Steve Solomonson
Name: Steve Solomonson
Public Office Sought: Shoreview City Council
Email: sdsolomonson@aol.com
Phone: 651-490-5143
Address: 4799 Kent St. Shoreview, MN 55126
Facebook Page: Steve Solomonson for Shoreview City Council
My wife and I have lived in Shoreview for twenty-five years. I am a Shoreview Planning commissioner with twelve years of service, the last four years as chairman. In addition, I am an Engineer at 3M with 28 years of service. My work at 3M has focused on developing new products in the laboratory and scaling them up to manufacturing. I have a B.S. in Material Science and Engineering from the University of Minnesota and a Master’s degree from the University of St. Thomas in Manufacturing Systems and Engineering. I have attended four land use planning workshops offered by the University of Minnesota on planning and zoning and roles as a planning commissioner. In 2007 I was appointed to the Hwy 49 task force as a citizen member to help with the redesign of Hwy 49. I took two classes in 2011: advanced zoning and lake shore management. I was appointed citizen representative to GLWMO watershed district in 2011 to determine a ten year plan and to make a recommendation about future direction. I also completed a lake shore management course and participated in a community for the aging workshop offered by Ecumen.
1. Why are you running for public office?
I am a proud resident of Shoreview. I have been interested in city business most of my life. Before living in Shoreview, I lived in Minnetonka and followed televised council and planning commission meetings. When I moved to Shoreview, I continued watching planning commission meetings and council meetings with interest. I was always impressed with the problem solving skills and politeness of Shoreview commissioners and elected officials. In 2004, I was appointed to the planning commission and was given a chance to continue the good work of previous commissioners with the hope of someday running for city council.
I would like to continue in the footsteps of the previous council members I have admired. My twelve years on the planning commission prepared me for the responsibilities of a city council member. My greatest assets are honesty, trust, empathy, fairness, problem solving skills, and good listening skills. I try to keep an open mind on all issues and attempt to compromise when possible and will take unpopular positions if necessary.
My reason for wanting to serve on the Shoreview City Council is to preserve the quality of life that Shoreview currently enjoys. Preserving quality of life means many things: low crime, reasonable taxes, providing good public services, maintaining trails and open spaces, ensuring good water quality and quality of lakes, good public safety, maintaining neighborhoods and enforcing codes to name a few.
Shoreview is mostly developed and the biggest challenge facing the city is in-fill and redevelopment. On the planning commission, I have been a proponent of revisiting our codes from a standpoint of in-fill and redevelopment. I would also like to preserve the character of neighborhoods as much as possible during redevelopment and encourage homeowners to invest in their properties.
2. Please list any endorsements you have received
“Steve knows our community values and has the experience to lead Shoreview into the future.” - Ady Wickstrom, Shoreview City Council Member
“I've been impressed by Steve's detailed preparation, thoughtful questions, listening skills, ability to propose wise solutions and in the end support a result in the best interest of Shoreview residents.” - Kent Peterson, Planning Commissioner/Community Volunteer, 2009 Shoreview Citizen of the Year
“Steve will be an excellent addition to our city council. He brings awesome analytical skills to decision-making. In addition, he cares enough about our city and its environment that he invests his time and talents to help keep Shoreview the great place to live that it is.” - Karen Eckman, Community Volunteer, 2008 Shoreview Citizen of the Year
“I have served on the Planning Commission with Steve for 10 years. He is dependable with regards to attendance and preparation for each application. Steve will make an excellent City Council member.” - Deb Ferrington, Planning Commissioner, Professor Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota
3. What is the biggest challenge facing your city and how would you address it?
I have invaluable planning experience and have helped Shoreview maintain its high quality of life. Shoreview has changed a lot in the last twelve years.
The biggest challenge to preserving Shoreview’s high quality of life is to encourage development and redevelopment while protecting Shoreview’s parks, trails and open spaces. As our city ages, we need to ensure Shoreview meets the needs of an aging population, while offering a place that attracts young families by preserving Shoreview’s character as much as possible.
4. What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Examples of things I would do to maintain the high quality of life include:
5. How would you characterize the business climate in your city? What, if anything, would you do to improve it?
6. Should local government be actively involved in attracting and retaining jobs? Why or why not? If so, please describe the role of local government in this process.
The role of local government is to ensure a good business climate that preserves existing businesses and jobs and attracts new businesses and new job opportunities. This is necessary to keep Shoreview a desirable community and to preserve the tax base and job opportunities for residents.
7. What do you think should be the top transportation-related priority of the East Metro?
The top transportation priority is to ease congestion and to provide safe options to get to work and to travel in the East Metro. Commuting takes several forms from mass transit, rapid transit, walking, automobiles, carpooling and biking. The top priority is to ensure an infrastructure of transit that encourages a variety of commuting options. This can be done by designing roads to ease congestion, allows safe options for biking and walking and by having a transit system with good connectivity and short ride times with express line options.
8. Many communities and government entities in the East Metro collaborate to provide services to their residents in an effort to operate more efficiently and cost effectively. Do you believe there are additional opportunities to deliver public services more efficiently in your community and if so, please explain?
The City of Shoreview offers services such as utilities, recycling, planning and community development, street improvements, city parks and trails and recreation programs geared to residents of all ages. The City does contract its fire protection and police services with Lake Johanna Fire Department and Ramsey County Sheriff's Department. Shoreview does a good job controlling costs by providing collaborative services or by contracting services.
9. Do you believe there are any services that are not currently provided by your city or the county but should be and, if so, what please describe the services?
None at this time.
10. Do you believe there are any services that are currently provided by your city or the county that should be cut back or eliminated and, if so, please explain?
None at this time.
11. Is there anything else you would like to share?
I would be honored to serve as a Shoreview’s City Council member and ask for your vote on November 8th.
Public Office Sought: Shoreview City Council
Email: sdsolomonson@aol.com
Phone: 651-490-5143
Address: 4799 Kent St. Shoreview, MN 55126
Facebook Page: Steve Solomonson for Shoreview City Council
My wife and I have lived in Shoreview for twenty-five years. I am a Shoreview Planning commissioner with twelve years of service, the last four years as chairman. In addition, I am an Engineer at 3M with 28 years of service. My work at 3M has focused on developing new products in the laboratory and scaling them up to manufacturing. I have a B.S. in Material Science and Engineering from the University of Minnesota and a Master’s degree from the University of St. Thomas in Manufacturing Systems and Engineering. I have attended four land use planning workshops offered by the University of Minnesota on planning and zoning and roles as a planning commissioner. In 2007 I was appointed to the Hwy 49 task force as a citizen member to help with the redesign of Hwy 49. I took two classes in 2011: advanced zoning and lake shore management. I was appointed citizen representative to GLWMO watershed district in 2011 to determine a ten year plan and to make a recommendation about future direction. I also completed a lake shore management course and participated in a community for the aging workshop offered by Ecumen.
1. Why are you running for public office?
I am a proud resident of Shoreview. I have been interested in city business most of my life. Before living in Shoreview, I lived in Minnetonka and followed televised council and planning commission meetings. When I moved to Shoreview, I continued watching planning commission meetings and council meetings with interest. I was always impressed with the problem solving skills and politeness of Shoreview commissioners and elected officials. In 2004, I was appointed to the planning commission and was given a chance to continue the good work of previous commissioners with the hope of someday running for city council.
I would like to continue in the footsteps of the previous council members I have admired. My twelve years on the planning commission prepared me for the responsibilities of a city council member. My greatest assets are honesty, trust, empathy, fairness, problem solving skills, and good listening skills. I try to keep an open mind on all issues and attempt to compromise when possible and will take unpopular positions if necessary.
My reason for wanting to serve on the Shoreview City Council is to preserve the quality of life that Shoreview currently enjoys. Preserving quality of life means many things: low crime, reasonable taxes, providing good public services, maintaining trails and open spaces, ensuring good water quality and quality of lakes, good public safety, maintaining neighborhoods and enforcing codes to name a few.
Shoreview is mostly developed and the biggest challenge facing the city is in-fill and redevelopment. On the planning commission, I have been a proponent of revisiting our codes from a standpoint of in-fill and redevelopment. I would also like to preserve the character of neighborhoods as much as possible during redevelopment and encourage homeowners to invest in their properties.
2. Please list any endorsements you have received
“Steve knows our community values and has the experience to lead Shoreview into the future.” - Ady Wickstrom, Shoreview City Council Member
“I've been impressed by Steve's detailed preparation, thoughtful questions, listening skills, ability to propose wise solutions and in the end support a result in the best interest of Shoreview residents.” - Kent Peterson, Planning Commissioner/Community Volunteer, 2009 Shoreview Citizen of the Year
“Steve will be an excellent addition to our city council. He brings awesome analytical skills to decision-making. In addition, he cares enough about our city and its environment that he invests his time and talents to help keep Shoreview the great place to live that it is.” - Karen Eckman, Community Volunteer, 2008 Shoreview Citizen of the Year
“I have served on the Planning Commission with Steve for 10 years. He is dependable with regards to attendance and preparation for each application. Steve will make an excellent City Council member.” - Deb Ferrington, Planning Commissioner, Professor Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota
3. What is the biggest challenge facing your city and how would you address it?
I have invaluable planning experience and have helped Shoreview maintain its high quality of life. Shoreview has changed a lot in the last twelve years.
The biggest challenge to preserving Shoreview’s high quality of life is to encourage development and redevelopment while protecting Shoreview’s parks, trails and open spaces. As our city ages, we need to ensure Shoreview meets the needs of an aging population, while offering a place that attracts young families by preserving Shoreview’s character as much as possible.
4. What would be your top three priorities if elected?
- Infill and redevelopment. As our city ages, we must ensure that our neighborhoods are maintained and that redevelopment preserves Shoreview’s character as much as possible.
- Maintaining Shoreview’s high quality of life. Shoreview is known for its high quality of life. Major elements of quality of life include low crime, good schools, a well maintained park and trail system, protection of open space, traffic control and enforcement of laws and codes, ensuring good drinking water quality and lake quality. In addition, quality of life includes well maintained neighborhoods, a stable tax base through a balance of commercial, industrial, and residential uses and good job opportunities and public services.
- Ensure that Shoreview is a livable community for all ages. I will ensure that the needs of all ages are met in the community. My goal is to provide a community that attracts young families, while meeting the needs of an aging community.
Examples of things I would do to maintain the high quality of life include:
- Continue the use of the Shine program
- Explore ways to get home-owners to reinvest in their properties
- Proper maintenance of the trail system
- Ensure that taxes dollars are not wasted
- Maintain streets and emphasize maintenance that extends the life of existing streets
- Ensure that pedestrians have safe passage and crossing on busy streets (bike trails or sidewalks)
- Explore ways to minimize speeding and improve enforcement of codes
- Get people involved in neighborhood crime watches
- Encourage environmental practices to protect the environment and nature
5. How would you characterize the business climate in your city? What, if anything, would you do to improve it?
- Shoreview enjoys a good business climate. Several businesses have prospered and invested in expansions in the city. The city must remain flexible to maintain the businesses we have while continuing to attract other businesses that would bring additional jobs to Shoreview and add to the city’s tax base. The thing that would encourage businesses to locate to Shoreview is the fact that we are a desirable community to live in with a high quality of life and a diverse and talented workforce.
- One of the biggest needs outlined in the city survey is to attract fine dining and/or family restaurants. That would be a top priority.
6. Should local government be actively involved in attracting and retaining jobs? Why or why not? If so, please describe the role of local government in this process.
The role of local government is to ensure a good business climate that preserves existing businesses and jobs and attracts new businesses and new job opportunities. This is necessary to keep Shoreview a desirable community and to preserve the tax base and job opportunities for residents.
7. What do you think should be the top transportation-related priority of the East Metro?
The top transportation priority is to ease congestion and to provide safe options to get to work and to travel in the East Metro. Commuting takes several forms from mass transit, rapid transit, walking, automobiles, carpooling and biking. The top priority is to ensure an infrastructure of transit that encourages a variety of commuting options. This can be done by designing roads to ease congestion, allows safe options for biking and walking and by having a transit system with good connectivity and short ride times with express line options.
8. Many communities and government entities in the East Metro collaborate to provide services to their residents in an effort to operate more efficiently and cost effectively. Do you believe there are additional opportunities to deliver public services more efficiently in your community and if so, please explain?
The City of Shoreview offers services such as utilities, recycling, planning and community development, street improvements, city parks and trails and recreation programs geared to residents of all ages. The City does contract its fire protection and police services with Lake Johanna Fire Department and Ramsey County Sheriff's Department. Shoreview does a good job controlling costs by providing collaborative services or by contracting services.
9. Do you believe there are any services that are not currently provided by your city or the county but should be and, if so, what please describe the services?
None at this time.
10. Do you believe there are any services that are currently provided by your city or the county that should be cut back or eliminated and, if so, please explain?
None at this time.
11. Is there anything else you would like to share?
I would be honored to serve as a Shoreview’s City Council member and ask for your vote on November 8th.