In 2024, Spring Lake Park voters will elect two city council members to four-year terms. The candidates are:
About the candidate: My name is Lisa Dircks, and I am seeking your vote for Spring Lake Park City Council. I am a Minnesota native and have been a Spring Lake Park homeowner for the past 15 years.
I served on the Planning Commission from 2013-2019 when I was appointed to City Council and won my election in 2020. I have been in the construction industry for the last 35 years, initially in residential construction, now in infrastructure design, so I have experience making me uniquely suited to help guide the City’s plans for the maintenance and improvement of our core infrastructure.
Important Issues: If elected I’ll focus on the following core city functions that benefit our community:
- Public works: Water, sewer and streets, particularly improving our storm water systems so that our streets no longer flood.
- Public safety: First Line responders providing them with the skills and the tools Needed to serve and protect our community
- Community Amenities – Parks and Rec – maintaining and improving the green spaces and recreational activities that make Spring Lake Park a nice neighborhood to live in and improve property values.
Goals if Elected: Ensure the continuation of excellent City Services – Plan for and maintain the City’s roads,sewers, water supply, green spaces and safety services. These are the core function of any City government and their oversight is our primary task as Council members.
Promote an excellent workplace culture within City Hall, so that we can attract and retain professional and skilled staff and ensure that we retain institutional knowledge as staff retire.
Proactively plan and budget for necessary infrastructure equipment and maintenance so that we have the tools we need to keep the City running smoothly.
Endorsements: None listed.
Connect with Me:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DircksforCouncil
Website: lisadircks.com
Phone: 612-386-2496
Email: dircksforspringlakepark@gmail.com
Candidate Interview:
About the candidate: I am the person you may have seen biking around town and picking up garbage, who was elected to the Spring Lake Park City Council in 2016. I grew up in SLP and, after graduating, attended college before relocating to Chicago to further my education. Over the next three decades I lived in several areas including New Orleans, New York, Houston, and Florida. Along the way I had contact with a wide array of different peoples and cultures with the end result of understanding many of the issues present today. Last August, I decided to further my education by going back to college. I wanted to accomplish having a better understanding of how our newest generation of voters thinks, and to earn a degree in Political Science with a Capstone in English. Like with anything in my life, I found with dedication and hard work, the better the outcome. I currently carry a 3.8 GPA and am on the Dean’s List. During my time on the City Council, I also put my heart and time into every aspect of our city being the only member missing one meeting in eight years.
Important Issues: During my time on the council I have voted to keep property taxes low while maintaining our city amenities. At City Hall almost everything is done in-house including: Police, Public Works, Code Enforcement and Parks & Rec to better serve our residents. Our fire company, SBM, is a three-city-fire-department that has been well run for over 80 years. I give my full support to all of them and also our highly regarded SLP school system. In past years I was an advocate for flood control, voted to acquire another police officer to help keep crime down, lobbied hard for the city to acquire the vacant property at 525 Osborne Road and selling it in order to make a profit of over 800 K for SLP benefit. I will also continue to work hard on all boards, coalitions, and committee assignments I am appointed to.
Goals if Elected: Council person April Moran and I were able to bring the cities attention to a great new cause, becoming a Green Step City. Realizing SLP had many of the 29 needed practices, (SLP is part of a solar farm, has proper pedestrian and bike trails, gardens for residential use, access to public transport, MS4/flood management program, social and cultural amenities, etc..) we asked for the council’s approval to begin work and gain our cities acceptance in this program. In June, we were honored at the League of Minnesota Cities with Governor Walz as the keynote speaker, as its newest member. The great thing about this prestigious honor is the opportunity to benefit from grants and the distinction they bring to our city. I also voted to gain another piece of property for city redevelopment to again make a substantial profit and, therefore, keep our property taxes low.
Endorsements: None listed
Connect with Me:
Email: bbisschoff@slpmn.org
Phone: 763-784-4077
Candidate Interview:
About the candidate: I’m Ryan Hollihan, a master electrician with Realm Electric located in Spring Lake Park. I have worked in the electrical field for 20 years and have been the master electrician with Realm Electric for the last eight years. Realm specializes in large commercial projects; however, I genuinely enjoy working directly with the residents of Spring Lake Park.
I have lived in Spring Lake Park for 17 years and have greatly enjoyed watching the community change. With my wife, I have worked with the city council to modify our home, which has stirred my desire to make a difference for our residents.
When not working, I enjoy spending time with my two boys, Liam, age 10, and Easton, Age 9. We have a cabin property that gets us out of town and lets everyone enjoy the great outdoors. If not at our cabin, I enjoy a good historical documentary or working on home projects with my wife.
Important Issues:
1. Keeping taxes as low as possible. As our residents continue to age, I aim to keep taxes as low as possible to prevent them from being pushed from their homes due to their inability to pay.
2. Ensure that our police department has adequate equipment to deal with the ever-expanding community issues. As a small police department, I want to work closely with the chief of police to ensure that the city is setting aside appropriate funding to equip our police officers.
3. Seek new and innovative ideas to improve our commercial infrastructure. With limited commercial space, I think it is important to utilize those spaces in the most efficient and fiscally smart way possible.
4. Encouraging the community’s growth and development of family-owned businesses. As the spouse of a small business owner, I believe it is imperative to encourage and foster the growth of these companies.
Goals if Elected:
My greatest goal in becoming the newest member of the Spring Lake Park City Council is to bring a younger perspective to the city. Someone who has both construction and business experience and who has walked the path that our residents must walk when seeking the council’s guidance, I want to bring an open-door approach to the council that will welcome the input and ideas of our community.
Endorsements:
Senate District 39 Republicans
Connect with Me:
Email: RyanHollihan@hotmail.com
Phone: 612-408-7134
Candidate Interview:
About the candidate: Hello, my name is Eric Julien, and I am running for Spring Lake Park City Council. I was born at Unity (now Mercy) Hospital in 1973, I am a lifelong resident of Spring Lake Park, graduated from SLPHS 1991, and I purchased my parents house on the corner of Monroe and Holland in 1999. I have held a Class A Commercial Driver’s License since 1995, beginning my career as a truck driver with Shorty’s Towing of Spring Lake Park. I have been with my current employer, UNFI (formerly SuperValu), since 2014.
My parents purchased my house in May, 1964……my family has lived in Spring Lake Park for sixty years. This has always been a terrific place to live, work, and play, and I am seeking your vote in the upcoming election to do my part in ensuring that Spring Lake Park continues to be the place that I have always known it to be for all of these years……and better!!!
Important Issues: If I am fortunate enough to gain the trust of the citizens of Spring Lake Park and become a member of their City Council, my main focus will be on Public Safety and Law Enforcement. I think recent world events, and things happening closer to home lately, have shown us that this is likely to become a more challenging issue in the coming years. I believe government’s #1 responsibility is to keep it’s citizens safe, and it will be my desire to work with our police and fire departments to be sure we’re doing everything reasonably possible to ensure safety within our community.
Additionally, I am aware that many of our citizens are living on fixed incomes, and current economic conditions are putting incredible pressure on everyone’s budgets.
It’s a balancing act to be sure….for everyone, city government included. As a member of the City Council, I will do my best to ensure good stewardship of the taxpayers’ dollars, while also maintaining the level of public services that the residents of Spring Lake Park have come to expect, and that they deserve.
Goals if Elected: It is my desire in seeking a seat on the City Council to build on the great legacy that has been left to us by past city leaders. Spring Lake Park didn’t just happen, it was carefully planned, built, and cared for by past community leaders and citizens alike. We all want the same things, right?? A safe, secure, and clean place for our children, and all of us, to live, work, play, and learn. I believe that there will be significant challenges facing our city, and our country in the coming years, and I look forward to the opportunity of having a hand in guiding our city during these times. Thank you for your consideration.
Endorsements:
Mayor Bob Nelson
Minnesota GOP Senate District 39
Connect with Me:
Phone: 763-257-2530
Candidate Interview: Did not participate.
About the candidate: I am 47 years old i was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Moved to Minnesota with my parents when I was around 5 years old. I was a director of operations for a company for over 15years. I have sat on as a liaison to the board of education parent representative back in 2008 -2010. I met my husband, and we married and moved to Spring Lake Park a little over 3 years ago. Since then, I have sat on the planning and zoning committed for the city. I would like to take the next step in becoming a city council representative.
Important Issues: I am a firm believer in Education and building a solid foundation for our youth so that they can become productive members in our communities. Having integrity and showing that people matter and that it is the little things that can at times make the biggest difference. I think family and having core values with emphasis on education will promote a community of amazing people.
Goals if Elected: Making Spring Lake Park an even more desirable place to want to live in. If elected I want to continue to push for education and community to be a big part of our culture here in Spring Lake Park.
Endorsements: None listed.
Connect with Me:
Web: https://
Email: Strembulak@yahoo.com
Phone: 612-479-7506
Facebook: Sharon Weighous for city council
Candidate Interview:
