MEET THE CANDIDATES
Feature
Rochester City Council (CONT.)
Kelly Rae Kirkpatrick WARD 4
Andy Friederichs
WARD 4
Why are you running for City Council and how does your experience qualify you for the position? I have been working in Rochester for 17 years, and I have been in business for 30
Why are you running for City Council and how does your experience qualify you for the position? My decision to run for re- election in 2024 is fueled by my concern for the well-being
years. It is time to give back. Rochester has been good to me and my family and I would like to help ensure is stays a great community. We have built out over 200 affordable apartments within Rochester and worked with the city on all levels of those projects. We have worked closely with the Rochester Police Department to clean up severely over run and neglected properties. Learning how to work with all departments within the city is what makes me qualified for this position. What are your top two priorities/issues as a candidate for City Council? Homelessness within the city-accessing the need and working together with all entities to fix the problem while having some accountability in place. There have been several issues in the downtown corridor that need to be looked at. Including public safety, defacing of property, cleanliness, and public nuisance issues. Our law enforcement community needs support to ensure they have the ability to do their job properly. Affordable Housing. What does this look like? Who builds it? Why isn't it being built? The time has come when it is near impossible to build a small standard starter home for less then $350,000. Unless a person was to do work on the house themselves. There are affordable living options within the city but it is not a 3 bed 2 bath house with a garage. Is it time to look at all of the options? Is it time to really make Rochester an all inclusive community? Tiny Homes, Micro Apartments, Room rentals in personal housing, park model mobile home parks, and other means are all options. Also allowing developers to continue to develop because it creates a shift out of lower cost housing right up the ladder. Houses open up for newcomers, young people, or someone transitioning out of an apartment at that point.
of Rochester residents. As the incumbent, my in-depth understanding of the City's governmental structure, including staff and administrative relationships, equips me to serve in an enhanced capacity. My extensive leadership roles on various community boards underscore my commitment to the education and welfare of our growing community. Serving as a City Council member is a natural progression of the work I've been dedicated to for years. It allows me to serve the residents of Ward 4 and greater Rochester with increased effectiveness. What are your top two priorities/issues as a candidate for City Council? Improve our spending for projects and services that add value to the lives of our residents. City services and approved projects or policies should positively impact and improve the quality of life for folks and preserve our natural resources well into the future. With the proposed increase in City staffing, we can spend less on out-of-city consultants, increase resident participation in the decision process, save money, and increase trust with residents. Housing needs are critical, and housing costs should align with our population. Rents are too expensive for most in Rochester, so improving purchase options for larger multi-family rental buildings and lower-income residents is key. Collaborate with residents and developers to yield sustainable outcomes that incentivize housing for many over the few. This collaboration is necessary and should utilize models such as hybrid housing incorporating conservation design principles to create sustainable neighborhoods.
6 | ROCHESTER AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ADVANTAGE MAGAZINE — OCTOBER 2024
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online