Patch Candidate Profile: Steffanie Musich For Minneapolis Parks

MINNEAPOLIS — Next week, on Nov. 2, Minneapolis residents will vote in several important local elections. Among the offices on the ballot are the mayor and city council seats, as well as the Minneapolis Park Board.

Steffanie Musich is running for Minneapolis Park Board Commissioner District 5.

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.

Age (as of Election Day): 43

Town of Residence: Minneapolis

Position sought: Minneapolis Park Board Commissioner District 5

Party Affiliation: DFL

Family: Husband, Son, 2 cats

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

Education: BA, University of Minnesota

Occupation: IT Analyst, 10 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Commissioner, 5th District

Why are you seeking elective office? I enjoy putting my varied experience to use for my constituents.

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

Deferred maintenance to park buildings and equipment is the greatest challenge to the quality of parks in my district. Addressing deferred maintenance through strategic replacement and rehabilitation of park amenities is my greatest priority for the parks in my district.

I have been working to modernize park operations since joining the board in 2014. Much of the work done in past years has prepared for the analysis and implementation of methodologies being utilized now to project and plan maintenance work to maximize life of assets and ensure repairs are done on an ongoing basis based on need rather than complaints.

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

I have experience serving the public as an elected official and support the Hiawatha Golf Course Master Plan.

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

I appreciate how most local officials have been following the changing guidance and evolving their responses to the virus as more is understood about how it is transmitted.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Climate Change has intensified the freeze thaw cycles we’re experiencing and this has exacerbated the wear and tear on infrastructure in our parks.

As climate change continues to impact park landscapes, one of my top priorities will be to continue responding to those changes. I advocated that MPRB staff use precipitation projections when rebuilding Bossen Field, the rebuilding several sections of Minnehaha Creek’s banks after the 2014 floods, the planning work for the future of Nokomis-Hiawatha Regional Park, all South Side Neighborhood parks, the Minnehaha Creek Regional Trail Corridor, and the planning work to ensure Hiawatha Golf Course can continue to provide golf operations while not succumbing to future, projected flooding. The Park Board needs to continue to incorporate climate planning into all of its plans and when possible, we should create partnerships to share costs because park users are not the only beneficiaries from climate-resilient parks.

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

The adoption of the 20 Year Neighborhood Park Program (NPP20); Memorandum of Understanding between MPS and the Park Board.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Don’t be afraid to ask questions, chances are, someone else is wondering too.

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

I try to make the best decisions with and for my constituents by listening to them, researching issues before the board, and balancing people’s needs and desires in a way that achieves consensus. When conflict trumps consensus, I try to find a balance with our communities by listening to both residents and the advice of scientists and experts. We need a park system that is sustainable for our children and our grandchildren. My focus will always be to make the best long-term decisions for the park system and it’s users.