Ryan Hollihan
Name: Ryan Hollihan
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Candidate Bio
I have been a resident of Spring Lake Park for 15+ years and have loved living here and growing my family here. I have successfully navigated the process of home renovations that required the participation of the City Council and feel that being a part would help shed light on the struggle that can be such. I believe having a father with a young family on the council would be beneficial as it would allow for an insight that has not been had on the council lately. I would be able to see a prospective that would be beneficial to many homeowners in the community and would be able to share ideas that may not have been brought to the table. I have worked in the trades for almost 20 years and feel that also would be beneficial as I could shed light on project-based ideas that again may not have been thought of.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
My leadership style would be one of a longtime resident who has seen how having the same sitting council members negatively affect the city and its residents. I would bring a new voice and open leadership style that would encourage residents to speak their minds and be a more active participants in the community.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
a. Adequate and necessary funding of our police department.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in Spring Lake Park?
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?
How would you characterize the business climate in Spring Lake Park and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in Spring Lake Park?
Spring Lake Park does not have a huge infrastructure in which to attract large numbers of employees. I believe there is potential in consolidating certain low producing businesses within the community and growing that space into a more usable and profitable option. I feel there needs to be a cap on non-taxable businesses within the city. There is a growing number of these businesses, and it only negatively affects our community and its potential growth. I think with the right strategies and marketing plans, the city could grow exponentially in its business climate.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
I believe that adequate and appropriate funding to our public safety officers is of the utmost importance. Actively recruiting and retaining the best officers we can is also crucial. Making sure that our police department is supported and backed by the council will help to ensure that we are retaining those great employees. Also, working with neighboring council and police departments to ensure that support is being achieved through outside agencies as well.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
While I understand that this is a hot topic for some, it is unfortunately not something that can be addressed at a city council level. I believe better education for high school and college age people is going to beneficial in encouraging proper saving and realistic goal setting.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
Spring Lake Park has so many sidewalks that are unfortunately not utilized properly. As a longtime resident, I have seen so many traffic violations, specifically running of 4-way stop signs at both 81st & Monroe and 81st and Terrace. Increasing patrols at these areas would ideally reduce the number of incidents in which this occurs. Additionally, enforcing that any person utilizing the public roadway (IE: bikes, scooters, skateboards, etc) need to adhere to the same laws. Failure to do so could result in violations.
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?
To the best of my knowledge, Spring Lake Park is not in need of additional Federal COVID relief dollars.
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?
I believe these issues need to be addressed and mandated at a state level. Leaving these large topic items to be addressed on a city-by-city basis would only cause frustration and conflict between its residents, business, and surrounding cities. It is my belief that state government should address areas of concern that could be utilized throughout the state, such as childcare and ride sharing services. The city should be addressing areas of concern that are unique and personalize to the city itself, such as projects being funded by its residents.
Email:
Campaign Phone:
Campaign Website:
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page:
Candidate Bio
I have been a resident of Spring Lake Park for 15+ years and have loved living here and growing my family here. I have successfully navigated the process of home renovations that required the participation of the City Council and feel that being a part would help shed light on the struggle that can be such. I believe having a father with a young family on the council would be beneficial as it would allow for an insight that has not been had on the council lately. I would be able to see a prospective that would be beneficial to many homeowners in the community and would be able to share ideas that may not have been brought to the table. I have worked in the trades for almost 20 years and feel that also would be beneficial as I could shed light on project-based ideas that again may not have been thought of.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
My leadership style would be one of a longtime resident who has seen how having the same sitting council members negatively affect the city and its residents. I would bring a new voice and open leadership style that would encourage residents to speak their minds and be a more active participants in the community.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
a. Adequate and necessary funding of our police department.
- Working closely with our police department to learn what their needs are, specifically as the ever growing and changing communities around us. This may require that a multi-year approach be taken.
- This would require constructive and active participation from all members of the council to prioritize what areas are most important. This would also require actively working in the community to speak with the residents to find out what project/community needs are most important to them.
- This would require that the city actively seek grants available to revitalize the city. I believe that this would require there being a long-term and potential prioritizing of revitalization in place.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in Spring Lake Park?
- I feel the greatest challenge being faced in Spring Lake Park is the lack of available land space for development. Spring Lake Park lacks the opportunity to develop a hometown sit -down family style restaurant, which I believe would be a huge asset to the community. Drawing in families and outside clientele would be a great economic boost that Spring Lake Park could really use.
- The biggest opportunity within Spring Lake Park is the potential and willingness of its residents/business owners to revitalize. Those who have homes and businesses within Spring Lake Park are truly proud to have them and want to make them the best that they can. If given the opportunity, I believe most business would jump at the opportunity to update/upgrade their locations.
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?
- As the spouse of a small business owner, I have seen first-hand how negatively city government can affect a business. It would be my mission to make sure that business owners in the community feel heard and understood and that their perspectives are taken into consideration. While I understand not all requests are reasonable and something that can be achieved, I feel that keeping as many taxable businesses within the city Is critical to the ever-changing economic state of our city.
- I think a huge negative from the legislative session was the mandate on the increase of minimum wage. While I understand the need to have a livable wage, this substantial jump has caused a massive increase in the cost of consumer goods, leading to an even bigger cascade effect. This cascade has caused a lot of great small business to close their doors as they are no longer able to compete with the cost of labor and supplies to keep their doors open.
How would you characterize the business climate in Spring Lake Park and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in Spring Lake Park?
Spring Lake Park does not have a huge infrastructure in which to attract large numbers of employees. I believe there is potential in consolidating certain low producing businesses within the community and growing that space into a more usable and profitable option. I feel there needs to be a cap on non-taxable businesses within the city. There is a growing number of these businesses, and it only negatively affects our community and its potential growth. I think with the right strategies and marketing plans, the city could grow exponentially in its business climate.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
I believe that adequate and appropriate funding to our public safety officers is of the utmost importance. Actively recruiting and retaining the best officers we can is also crucial. Making sure that our police department is supported and backed by the council will help to ensure that we are retaining those great employees. Also, working with neighboring council and police departments to ensure that support is being achieved through outside agencies as well.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
While I understand that this is a hot topic for some, it is unfortunately not something that can be addressed at a city council level. I believe better education for high school and college age people is going to beneficial in encouraging proper saving and realistic goal setting.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
Spring Lake Park has so many sidewalks that are unfortunately not utilized properly. As a longtime resident, I have seen so many traffic violations, specifically running of 4-way stop signs at both 81st & Monroe and 81st and Terrace. Increasing patrols at these areas would ideally reduce the number of incidents in which this occurs. Additionally, enforcing that any person utilizing the public roadway (IE: bikes, scooters, skateboards, etc) need to adhere to the same laws. Failure to do so could result in violations.
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?
To the best of my knowledge, Spring Lake Park is not in need of additional Federal COVID relief dollars.
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?
I believe these issues need to be addressed and mandated at a state level. Leaving these large topic items to be addressed on a city-by-city basis would only cause frustration and conflict between its residents, business, and surrounding cities. It is my belief that state government should address areas of concern that could be utilized throughout the state, such as childcare and ride sharing services. The city should be addressing areas of concern that are unique and personalize to the city itself, such as projects being funded by its residents.