these North Oaks’ businesses with customers and an employee pool.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals in North Oaks (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of an ordinance on the many types of businesses in North Oaks and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
In my opinion, wages should be set by contributions and business operations. Employees ought to be paid commensurate with the value they contribute to the business. I support sick time policies which encourage employees that are not feeling well to make the right decision and stay home to protect their fellow workers and the sustained operations of the business. I support business operators setting policies that work for their particular operations. I support consideration of family-friendly policies that encourage business operators to help their employees spend the critical first days supporting new members of their family, birthed, adopted, fostered, or added in any way.
Public safety and rising crime rates are of serious concern to the business community and residents. What strategies or policies would you propose to address public safety issues facing your community?
Commercial areas are best served when the businesses operate together as a community, looking out for one another and recognizing the value of collective oversight and partnering. Shared cameras, lighting, observation and timely reporting/action on suspicious activity help sustain a safe business environment. Our vicinity to Ramsey County Headquarters is a strategic advantage and it is best complemented by community-based awareness, diligent observation, organization, and timely reporting and respectful partnership with Police. We as a City Council should continue to support our Police and those who serve the community, encouraging compliance and respect.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address housing issues facing your community?
We are developing multiple alternative housing types in our community. Condos, duplexes, single family large lot and single family smaller lot additions are planned.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address transportation issues facing your community? Have your strategies or views changed on transportation since we’ve seen shifts in road use, public transportation use, work from home models, etc. due to the pandemic?
More and more, traffic on North Oaks’ roads are delivery vehicles bringing convenient delivery to our residents. While this brings convenience, it also has added significantly to our traffic volume and in some cases to speeding in the community. We have to focus on maintaining safe roads for drivers and pedestrians, bike riders and other appropriate users of our resources. Another consideration for our transportation is that the next additions to our community are disproportionally located around the boundaries of our community = less road material to create access to peripheral roads, easier ingress and exit from the community, a wider physical presence to police.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
North Oaks maintains a relatively low tax rate. This is in large part due to the fact that many of the services typically provided by city government are instead provided by the North Oaks Home Owners Association. The Budget is in good shape. Our largest expenses are in the areas of Police and Fire support. Getting the full value out of those contracts is a priority of mine. I am a huge proponent for our Police and the role they play in our community. I enthusiastically support their presence and their engagement in our community. They have done a good job under challenging conditions, and North Oaks enjoys a relatively low crime rate. We need to keep it there. I have researched the Contract Cities Policing model in detail, and I believe there are opportunities to improve the relationship between resources expended for Policing and Police presence in North Oaks. I will advocate for securing that additional Police presence in our community while managing cost for that presence. I will work with Ramsey County to secure the best Policing service we can achieve under this present contract and strengthen future contracts. In addition, our budget needs to acknowledge the growth in our community numerically and physically. In particular, we need to acknowledge and address that a lot of the new developments which will house our new North Oaks’ neighbors will operate based on municipal water supplies versus personal wells and also sewer versus septic. These infrastructure additions provide a different budgeting dynamic for which we must prepare. Maintenance budgets and capital improvement considerations, associated with evolving environmental and community standards, and, importantly, the sharing of a community water table and associated responsibilities managing that water resource are a required focus in the future. My largest budget priority is to secure Policing services commensurate to Policing expenses.
What will you do to expand North Oaks’ tax base?
North Oaks’ tax base is growing with new development, although, interestingly enough, a lot lower than you might think. Check out your own tax assessment and where the money goes. North Oaks’ residents are, in general, more concerned with sustaining the historic nature of the community (Country living for City folks) versus securing a growing tax base. We will soon be fully developed residentially. Uniquely, much of what serves our community comes from NOHOA, and NOHOA annually affords residents to vote on dues, thus establishing the degree of services received. This is an annual opportunity to assess precisely how much residents are willing to pay for varying levels of service.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
We are blessed with multiple Public School options in our community which vary by address as well as several Private School and Home School options. Family prioritization of education and family support of students has significant impact on the education of our future workforce. My mother, mother-in-law, and wife were all teachers, and I greatly admire the work teachers do in students’ lives as they partner with parents to create an amazing next generation of leaders.
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?
The city historically has chapters where we spent significant money managing the community deer population. These expenses are non-trivial, even if no deer are captured. In the last two years, we sought to understand the deer population and where we stand numerically prior to removing deer without limits. This saved considerable money. I think control of mice and other bearers of tick-based diseases should be added versus sole focus on deer.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in North Oaks?
The role of the city is to create an environment that is safe and attractive for businesses and to welcome businesses regardless of ownership. We can encourage minority and women-owned businesses with the same investments and priorities which attract all business owners. The community has a lot of experienced business owners who can advise and support new business owners of any type. We welcome any who want to operate in North Oaks. We can help establish a relationship between prospective business operators and current business operators as desired.
What further policies can North Oaks adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
North Oaks supported the community businesses’ ability to develop their own Policies, consistent with State rules. I support maximum autonomy and market-based decisions where Business owners can make decisions based on what they feel is best for the business and their employees and customers and then live with the consequences of those decisions in terms of the ensuing business results. I am a strong proponent of maximizing freedom and decision making at the business owner level.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
North Oaks is a unique place to live in the metro area and across the state, and even nationally, with few such communities available… One can’t really create a community like this, it needs to have been planned this way from its initiation. We have an opportunity to remain unique, private, committed to protecting our natural resources, committed to preserving a unique way of life and sharing in the community ownership through the relationship between city and Home Owner’s Association. I support efforts to maintain that uniqueness and value this rare way of living we all share here.
Public Office Sought: North Oaks City Council
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 612-718-3025
Campaign Website:
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page:
Candidate Bio
I have enjoyed serving on your North Oaks City Council since 2020. I have been active as the City’s Police Liaison, during challenging times, securing reduced speed limits for Rapp Farm, placing radar signs in residential neighborhoods where desired, holding community forums on safety and security to understand community priorities, and have engaged with Ramsey County to secure those priorities for our community. I am committed to doing all that is within my power as a City Council member to preserving the legacy that is North Oaks, maintaining its uniqueness both regionally and nationally. I am working with NOHOA, Engineering, and the City Council to explore the effectiveness of temporary traffic calming measures aimed at improving safety for pedestrians and reducing traffic speeds in problem areas. As an approach to representation, I believe the ability to collaborate and seek first to understand others helps foster an environment of trust, mutual respect, professionalism and commitment to common goals. My volunteer work with underserved students, the American Heart Association, and MN Veterans Groups prepares me well for working on a variety of projects and perspectives. I will always be honest. Thank you for considering me to represent you on our City Council.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Safety and Security for North Oaks
Respect for all Citizens
Protecting the precious natural resources with which we have been entrusted – Advancing the North Oaks Legacy
How would you characterize the business climate in North Oaks and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
Our North Oaks’ businesses are an important part of our community. We enjoy the convenience, products, and services provided to us and our surrounding neighbors through our North Oaks’ businesses. We appreciate that these entities have a number of places where they could take their business, and they chose North Oaks. We are committed to providing them an environment where they can safely and confidently operate their business knowing that we have their interests in mind as we advance the legacy that is unique to North Oaks.
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, North Oaks?
Talent is increasingly mobile. Businesses can operate from many locations and business leases are favorable. We cannot take for granted our present businesses in North Oaks, and we must prioritize an environment that makes North Oaks an attractive place to operate. Our businesses supply not only revenue for the city but also conveniences which shape our Quality of Life. The city is responsible to provide a safe environment for owners, their suppliers, and their customers.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address the labor shortage?
I think the most important thing we can do for employers and labor alike is to make the North Oaks’ Commercial District a safe place to operate a business. If we sustain a predictably safe community in which to do business, one that supports their efforts to provide their products and services to others, we will attract and retain partners. As our community grows, we bring additional customers as well as potential employees to support these businesses. There are also a number of housing developments going up in our neighboring communities which help support these North Oaks’ businesses with customers and an employee pool.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals in North Oaks (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of an ordinance on the many types of businesses in North Oaks and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
In my opinion, wages should be set by contributions and business operations. Employees ought to be paid commensurate with the value they contribute to the business. I support sick time policies which encourage employees that are not feeling well to make the right decision and stay home to protect their fellow workers and the sustained operations of the business. I support business operators setting policies that work for their particular operations. I support consideration of family-friendly policies that encourage business operators to help their employees spend the critical first days supporting new members of their family, birthed, adopted, fostered, or added in any way.
Public safety and rising crime rates are of serious concern to the business community and residents. What strategies or policies would you propose to address public safety issues facing your community?
Commercial areas are best served when the businesses operate together as a community, looking out for one another and recognizing the value of collective oversight and partnering. Shared cameras, lighting, observation and timely reporting/action on suspicious activity help sustain a safe business environment. Our vicinity to Ramsey County Headquarters is a strategic advantage and it is best complemented by community-based awareness, diligent observation, organization, and timely reporting and respectful partnership with Police. We as a City Council should continue to support our Police and those who serve the community, encouraging compliance and respect.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address housing issues facing your community?
We are developing multiple alternative housing types in our community. Condos, duplexes, single family large lot and single family smaller lot additions are planned.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address transportation issues facing your community? Have your strategies or views changed on transportation since we’ve seen shifts in road use, public transportation use, work from home models, etc. due to the pandemic?
More and more, traffic on North Oaks’ roads are delivery vehicles bringing convenient delivery to our residents. While this brings convenience, it also has added significantly to our traffic volume and in some cases to speeding in the community. We have to focus on maintaining safe roads for drivers and pedestrians, bike riders and other appropriate users of our resources. Another consideration for our transportation is that the next additions to our community are disproportionally located around the boundaries of our community = less road material to create access to peripheral roads, easier ingress and exit from the community, a wider physical presence to police.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
North Oaks maintains a relatively low tax rate. This is in large part due to the fact that many of the services typically provided by city government are instead provided by the North Oaks Home Owners Association. The Budget is in good shape. Our largest expenses are in the areas of Police and Fire support. Getting the full value out of those contracts is a priority of mine. I am a huge proponent for our Police and the role they play in our community. I enthusiastically support their presence and their engagement in our community. They have done a good job under challenging conditions, and North Oaks enjoys a relatively low crime rate. We need to keep it there. I have researched the Contract Cities Policing model in detail, and I believe there are opportunities to improve the relationship between resources expended for Policing and Police presence in North Oaks. I will advocate for securing that additional Police presence in our community while managing cost for that presence. I will work with Ramsey County to secure the best Policing service we can achieve under this present contract and strengthen future contracts. In addition, our budget needs to acknowledge the growth in our community numerically and physically. In particular, we need to acknowledge and address that a lot of the new developments which will house our new North Oaks’ neighbors will operate based on municipal water supplies versus personal wells and also sewer versus septic. These infrastructure additions provide a different budgeting dynamic for which we must prepare. Maintenance budgets and capital improvement considerations, associated with evolving environmental and community standards, and, importantly, the sharing of a community water table and associated responsibilities managing that water resource are a required focus in the future. My largest budget priority is to secure Policing services commensurate to Policing expenses.
What will you do to expand North Oaks’ tax base?
North Oaks’ tax base is growing with new development, although, interestingly enough, a lot lower than you might think. Check out your own tax assessment and where the money goes. North Oaks’ residents are, in general, more concerned with sustaining the historic nature of the community (Country living for City folks) versus securing a growing tax base. We will soon be fully developed residentially. Uniquely, much of what serves our community comes from NOHOA, and NOHOA annually affords residents to vote on dues, thus establishing the degree of services received. This is an annual opportunity to assess precisely how much residents are willing to pay for varying levels of service.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
We are blessed with multiple Public School options in our community which vary by address as well as several Private School and Home School options. Family prioritization of education and family support of students has significant impact on the education of our future workforce. My mother, mother-in-law, and wife were all teachers, and I greatly admire the work teachers do in students’ lives as they partner with parents to create an amazing next generation of leaders.
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?
The city historically has chapters where we spent significant money managing the community deer population. These expenses are non-trivial, even if no deer are captured. In the last two years, we sought to understand the deer population and where we stand numerically prior to removing deer without limits. This saved considerable money. I think control of mice and other bearers of tick-based diseases should be added versus sole focus on deer.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in North Oaks?
The role of the city is to create an environment that is safe and attractive for businesses and to welcome businesses regardless of ownership. We can encourage minority and women-owned businesses with the same investments and priorities which attract all business owners. The community has a lot of experienced business owners who can advise and support new business owners of any type. We welcome any who want to operate in North Oaks. We can help establish a relationship between prospective business operators and current business operators as desired.
What further policies can North Oaks adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
North Oaks supported the community businesses’ ability to develop their own Policies, consistent with State rules. I support maximum autonomy and market-based decisions where Business owners can make decisions based on what they feel is best for the business and their employees and customers and then live with the consequences of those decisions in terms of the ensuing business results. I am a strong proponent of maximizing freedom and decision making at the business owner level.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
North Oaks is a unique place to live in the metro area and across the state, and even nationally, with few such communities available… One can’t really create a community like this, it needs to have been planned this way from its initiation. We have an opportunity to remain unique, private, committed to protecting our natural resources, committed to preserving a unique way of life and sharing in the community ownership through the relationship between city and Home Owner’s Association. I support efforts to maintain that uniqueness and value this rare way of living we all share here.