Some of what I’ve helped make happen as your Park Board Commissioner:

I’ve helped bring fun back to Minneapolis lakes by:

• returning swimming docks and added fishing piers to Minneapolis Lakes
• loosening outdated regulations prohibiting play in the lakes
• helping fund an adaptive sailing program for youth and adults with physical disabilities on Lake Harriet
• establishing “distance swim lanes” on Lake Calhoun

I’ve championed greener and healthier parks through:

• requiring more healthy options in our park vending machines
• proposing policies to limit and eliminate the use and sale of bottled water and soft drinks in our parks, ending the Park Board’s contribution of tens of thousands of plastic bottles into landfills.
• passing the most comprehensive Tobacco-Free parks policy in Minneapolis history
• supporting policies to enable community gardens in Minneapolis Parks

I’ve tried to be the best steward of our parks and your tax dollars as possible by:

• saving over $2 million per year in administration and management and shifting needed resources to our park keepers, front line employees, and needed infrastructure updates.  This financial stewardship has enabled us to hold the line on your property taxes for 2012.

I’m leading efforts to create more neighborhood-specific park amenities in Southwest Minneapolis including:

• securing funding and a location for the first off-leash dog park in Southwest Minneapolis
• supporting policies to enable community gardens in Minneapolis Parks
• organizing neighborhood gatherings and non-traditional like neighborhood dodge ball and volleyball tournaments

I continue to make volunteerism a necessary element of the success and maintenance of our parks by:

• creating the framework for an Urban Conservation Corps in Minneapolis to engage hundreds of Minneapolis youth and young adults in much needed work for the parks, while preparing them with the high-level skills necessary to compete for great jobs here in Minneapolis.