Issues

When Operation Metro Surge recently hit our community, several mutual aid groups mobilized quickly to help neighbors with food support, rides, and rental assistance. As a city, we also worked with VEAP to provide rental assistance and set up a relief program for small businesses. Immigrant-owned businesses are essential to Richfield’s economy. Supporting entrepreneurs not only helps business owners and …

What do we want Richfield to look like in fifty years? How can we help residents to thrive now and in the future?  Economic development is a part of both of those answers including and beyond our current response to federal actions. Economic development, by definition, should be inclusive and benefit all residents. Richfield has done a good job of taking care of …

Richfield’s Inclusionary Housing Policy works to increase both affordability and accessibility. We have strived to increase the amount of housing available in our city.  There are still items to work on: Richfield has a racial disparity in home ownership rates. First-time homebuyer loans are one way to address this issue, but we need to do more. Naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH) in our …

When delivering core city services, we need to keep three priorities in mind: Equity. Quality. Sustainability. Core services are for all residents. We need to do them well and in a cost-efficient manner. Whether it is public safety, snow plowing, water and sewer services, organized hauling, parks and recreation programs, or street maintenance; equity, quality and sustainability are vitally important. …

Arts are vital to a thriving community like ours. We have expanded our public art and performance spaces in recent years. Incorporating public art into new projects and finding creative ways to use our current performance spaces, like the band shell at Veteran’s Park, are good policies that need to continue. We can also encourage residents’ creative ideas to expand the arts …

Sustainability deals with both climate change and being good stewards of taxpayer resources. We need to build our infrastructure to support the changeover to electric vehicles and renewable energy resources. I also believe the city should encourage native plantings, waste reduction, and organics composting.