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New Ulm City Council – Councilor At Large – Andrea Boettger

Andrea Boettger

1. Recently the infrastructure of downtown New Ulm buildings has come into question through the issue with holiday garlands and crumbling facades and parapets. What can the council do to encourage building upkeep?

I believe the City and councilors have been encouraging building upkeep, but that has simply not been enough. Discussions with the building owners are important in identifying what resources would be most helpful. Do they find the current requirements restrictive? Are they aware of the low interest loan available by the City of New Ulm for up to $10,000 for building improvements? There are resources available to assist business owners downtown to maintain their buildings and keep our downtown exteriors maintained.

2. In your opinion, how is the councilor-at-large seat different from serving as a ward councilor?

As Councilor-at-Large, there are times a tie-breaking vote will need to be cast. This is one of the most serious responsibilities of being a councilor, and one I will take very seriously. The Councilor-at-Large must have a deep working knowledge of the issues and challenges facing our city, and an ability to bring about solutions by partnering with others. Through attending Council Meetings and Work Sessions consistently over the past several years, I have a pulse on New Ulm’s construction projects, budgeting concerns, and economic development goals. It is important for the City Council President to stay current on all community issues so as each vote is cast, it can be done so with confidence.

3. What additional actions should the city take on increasing access to daycare?

One possibility would be to look at putting an incentive program in place to encourage new providers, or providers who would be willing to reopen with educational and financial support. The current regulations in Minnesota have become incredibly difficult for in-home providers to meet and are some of the most restrictive in the United States. Larger childcare centers and facilities have been more successful in their ability to meet these restrictions but are significantly more difficult to develop and keep properly staffed.

If New Ulm and other rural communities are serious about addressing our crippling childcare shortages, there needs to be a plan to address these issues at the State Level.

A second opportunity would be to explore options of expanding existing facilities. This too would likely require financial support, and a variety of funding options could be explored.

4. New Ulm has one of the highest per capita Park and Recreation budgets in the state. Is the money spent on parks in New Ulm too high, too low or just right? Why?

When the RENU projects are completed, New Ulm will have the highest Parks and Recreation budget (per capita) in the state. As a community with goals of revitalizing its downtown, and attracting new businesses and families to our city, we should be promoting our exceptional parks system as a perk of our charming community. Our community’s commitment to healthier living as a result of the Heart of New Ulm Project has also resulted in an uptick of park usage, reinforcing the importance of having access to parks and green space. New Ulm is able to provide a quality of living above many other rural communities because of our expansive park and recreation department. While I have some concerns about our P&R budget, I have confidence in how it is prepared and managed.

5. New Ulm is known as a city of festivals, but with COVID-19 and ongoing concern these festivals are being canceled or scaled back. Should the city discontinue further large gatherings? If festivals are allowed to continue, what safety regulations are needed if any?

Just like businesses, cities are finding themselves in the position of adapting to the changing environment as a result of COVID-19. And also like businesses, cities are needing to develop and implement COVID-19 preparedness plans based on local and state regulations. When you look at our festivals, most of the work to plan and put on the festivals is done by the New Ulm Chamber of Commerce or a specific event board, not the City of New Ulm. While the City does provide some financial support (specifically for Bavarian Blast, and to purchase the fireworks for Hermannfest), they do not run the events. It is up to each festival planning committee to ensure they are adequately adhering to state and local guidelines and have the necessary rules in place to safely host the event. If they are able to meet the requirements, the festival should be allowed to occur. The issue is that outdoor events are currently restricted to 250 guests, and in most cases, this would not draw a profit, so it would not make sense to hold them. In time, larger events will make a comeback. Because these events are not city run, they should not be making the decision to discontinue them. This should be the decision of each event committee. In the case of events directly run by the City, the decision should be determined by the Council.

6. With Minnesota recently becoming the center of social unrest following the death of George Floyd, what can the City Council do to ensure the safety of all citizens and ensure the protection of civil rights.

In New Ulm, our law enforcement does an excellent job of keeping our community safe. An example of how our council recently helped ensure the safety of our citizens was by approving a request to purchase new tactical gear. It is critical our officers and first responders have the tools they need to do their jobs and keep our citizens protected. As Council President I will support the needs of our law enforcement and ensure they have the training and equipment they need to operate at their best.

Our Human Rights Commission works to educate our community on civil rights issues and encourages and supports events aimed at welcoming new community members. We have a great team of individuals working to address these very issues. The most visible way you can see their work is through the signs you see in yards around town. When you address inequalities and civil rights issues, you garner a stronger and safer community for all. We have an opportunity to do better here, and I fully support all of the great work of our HRC.

7. What do you hope New Ulm will look like within the next ten years? What actions would best benefit the community?

I think about all of the advancements New Ulm has achieved in the past decade, and I am excited for the future of our city. With the development and safety improvements to Hwy 14 and the recent news of a new event facility downtown, New Ulm is moving in the right direction to renew its downtown district. The completion of the improvements to Vogel in the next 12-18 months will draw both local and visiting guests to the waterpark and indoor activity facility.

The addition of new hotels, perhaps one downtown and one on the north end would provide great benefit to our community and would further encourage industrial development and expansion as well as increase lodging taxes received by the City.

Continued support of the business that call New Ulm home is also important. Many of our industrial businesses have reinforced their commitment to New Ulm by undergoing significant expansions in the past ten years. AMPI, Firmenich, Kraft, Windings, New Ulm Medical Center and J&R Schugel (among others) have invested in business expansions that are directly benefitting our community. This has not gone unnoticed, and has resulted in the development of new business that our community has embraced, and created opportunities for local entrepreneurs. I look forward to how our community will continue to grow and expand over the next decade, and would be proud to serve as Council President as we support and encourage the progress that is possible in our community.

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