Patch Candidate Profile: Meg Forney For Minneapolis Parks

MINNEAPOLIS — This fall, Minneapolis residents will vote in several important local elections. Among the offices on the ballot is the mayor and city council seats, as well as the Minneapolis Park Board. Early voting in Minneapolis has already started.

Meg Forney is running for one of the three at large Minneapolis Park Board Commissioner seats.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles over the coming weeks.

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Are you running for office in Minneapolis? Contact William Bornhoft at william.bornhoft@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate profile and submitting campaign announcements to Patch.

Town of Residence: Minneapolis

Position sought: Minneapolis Park Board Commissioner At Large

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Family: Husband Jon, three adult children, four grandchildren

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No

Education: Bachelors in Arts and Interior Design, social work on-the-job, real estate certifications.

Occupation: Realtor, 43 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board Commissioner at large, 2 terms

Why are you seeking elective office?

Now more than ever, I believe we need to work to promote equitable park access for all families, to support the climate initiative, and to invest in programs for our city’s youth and seniors. Moreover, we need to pursue these goals in a financially sustainable manner that leaves a positive legacy for future generations.

In my third term as a Commissioner-at-Large, I will continue to build bridges through collegial relationships with multiple levels of government so that we can solve our city’s problems together. I have been deeply committed to our parks all my life, and I do my best to make sure no Commissioner works harder on behalf of the system.

I am passionate about our parks because they define the quality of life for all in our City. Basically, I “live it.” So one might say it is 24-7 for me. I am passionate about our park system and honored to steward its 138 year legacy. I am an active user of our park system and an active attendee of our many park community engagement efforts.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Our biggest threat is climate change and our parks are our best line of defense for balance. I have been on board an initiative to address climate resiliency in multiple efforts. Our Tree Preservation Levy of eight years expires the end of this year. It is critical that we offset this expiration. Over the past couple of years, I, as well as other elected officials and private citizens, have set forth actions to increase our tree canopy on our streets and in our parks with a 20-year commitment. It is critical to retain our Forestry crews as well as hire a Forest Outreach Coordinator. We will concentrate largely on North Minneapolis—focusing on heat islands and environmentally disadvantaged areas.

Our parks have the tools to mitigate the impacts of climate change by reducing heat islands through cooling streets and buildings, capturing storm water, filtering air pollutants and providing wildlife habitat. Increasing vegetation is our best line of defense. I have been pro-actively working to establish a broader framework with consistent funding.

To do so, it is essential to build partnerships with other governmental entities as well as non-governmental ones and to create sustainable funding streams outside of real estate tax revenue. We are exploring carbon offset credits, the Federal American Rescue Plan, the Future Federal Infrastructure Funding, even a partnership with Minneapolis Airports Authority. Reforestation at an accelerated rate is critical.

Our park system faces serious challenges with climate change and its impacts on those economically challenged and on people of color. Our park system should be the catalyst for addressing these issues.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

With several commissioners declining to run for re-election, our Park Board is going to see substantial turnover with many new faces. I have the proven park leadership experience to assist bringing the new board together to improve the lives of Minneapolis residents and families.

I have chaired significant Park Board committees through my tenure — our Administration and Finance Committee, and our Planning Committee. As the Board appointee of our Minneapolis Parks Foundation and on their Development Committee, I am proud of the efforts to leverage more dollars for our RiverFirst Initiative — some 18 million dollars. I served as one of three commissioners to lead the 20 Year Neighborhood Park Plan initiative and I serve on the Saint Antony Falls Heritage Board and the Southwest LRT Community Works Steering Committee. I am honored to be serving my second term, after over 40 years of advocating for our parks from serving as appointed chair of park citizen advisory committees, to co-chairing the Lake Harriet Bandstand Fundraising, to chairing People for Parks.

How do you think local officials are performing in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

The Board's action closing over 20 miles of parkways at the beginning of the pandemic was critically responsive for all to access needed respite of our open spaces. Pedestrians had more room to spread apart at popular lakes and trails during the coronavirus pandemic.

It has been frustrating to limit the opening of our recreation centers and its impact on our young people. But until we can protect those unvaccinated appropriately, we need to take appropriate steps to insure their safe keeping. I support our COVID-19 Testing and Proof of Vaccination Policy to be Implemented in Alignment with the City of Minneapolis, to protect the health and safety of MPRB employees and individuals performing services for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and to prioritize those areas presenting the greatest risk of exposure.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Now more than ever, I believe we need to work to promote equitable park access for all families and to invest in programs for our city’s youth and seniors. Moreover, we need to pursue these goals in a financially sustainable manner through establishing equity-driven data metrics and diversifying our funding stream that leaves a positive legacy for future generations.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I am proud of the accomplishments of my first two terms.

With the City of Minneapolis, we collaboratively brought millions of capital dollars to address our neighborhood parks’ neglect, utilizing a first-ever racial equity matrix in determining where the funding should be prioritized over 20 years. I was one of the lead Commissioners in advocating for this initiative, infusing annually $11 million for capital rehabilitation and addressing gaps in our system through quantifying community characteristics of population, economics and safety as well as the parks’ physical condition.

We added more strategic parkland to our Park System as our population grew and targeted to gaps of underserved areas—in particular along the banks of our Mississippi River in North and Northeast Minneapolis. In my short two terms, we have increased from 94% to 98% that every resident is within a 10 minute walk of a park, an increase of over 25 acres of land, targeting the gaps in underserved areas.

We have master planned the entire city’s park system to set a vision for long-term development and improvements. Robust community engagement made sure park features and amenities reflect the needs of the communities they serve, and ensures long-term financial and ecological sustainability. It guides not only each park and group of parks, but also our Ecological System, our Urban Agriculture Activity, and our Recreational Activities. Now that the entire city has been park master-planned, policies and practices can be enacted for long-term development and improvements

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Never sell or give away park land.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

In the summer, I row in the Mississippi gorge 3-4 times a week and I bike with WOWOW friends---Women on Wheels on Wednesdays. Year round, up to three times a week, I walk with friends the Chain of Lakes. I am an active user of our Park system and an active attendee of our many Park community engagement efforts.

Editor's note: A previous version of this article has been updated with correction information about Meg Forney's occupation and experience in political office