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Healthy, Thriving Community

Columbia Heights is known as the "small town next to the big city" and is a vibrant, connected community. But our residents are also facing many challenges that are making their lives harder than they should be and too many are being left behind. By having tough conversations about the issues that matter we can come up with new, innovative ideas and solutions for Columbia Heights. Justice will bring a new, diverse voice to the City Council to improve our community and commits to making policies that help every resident thrive. Improvements that are a priority for Heights include:

Improving walkability with increased sidewalks to promote safety and accessibility for all

Increasing intersection control, adding bike lanes, and repairing current streets and walkways

Investing in our parks, including the addition a dedicated skate park

Redeveloping and reimagining Central Avenue

Bringing a dedicated Community/Recreation Center to Columbia Heights

Improving public transportation throughout the city, including a city-wide microtransit program

Redeveloping Murzyn Hall

Partnering with neighboring cities, city councils, and mayors to connect and enhance our communities

Having consistent communication with our schools and fostering a partnership that gives our students the best chance to succeed

Promoting cultural events and new city-sponsored art projects

Engaging and partnering with our new residents to help them learn about our city and thrive

Continuing to promote public health measures during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic

Increasing youth, adult, and senior programs

Public Safety for All

Fully investing in public safety means fully investing in Heights. Things such as affordable housing, education, infrastructure, livable wages, mental health services, and supportive services all play critical roles in the safety of our community. Policy changes in public safety must proactively invest in and protect our communities instead of making reactionary reform. We as a city need to continue to build trust between the community and those who protect us while keeping all of us safe. Specific public safety policies Justice supports include:

Reforming winter parking ban

Expanding current mental health support services

Continuing transparency around use of force tactics and statistics

Proactively reviewing policies regarding no-knock warrants and procedures regarding crowd control measures

Improving night visibility by increasing street lighting

Updating outdated city ordinances

University of Minnesota physicians and medical students gathered to voice our opposition to the use of tear gas, rubberized bullets, and flashbangs for crowd-control measures after the shooting of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center. Read more here.

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Housing for Heights

Everyone deserves to have a place to live. Housing is a key issue for Heights as it is a major source of wealth for many and also is the main consideration in residents' monthly budgets. Public policy must center around supporting both renters and homeowners equally. Justice supports:

Passing renter protections, such as a Tenants Rights Agreement

Improving and increasing communication between renters and city officials

Implementing city inspections of new home sales to protect new buyers

Recruiting new businesses to expand the city's tax base and help with property tax costs

Affordable housing projects

Balancing key city improvements while also being mindful of current tax rates

Equity and Inclusivity

Policies we make today must center on those who have historically been excluded and forgotten about. The late Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone's quote "We all do better when we all do better" still rings true today, but that means everyone must be at the table and have their voices heard. Heights is one of the most diverse cities in the state, and all policies must be made through the lens of racial, social, and economic justice.

Justice Supports:

Racial justice initiatives that fully invest in our residents of color. This includes policies, initiatives, and funds that work towards eliminating current disparities in education, healthcare, criminal justice, economic security, housing, opportunity, and more.

Policies that help lift low-income residents out of poverty through community resources, financial aid, and access to good-paying jobs.

Ensuring that all residents of Heights living with mental or physical disabilities are always provided the resources and accommodations they need to live their life with as much ease as possible.

Welcoming and supporting LGBTQIA+ individuals, immigrants and refugees as they add to the rich diversity and prosperity of our city and state.

Environment and Sustainability

Justice is committed to working towards a greener, safer Columbia Heights. Ensuring that all residents have clean air, water, streets, parks, and places to live are vital to the health and wellbeing of our city and state. Additionally, investing in clean energy options and sustainability efforts are critical to both our current and future generations of Heights residents. It is important for the city to partner with current residents and businesses to improve energy efficiency through grants and programs and ensure that new buildings and housing units built meet criteria for emissions and energy usage. Investments in public transit, biking and walking infrastructure are all avenues to reduce emissions in our city.

Economic Development

Given its close location to the Twin Cities but with a small-town feel, Columbia Heights is a fantastic city for new restaurants and businesses to thrive. There is excitement in the community to welcome new establishments, and Justice is committed to bringing new developments to Heights. Increasing the number of new businesses is pivotal in generating new tax revenue. The city council should actively recruit new small businesses to Columbia Heights, partner with existing businesses to aid with workforce shortages and Covid-19 recovery and bring new jobs to the city.

A Better Local Government

Columbia Heights deserves to have a local government that is open, honest, and responsive to their questions, concerns, and ideas. As your next councilmember, Justice is committed to transparency, accessibility, and receptiveness to constituents. Some policies that move our city forward include:

Implementing Ranked Choice Voting for city elections

Expanding the Mayoral term from 2 years to 4 years, matching councilmembers' elected terms

Increasing diversity on city boards and commissions and ensuring younger residents' voices are heard and represented

Frequent town halls and listening sessions to hear the questions and concerns of Heights