Travis Helkamp
Name: Travis Helkamp
Public Office Sought: St. Paul City Council Ward 1
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 651.442.5378
Campaign Website: travisforwardone.com
Twitter handle: N/A
Facebook Page: N/A
Candidate Bio
I'm Travis Helkamp, born and raised here in St. Paul where I've lived and worked most of my life. I love this city. It's a quiet gem. I have volunteered and donated charitably to numerous causes; One particularly close to my heart is the Minnesota Raptor Center.
I have a diverse professional background which includes my Bachelor’s Degree in History, my enthusiasm for writing, my passion for working with people, and my abilities to negotiate and balance budgets through my work experience. Coming from a humble, middle-class family right here in Saint Paul, I am proud of my solid work ethic that ushered me into a senior management role for a mid-size retailer. I transferred my knowledge and skills into my current role in construction management focusing on large commercial building projects for a local general contractor. Throughout my career, I have acquired valuable experience and skills in high-stakes negotiations, problem solving, and balancing large dollar budgets. These are the skills we need to bring balance to Saint Paul and I look forward to serving my hometown representing Ward 1 in our City Council.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
I'm hardworking and focus on problem solving. I lead by example, listen more than I speak, and do my best to make sure I understand what's at issue before proceeding with any decision. I work well with others, but I’m also not afraid to speak up when something doesn’t feel right to me. I hold moral integrity and transparency to the highest standards. The voice of the people – not the elite few – is what matters most.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
My main focus will be to bring balance to Saint Paul and prioritize the vital structures of what makes any city great: transportation, education, and public safety.
Another key focus we need in Saint Paul is to improve the business climate for our local businesses – big and small. Entrepreneurship is the backbone of our nation and without these hard-working people, we will not be able to attract the necessary institutions of what makes our community thrive. With business comes employment, with employment comes better income for our neighbors, and with better incomes we’ll have less poverty, homelessness, instability, and crime. We need to attract new employers to create good jobs in this city, and we need to ensure that our current great employers have every reason to stay.
Finally, my focus will be to protect the civil liberties of all St. Paulites.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in St. Paul?
Our biggest challenge is equally our greatest opportunity for improvement. Economic malaise and homelessness are rampant throughout our city.
The issues are deeply entwined. I have spent much of my life with homeless people, listening to their stories. Often when I reflect on this issue, it seems too big, too expensive, and too time intensive to manage. But it is such an important issue, and we just need to get this tough work done to remind everyone in our community that we genuinely care! We need new and creative thinking along with broad, city-wide partnerships to ensure that people are fed and housed with dignity. We need to create viable pathways away from drug abuse and homelessness toward education, honorable work, and stability. Our homeless neighbors need hope, and not false hope. This problem didn't appear overnight. It won’t disappear without a defined plan and sustained effort.
How would you characterize the business climate in St. Paul and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in St. Paul?
Saint Paul has a beautiful, long history of entrepreneurship and innovation and we should be celebrating that and encouraging our community to grow through everyone’s individual passions, expertise, knowledge, and skills. Entrepreneurship is for everyone, and we should do everything we can to empower our community – especially marginalized and disadvantaged people – to build a life for themselves independent of government assistance and limitations. Unfortunately, the business climate here is desolate. The city should be active in identifying potential partnerships based on mutually reinforcing needs. St. Paul's waterfront is woefully underdeveloped. Most industry has long abandoned the city for greener pastures. The hollowing out of American cities is nothing new or unique. Our suburban neighbors have built up extensively at the expense of the city that made them possible to begin with.
None of this would have happened had it not been for the arrogance of St. Paul's leadership, who seemed happy to let industry leave, rather than working to attract and retain businesses.
One of the foremost roles of St. Paul's government should be to ensure a strong, stable economic foundation. This means controlling expenses and taxes and understanding the needs of business leaders. Through our library system and other educational institutions, we should also encourage individuals to pursue their own entrepreneurial, small business endeavors.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
We need to find balance in our law enforcement by encouraging more community input and collaboration with the police. As the experience of the last few years has taught us, we cannot succeed without considering the opinions of our whole diverse community. Part of effective policing must be community engagement that enhances trust. As an extension of our very government, it is our duty to uphold the laws we create, to enforce the laws as they are written, and therefore to support the hardworking individuals who risk their lives every day to dutifully serve our community as law enforcement officers. It is by no means an easy task for anyone, but we need to find a way to simultaneously reduce crime, protect civil liberties even if someone has a criminal record, and support our police. We should have community outreach events, recruit more BIPOC police officers, help educate and engage young people who are vulnerable to the world of crime, and bring back balance through a fresh image and positive community perception of the police who are there to serve and protect. It's scary enough to have to face dangerous situations and people, without having to add the fear of undue public recrimination and potential prosecution. It's time someone in the city stood up behind all of our people: BIPOC, blue, white, and the whole rainbow!
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
This issue is close to my heart. I rent and live in an apartment in St. Paul and I help manage apartment construction projects for work, so I've thought about it deeply.
The housing market has been impacted first by bad policy on the part of the city (rent control), then by stifling interest rate hikes that have impacted the broader economy as well. Of course, this problem wasn't created overnight, and it won't be solved in one city council term either.
This city has its share of dilapidated properties that could use a refresh. As a part of the City Council, I would conduct a city-wide study, block by block, of neglected and outdated buildings. Once identified, I would incentivize builders and property owners to replace eyesores and condemned properties.
The only true way to address affordability is by reducing the upfront costs to build. The city cannot control the interest rate environment. It can, however, control its permitting and inspecting department to reduce onerous and unnecessary requirements that don't contribute to safety, efficiency, or livability. It can also work to break the stranglehold of special interest groups that seek to monopolize government spending through so-called “sweetheart” deals. We need to end corrupt practices that enrich a few at the expense of the many.
St. Paul candidates only: Do you support the rent stabilization ordinance in its current form? If not, what would you like to change?
I do not support the rent stabilization ordinance, and I am directly impacted by it. I rent in St. Paul. I don't believe that property rights should be trampled on by city fiat. I would eliminate it entirely.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
We need to clean up the transportation options we already have so that our community has access to safe, clean, and reliable transportation.
I regularly use the light rail and I am continually horrified by its use as an open-air homeless shelter complete with drug use and filth.
We need to improve the quality and safety of our roads with faster snow removal, prioritized pothole repair, quieter streets for the safety of our children, etc.
Thankfully, most drivers are conscientious. We have relatively few accidents and fatalities compared with other major cities. We can and will continue to improve through sound data informed infrastructure and public safety investments.
What will you do to expand St. Paul’s tax base?
Attract new employers to create good jobs in this city, and ensure our current great employers have every reason to stay.
We have a tremendous vacancy problem in this city. From our downtown to Grand and University Avenues, many areas that I remember being vibrant with business, shopping and restaurants have been sitting empty for years.
Without attracting large businesses we're not going to move this needle. This city needs big investments, we're not going to get there without providing incentives and improving the business environment.
This means communicating with and understanding the needs of both the residents of the city as well as potential employers and investors.
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?
Cities can be good stewards of land and infrastructure. Cities are really the only sensible provider of critical services like fresh water, sanitation, and public safety.
The current leadership has been treading into territory better left to the state or even federal government. I would advocate for abandoning the radical experimental policies that the current government has pursued. This city should not be the proving ground for radical policies like universal basic income.
Historical injustices toward our black and brown neighbors are tragic. The city has neither the budget nor the mandate to address these adequately. Some issues we cannot readdress. No amount of apologies or money will be sufficient to heal some of the deepest wrongs. What we can do is commit to being better, and not repeating the mistakes of previous generations. Giving $50 to every child for their college education sounds wonderful. It does not amount to much more than well wishes when you compare it with the cost of a college education. A better gift we can give these children is a safe, thriving city in which to grow up.
Public Office Sought: St. Paul City Council Ward 1
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 651.442.5378
Campaign Website: travisforwardone.com
Twitter handle: N/A
Facebook Page: N/A
Candidate Bio
I'm Travis Helkamp, born and raised here in St. Paul where I've lived and worked most of my life. I love this city. It's a quiet gem. I have volunteered and donated charitably to numerous causes; One particularly close to my heart is the Minnesota Raptor Center.
I have a diverse professional background which includes my Bachelor’s Degree in History, my enthusiasm for writing, my passion for working with people, and my abilities to negotiate and balance budgets through my work experience. Coming from a humble, middle-class family right here in Saint Paul, I am proud of my solid work ethic that ushered me into a senior management role for a mid-size retailer. I transferred my knowledge and skills into my current role in construction management focusing on large commercial building projects for a local general contractor. Throughout my career, I have acquired valuable experience and skills in high-stakes negotiations, problem solving, and balancing large dollar budgets. These are the skills we need to bring balance to Saint Paul and I look forward to serving my hometown representing Ward 1 in our City Council.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
I'm hardworking and focus on problem solving. I lead by example, listen more than I speak, and do my best to make sure I understand what's at issue before proceeding with any decision. I work well with others, but I’m also not afraid to speak up when something doesn’t feel right to me. I hold moral integrity and transparency to the highest standards. The voice of the people – not the elite few – is what matters most.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
My main focus will be to bring balance to Saint Paul and prioritize the vital structures of what makes any city great: transportation, education, and public safety.
Another key focus we need in Saint Paul is to improve the business climate for our local businesses – big and small. Entrepreneurship is the backbone of our nation and without these hard-working people, we will not be able to attract the necessary institutions of what makes our community thrive. With business comes employment, with employment comes better income for our neighbors, and with better incomes we’ll have less poverty, homelessness, instability, and crime. We need to attract new employers to create good jobs in this city, and we need to ensure that our current great employers have every reason to stay.
Finally, my focus will be to protect the civil liberties of all St. Paulites.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in St. Paul?
Our biggest challenge is equally our greatest opportunity for improvement. Economic malaise and homelessness are rampant throughout our city.
The issues are deeply entwined. I have spent much of my life with homeless people, listening to their stories. Often when I reflect on this issue, it seems too big, too expensive, and too time intensive to manage. But it is such an important issue, and we just need to get this tough work done to remind everyone in our community that we genuinely care! We need new and creative thinking along with broad, city-wide partnerships to ensure that people are fed and housed with dignity. We need to create viable pathways away from drug abuse and homelessness toward education, honorable work, and stability. Our homeless neighbors need hope, and not false hope. This problem didn't appear overnight. It won’t disappear without a defined plan and sustained effort.
How would you characterize the business climate in St. Paul and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in St. Paul?
Saint Paul has a beautiful, long history of entrepreneurship and innovation and we should be celebrating that and encouraging our community to grow through everyone’s individual passions, expertise, knowledge, and skills. Entrepreneurship is for everyone, and we should do everything we can to empower our community – especially marginalized and disadvantaged people – to build a life for themselves independent of government assistance and limitations. Unfortunately, the business climate here is desolate. The city should be active in identifying potential partnerships based on mutually reinforcing needs. St. Paul's waterfront is woefully underdeveloped. Most industry has long abandoned the city for greener pastures. The hollowing out of American cities is nothing new or unique. Our suburban neighbors have built up extensively at the expense of the city that made them possible to begin with.
None of this would have happened had it not been for the arrogance of St. Paul's leadership, who seemed happy to let industry leave, rather than working to attract and retain businesses.
One of the foremost roles of St. Paul's government should be to ensure a strong, stable economic foundation. This means controlling expenses and taxes and understanding the needs of business leaders. Through our library system and other educational institutions, we should also encourage individuals to pursue their own entrepreneurial, small business endeavors.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
We need to find balance in our law enforcement by encouraging more community input and collaboration with the police. As the experience of the last few years has taught us, we cannot succeed without considering the opinions of our whole diverse community. Part of effective policing must be community engagement that enhances trust. As an extension of our very government, it is our duty to uphold the laws we create, to enforce the laws as they are written, and therefore to support the hardworking individuals who risk their lives every day to dutifully serve our community as law enforcement officers. It is by no means an easy task for anyone, but we need to find a way to simultaneously reduce crime, protect civil liberties even if someone has a criminal record, and support our police. We should have community outreach events, recruit more BIPOC police officers, help educate and engage young people who are vulnerable to the world of crime, and bring back balance through a fresh image and positive community perception of the police who are there to serve and protect. It's scary enough to have to face dangerous situations and people, without having to add the fear of undue public recrimination and potential prosecution. It's time someone in the city stood up behind all of our people: BIPOC, blue, white, and the whole rainbow!
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
This issue is close to my heart. I rent and live in an apartment in St. Paul and I help manage apartment construction projects for work, so I've thought about it deeply.
The housing market has been impacted first by bad policy on the part of the city (rent control), then by stifling interest rate hikes that have impacted the broader economy as well. Of course, this problem wasn't created overnight, and it won't be solved in one city council term either.
This city has its share of dilapidated properties that could use a refresh. As a part of the City Council, I would conduct a city-wide study, block by block, of neglected and outdated buildings. Once identified, I would incentivize builders and property owners to replace eyesores and condemned properties.
The only true way to address affordability is by reducing the upfront costs to build. The city cannot control the interest rate environment. It can, however, control its permitting and inspecting department to reduce onerous and unnecessary requirements that don't contribute to safety, efficiency, or livability. It can also work to break the stranglehold of special interest groups that seek to monopolize government spending through so-called “sweetheart” deals. We need to end corrupt practices that enrich a few at the expense of the many.
St. Paul candidates only: Do you support the rent stabilization ordinance in its current form? If not, what would you like to change?
I do not support the rent stabilization ordinance, and I am directly impacted by it. I rent in St. Paul. I don't believe that property rights should be trampled on by city fiat. I would eliminate it entirely.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
We need to clean up the transportation options we already have so that our community has access to safe, clean, and reliable transportation.
I regularly use the light rail and I am continually horrified by its use as an open-air homeless shelter complete with drug use and filth.
We need to improve the quality and safety of our roads with faster snow removal, prioritized pothole repair, quieter streets for the safety of our children, etc.
Thankfully, most drivers are conscientious. We have relatively few accidents and fatalities compared with other major cities. We can and will continue to improve through sound data informed infrastructure and public safety investments.
What will you do to expand St. Paul’s tax base?
Attract new employers to create good jobs in this city, and ensure our current great employers have every reason to stay.
We have a tremendous vacancy problem in this city. From our downtown to Grand and University Avenues, many areas that I remember being vibrant with business, shopping and restaurants have been sitting empty for years.
Without attracting large businesses we're not going to move this needle. This city needs big investments, we're not going to get there without providing incentives and improving the business environment.
This means communicating with and understanding the needs of both the residents of the city as well as potential employers and investors.
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?
Cities can be good stewards of land and infrastructure. Cities are really the only sensible provider of critical services like fresh water, sanitation, and public safety.
The current leadership has been treading into territory better left to the state or even federal government. I would advocate for abandoning the radical experimental policies that the current government has pursued. This city should not be the proving ground for radical policies like universal basic income.
Historical injustices toward our black and brown neighbors are tragic. The city has neither the budget nor the mandate to address these adequately. Some issues we cannot readdress. No amount of apologies or money will be sufficient to heal some of the deepest wrongs. What we can do is commit to being better, and not repeating the mistakes of previous generations. Giving $50 to every child for their college education sounds wonderful. It does not amount to much more than well wishes when you compare it with the cost of a college education. A better gift we can give these children is a safe, thriving city in which to grow up.