By John McLoone

The Hastings Area Chamber of Commerce and Hastings Community TV presented a candidate forum last Tuesday night for three important challenged races on the ballot for the Nov. 3 election.

Our nation votes on a president that day, but the ballot will be full, with local and state races as well.

There are several city council races in Hastings but only Ward 2 has more than one candidate.

The forum was held in a virtual format, with candidates answering moderator John Hunt of Smead Manufacturing’s questions in a timed format.

The forum featured incumbent Joe Balsanec and challenger Jen Fox in the Ward 2 race, incumbent Tony Jurgens and challenger Kelsey Waits for the Minnesota House seat for District 54B and incumbent Karla Bigham being challenged by Leilani Holmstadt in Senate District 54. This week we’ll take a look at Hastings Ward 2. Balsanec got the first word in the Hastings race. “I’m the only military veteran on the city council with 22 years of service at the Minnesota Air National Guard, and I’m the only senior citizen,” he said.

See City Council Page 8

Joe Balsanec

Jen Fox City Council

From Page 1 Balsanec is 74 years old (“Although I don’t look it,” he said).

In addition to being on the council, he’s on the board of directors for the Hastings Economic Development and Redevelopment Authority. He’s a former educator and is a small business owner.

“My military, senior citizen and small business experience are vital to the city council, giving perspective to decisions on everything from taxes, affordable and market rate housing, public transportation, recreation, access to health care, access to businesses, access to houses of faith,” he said. “Running for city council is not a popularity contest, and I firmly believe that it’s not a joy ride.”

“I think outside the box. I know how the city staff functions,” he said. “I spent my entire life in public service and service to our country.”

Fox said she has been dedicated to Hastings since her youth.

“Over the past two decades, I’ve been showing up for Hastings as a volunteer, a friend and advocate and as a business owner. My passion for public service started young as a student at Hastings High School,” she said. “I worked to make the Dakota County Parks tobacco free.”

“I’ve worked with countless nonprofits and community organizations to make Hastings a vibrant and livable community,” said Fox. “Professionally, I’ve worked for the State of Minnesota as Director of Consumer Outreach and Community Relations for the Minnesota Department of Commerce and in several communication roles with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. My bureaucratic background provides me with the budgeting and programmatic planning and governmental understanding critical to the role of service on the city council in Hastings.”

Fox is a partner in the Spiral Brewery in downtown Hastings and runs the company’s sales and distribution division.

She also is a board member on HEDRA.

“The work that Councilmember Balsanec and I get to do with our fellow commissioners and the important work of the city staff in the development of our city has inspired me to run for city council,” she said. “I would focus my attention on communicating the resources and the function of government on housing development, diversity and inclusion, the arts and business development.”

Hunt thanked the two for their opening statements and transitioned to the first question relating to how the City of Hastings has done in response to COVID-19 and priorities as the community moves toward recovery.

Fox started out, “As a business owner at the forefront of protecting customers and our precious staff, I’ve had the opportunity to work directly with city resources, the Chamber of Commerce and City staff to understand the deep and growing challenges for business to stay open,” she said.

She credited the work of HEDRA, the city and the chamber in working toward allowing parklets on Second Street and for the HEART Grant, as well as Friday morning chamber business calls.

“The residents of Hastings deserve an involved and creative council person, willing to make quick decisions to protect our businesses and community from any further economic turmoil,” she said. “Our future needs to be based on the success of our current businesses as our foundation and build on that future. I know very personally that moving forward, the city needs to focus on recovering lost revenue and building up our economic awareness and development. Businesses no longer need relief. We need a recovery response to this global crisis.”

In his response, Balsanec said, “The City of Hastings has generously and creatively responded to our citizens and businesses during the past six months, by waiving fees on licenses, extending deadlines on license fees, waiving late fees, etc., etc. We’ve worked with businesses throughout the city to bring the services that they have outside of their shops and restaurants and providing safe access.”

“The Aquatic Center, our parks and playgrounds, our entertainment and recreational programs have all been reacclimated for our residents and businesses for their safety,” he said. “I’ve been directly responsible for making sure the (grant) funding has been distributed fairly and mediately. We’re not there yet, but we are making positive progress in keeping our city safe and healthy. The city received money through the federal CARES Act to the tune of about $1.6 million, and a lot of that is going to be provided to the local businesses.”

The next question on the need for residential housing in Hastings went to Balsanec first.

“Earlier I talked about thinking outside the box, and this is what we have to do now and in the future,” he said. “Housing and economic development go hand in hand, and the housing feeds off business and the business feeds off housing.”

He sees a variety of housing types coming. “They’re going to be coming, like an explosion. The plan I helped put together for our economic development says that we need to promote housing developments, which will allow our senior citizens a choice to move into affordable housing, which will then free up existing housing markets for other people. And we all know that the market is on fire right now. Housing units are already approved and on the drawing board here in Hastings,” Balsanec said.

Fox said the housing issue is critical to the community’s future.

“The question is much larger than the two minutes allowed here. This is a critical moment of opportunity,” she said.

“This question is not just about building structures and making space. The question is about building community in working with our school district to plan for larger class sizes and updating resources. It is about developing industry so new residents can live and work here. It’s about understanding the assets we have in our current homes to be sure we can satisfy the needs of growing families…I believe we have the opportunities to lean on our current developments, while working with our realtors and our developers to find both the opportunity to grow and learn what assets we have in our neighborhoods. So, yes, I agree that Hastings needs to grow in residential housing, and we need to be vigilant in that.”

The two wrapped up with the biggest challenge facing Hastings.

“I actually believe that the biggest challenge goes back to the housing question. I think we’re in a moment of critical opportunity. I think we are able to capitalize on it and grow as a community with new residents and new jobs and bigger industry,” Fox said.

In his answer, Balsanec said continued economic development initiatives are key. “I pushed very hard for an economic development director and we finally were able to get one a couple years ago, so that person could finally start to work on attracting businesses and residential developers to the city,” he said.

In addition, the city hired a communications director.

“Another thing I pushed for very hard over the last 12 years is to get a better sense of coordination with the Hastings Chamber of Commerce, especially through the Tourism Bureau. I think that’s very important.,” he said.

In his closing statement, Balsanec said, “Being on the City Council is not a popularity contest,” he said. “You have to be able to cross all the T’s and you have to be able to dot all the I’s. Since I’ve been on the council, we’ve approved funding and budgets for over a half billion dollars in my 12 years. That’s an awesome responsibility.”

“I have a track record of jumping in and telling it like it is,” Balsanec said.

Fox closed, “When I was growing up, I admired our city councilors and revered the work of city staff and the momentum for development you all fostered in your work over these years made me believe in my hometown enough to build my life and build my business here.

“These experiences taught me to find out how I can be a helper in my community…It would be an honor to serve the residents and to give back to the community that has given me so much,” she said. “I feel excited and eager to serve our city.”

In next week’s edition of The Journal, we’ll profile the responses of Jurgens and Waits, with the Senate responses planned for the edition of Oct. 1.

Early voting is underway in Minnesota! Check the City of Hastings and Dakota County websites for more information.