Ali Farah
Laurel Deneen
Connie Buesgens
With only three candidate filings for two Columbia Heights City Council seats opening in 2025, there was no primary runoff this August. Incumbent Connie Buesgens, Laurel Deneen and Ali Farah are all slated to appear on the ballot this November in the general election. Each candidate was asked to provide responses to a set of questions regarding their qualifications and goals as a council member.
Please provide some biographical information, i.e. length of time living in Columbia Heights, education, employment, public service and/or volunteer experience, etc.
Buesgens: I have lived in Columbia Heights for 25 years. I have a Bachelor of Social Sciences and Education and a Masters in Educational Psychology. I am retired. I am currently president of HeightsNEXT which is a 501c3 organization that promotes community connections and sustainability. I am also a member of the Columbia Heights Beautification committee, board member of the Mississippi Water Management Organization, and Columbia Heights Sister City.
Deneen: I have lived in Columbia Heights since January 2020. Since moving to Columbia Heights, I have been fortunate to be welcomed and embraced by our tight-knit and diverse community. I have had the pleasure of getting to know our residents through my work on the city’s yearly PRIDE Festival, volunteering at events like the Mayor’s Monarch Festival, and distributing meals at our schools with Every Meal. In 2022, I took a further step in community involvement by joining the Columbia Heights City Planning Commission. In this role, I utilize my professional background in contracts, community engagement, and infrastructure projects to help advise the city council. Currently, I work as the manager of contracts and proposals for the Metropolitan Airports Commission and have previously worked on Metro Transit light rail projects.
Farah: I bought a house in Columbia Heights in 2015 and moved into it in January 2016. I graduated high school in south Minneapolis, Roosevelt High School, in 1998. I went to undergraduate school and graduated from Metropolitan State University in St. Paul in Computer Information Technology. Then I went to St. Thomas for my Masters in Education. I worked at a company called Loop Parking and was a manager there for eight years. Then they transferred me to Mozaic in Uptown and I was a manager there for around seven years. Now I teach at Columbia Heights Public Schools.
How would you describe yourself and what qualities do you possess that lend themselves well to fulfilling your duties as a city council member?
Buesgens: I care deeply about Columbia Heights and am very passionate about improving the quality of life for our residents. I am honest, reliable, not afraid to make hard decisions and I do my homework. I enjoy talking to residents, hearing their stories, listening to their concerns and trying my best with the help of staff to address them. I am a nuts and bolts city council member. I believe in ensuring equity to all residents by making sure their roads are in good shape. That everyone enjoys clean water, sanitary sewer lines work properly and that storm water is not intruding into their property. That our police and fire do their best to continue making Columbia Heights safe for all residents. That all our residents are served with the utmost respect by our city staff, and that we do the best we can to address their needs by providing excellent service.
Deneen: I would describe myself as engaged, focused, and community-driven—qualities that I believe will serve me well if I am fortunate enough to be elected to city council. My focus is on our community, understanding their needs, and working with the council to make our city a more welcoming, vibrant and healthy place to live. We achieve this through engagement and collaboration with our neighbors, who know what they want to see in their city and need a mechanism to have their voices heard. Additionally, we conduct research on what other cities and countries are doing to improve the lives of their residents and help their businesses thrive. Then our goal should always be to bring all that together to enact policies that will help Columbia Heights.
Farah: I am a father of three. I describe myself as a very humble guy. I listen to the people, their concerns. I like helping people. I love people and I respect people.
Please list the primary issues facing the City of Columbia Heights in the near future as you see them? Any specific goals/tasks to complete as a council member?
Buesgens: There are many issues we are dealing with from big to small that are important to our city. Three big projects are upcoming are improvements to Central Avenue, redevelopment of the Rainbow and Medtronic sites and the replacement of our Public Works building.
When I first campaigned for council I ran on cleaning up our main street, Central Avenue. Now I have expanded the issue to not only cleaning up Central Avenue, but making it safe for all users. I made sure our voices for a safe Central Avenue were heard during MnDOT’s PEL study. They have heard us and the work on reconstruction of our Central Avenue will begin in 2028 with $28 million already dedicated by the state to complete the work.
We have two major redevelopment projects coming up. The Rainbow site which is scheduled to begin a $200 million redevelopment in the spring of 2025 with commercial and mixed housing. We also have the Medtronic site that has become available for redevelopment and along with this redevelopment we hope to clean up our impaired Sullivan Lake through storm water system improvements. Third, is our city’s Public Works building [at 637 38th Ave. NE]. The current building needs to be replaced due to the disintegration of the rebar in the cement support columns and first floor. It is beyond repair and will be unsafe to occupy in about three years. We are currently working on a site plan and submitting a bill with the help of our state legislators to hopefully obtain financial assistance to help pay for the new building so our taxpayers do not have to carry the entire burden.
There are many other issues that I would like to continue working on as your council member such as improving the enforcement of city code violations, continuing to work on alleys in dire need of replacement, participating in the plans for reconstruction of 40th Avenue, improving our resilience to climate change, supporting the many new businesses that have moved into our city, supporting our IT five-year improvement plan and growing our programming for our library and Parks and Recreation.
Deneen: Our city is developing at a fast pace, you only need to take a short drive down Central Avenue to see at least half a dozen locations where development is currently taking place or planned for the future. This growth is beneficial for our community’s economy, but it’s essential to include our local family-owned businesses in these conversations. We need to ensure that the dreams and legacies of our local business owners remain a priority, so they are not priced out of running the institutions that make our community unique. These businesses should be able to thrive and expand as the city grows.
Additionally, we are experiencing an influx of people seeking affordable housing. According to a recent study by the Star Tribune, we are among the top five starter home communities in the Twin Cities. There is a significant demand for housing, both for purchase and rent. To meet this demand, we must offer varied and affordable housing options. This includes low-income housing, transitional housing, single-family homes and unique offerings such as Tiny Homes (also known as Accessory Dwelling Units).
As a city council member, one of my immediate primary focuses will be updating our city code to allow for multi-generational living and the development and licensing of Tiny Homes. These are issues I have already brought to the council in previous meetings and will continue to advocate for. Supporting families in our community and allowing for culturally important living practices is crucial for our diverse communities and aging population.
Farah: My priorities are Education: Invest in quality education for all students. Support teachers and educational staff. Public safety: Strengthen community policing efforts. Enhance emergency response services. Increase crime prevention programs. Balanced budget: Ensure fiscal responsibility and transparency. Optimize city resources and reduce waste. Promote sustainable economic growth. Affordable housing: Develop affordable housing initiatives. Provide support for first-time home buyers. Preserve and improve existing housing stock. Economic development: Create job opportunities and workforce development programs. Support local businesses and entrepreneurs. Foster innovation and technology growth. Community engagement: Enhance transparency and communication with residents. Promote civic participation and volunteerism. Foster inclusivity and diversity in decision-making.
I walk around and talk to people every day. I go to businesses and talk with them and they say that I am the first one who has come to talk with them about these things.
See page 15 for voting info.