[Music] Thanks for tuning us in here on North Metro TV. Local decision 2025 continues and joining us now is Randy Renker running for city council in Lino Lakes. And Randy, happy election season to you. >> Thank you. >> We always start out by uh asking the candidate to let the viewers know why they're running and tell us about yourself as well. Well, I appreciate it. Thank you for inviting me. I'm pleased to be here today. Um Randy Renker, I'm an area resident about 45 years in the area. Um have young kids in the Centennial School District. My mom was actually uh she retired from the Centennial School District after 30 years of service. So we're we've been in the community quite a while. Um the reason I'm running, uh we have a very important event coming up in the next about the next year and a half. We're going to be working on our 2050 comprehensive plan. And because I'm invested in the community, because we we we don't plan on moving anywhere, I think it's really important that citizens are engaged in that. And uh I thought it'd be nice to do it from a uh from a different level just to have have a voice, maybe uh some input. And I'm pretty pretty ingrained in the community and I and I know the feelings of a lot of the folks in town. And I think our vision, our goals are aligned. >> All right. and and Lino Lakes has that up north vibe, but you're in a major metro, the Twin Cities, very close to St. Paul and Minneapolis and all the action. You want to keep that that that bukallic charm, but you know, there's growth coming. Met Council is saying perhaps 30% by 2050. That's their projection. How can you work in harmony with Met Council and your constituents, the residents, to not let Lino Lakes become an overdeveloped exerb or suburb or whatever you want to call it? >> Yeah, that's a great uh great question, great comments he had inside of that question. And there are a couple different things there I'll I'll pick out. Um people they ask me why why Linyl Lakes, why do you live in Linyl Lakes? What what brought you or your family to Line Lakes? And I think one of the really nice things and I use this same example often. I love the idea if we want to catch a Vikings game, a Twins game, a wild game, we're 25 minutes away. We can get there, we can take part in that event and then back home. And when you're uh back in line of Lakes, kind of decompress a little bit and you know, driving by turkeys on the road, deer, horse pastures, cow pastures, uh really brings you back to that to that place where you you feel really comfortable. The Met Council now that yeah, that that's a uh that's a tricky position. um we're bound by certain conditions of the Met Council, but our objective is to uh I guess resist as much as possible within the law. And if there's an opportunity to change the law, I'm for that 100%. Um myself and the majority of the folks I know, we don't like being told by the Met Council that we have to put a high-rise building right here. We have to put highdensity housing right here. I think that should be up to the city and that should be up to the citizens, not an unelect a board of uh bureaucrats at the Met Council. So, I will do whatever I can in my power to legally um kind of restrict what what they can impose on our city. >> Yeah. And I was at a Met Council event recently and uh the the Anoka County Representative Diego Morales was saying, "We want to work in sync with all these towns. We know they all have unique footprints. They're none are the same." Do you think you can forge a better relationship moving forward with Met Council >> potentially? Lo is unique in that we have a lot of water. >> So I think you know we have 12 or 13 lakes in our city. There's a lot of water. We have a massive 5,500 acre park. So we're we're we're kind of islands of land surrounded by water. So, if if we're forced to take x amount of housing within certain areas, naturally, they're going to grow up vertically and it's it's going to be high density. And if there's a common theme to my campaign, it's, you know, let's reduce that high density. Um, I'm all for smart growth, but I'm a uh I believe in a smart and measured growth, and a smart growth equals a stronger community. >> What do you like about Lino Lakes right now in 2025? What's the city doing well? I think the city is doing a fairly fairly nice job with with managing growth. Um there there's a a few developments that are taking place and they're they're they've been planned strategically. Still a little close for comfort. We we live on on a rural acreage. So I like I like looking at trees and and water and meadow as opposed to a house next door. But I think the city's doing well in that regard. I appreciate what the city did with our police and fire departments, the the separation of the two. I think we have wonderful uh police and fire departments. I I really appreciate knowing if there's a catastro catastrophic event on my street with my family or my neighbors. Police and fire can respond very quickly. So, those are a couple things I appreciate. I could go on and on. It's a beautiful community. Love my neighbors. We're all We're all tight with one another. We look out for one another. And that's the kind of place I love to raise a family. >> What do you think the city needs to do better? manage growth. So, that's the give and take of that. I think uh our community development director um he he stood up for the city a little bit. He stuck up for the city when Met Council was pushing back and we appreciate that he did that. Um same regard, we need to make sure that we don't I guess just take every uh take every request that they throw our way or every requirement I should say. It's not even a request. So, I think the city can do better in that regard. Otherwise, I think we're managed pretty well. I'd like to see the business development. I think there's an opportunity to uh maybe increase business development. We have uh we're blessed with two big freeways kind of forking our city. So, we have some really nice highway or freeway corridors where there are nice opportunities for some commercial development which will help with the tax base. So, Lino, we do have high property taxes. um commercial development in the right areas should help offer some relief for uh residential folks. >> Yeah. And the tax bump, the levy, a 16% increase. So that that's going to spike way up. Uh how did you get to that number or are you okay with that number? It's a tough sell. I'm sure >> it's a tough sell. It's a it's a big number. It's a big number. And and I'm watching it grow incrementally each year. And uh I I know I'm not the only one in line of lakes who gripes about it when they open up that statement every year. So how do we how do we help lower that? It's the right mix of development. So commercial development is going to be a big uh big opportunity to reduce those numbers for homeowners. So that's one thing that I'm going to work hard on. That's one of my top priorities is getting the right type of commercial development in town. >> Uh the city recently approved a master plan for the northwest main area. That's that's that's that's coveted turf, if you will, the side farms. Uh do you like uh where they've gone with that and and what they're projecting down the road? >> Yeah, that's a that's a very uh very popular topic nowadays. I actually live in the northwest quadrant. As I mentioned, we live on rural property, so our property is smack dab in the middle of that. Uh I appreciate the fact that the city took the steps to address that area. So they initiated a master plan. Um they initiated the AUR which is a you know it's a massive environmental review and and beyond that infrastructure it it reviews many components of what takes place in development. It's a it's a uh gateway entrance to our city. So we need to do it right. We need to develop that right. Um do I agree with it? I don't like the density. Um >> I applaud the city for taking those steps but still too much density. So, if if you're trying to find that sweet spot on on just how much the city grows and development, what about the impact on on wildlife and and wetlands and all of that stuff? Because obviously with growth that that doesn't usually have a good impact. >> It doesn't usually. And that's and that's a contentious area in in terms of water. You know, one of the things you mentioned living there, I know that the ground is very very wet. There's a in the spring of the year there's a an abundance of water. There's also a lack of water in the in that same area that you know you have to work that through in your mind but the aquafers have been depleted and there's only so much water to go around. Uh Lino Lakes our city we're in the middle of a lawsuit right now with with White Bear Lake because of the uh water that we've pulled from White Bear Lake and that aquifer into our city. So, the management of water is going to be a uh a critical issue moving forward. >> I I know there's a road construction project at I35E, County Road J, right there on the Ramsey County, Anoka County border, and that would be Lino on the Anoka side. There's going to be u roundabouts on County J. A lot of different looks. Are you okay with what that's going to be like? >> Yeah. And speaking of gateway districts, that's another gateway entrance to our city. So, yeah, I I think it's a nice idea. Uh, it's tough. I know when I'm coming from St. Paul, and that's often the exit I'll use, and it's it can be a little bit of a tangle town, it's dangerous. It's a two-lane bridge. So, I I support what they're doing there. I like the idea of uh, you know, kind of fancing it up, if you will, because it's a gateway area. >> And you mentioned the two major interstates, 35E, 35W. I I mean, to be sandwiched between those uh, ribbons of road. So Lino is still small town, but you have these major corridors on each side of it. That's a benefit, right? >> Yeah, it's a benefit because we have opportunity for growth around those freeways. Um easy access for commercial development, right? So if there's a a warehouse or a distribution facility, maybe a manufacturing facility with offices, we have nice interstate interstate for uh for interstate commerce. So it it opens up that opportunity from a from an economic standpoint. It's also a nice place to utilize high density when we must do so. High density should always be near busy areas like that, not not in our backyard. >> All right. Uh you're on the EDAC board. Educate me. What exactly is EDAC? >> Yeah, EDAC, economic development advisory committee. So, part of the uh part of the mission of EDAC is to, you know, foster economic growth within the city through different means. So, we have uh people that will come in and visit us. We we meet monthly. First Thursday of the year, we our first Thursday of the month, pardon me. We'll have folks that come in and visit with us and present opportunities for development, opportunities for business, and uh we serve as a round table, if you will, for for folks to bounce their proposals off us. We'll offer suggestions and uh you know, kind of a first step before it meets some of the other boards and uh generates some conversation, some discussion. If we if there's something we really enjoy, think it's a great idea for the city, then we give that feedback and maybe it goes to the next step and comes to fruition at some point. >> What's the ideal kind of development that you would support? I I think you just said by one of the interstates, but what what kind of business >> in terms of business? Well, there was talk a few years back, and I'm not sure exactly where that left off, if we're still uh identifying it as a tech corridor, but off of 35E, there's a huge track of of rural property that's starting to be developed with some commercial, some residential, but that tech corridor, I think, would be a wonderful opportunity for business. Um, in my day-to-day life, I deal with several types of businesses. You know, medical, uh, food and, uh, beverage manufacturing, distributing, uh, storage. That opportunity in that area, it it it's endless. Really a lot of opportunity for different folks, but it's called the tech, it was called the tech corridor. That's something I need to learn a little more about. >> And as far as uh, new houses, apartments, town homes, what would be the sweet spot there >> in terms of our residential development? Yeah. >> Um, you know, I like to see larger lots. Um, I know that there's a there's a housing shortage in our country, in our state. >> Uh, in Lo Lakes, I think we're geared up for more uh more dispersed housing, if you will. I like to see larger lots, half acre, 1 acre or better. Um, in terms of the higher density, like I mentioned earlier, I think you know your townousing, uh, townhouse complexes, apartment complexes, those should be located near the near the freeway, not in neighborhoods. >> What's your motivation for running for city council in Lo? >> Greatest motivation? Um, just I love our community so much. I love the people. I love the, uh, I love the parks, the trails, the lakes. Uh, really enjoy everything outdoors. My motivation is to keep the city the the I want to say the way it was or the way it is as I was growing up but would like to maintain it as much as possible. I understand that every city needs to grow just need to be uh need to have a smart measured growth >> and and the parks, the trails, the lakes. I mean that's probably the main reason you live there and others live there. How do you keep those uh high quality and do you want to add to those? >> Yeah, I think it'd be really nice. I'd love to see every every neighborhood connected with a trail and you know we've did a really nice job of that thus far but the continuation of our trail system. I'd like to see trails to every lake and and the majority of them are connected but I'd love to see trails to every lake maybe connecting into some of the lakes and circle pines. Uh continuation of that system would be wonderful. >> Will you be out pounding the pavement and knocking on doors? >> You bet. You bet. Look forward to that. Um, several residents have reached out to me unsolicited, uh, asking if I'd stop by and visit with them and going to be starting that. October, uh, well, beginning of October is when I put a deadline, uh, for myself to start knocking on doors and visiting with people. So, I look forward to that. >> All right. Well, here's your chance to get a a mass blast out here on television. What would you tell the viewers who are watching now? Why should they vote for you? >> Yes. I'd ask uh I'd ask voters to to vote for me because I think if you were to take a poll of Lino Lakes residents, we have roughly 22,000 slightly over 22,000 residents. If you were to take a poll of each resident, ask them why they live in Lino Lakes, they're not going to say because they love highdensity buildings. They love uh they love homes sandwiched in uh next to one another. They like low density. They like to maintain our our rural atmosphere. And uh I'm the person who's going to maintain that for you. I'm going to do everything I can to help maintain that. >> All right, Randy, good luck in the race and thanks for stopping by. >> Thanks for the opportunity. Really appreciate it. >> All right, very good. He's Randy Renker running for Lino Lake City Council. This is North Metro TV and you've been watching Local Decision 2025. [Music]