SCOTT CARLSON
NORTH MANKATO — Scott Carlson said he feels his best years as mayor are ahead of him. It takes 2-3 years to get a feel for the job and make the connections that are needed for full success, he said, so another 2-year term, or two, would allow him to excel.
Carlson felt that his pragmatic thinking and natural interest and observation of how a city works got him interested in local government, and years as a teacher, coach and substitute principal provided him the skills to do so.
“I really never was into politics, per se, but I was always told that if you wanted to get into serving your community in a position, that local elected office was a really good place to get a start,” he said.
He received mentoring by other elected officials, he said, so had a strong idea of what to expect. And because he is a big-picture guy, he said it was tough to pinpoint specific areas of emphasis. But housing and rental density have been high priorities.
While nobody likes to be called a bedroom community, he said North Mankato does have some of those characteristics. He said he has worked to have more connected developments, looking to bring trails to housing off of Highway 13 to connect with Benson Park, and a pedestrian walkway over Highway 14 from Caswell Park. He’s also interested in ways to improve access to Bluff Park to make it more regional in nature.
“So we have been really working hard to, no matter what the costs we think it might be, to look at how to connect things better and how to give a better quality of life to those that can’t afford a ravine (lot) or can’t afford a one-acre lot,” said Carlson.
That could also include the community trust idea, or working with local industry, to take the burden of property ownership off of residents so they can afford the home that sits on it. Similar ideas have been used by the city, which is experimenting with leasing vehicles rather than owning to reduce maintenance costs.
Regarding some residents’ concerns about bypassing a local vote and working with the port authority on purchasing land for the city public works center, he said he felt it expedited an action for which he had heard positive comments in order to move ahead and save the city potentially $1-2 million.
“It was a way for us to get it without a vote, get it through, and get it cheaper than we would have if it would have been an extra year or whatever by having the vote,” he said. “A few vocal people that were against the way that was done have said that it probably would have passed.”
For future projects, such as Highway 169 and even the ongoing swimming pool renovation, he said he sees regular public updates and open houses as good ideas.
At this week’s council meeting, Carlson cast the lone dissenting vote on reducing the 1,000 foot buffer around a cannabis growing facility to 500 feet. Although he knows of the health benefits of THC for many people, he said he was lacking clarity on impacts of odors.
“I’m going to vote on every single topic to set our community up for success, and be a safe and healthy community down the road,” he said. “I just felt we could have done a little bit more research on that, personally.”
Carlson said he and his opponent, Joe Tougas, both want what’s best for the community. But he wants the chance to continue the work he has started over the first four years.
“I feel we’re in the right direction,” he said. “I’ve gotten a lot of great compliments from different people, and we’ve learned from the things that we’ve maybe made some mistakes on. I just would really love the opportunity to serve at least two more years — and hopefully four more years — to use what I’ve learned and use those connections.”
JOE TOUGAS
Like many of his peers on the ballot, Joe Tougas has felt welcomed by North Mankato and is looking for a way to give back. His candidacy for mayor includes a platform that is heavier on the arts than most — he performs in a frequent duo with Ann Fee and the 8-piece Joe Tougas & Associates — and stresses his careers in communications.
“All these experiences have led to knowing a lot about this community, its character and the people who live here,” he wrote for Greater Mankato Growth. “I ultimately want North Mankato to retain its unique, small-town character while inviting initiatives and ideas that keep us healthy and a desirable place to build, work and live.”
Tougas said he has paid attention to activities at city hall most in the last couple of years, as subjects such as a data center and the non-disclosure agreements and finding a home for a new public works center have come to the forefront. He began to wonder the rationale from such decisions among council members and the mayor.
“So, there are two parts to (the public works center) that I think draw a distinction between (current Mayor) Scott (Carlson) and myself. One is I’m against the existing plan. It’s too late. We’ve already established the bonding, so the taxpayers are stuck with that and I think it’s a bum deal,” he said.
A big part of that “deal” is the way the city went through its port authority issuing bonds, thus avoiding a formal public referendum for city residents. He said he hasn’t heard a rationale for that path, that “ah ha moment” that legitimized it in his mind.
“The best I heard was Jim Whitlock saying, ‘Well, we kicked this can down the road for too long,’ or long enough, or something like that,” said Tougas.
The other point of distinction is on data centers.
“I think I’m a little bit more — or a lot more — hesitant about data centers than Scott is,” he said, admitting he doesn’t fully understand Carlson’s thinking. “If we’re talking about a data center being an ill on the environment, I don’t think saying, ‘No, thank you’ is a bad thing.”
While he admits he has dabbled with artificial intelligence for organizing finances or asking it questions, he finds the generative aspects of it “a very frightening and depressing scenario” for future culture.
In regards to NDAs in general, he said from discussions with past council members they seem to be a recent development. And for him, he finds them contrary to the idea of transparency.
Another frequent topic for Tougas is heritage, and preserving the small town feel that North Mankato still possesses. Saving current facades and entire historic buildings is something he feels people can get behind.
“I think there is that framework already. We just need to get people, and I know they are interested in signing on,” Tougas said. He also likes the idea of creating a heritage preservation commission similar to one in Mankato for applying national guidelines.
A more general feature he sees in his campaign and that of the six new candidates for city council is enthusiasm for the job. That could be especially helpful with recent big purchases ahead of some uncertain economic times. The fact that he, his opponent and other candidates get along lays a good groundwork, he said.
“It just feels like the right time and place in my life,” said Tougas. “I’m retiring in April of next year, so I’ll have a sort of a full-time approach to the job. I’m excited about that. It’s brand new to me. I’ve so far really enjoyed knocking on doors and putting up signs and talking to people. And what I’m hearing is very much in line with what I’d like to accomplish.”