Richard Henderson
Name: Richard Henderson
Public Office Sought: Lakeville City Council
Email: VoteRichardHenderson.com
Phone: 952-456-0058
Website: https://VoteRichardHenderson.com
Twitter handle: @voterhenderson
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/voterichardhenderson
Candidate Bio
I am a political outsider not supported by any special interest. I’ll do what’s right for Lakeville, and not what special interests pull strings on. With my military leadership experience (retired U.S. Navy Captain), technical background (licensed civil engineer); and small business owner experience; I offer a unique set of skills and perspectives that qualify me for City Council. I have good ideas and a vision to manage Lakeville’s growth, improve economic development, and keep Lakeville “family-Friendly.”
As a senior military officer having led 8 separate commands, I have been accountable for leading the broadest range of decision-making groups. Stepping into a city council role will translate quite well to city government, where it is important to reach consensus among a wide variety of stakeholders. Closer to home, as chair of the Taste of Lakeville (TOL), I work with many community leaders and organizations, including for a scaled down TOL this year due to COVID-19. My military experience always required that I make decisions in the best interests of the unit, to do what’s right, and to set aside any personal biases.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Difficult to narrow down to just three priorities:
Responsible growth: Balance the demands of multiple stakeholders (businesses, families, homeowners, seniors, city gov’t, infrastructure, etc.); where we continue to grow but maintain Lakeville’s “small town” flavor.
Quality economic development: a business-friendly city, with a greater diversity of business (large/retail). Increase percent of jobs filled by Lakeville residents. Support Downtown development.
Family friendly: improve parks/infrastructure, increase inter-connectivity of city, support schools, promote community ties. Ultimately this pays off in rising property values
Additional priorities: As Lakeville already has the finest police and fire departments, with adequate funding and low crime rates, I do not list public safety as a top 3 priority. Public safety is - by default – a CORE function of government.
Another important item that did not make the top 3 is Lakeville’s resiliency to the pandemic. I believe the city is doing a good job, with the limited means it has, to provide pandemic outreach and relief.
How would you characterize the business climate in Lakeville and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
The business climate is generally good in Lakeville. A key part of improving the business climate is to put together custom packages of incentives for larger business that are considering moving to Lakeville. The city government should also work with smaller retail businesses to help stay resilient during Covid-19. Businesses are critical to supporting quality of life issues for two important reasons: 1. Generates tax revenue for the city’s general fund. 2. Provides employment opportunities for Lakeville residents.
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, Lakeville?
The City should work closely with the Chamber of Commerce/Visitors bureau and economic development commission to attract/retain both jobs and businesses. Support a business expansion program that integrates in a “business cluster” strategy for net new businesses. Form a “Tiger Team” to work with a specific large business interested in moving to Lakeville, to customize the city’s outreach plan. Aggressively outreach to existing businesses to stay ahead of their expansion plans, and work to address issues that might lead the business to re-locate elsewhere. As in the military, leadership sets the tone for the climate in the city, and City leaders should set a culture that “Lakeville is open for business!”
Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in Lakeville (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 Lakeville and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I don’t have any such specific proposals at this time. I would of course support reasonable city ordinances/regulations that protect the rights of employees. Before any new ordinance is implemented, I would ensure there is responsible outreach to the Chamber/business community for an impact analysis. On a case-by-case basis, provide exceptions if the burden is significant in either putting the business at risk or that costs of compliance are not reasonable; particularly for smaller businesses.
What are your strategies to address public safety, housing, and transportation issues facing your community?
Public safety: In the military, we focused on building what we called “defense in depth.” We can apply this principle to public safety, where its role is to build “safety in depth” in our city. It’s more than just police patrols and fire prevention. Lakeville’s Public safety role should continue to be a lynch pin that connects into the city-at-large for greater security and safety awareness. This role includes COVID-19 resiliency, mental health outreach, domestic abuse intervention, citizen police academies, water safety, code adherence, reserves and volunteers, and - most important - aggressive - liaison with community outreach organizations. A broad “safety tapestry” that goes deep into the community. Lakeville’s public safety is expertly led, and I would work to strengthen that relationship and to identify/address any gaps in public safety before they become problems.
Housing: The primary issues with housing relate to affordability of housing; and increasing the diversity of housing options for all different price points, so that people can afford to live in Lakeville throughout their life. There are gaps in meeting the needs for everyone who wants to live and work here. Less than 10 percent of housing units are affordable to households with income 30% - to 50% Area Medium Income. There is greater demand than supply for senior housing. Affordability also makes it difficult for local employers to fill job vacancies. Natural Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) currently meets significant demands for affordability, with Lakeville’s decentralized development. I would look for way to Increase sources of NOAH preservation financing. To bolster NOAH housing stocks, provide maintenance assistance for low-income homeowners and incentives for maintenance of older more affordable housing stocks. Pursue higher density design in the 3 new zoning areas designated for Corridor Mixed Use Development. Prioritize the building of more housing to serve Lakeville’s growing senior population. Per Lakeville’s 2040 Land Use Plan, we can adapt city policies to encourage more development of a very small amount of acreage for higher density developments. These changes would improve access to affordable housing and would have negligible impact on Lakeville’s housing character; and keeps the private sector engaged in solutions.
Transportation issues: I’m a licensed civil engineer who used to work in transportation. I understand the issues related to transportation. First, transportation road networks, particularly primary arteries, need to keep pace with development, particularly for new larger businesses. This requires close integration with the County and state transportation agencies for planning of Capital Improvement plans. For expansions of major roadways I would ensure that “buffers” are adequate with impacted housing neighborhoods. Lakeville is designated a special Transit Market Areas. Develop this resource that provides access to peak period express bus service, small vehicle circulators, special needs paratransit for ADA and seniors), ridesharing. and more. Among these transit options, expanding express bus service will fill Lakeville’s largest transit demand, and is the best fit for our unique commuter origin and destination points. We should support further efforts to connect into Orange Line and Red Line Bus Rapid Transit and push for improved Express Bus Service through the I-35 corridor. Work with Metro to expand available destination points. Review demands for opposite north-south transit of workers who have to commute into Lakeville, considering that 75% of Lakeville jobs are filled by workers commuting into Lakeville. With our growing senior population, plan for increased demand on transit mobility services, such as Metro Mobility and DART. Transit planning should also include the building out of bike paths for this small transit market. Most important, Lakeville should “get ready” for the revolution coming with driverless vehicles, which will transform public transportation everywhere.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
A leader must see what’s coming. With the last tax levy for Lakeville increasing 7 percent, one budget priority I would have is to review growth in the major departments/components of the city budget. Get ahead of any negative trends. Compare city expenditure increases to rates of inflation and city growth. Determine any changes required. Another budgetary priority I would have is to review COVID-19 impact on resiliency of city residents, businesses, and city finances. Look for areas where city expenditures might be temporarily postponed, to free up resources for at-risk citizens. I have reviewed in detail the city’s budget; and agree with the relative priorities set in the general government expenditures. Until I received specific feedback from leaders in the city (i.e. public safety), I would not make any relative changes in funding priorities. Overall, I have studied the city’s finances and believe fiscal management to be effective. We need to stay ahead of any negative fiscal trends, particularly in light of the impacts from COVID-19.
What will you do to expand Lakeville’s tax base?
As I outlined in answer 4 above, I would work with city groups/leaders to improve economic development for new businesses and the expansion of businesses. Quality Business growth is the best way to expand the tax base. This includes moving forward on more downtown development. I also support responsible planned growth in new housing developments, which will also expand the tax base.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Educational institutions/leadership should take the lead for this issue. First, align efforts of the city and businesses with higher education providers, and that these are aligned with the “Lakeville Works” initiatives. Review jobs that are open and inventory with existing worker skills, to identify gaps. Work to better match demand with job availability, to increase percent of Lakeville jobs filled by Lakeville residents. Liaison with the Chamber and business leaders to project changes in job skills; and communicate these with educational leaders. Coordinate with Dakota County Technical College to better align high technology manufacturing job demands with students.
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?
Per my answer in number 7, as part of the review in growth in the major departments/components of the city budget, I would look for any areas that can be cut back or eliminated; and or shared. I do not have the data right now to make that determination. Overall, I believe Lakeville’s city staffing is highly professional and performing effectively.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Lakeville?
As part of the City Council’s governing responsibilities, the City has established a diversity working group for community outreach and to solicit feedback. I would also use this as a conduit to get better feedback from minority- and women-owned business. I would ensure city polices and actions fully support state and national diversity guidelines. I would also outreach to state and local agencies to identify/obtain funding to promote these businesses. I would ensure enforcement of city ordinances/policies that foster increased minority- and women-owned business. This is also a “human” issue, where city leaders should set the tone and climate that Lakeville is a tolerant community welcoming of all diversities and business owners.
What further policies can Lakeville adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
Regarding priorities, small business owners (i.e. restaurant operators, retail outlets) who directly serve clientele, have been “broad-sided” by COVID-19 shutdowns, and need the highest level of support. Lakeville’s small business emergency grant program should continue to be re-purposed for our at-risk small business. With Lakeville’s Community and Economic Development department taking the lead, prioritize additional resources for at-risk citizens; such as senior citizens and those whose jobs have been lost/downsized. The requires aggressive outreach to community organizations and communications with citizens, such as through the Thrive! Newsletters and Chamber of Commerce. To obtain more financial resources for Covid-19 support, city leaders should prioritize aggressive outreach for federal and state support (i.e. Minnesota’s department of employment/economic development). To maximize funding for pandemic business support, review all non-essential city expenditures. Also review expenditures that could be delayed to re-purpose for economic recovery. Some payments for city services could also be delayed for at-risk citizens.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
Thanks for taking the time to read through my detailed responses! As you can see, I’m an engineer by training. So I like to give detailed answers, vice catchy sound bites. I learned the hard way in the military that “the Devil is in the Details.”
To use a Navy analogy, I’m campaigning “into a head wind.” I am not endorsed by any special interest. I’m also independent and non-partisan, in a Lakeville city council race that is getting increasingly polarized and partisan. I believe that I, Richard Henderson, am your best candidate if you want a government that works solely for the interest of the common citizen, and will not be beholden to any of the powerful special interests that exert so much clout within Lakeville. My Number One priority will be to listen to you! Visit VoteRichardHenderson.com for more details. Thank You.
Public Office Sought: Lakeville City Council
Email: VoteRichardHenderson.com
Phone: 952-456-0058
Website: https://VoteRichardHenderson.com
Twitter handle: @voterhenderson
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/voterichardhenderson
Candidate Bio
I am a political outsider not supported by any special interest. I’ll do what’s right for Lakeville, and not what special interests pull strings on. With my military leadership experience (retired U.S. Navy Captain), technical background (licensed civil engineer); and small business owner experience; I offer a unique set of skills and perspectives that qualify me for City Council. I have good ideas and a vision to manage Lakeville’s growth, improve economic development, and keep Lakeville “family-Friendly.”
As a senior military officer having led 8 separate commands, I have been accountable for leading the broadest range of decision-making groups. Stepping into a city council role will translate quite well to city government, where it is important to reach consensus among a wide variety of stakeholders. Closer to home, as chair of the Taste of Lakeville (TOL), I work with many community leaders and organizations, including for a scaled down TOL this year due to COVID-19. My military experience always required that I make decisions in the best interests of the unit, to do what’s right, and to set aside any personal biases.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Difficult to narrow down to just three priorities:
Responsible growth: Balance the demands of multiple stakeholders (businesses, families, homeowners, seniors, city gov’t, infrastructure, etc.); where we continue to grow but maintain Lakeville’s “small town” flavor.
Quality economic development: a business-friendly city, with a greater diversity of business (large/retail). Increase percent of jobs filled by Lakeville residents. Support Downtown development.
Family friendly: improve parks/infrastructure, increase inter-connectivity of city, support schools, promote community ties. Ultimately this pays off in rising property values
Additional priorities: As Lakeville already has the finest police and fire departments, with adequate funding and low crime rates, I do not list public safety as a top 3 priority. Public safety is - by default – a CORE function of government.
Another important item that did not make the top 3 is Lakeville’s resiliency to the pandemic. I believe the city is doing a good job, with the limited means it has, to provide pandemic outreach and relief.
How would you characterize the business climate in Lakeville and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
The business climate is generally good in Lakeville. A key part of improving the business climate is to put together custom packages of incentives for larger business that are considering moving to Lakeville. The city government should also work with smaller retail businesses to help stay resilient during Covid-19. Businesses are critical to supporting quality of life issues for two important reasons: 1. Generates tax revenue for the city’s general fund. 2. Provides employment opportunities for Lakeville residents.
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, Lakeville?
The City should work closely with the Chamber of Commerce/Visitors bureau and economic development commission to attract/retain both jobs and businesses. Support a business expansion program that integrates in a “business cluster” strategy for net new businesses. Form a “Tiger Team” to work with a specific large business interested in moving to Lakeville, to customize the city’s outreach plan. Aggressively outreach to existing businesses to stay ahead of their expansion plans, and work to address issues that might lead the business to re-locate elsewhere. As in the military, leadership sets the tone for the climate in the city, and City leaders should set a culture that “Lakeville is open for business!”
Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in Lakeville (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 Lakeville and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I don’t have any such specific proposals at this time. I would of course support reasonable city ordinances/regulations that protect the rights of employees. Before any new ordinance is implemented, I would ensure there is responsible outreach to the Chamber/business community for an impact analysis. On a case-by-case basis, provide exceptions if the burden is significant in either putting the business at risk or that costs of compliance are not reasonable; particularly for smaller businesses.
What are your strategies to address public safety, housing, and transportation issues facing your community?
Public safety: In the military, we focused on building what we called “defense in depth.” We can apply this principle to public safety, where its role is to build “safety in depth” in our city. It’s more than just police patrols and fire prevention. Lakeville’s Public safety role should continue to be a lynch pin that connects into the city-at-large for greater security and safety awareness. This role includes COVID-19 resiliency, mental health outreach, domestic abuse intervention, citizen police academies, water safety, code adherence, reserves and volunteers, and - most important - aggressive - liaison with community outreach organizations. A broad “safety tapestry” that goes deep into the community. Lakeville’s public safety is expertly led, and I would work to strengthen that relationship and to identify/address any gaps in public safety before they become problems.
Housing: The primary issues with housing relate to affordability of housing; and increasing the diversity of housing options for all different price points, so that people can afford to live in Lakeville throughout their life. There are gaps in meeting the needs for everyone who wants to live and work here. Less than 10 percent of housing units are affordable to households with income 30% - to 50% Area Medium Income. There is greater demand than supply for senior housing. Affordability also makes it difficult for local employers to fill job vacancies. Natural Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) currently meets significant demands for affordability, with Lakeville’s decentralized development. I would look for way to Increase sources of NOAH preservation financing. To bolster NOAH housing stocks, provide maintenance assistance for low-income homeowners and incentives for maintenance of older more affordable housing stocks. Pursue higher density design in the 3 new zoning areas designated for Corridor Mixed Use Development. Prioritize the building of more housing to serve Lakeville’s growing senior population. Per Lakeville’s 2040 Land Use Plan, we can adapt city policies to encourage more development of a very small amount of acreage for higher density developments. These changes would improve access to affordable housing and would have negligible impact on Lakeville’s housing character; and keeps the private sector engaged in solutions.
Transportation issues: I’m a licensed civil engineer who used to work in transportation. I understand the issues related to transportation. First, transportation road networks, particularly primary arteries, need to keep pace with development, particularly for new larger businesses. This requires close integration with the County and state transportation agencies for planning of Capital Improvement plans. For expansions of major roadways I would ensure that “buffers” are adequate with impacted housing neighborhoods. Lakeville is designated a special Transit Market Areas. Develop this resource that provides access to peak period express bus service, small vehicle circulators, special needs paratransit for ADA and seniors), ridesharing. and more. Among these transit options, expanding express bus service will fill Lakeville’s largest transit demand, and is the best fit for our unique commuter origin and destination points. We should support further efforts to connect into Orange Line and Red Line Bus Rapid Transit and push for improved Express Bus Service through the I-35 corridor. Work with Metro to expand available destination points. Review demands for opposite north-south transit of workers who have to commute into Lakeville, considering that 75% of Lakeville jobs are filled by workers commuting into Lakeville. With our growing senior population, plan for increased demand on transit mobility services, such as Metro Mobility and DART. Transit planning should also include the building out of bike paths for this small transit market. Most important, Lakeville should “get ready” for the revolution coming with driverless vehicles, which will transform public transportation everywhere.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
A leader must see what’s coming. With the last tax levy for Lakeville increasing 7 percent, one budget priority I would have is to review growth in the major departments/components of the city budget. Get ahead of any negative trends. Compare city expenditure increases to rates of inflation and city growth. Determine any changes required. Another budgetary priority I would have is to review COVID-19 impact on resiliency of city residents, businesses, and city finances. Look for areas where city expenditures might be temporarily postponed, to free up resources for at-risk citizens. I have reviewed in detail the city’s budget; and agree with the relative priorities set in the general government expenditures. Until I received specific feedback from leaders in the city (i.e. public safety), I would not make any relative changes in funding priorities. Overall, I have studied the city’s finances and believe fiscal management to be effective. We need to stay ahead of any negative fiscal trends, particularly in light of the impacts from COVID-19.
What will you do to expand Lakeville’s tax base?
As I outlined in answer 4 above, I would work with city groups/leaders to improve economic development for new businesses and the expansion of businesses. Quality Business growth is the best way to expand the tax base. This includes moving forward on more downtown development. I also support responsible planned growth in new housing developments, which will also expand the tax base.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Educational institutions/leadership should take the lead for this issue. First, align efforts of the city and businesses with higher education providers, and that these are aligned with the “Lakeville Works” initiatives. Review jobs that are open and inventory with existing worker skills, to identify gaps. Work to better match demand with job availability, to increase percent of Lakeville jobs filled by Lakeville residents. Liaison with the Chamber and business leaders to project changes in job skills; and communicate these with educational leaders. Coordinate with Dakota County Technical College to better align high technology manufacturing job demands with students.
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?
Per my answer in number 7, as part of the review in growth in the major departments/components of the city budget, I would look for any areas that can be cut back or eliminated; and or shared. I do not have the data right now to make that determination. Overall, I believe Lakeville’s city staffing is highly professional and performing effectively.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Lakeville?
As part of the City Council’s governing responsibilities, the City has established a diversity working group for community outreach and to solicit feedback. I would also use this as a conduit to get better feedback from minority- and women-owned business. I would ensure city polices and actions fully support state and national diversity guidelines. I would also outreach to state and local agencies to identify/obtain funding to promote these businesses. I would ensure enforcement of city ordinances/policies that foster increased minority- and women-owned business. This is also a “human” issue, where city leaders should set the tone and climate that Lakeville is a tolerant community welcoming of all diversities and business owners.
What further policies can Lakeville adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
Regarding priorities, small business owners (i.e. restaurant operators, retail outlets) who directly serve clientele, have been “broad-sided” by COVID-19 shutdowns, and need the highest level of support. Lakeville’s small business emergency grant program should continue to be re-purposed for our at-risk small business. With Lakeville’s Community and Economic Development department taking the lead, prioritize additional resources for at-risk citizens; such as senior citizens and those whose jobs have been lost/downsized. The requires aggressive outreach to community organizations and communications with citizens, such as through the Thrive! Newsletters and Chamber of Commerce. To obtain more financial resources for Covid-19 support, city leaders should prioritize aggressive outreach for federal and state support (i.e. Minnesota’s department of employment/economic development). To maximize funding for pandemic business support, review all non-essential city expenditures. Also review expenditures that could be delayed to re-purpose for economic recovery. Some payments for city services could also be delayed for at-risk citizens.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
Thanks for taking the time to read through my detailed responses! As you can see, I’m an engineer by training. So I like to give detailed answers, vice catchy sound bites. I learned the hard way in the military that “the Devil is in the Details.”
To use a Navy analogy, I’m campaigning “into a head wind.” I am not endorsed by any special interest. I’m also independent and non-partisan, in a Lakeville city council race that is getting increasingly polarized and partisan. I believe that I, Richard Henderson, am your best candidate if you want a government that works solely for the interest of the common citizen, and will not be beholden to any of the powerful special interests that exert so much clout within Lakeville. My Number One priority will be to listen to you! Visit VoteRichardHenderson.com for more details. Thank You.