First 100 Days

The first months of a new administration should establish direction, organize the work, and move the highest-risk issues first. My approach would not be to send a dozen separate projects through staff and the Planning Commission. It would be to use one conformance audit and three coordinated ordinance packages.

Weeks 1–4: One 2040 Plan Conformance Audit

I would begin with one Council motion directing staff and the city attorney to compare the adopted 2040 Comprehensive Plan with the city’s current zoning, subdivision, and other official controls.

The product should be a clear implementation matrix: 2040 plan policy / current official control / conflict or gap / recommended fix / ordinance package assignment.

The 2040 Plan already identified major implementation work, including new Mixed Use, Medium Industrial, and Coon Lake districts, along with zoning and subdivision updates. The purpose of the audit is to confirm what was never fully adopted and identify what needs to be corrected. It should not become another open-ended vision process.

I would ask for a 45–60 day deadline. The result should be a redline list and implementation schedule, not a new planning document.

Package 1: Rural and Agricultural Conformance

This package comes first because rural land can be permanently fragmented while policy work waits. The goal is to bring the city’s development controls into conformance with the rural-preservation policies already adopted in the Comprehensive Plan.

• Rural Residential density aligned with the adopted plan standard, including one unit per ten gross acres where applicable.
• Sequential lot-split controls.
• Conservation subdivision standards.
• A clear definition of qualifying open space.
• Conservation-first lot layout.
• Agricultural fragmentation controls.
• Permanent open-space protection instruments.

These should move as one coordinated ordinance package and one hearing process rather than a series of isolated projects. The policy direction already exists. The task is to make the code implement it.

Package 2: Mixed-Use and Growth-Area Rules

The second package would address the opposite risk: residential development arriving first while the commercial, employment, and connected-development pieces never materialize.

• Create or complete the Mixed Use district called for in the 2040 Plan.
• Prevent stand-alone R-1 development patterns from becoming the default inside Mixed Use areas.
• Tie commercial phasing to residential permits on large mixed-use projects.
• Require connected street networks.
• Require master planning for large development sites.

I would not delay these enforceable land-use rules while waiting for a complete architectural design manual. Use, mix, phasing, and street standards can be adopted first. More detailed design standards can follow.

Package 3: Citywide Review Standards

The third package would improve how major projects are reviewed across the city. These are process standards, not a new land-use map.

• A fiscal-impact screen for major residential plats.
• Natural-resource overlay standards or clear overlay criteria.
• Concept review before detailed engineering on large development sites.

If staff capacity allows, this package could move with Package 2. It should not delay the rural and agricultural work in Package 1.

2050 Policy Direction and the Implementation Calendar

The 2050 Comprehensive Plan direction and the ordinance schedule should not become separate ordinance projects. I would bring them forward with the initial conformance audit as Council-level direction.

The Council should establish early policy direction on rural preservation, where growth belongs, infrastructure sequencing, housing locations, commercial and industrial development, and open-space priorities. It should also adopt a realistic calendar showing when the audit and each ordinance package will return for action.

Establish a Financial and Contract Baseline

The Council should begin the term with a clear picture of major recurring contracts, service costs, capital obligations, fund balances, debt, and the largest drivers of levy growth. The purpose is not simply to cut spending. It is to understand what the city is paying for, what outcomes are expected, and where long-term obligations are developing.

Analyze Emergency-Service Demand

East Bethel should understand the emergencies our community is actually experiencing before deciding future service levels. I would ask for analysis of calls for service by type, location, time of day, and priority; response times and service availability; and the roles played by law enforcement, fire, medical response, and other emergency-service partners.

The objective is to make sure the city is funding the right combination of services for the public-safety demands residents face, while working collaboratively with the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, our fire department, the county, and other partners.

Adopt an Infrastructure Sequencing Policy

Infrastructure should follow the adopted growth strategy. Requests for utility or MUSA expansion should be evaluated against the citywide plan, long-term operating costs, tax-base return, development phasing, and impacts on surrounding rural land.

Establish a Public Council Work Plan

Not every initiative can be first. I would support a public Council work plan that identifies the highest-priority policy projects, assigns responsibility, and gives residents a realistic schedule for when major items will return for action.

What the First 100 Days Are For

The goal is not to manufacture activity or overwhelm staff with disconnected projects. It is to establish the facts, set Council direction, protect the areas most vulnerable to irreversible change, and create a sequence that staff and the Planning Commission can execute well.

One audit. Three ordinance packages. A clear calendar. Measurable public-safety and financial baselines. Then execute.