3 Questions for the Candidates
Save The Rookery asked all three candidates for the Rochester Township Board of Supervisors the same set of questions to inform voters prior to the election to be held Tuesday, March 8 (with early absentee in person voting Saturday, March 5). Below are the candidates’ answers to those questions posted in the order we received the responses.
The questions:
When deciding how to vote on issues where current residents’ expressed desires conflict with developer's desires, especially in relation to preserving natural areas and wildlife corridors, what will you take into consideration as you make your decision?
Would you describe yourself as “pro-development”? Why or why not?
What is your motivation for running for this position? What do you intend to accomplish?
Candidates’ responses:
Brian Mueller:
while most individuals (myself included) do not want to see wildlife or green space harmed, if it is private property, meets zoning requirements, has a mitigation plan, the recommendation from the township attorney is the biggest factor.
I prefer moderate development, it is nice to have open space. However with the rapid growth of the city, development is going to happen. Also a majority of the township residents would not exist without development.
I have been a township supervisor for 18 years, and lived in the township for 30 years. I understand the township/ joint powers operation. The main objective is road and right of way maintenance, equipment and budgeting finances for the township. The intention is to keep the township moving forward.
Thank you for letting me express my thoughts.
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Nathan Clarke:
If I am elected to this position I believe my *primary* responsibility will be to represent the interests of current residents of the township, not just the interests of developers or future home-buyers. In addition, I am a strong believer in democracy, and as such, I believe it will be critical for me to LISTEN to the viewpoints of my constituents and ensure my work on the board reflects their interests and viewpoints. For example, I know there is a tremendous amount of concern in Rochester Township, and beyond, to save the blue heron rookery currently located in the northwest region of the township. I’m passionately in favor of saving the rookery. I think it is a great travesty that the current board ignored the will of many of its constituents by voting down the requirement for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for this unique wildlife area and voting in favor of a General Development Plan (GDP). If I had been on the board at the time of this vote I would've voted FOR the EIS and I would've voted AGAINST the GDP until the aforementioned EIS was completed.
I would describe myself as "pro-SMART development," not "pro-development." The majority of the current board members seem to be just "pro-development." They seem to grant the developers whatever they ask for. They view the township as a "resource" for providing high-end, multi-acre lot homes to upper-income families who move to, or within, Rochester. I do not agree with this viewpoint. What about the impact to our township's wildlife and forests? What about the impact to our township's road maintenance, safety and emergency access? What about the impact to our home values and neighborhood aesthetics?
I believe I'm in a fortunate position to devote the time and energy to do this job well. This job entails much more than just attending a one-hour meeting once a month. In reality the meetings run several hours long (sometimes past midnight), involve 100-page agenda packets (which need to be thoroughly reviewed beforehand), and the board member needs to be well-versed in land-use law and county ordinances. I believe I have the time, interest and studious nature to sink my teeth into these responsibilities.
In addition, I want to improve the communication, accountability and accessibility of the board. One way I think I can do this is by encouraging the board to develop a mission statement that clearly lays out what we want the township to be today and into the future for residents. Another way I want to accomplish this is by holding regular (quarterly?) focus groups with township residents. These meetings can be held on Zoom to make them more convenient for residents to attend. I want to use these meetings to make sure the board is better about voting in a way that truly represents the interests and viewpoints of the township residents!
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Nathan Smischney:
I am a strong proponent of open spaces. This stems from where I grew up in northern MN surrounded by forests and farmland. Over the years, I have seen open spaces developed in Rochester with failed attempts at preserving the natural habitat. I believe this takes away from the appeal that Rochester MN has to offer future residents. Therefore, preserving open spaces, especially as it relates to the natural habitat and wildlife, is extremely important to me. That is not to say that I am against developments; however, for a development to progress forward, I would need to see that, #1) the development is going to improve the life of the residents such as being affordable to all and not just the top income earners, #2) I would like to see that there is a degree of preservation in the natural habitat and wildlife that currently reside in the open space and that, and #3) other areas for the development have been ruled out with good reason. Developments do bring down cost by driving down demand, however, I want to be environmentally responsible and ensure that over the long-term the development does not deteriorate the natural beauty of Rochester.
Preserving the open spaces and the natural habitat and wildlife of Rochester is one of the reasons I am running. Other reasons include more transparency around issues affecting the lives of current residents, ensuring safety of the residents by not only supporting local law enforcement but also by making sure township roadways and other areas of access remain safe and lastly, fiscal responsibility. Fiscal responsibility is always important and to work within the means of your budget and spend smartly. With this said, I believe the cost of living is high in our Township with a cost of living index of 140. This is too high in my mind and I would work to try to bring this down...a lot of it relates to housing costs.
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