Parks & Spaces that Bring Us Together

What I Believe:

Osseo is unique. We have the character and connections of a small town while sitting in the middle of a growing metropolitan area—and I believe that creates tremendous opportunity for our public spaces.

When we invest in our parks, we have an opportunity to look beyond simply replacing what's already there and imagine what these spaces could become for the next generation.

Communities around us are making creative investments in amenities like splash pads, accessible playgrounds, multi-use gathering spaces, intergenerational recreation, and public art. In my conversations with leaders from some of these communities, I've heard firsthand that people aren't just using these spaces from the surrounding neighborhood—families are seeking them out from across the metro.

I think there's an opportunity for Osseo to learn from what's working around us while creating something that is uniquely our own.

Our first priority should always be creating spaces that serve the people who live here. But if we can also build destinations that bring families into Osseo, introduce them to our community, and create additional foot traffic for our growing business district, that investment can have an impact well beyond the boundaries of the park.

The best public spaces don't just give people something to do.

They give people a reason to come together—and a reason to come to Osseo.

What I’m Hearing:

I'm hearing excitement about what comes next for Osseo, particularly as conversations continue around future improvements to Boerboom Veterans Park and Sipe Park.

These are significant opportunities.

Our parks aren't just pieces of land. They're places where kids play, families gather, neighbors meet, community events happen, and memories are made. As we consider their future, residents should have meaningful opportunities to help shape what those spaces become.

I'm also hearing the need to be responsible about how improvements are funded.

Big ideas come with real costs, which makes it important to think creatively about funding and explore opportunities that can reduce the burden on Osseo taxpayers.

The question should be: How can we think bigger while still investing responsibly?

What I’ll Work Toward:

I'll advocate for a thoughtful and inclusive process as Osseo considers the future of our parks and other public spaces.

That means starting with the community. What do families need? What would make these spaces more accessible? What amenities could serve kids, adults, and seniors? What could bring generations together? And what could make someone from Maple Grove, Brooklyn Park, or another neighboring community say, “Let's go to Osseo today”?

Then we need to determine how we can responsibly make those ideas possible.

I'll encourage the City to aggressively explore opportunities beyond traditional property-tax funding, including county, state and federal grants, park and recreation funding programs, community partnerships, local business sponsorships, philanthropic support, naming opportunities where appropriate, and other creative public-private partnerships.

We should also consider the economic impact of these investments. A family coming to Osseo for a splash pad, playground, community event, or public art experience may also grab lunch, stop for coffee, shop downtown, or discover a local business they hadn't visited before.

That's where thoughtful development becomes more than a park project. It becomes part of a broader strategy for strengthening our community and our local economy.

I want us to think beyond simply asking, “What should we build?”

Let's ask:

Who will it serve? How can we fund it responsibly? How does it strengthen our community? And how can today's investment create value for Osseo well into the future?