Andra brings more than a decade of experience leading strategic planning, performance management, organizational improvement and enterprise initiatives across municipal and federal government.

I think working in a smaller city is amazing for the ability to have a greater impact, and than for our residents to see how we work together.

She helped guide long range park system planning processes in both Burnsville and Arden Hills, working with the staff and the consultants Commission, city councils and community to create a park system plan to guide the park CIP process for the next 20 years.

I really love working on park improvement projects. Um, just really love engaging the community. Hearing their feedback and seeing what the finished product looks like after we’ve, um, really strived to reflect what the residents want in their parks.

Andrae actually reported to me today that she’s already got some grant. Uh, work completed, and, um, that’s one of the things I didn’t mention about her position is she will be actually leading the city’s grant programs.

I firmly believe that the communities and friendships formed along the way were the most meaningful part of these experiences.

This July, Mayor and Council, please join me in recognizing the more than 200 full time, part time and seasonal employees who care for our parks and facilities and recreation programs to create these powerful opportunities for play, belonging, community and connection.

National Night Out is a crucial annual community building campaign designed for to foster police community partnerships, strengthen neighborhoods, and enhance local crime prevention efforts.

It builds police community partnerships by providing an opportunity to connect with local police officers in a more positive, informal setting, rather than during emergencies. Or sometimes their worst part of their life.

We’ve reached about 30% progress on our plan. About 53% of our projects are on track. And then we’ve got a handful experiencing some to major disruption. We’ve got 21 projects that are still upcoming, so yet to be started. And then 8% of our projects have been fully completed.

We’re just continuously adapting, and some of the things in our plan are also going to be long term plans and ongoing. And so it would be kind of incorrect to mark some of those things as complete.

We are continuing to work on gathering our program analytics, and that’s something that our strategy manager is going to be super helpful with. Continuing to get off the floor and advance.

I have seen a council that has been collegial and working together. This is my I was doing some math today. This is my 23rd year of working with city councils. I’ve worked with 60 odd council members in my career. And what you have is unfortunately a little rare right now, and something that I really appreciate.

It’s actually the foundation of our democracy, and it’s a foundation that is currently, in a lot of ways, threatened by our approach to civil discourse right now.

One of the things that is, we find ourselves more often in echo chambers across the nation and divides. It is important to still have those conversations and be open.

I think for me being on this council and we had some contentious votes. But I think the one thing that as a council, we’ve always been very respectful that we we may not agree all the time. We don’t need to agree all the time. It’s not a requirement. Um, but that we’ve always heard opinions and respectful ways and trying to model that good behavior.

I love all the voices. Right. There are going to be loud voices. There’s going to be voices that don’t speak up at all. Um, but one thing is as, as as a elected official, right? We can’t pick and choose, right? We serve everyone.

Don’t cast motivation on whatever it is. I mean, there are there’s the the what you hear here and there’s a thousand things that are happening back here and you don’t possibly know what’s happening back here. Right. That’s informing and guiding the decision.