Wong 2020
Key Issues
Our community can only thrive when our policies, activities, and actions benefit all of our residents and anyone who comes to North St. Paul to live, work, or play. Diversity, equity, and inclusivity are fundamental for a thriving community and fostering social connectedness which is vital to a healthy and safe community.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is the lens with which I’ll approach policy making to promote a thriving NSP.
LIST OF ISSUES
COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. PLACEMAKING.
As your City Council representative, I am committed to building opportunities for dining, entertainment, cultural celebrations, and other family activities to connect as a community and maintain a small town feel.
North St. Paul is in the midst of incredible downtown redevelopment. Residents are often attracted to the small town feel of North St. Paul, and I want this to remain a priority. All too often, our community’s resources are diverted to other communities and it takes away from building community here, in North St. Paul.
Placemaking is an inclusive community process that focuses on the physical spaces but also social and cultural spaces that reflect a community, their identity, and values. A healthy community fosters psychosocial health for families, a sense of belonging and unity between neighbors, and a prosperous and thriving community.
SMART TRANSPORTATION
I am committed to improving accessible transportation, walkability, and bikeability in NSP.
I believe that walkability and accessibility of transportation is vital to a thriving community. It fosters a sense of community, safety, health, and economic activity.
Our community must continue to improve the road infrastructure in town to include routes for buses, sidewalks for pedestrians and bike lanes to create more inclusive pathways for families with their pets, people biking or walking on the beautiful Gateway State Trail, and folks using cars or buses. Strategically, including alternative forms of transportation is crucial and something we must explore and expand. Since COVID-19, we see more Americans walking than in previous years, and we need to provide a safe way to support this health promoting activity.
I also believe in exploring Safe Routes to School for NSP, a national and statewide initiative to ensure that alternative transportation, whether it is biking or walking, to our neighborhood schools is safe and healthy for our youth.
PARKS & RECREATION
I believe in investing in our parks, recreation, unused spaces to nurture physical and mental well-being for our residents.
Our parks are one of North St. Paul’s greatest assets. Preserving, maintaining, and investing in green spaces benefits both our physical and mental well-being and serves so many functions for residents and their pets.
Still, we can improve our parks by preserving our lakes, adding native pollinators and managing invasive species, and diversifying the activities available at our parks to meet the needs of residents of all ages and abilities and in any season.
I’d like to explore edible landscapes and cost-effective public spaces such as parklets to add public meeting spaces, greenery, and art distinct to North St. Paul.
HEALTHY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING
I am committed to improving access to safe, quality and affordable housing for a thriving North St Paul.
All of us deserve access to safe, quality, and affordable housing. Housing is more than a roof over our heads - stable housing ensures kids stay healthy and can focus in school. I am committed to ensuring we have a range of housing options for both renters and homeowners in North St. Paul. New affordable rental housing and homeownership opportunities ensures working families can have stable housing. Supports for existing homeowners are also important to help folks maintain their homes and maintain NSP's housing stock.
As North St. Paul continues to grow, it’s critical we continue to build more affordable housing so all families have a place to live. Including affordable housing in new developments helps stimulate economic growth and benefits everyone.
I believe in exploring different policies that support and encourage projects with affordable units, whether it’s simplifying the development process, reducing fees, or providing density bonuses in certain areas.