Preserving our Parks for Everyone

  • Hello Neighbors in District 1 of the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board,

    I’m running for District 1 Parks Commissioner and I’d like to introduce myself. My name’s Dan Engelhart and I’ve lived in northeast Minneapolis for the past 18 years. I enjoy all kinds of outdoor recreational activities like biking, hiking, and fishing, and I’ve been a community and labor organizer for the past 25 years.

    I’m running for Park Board because I love our city’s parks and our programming, which is a key part of our identity and quality of life here in Minneapolis. Our parks are an invaluable “third space” where strong bonds of family and community are forged and strengthened, and where everyone in our city should feel safe gathering, recreating, and relaxing.

    Last summer our park workers in LIUNA 363 were on strike for 22 days. I was there on day one of the strike to support the workers, and use my skills and experience to make their Fourth of July effective and fun. Workers that day learned from my extensive experience as a labor organizer including chants and strategies to build community during their long struggle for the contract they deserved. Additionally I activated community members and MAPE members to stand in solidarity with the workers until the strike was eventually settled. I was tremendously disappointed by the current board's action (and inaction) on the strike.

    On July 19th, I was proud to earn the DFL endorsement for District 1 Park Board at the DFL City Convention by an overwhelming majority. This process carries tremendous responsibility and importance. I welcome the upcoming candidate forums and the conversation about not only what we want in our parks and programming, but also who we are accountable to and the values that ground us.

    Both of those moments displayed my skills as an organizer in building community to make things happen, and I will bring that organizing mentality to create space for our community to improve our parks. As a union business agent I regularly meet with commissioners and HR directors at statewide agencies to address complex workplace and governmental issues. In June, I was lead MAPE organizer for a victorious union election for Macalester College staff. I was also on the Above the Falls Community Advisory Committee, which brought me closer to the work of the Park Board. My life’s work has been to take on complex issues while building leaders every step of the way.

    My goal is to unite the entire city around as many local issues as possible in this incredibly challenging moment. I am proud of the endorsements I’ve earned from:

    Minneapolis DFL

    Stonewall DFL

    DFL senior Caucus

    Take Action MN

    Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation AFL-CIO

    OPEIU Local 12 (where I am a member)

    LiUNA (who represent park workers)

    AFSCME Council 5 (who also represent park workers)

    MFE

    SEIU

    MAPE (where I’ve been a business agent for the past 13 years)

    Most of all, I am deeply honored to have so many individual endorsements from elected officials I respect and admire including:

    Congresswoman Ilhan Omar

    City Council President Elliott Payne

    City Councilmember Robin Wonsley

    City Councilmember Jason Chavez

    City Councilmember Aurin Chowdhury

    Hennepin County Commissioner Angela Conley

    State Senator Doron Clark

    State Senator Omar Fateh

    State Senator Zaynab Mohamed

    State Representative Mohamud Noor

    State Representative Sydney Jordan

    State Representative Aisha Gomez

    State Representative Anquam Mohamoud

    MPS School Board Director Greta Callahan

    MPRB Commissioner At-Large Tom Olsen

    Former MPRB President Brad Bourn

    I commit to developing relationships with all of you. I know about the deep inequities in green space throughout our southeast neighborhoods, particularly SE Como, and know we have to improve our access to swimming and water safety. I want to lead MPRB’s contributions to our state goals of reducing vehicle miles traveled; holistic, comprehensive community based public safety; and the highest level of accountability for all of our public servants. Last but certainly not least, that every MPRB worker should love their job and trust that they work for the best possible employer, where their expertise is valued, their skills are put to good use, and their hard work is fairly compensated. . This is what is meant by ‘Employer of Choice’.

    My confidence in our ability via District 1 Park Board with me as commissioner will be effective and community centered representation on our district and our city, we do need a board that has the same goals- I am asking you to join our coordinated Days of Action and also support the DFL slate for Park Board At-Large Michael Wilson, Tom Olsen, Amber Frederick.

    Please respond to this email with your thoughts and questions. We’re always looking for more volunteers, along with whatever donation you can manage. Right now we’re aiming for an average donation of $22 in recognition of last summer’s 22-day park worker strike. Check out danengelhart.org to get involved and learn more!

    In Solidarity and in Community,

    Dan Engelhart – Your neighbor & candidate for MPRB District 1 Commissioner.

  • Dan Engelhart cares for our communities. He shows up for our communities–whether that’s through organizing mutual aid groups to protect our immigrant neighbors, walking picket lines in solidarity with striking workers, volunteering with the DFL and attending caucuses and conventions, or co-leading a movement within the Democratic Party to end the genocide in Gaza. Dan devotes his time, energy, and expertise to the pursuit of justice and the care of the vulnerable.

    Dan Engelhart understands the moment we’re in and has the courage to meet it. He understands that the Park Board is a political body. The park board makes decisions that impact all of us. Park Board decisions are grounded in political and moral values about who the city is for, who should feel welcome, and how we should care for each other. We can trust Dan to represent our values–to ensure that our parks welcome everyone and provide safe, fun, and enriching opportunities to every person and family in Minneapolis.

    It should be disqualifying for a person to run for political office while claiming to be “apolitical.” And yet, Dan’s opponent is trying to appeal to voters by claiming he’s apolitical, implying that he’s neutral, objective, or non-partisan. But us Northeasters know what it means when a politician calls themself “apolitical.” It means they are on the side of the status quo. It means they will prioritize being “polite” over doing what’s right.

    We need a Park Board member who shares our values. Who we can trust to ensure our park policies help us meet our ambitious climate goals. Who we can trust to ensure that our Park Police won’t criminalize and target BIPOC youth when they are enjoying park spaces. Who understands that parks are a community resource that can support vulnerable populations and create more equal power relations in our communities.

    Dan Engelhart has shown up for our communities. He stands with our communities. And he’s the best candidate to represent all of our communities on the Park Board. We hope you’ll join us in voting for him on or before November 4th.

    Signed,

    Kathleen Cole, Waite Park Resident, Davis Senseman, Audubon Park Resident

    See more signers at: https://bit.ly/Neighbors4Dan

    Mitchell Walstad, SD60 Vice Chair and Resident of St Anthony West

    Kaytee Kamphoff SD60 Chair and Marshall Terrace Resident

    Lexi and Mitchell Clendenen, Marshall Terrace

    Nicholas Grebe, Waite Park

    Mitchell Farmer, Holland

    Katie Feterl, Logan Park

    Ash Chudgar, Waite Park

    Jill Davis, Waite Park

    Sam Bramel, Sheridan

    Ethan Fry, Holland

    Brain Wachutka Waite Park

    Christy Dolph, Waite Park

    Maura Trout, Audubon Park

    Caroline Hooper, Waite Park

    Jim Olsen, Holland

    https://www.mynortheaster.com/wp-content/news-archives/251022Northeaster/#page=2

Workforce and Core Union Values

MPRB is a large employer with nearly two thousand workers who deserve a commissioner who will lead with core union values. These values include the parks board being the employer of choice, quality work and labor-management relationship being the standard for all. The key to these values are quality work and an inclusive, welcoming work environment.

Environment

District 1 is the entire east side of the Mississippi River, the Above the Falls Plan and River First Plan need to be fully actualized while the old Industrial pieces of the river need to be cleaned up and made accessible.

I served on the Above the Falls Community Advisory Committee (AFCAC) for many years eventually becoming a co-chair. AFCAC needs to be revived. Serious and tangible moves need to be made to combat climate change with community and intergovernmental partners. All of our energy and efforts need to be employed, with every resource available to address the many ways our changing climate is impacting our parks. As a member of MPRB, I will work to be sure that these efforts are in relationship with the leaders across government and our community.

We also have to be clear in what we can solve at the local governance level and what is a much bigger picture. When our changing climate impacts homeowners such as Ash Trees with Emerald Ash Borer we need to have a more collaborative approach to address the cost and impact of removing these trees.

Public Safety

Our parks have to be a safe third space for EVERYONE. This starts with having a highly accountable Park Police. As a highly experienced and successful union professional with skills in all core union functions, I will bring a unique skillset to to the work of public safety and police accountability. I will work with all of my energy to end excessive force and explicit bias against our more marginalized neighbors. It will be known that excessive force and explicit bias will not be tolerated by our park police, and if it happens there will be consequences. We have many community oriented ways to make sure our most vulnerable and marginalized are truly safe in our parks and programming.

Programming

Parks and Recreation need to have programming that fits all ages, abilities and identities. I believe the full service community schools model needs to be enhanced at every opportunity. We must build on the movement to swimming lessons and lifeguards, far too many of our neighbors do not have access to swimming and water safety.

Natural resources is first in the list of areas of responsibility in the Mission of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB), and rightly so. Healthy ecosystems are foundational to the health of our parks, people, and wildlife.

However, the 2021 MPRB Natural Areas Plan shows that Minneapolis ecosystems are heavily degraded.

Our small, fragmented urban natural areas simply can’t maintain ecological integrity and diversity on their own. They are too small, isolated and under constant pressure from invasive species to thrive. Urban ecosystems only survive when people build healthy long-term relationships with them. Short-term money and labor can’t help a savanna, wetland or prairie if no one is available to follow-up and care for it.

Volunteer stewards are an essential part of restoring and maintaining ecosystems, but any land-owning agency must provide significant professional planning, labor, guidance and other support to achieve long-term success.

The MPRB Natural Resources Department, which is responsible for stewarding all of our designated Natural Areas, has only three permanent full-time staff, out of over 600 permanent full-time equivalent positions--less than one-half of one percent of the MPRB workforce!

We believe a premier urban park system, holding extensive natural areas that make up almost one quarter of its parkland, should devote at least one percent of its permanent staff to restoring and stewarding healthy ecosystems.

MPRB has no ecologist or wildlife expert on staff, and simply doesn't have the capacity to acquire and successfully manage the abundance of partnerships and grants available in Minnesota.

As a Commissioner, will you work towards correcting this significant staffing imbalance in your upcoming term, so we can all experience inspiring, healthy, biodiverse ecosystems right here in our home, Minneapolis?

Unequivocably Yes!!! I support this and will champion this!

I attended The Parks & Power candidate forum Thursday October 9th. I was shocked by the brazen disrespect and disregard Dan Miller showed towards park workers. When asked about the first strike in the Park Boards history, he claimed that most if not all of the bad actors and responsibility fell on the Union. He made false accusations that the workers threatened to beat up people. He was not part of the strike, does not have direct knowledge, rather citing “what he read in the newspapers”.

I served on the bargaining committee. I held the picket line. The most violent act during the entire 21 day strike was not from workers, it was when a union member was hit by a park board truck, or when management was screaming and swearing at us on the picket line. Candidate Miller's lack of knowledge and compassion of the situation triggered memories from the negotiations with the park board. As workers were days away from losing healthcare, the MPRB commissioner that endorsed Miller still didn't understand what the contract said, or why the first ever strike at the Park Board was even happening.

There has been a toxic work culture at the park board for years and every year it seems to get worse. This toxic culture, union busting attitude and constant dehumanization from management is one of the reasons the strike took place, and why it went as long as it did. 15 years ago in maintenance, we used to have around 160 parkkeepers managing our parks. Now that number has been slashed to 113 workers. As we continue to add more parks and amenities to the MPRB network, this adds to the work load of maintenance. Spreading every one and everything thinner. Dan Miller spoke of tight budgets, and openly agrees that will come at the cost of workers. He is planning on cutting even more jobs and resources.

As someone who grew up in these parks, who proudly was a volunteer of the year and has dedicated his career to the park board. Miller made it seem as if the work we do doesn't matter. Here's the thing he's missing. Without the dedicated workers, our parks would be in disrepair. Every single day, we clean up needles, human feces, and whatever else is left in our public spaces. We make sure that the parks are safe for families and kids. We are the arborists that maintain and take care of our urban forest. We are the rec staff that take care of the children of Minneapolis. We are what make the city of Minneapolis such a great place to live.

As a lifelong resident, we can do better Minneapolis.

Dan & Elliott Stand With Us

I work in the nonprofit sector, where allyship and collaborative work are essential even when we don’t have a federal administration actively trying to torpedo to our work and values. My cross-organizational colleagues excel at leveraging our collective skills and resources into big results that none of us could have achieved alone. Shoestring budgets and all.

I draw a pretty straight line from my professional experience to what I think Minneapolis needs from its elected leaders at this moment in time. It should go without saying, but we need people who are committed to working together to protect the well-being of their neighbors. We need people who are engaged with the community and are easily accessible to their constituents. We need people who shelve their ego and want to be held accountable. And we positively need people with an iron spine who will stand up for Minneapolis under a hostile and chaotic federal administration.

Elliot Payne and Dan Engelhart are the right leaders for this particular moment.

I’ve seen City Council President Payne demonstrate grace and calm in contentious situations and keep the goal of positive change for Minneapolis above the fray of City Hall’s clashing opinions and personalities. Payne has facilitated the expansion of our city’s Behavioral Crisis Response services and is a steadfast proponent of police accountability. He is also the most reachable and responsive elected leader I have ever had. Just earlier this week, he and State Senator Doron Clark hit the pavement to remove hateful graffiti within about an hour of a neighbor’s report.

Engelhart is a coalition builder and straight-shooter. I was all in after our first conversation, where he laid out his career in organizing and negotiating in various institutions, and his vision for our parks as safe, accessible community hubs through a changing climate. This morning, he showed up alongside me and several Northeasters in the Holland neighborhood in response to armed ICE agents without visible identification, who attempting to search garages and yards for someone to take away.

Elliot Payne and Dan Engelhart stand in their values. They’re who you want beside you when the going gets tough (and man, is it tough). With different personalities and approaches, they both bring receipts in successfully building coalitions and making progress despite division. They’re both DFL and labor-endorsed. They’re surrounded by countless neighbors actively working together to make Minneapolis a safe and beautiful place to live —including working people and the most vulnerable. I am thrilled to vote for the two of them next month. We all do better when we all do better, you know?

Kathryn Feterl