Investing in Our Community
Dear neighbors,
I love this community. For 28 years, I have built a life and family here as an educator, local leader, and disability advocate committed to shaping a Minnesota where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
In my first term as your State Representative, I’ve been proud to deliver results in our own backyard. And I’m not done yet. I’m asking you to send me back to the Capitol to advocate for our district — because we deserve investments right here at home.
I’m proud to share with you the results of some of my first-term bills passed:
Family-friendly community spaces
Minnesota is home to some of the most beautiful and unique natural features in the country. With investments in urban green spaces and amenities like trails, parks, playgrounds, and wildlife reserves, more people can access these features in their own communities.
Funding for the Veterans’ Memorial Greenway (H.F. 1740)
I secured funding for the Veterans’ Memorial Greenway, a 5-mile pedestrian and bike trail corridor that will pass through picturesque nature in Eagan and Inver Grove Heights. Memorial areas along the trail will also honor the contributions of veterans like my father, who served his country in WWII. You can learn more about the greenway at the Dakota County website and catch footage of the groundbreaking from Town Square Television.
Shoveling dirt (center, in yellow) as I attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the Veterans Memorial Greenway, along with Senator Amy Klobuchar and Representative Angie Craig.
Funding for Thompson County Park improvements and a land bridge over Highway 52 (H.F. 2768)
Thompson County Park in West St. Paul is a popular 58-acre recreational area serving more than 50,000 northern Dakota County residents. I secured funding for the long-term improvement of this community gem to increase local access, restore native habitat, extend the park’s ADA-accessible trails, and enhance the overall park experience.
Significantly, this investment connects Thompson with Kaposia Park by a pedestrian bridge. Other planned improvements include a picnic shelter area, highway-facing sound wall, pollinator habitat and stream restoration, sledding hill, public sensory garden, inclusive nature play area, and outdoor equipment rental station.
At the Thompson County Park land bridge ribbon-cutting with community members and Dakota County Commissioner Joe Atkins.
Updating critical infrastructure
As our communities grow and change, sometimes our infrastructure can’t keep up. Timely upgrades to our buildings, bridges, roads, and utilities can help prevent the disaster of a system failure and meet current and future needs.
Funding for West St. Paul wastewater system update (H.F. 2841)
West St. Paul has been in urgent need of an updated sewage system. The city’s sewage lift station and force main were built 60 years ago and have been repeatedly patched and used far beyond a normal lifetime. Without replacement, a failure could result in a major backup into homes and businesses. For example: Mendota Heights’ Two Rivers Aquatic Center, which hosts the Concordia University swimming and diving teams, must flush their pool at a slowed rate for maintenance because of the outdated wastewater system. I secured funding to replace this community’s vital wastewater system imminently.
Funding for 117th Street Reconstruction in Inver Grove Heights (H.F. 1739)
117th Street in Inver Grove Heights is a major local and commuting route and one of the largest industrial hubs in the state. I secured funding for a one-mile reconstruction project that will alleviate traffic congestion and improve roadway safety and business access to the highways. This includes improved pavement, better turn lanes and safer railroad crossings. New pedestrian and bike facilities will also connect to the Mississippi River Trail.
Supporting our neighbors
We all do better when we all do better. I support investments in community resources for mental health, professional growth, accessibility, and more.
Funding to build the Dakota County Behavioral Crisis Facility (H.F. 2402)
The Dakota County Crisis and Recovery Center will be a welcoming place for mental health care and short-term residential treatment in community. The project is in the northeast portion of the parking lot at the Northern Service Center in West St. Paul. The site is near public transit, government services, shopping, community support programs, green space and other amenities that have been identified as important to people who are accessing mental health services. The Center is expected to open in early 2025, and you can learn more about its progress on the Dakota County website.
The new behavioral health treatment center is coming together, and will open in early 2025.
Funding to renovate the Technology & Business Center at Inver Hills Community College (H.F. 431)
Inver Hills Community College is home to more than 6,000 students, half of which are first-generation students. Their Technology & Business Center was built in the 1970s, and its layout has not been fully meeting the needs of today’s students. A major renovation will update the space and include a secure building entry system, energy efficient design, technology-enhanced classrooms, an engineering lab, ADA-compliant restrooms, and a state-of-the-art learning environment for STEM, paralegal, business, and accounting programs. You can learn more about the project on the Inver Hills Community College website.
Attending the groundbreaking of the upgrade construction at Inver Hills College in the summer of 2023.
Funding for state-of-the-art accessible playgrounds that more children can enjoy (H.F. 429 & H.F. 5463)
Playgrounds at school should be accessible to all children, including kids with disabilities. I secured funding for four schools in our region — Deerwood Elementary, Somerset Elementary, Hilltop Elementary, and Txuj Ci Hmong Language and Culture, Lower Campus — towards updating their playground areas and/or making autism sensory-friendly adjustments. Likewise, I secured funding for an all-inclusive railroad-themed playground, in celebration of local rail industry ties, and splash pad at Heritage Village Park. It will be the first truly inclusive playground in the Inver Grove park system, and one of only a handful across the state.
An illustration of the planned all-inclusive playground at Heritage Park. Follow the project at the All Can Play IGH Facebook page!
Funding for local long-term care facilities
In 2023, a bipartisan agreement directed an influx of funding towards nursing homes statewide. I was able to secure local investments for 3 local long-term care facilities — Woodlyn Heights Healthcare Center and Southview Acres Health Care Center in West St. Paul and Good Samaritan Society in Inver Grove Heights.
If you’d like to learn more about past and ongoing legislation, you can browse my Office’s past Legislative Updates at mn.house.gov.