Sirid Kellermann
Name: Sirid Kellermann
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: (651) 300-0784
Campaign Website: https://progressforstillwater.com
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Sirid.Kellermann.Stillwater
Candidate Bio
I have a background in scientific research and sustainable business management, as well as in strategic decision and risk management. I spent fourteen years in the biotechnology sector, working with clients around the world to discover new disease therapies. During that time, I established a track record of team leadership and relationship management as I successfully managed complex projects, set key priorities, and recommended (sometimes difficult) go/no-go decisions. My ability to listen to stakeholders, analyze complex information, and generate actionable recommendations will serve me well as a city council member.
My focus on creating value for others continued after I returned to the Midwest in 2010, when I started my own consulting small business that helps scientists compete more effectively for grant funding in order to continue their important research efforts and to increase diversity in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). For the past six years, I have also been a home school educator.
In early 2021, seeking to better connect with and contribute to my city, I joined Stillwater’s Human Rights Commission (on which I have served as chair for the past year).
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
Listen with empathy; think critically and creatively; make data-driven decisions. Never accept “that’s just how we do things” as a reason for doing (or not doing) something. I am particularly committed to ensuring that those vulnerable to being disenfranchised are heard and included in city governance. Despite the deeply divided national political scene, I believe in the power of people and the ability of grassroots movements to effect change.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
There are three overarching priorities that I bring to my city council campaign. (1) Enhance livability by addressing the “wicked problems” of housing affordability and water quality. According to 2022 data, each day over 1,000 people commute into the city for their work, and it’s possible that many of them likely do so because they cannot afford to live in Stillwater as property values rise while median income does not keep pace. (2) Foster a culture in which city residents truly feel they have a voice in city decisions, by increasing transparency and dialogue. (3) Identify creative “win-win-win” strategies that balance residential growth, a vibrant business environment, and environmental stewardship.
Economic realities shape the solutions that can be implemented, but just as “necessity is the mother of invention,” financial limitations often spur greater creativity in problem solving.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in Stillwater?
I believe that Stillwater is challenged to honor and preserve its historical significance as the birthplace of Minnesota, while simultaneously addressing pressing urban issues of our time. With vision, imagination, and genuine inclusion of residents in every step of the process, there is an enormous opportunity to study and implement best practices in urban innovation that will make Stillwater not only a city that anyone would be proud to call home, but indeed a role model for other cities across Minnesota and the country to emulate.
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?
There is no question in my mind that the issues communities face today can best be addressed through private-public partnerships (PPPs). They’re simply too complex, too large, and too dynamic for governments or the private sector to tackle without collaborating. I believe that the business community is an important and as-yet underleveraged resource of ideas, capital, and experience that municipal governments would do well to bring to the table. This past session, the state legislature’s passage of bills regarding family leave, driver’s licenses for all, and universal school meals promise to alleviate certain pressures on the workforce that will hopefully contribute to healthier business performance and thereby greater bandwidth to explore PPPs.
How would you characterize the business climate in Stillwater and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in Stillwater?
The question is not so much one of quantity of businesses and jobs so much as quality. Done right, the city and the business community are in constant, open communication with each other about how to align strategic priorities and recognize opportunities for partnership. By their nature, governments and businesses tend to think and plan on different time scales (long- and short-term, respectively). The ideal relationship plays to the respective strengths of each - city governments that have a clear long-range vision and businesses capable of nimble action. I also think it’s appropriate for cities to encourage and incentivize new and existing businesses that guarantee fair wages and employee benefits.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
Public safety should always be a top priority; no one should ever feel unsafe living in or visiting any part of Stillwater at any hour of the day. No matter how proactive we try to be to make the city safe, some public safety issues do not become obvious until something unfortunate occurs. This is another reason why a city needs a culture of trust and responsiveness, in which people who see something concerning readily engage with city leadership/staff and law enforcement and know that they will be heard.
Just as scientists seek to treat the root cause of a disease and not just its symptoms, public safety issues are most effectively addressed when we identify the underlying drivers. For example, the Stillwater police department has done an excellent job in understanding the role mental health issues often play in situations where there is a public safety concern and have modified their response strategy, which benefits everyone.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
This is a classic “wicked problem” in public policy that has bedeviled many cities, and if there were any easy solution, it would have been implemented already. The issue is particularly acute in Stillwater: consider that the estimated median house or condo value went from $155,600 in 2000 to $410,560 in 2022, while at the same time, median household income decreased. We need to come up with ideas for doing things differently (as compared to simply “more or less of what we’re doing today”), and this will involve careful study of best practices in other cities and understanding how to adapt these to Stillwater. It will likely involve embracing PPPs, as stated above. Just as importantly, the residents and leadership of Stillwater need to have an honest conversation about defining Stillwater’s identity. Is this a bedroom community? A retirement community? How widespread is NIMBYism in this city? Is there a genuine willingness to implement solutions that expand the city’s socioeconomic diversity to everyone’s ultimate benefit?
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
There is no question that transportation offers some of the most exciting and impactful opportunities to address urgent global climate change challenges while improving the city’s livability and people’s quality of life. Downtown, I would like to see bolder steps to mitigate parking and traffic issues and improve walkability, at least during peak visitor periods. In neighborhoods such as my own, I would like to see more bike lanes, as well as signage and other speed-curbing strategies. Finally, I would love to work with the county and the state to encourage ride-sharing and transit opportunities for commuters.
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?
Cities should routinely be performing fiscal check-ups to ensure that operations are being run effectively, but also efficiently; that salaries and personnel are in line with benchmarks; and that opportunities for regionalization of services are pursued with neighboring cities that can provide economies of scale. If levies or taxes must be raised, they need to be tied to tangible services or benefits for residents in order to increase their likelihood of adoption. As I’ve stated above, this idea – and other potential strategies, such as “shared sacrifice” – can only succeed on a foundation of openness and transparency in which residents have a seat at the table and the city’s leadership has earned their trust. PPPs could be explored to see if some of the burden of capital outlay can be shifted to the private sector. I would also be interested in whether and how Stillwater can work with other cities to pursue legislation to capture some portion of Minnesota sales tax revenue.
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?
Certain issues are too complex and/or too large in scope to be resolved at the scale of city/county. On the other hand, cities have been cited as attractive incubators for policy innovation, and alliances of cities/counties could provide intriguing opportunities to test new approaches. Much in the way that actions in individual states can lead to national change (for example, California’s restrictions on exhaust emissions compelled the auto industry to make more fuel-efficient automobiles and provided a blueprint for other states and the federal government), cities and counties have the potential to generate the necessary leverage to usher in much-needed policies that create positive social, economic, and environmental outcomes.
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: (651) 300-0784
Campaign Website: https://progressforstillwater.com
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Sirid.Kellermann.Stillwater
Candidate Bio
I have a background in scientific research and sustainable business management, as well as in strategic decision and risk management. I spent fourteen years in the biotechnology sector, working with clients around the world to discover new disease therapies. During that time, I established a track record of team leadership and relationship management as I successfully managed complex projects, set key priorities, and recommended (sometimes difficult) go/no-go decisions. My ability to listen to stakeholders, analyze complex information, and generate actionable recommendations will serve me well as a city council member.
My focus on creating value for others continued after I returned to the Midwest in 2010, when I started my own consulting small business that helps scientists compete more effectively for grant funding in order to continue their important research efforts and to increase diversity in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). For the past six years, I have also been a home school educator.
In early 2021, seeking to better connect with and contribute to my city, I joined Stillwater’s Human Rights Commission (on which I have served as chair for the past year).
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
Listen with empathy; think critically and creatively; make data-driven decisions. Never accept “that’s just how we do things” as a reason for doing (or not doing) something. I am particularly committed to ensuring that those vulnerable to being disenfranchised are heard and included in city governance. Despite the deeply divided national political scene, I believe in the power of people and the ability of grassroots movements to effect change.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
There are three overarching priorities that I bring to my city council campaign. (1) Enhance livability by addressing the “wicked problems” of housing affordability and water quality. According to 2022 data, each day over 1,000 people commute into the city for their work, and it’s possible that many of them likely do so because they cannot afford to live in Stillwater as property values rise while median income does not keep pace. (2) Foster a culture in which city residents truly feel they have a voice in city decisions, by increasing transparency and dialogue. (3) Identify creative “win-win-win” strategies that balance residential growth, a vibrant business environment, and environmental stewardship.
Economic realities shape the solutions that can be implemented, but just as “necessity is the mother of invention,” financial limitations often spur greater creativity in problem solving.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in Stillwater?
I believe that Stillwater is challenged to honor and preserve its historical significance as the birthplace of Minnesota, while simultaneously addressing pressing urban issues of our time. With vision, imagination, and genuine inclusion of residents in every step of the process, there is an enormous opportunity to study and implement best practices in urban innovation that will make Stillwater not only a city that anyone would be proud to call home, but indeed a role model for other cities across Minnesota and the country to emulate.
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?
There is no question in my mind that the issues communities face today can best be addressed through private-public partnerships (PPPs). They’re simply too complex, too large, and too dynamic for governments or the private sector to tackle without collaborating. I believe that the business community is an important and as-yet underleveraged resource of ideas, capital, and experience that municipal governments would do well to bring to the table. This past session, the state legislature’s passage of bills regarding family leave, driver’s licenses for all, and universal school meals promise to alleviate certain pressures on the workforce that will hopefully contribute to healthier business performance and thereby greater bandwidth to explore PPPs.
How would you characterize the business climate in Stillwater and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in Stillwater?
The question is not so much one of quantity of businesses and jobs so much as quality. Done right, the city and the business community are in constant, open communication with each other about how to align strategic priorities and recognize opportunities for partnership. By their nature, governments and businesses tend to think and plan on different time scales (long- and short-term, respectively). The ideal relationship plays to the respective strengths of each - city governments that have a clear long-range vision and businesses capable of nimble action. I also think it’s appropriate for cities to encourage and incentivize new and existing businesses that guarantee fair wages and employee benefits.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
Public safety should always be a top priority; no one should ever feel unsafe living in or visiting any part of Stillwater at any hour of the day. No matter how proactive we try to be to make the city safe, some public safety issues do not become obvious until something unfortunate occurs. This is another reason why a city needs a culture of trust and responsiveness, in which people who see something concerning readily engage with city leadership/staff and law enforcement and know that they will be heard.
Just as scientists seek to treat the root cause of a disease and not just its symptoms, public safety issues are most effectively addressed when we identify the underlying drivers. For example, the Stillwater police department has done an excellent job in understanding the role mental health issues often play in situations where there is a public safety concern and have modified their response strategy, which benefits everyone.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
This is a classic “wicked problem” in public policy that has bedeviled many cities, and if there were any easy solution, it would have been implemented already. The issue is particularly acute in Stillwater: consider that the estimated median house or condo value went from $155,600 in 2000 to $410,560 in 2022, while at the same time, median household income decreased. We need to come up with ideas for doing things differently (as compared to simply “more or less of what we’re doing today”), and this will involve careful study of best practices in other cities and understanding how to adapt these to Stillwater. It will likely involve embracing PPPs, as stated above. Just as importantly, the residents and leadership of Stillwater need to have an honest conversation about defining Stillwater’s identity. Is this a bedroom community? A retirement community? How widespread is NIMBYism in this city? Is there a genuine willingness to implement solutions that expand the city’s socioeconomic diversity to everyone’s ultimate benefit?
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
There is no question that transportation offers some of the most exciting and impactful opportunities to address urgent global climate change challenges while improving the city’s livability and people’s quality of life. Downtown, I would like to see bolder steps to mitigate parking and traffic issues and improve walkability, at least during peak visitor periods. In neighborhoods such as my own, I would like to see more bike lanes, as well as signage and other speed-curbing strategies. Finally, I would love to work with the county and the state to encourage ride-sharing and transit opportunities for commuters.
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?
Cities should routinely be performing fiscal check-ups to ensure that operations are being run effectively, but also efficiently; that salaries and personnel are in line with benchmarks; and that opportunities for regionalization of services are pursued with neighboring cities that can provide economies of scale. If levies or taxes must be raised, they need to be tied to tangible services or benefits for residents in order to increase their likelihood of adoption. As I’ve stated above, this idea – and other potential strategies, such as “shared sacrifice” – can only succeed on a foundation of openness and transparency in which residents have a seat at the table and the city’s leadership has earned their trust. PPPs could be explored to see if some of the burden of capital outlay can be shifted to the private sector. I would also be interested in whether and how Stillwater can work with other cities to pursue legislation to capture some portion of Minnesota sales tax revenue.
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?
Certain issues are too complex and/or too large in scope to be resolved at the scale of city/county. On the other hand, cities have been cited as attractive incubators for policy innovation, and alliances of cities/counties could provide intriguing opportunities to test new approaches. Much in the way that actions in individual states can lead to national change (for example, California’s restrictions on exhaust emissions compelled the auto industry to make more fuel-efficient automobiles and provided a blueprint for other states and the federal government), cities and counties have the potential to generate the necessary leverage to usher in much-needed policies that create positive social, economic, and environmental outcomes.