Council candidates answer questions face to face

A question-and-answer forum for Eden Prairie City Council candidates on Sept. 12 framed the Nov. 5 election as a choice familiar to longtime voters: stay the course or elect new blood.

Incumbents PG Narayanan and Lisa Toomey told spectators that they have proven experience that will serve the city well over the next four years. First-time candidates Mihajlo Babovic and Andrew Toperzer said they are eager to serve and would bring a fresh perspective to city government.

The four candidates answered questions posed by the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Minnetonka-Eden Prairie-Hopkins and provided opening and closing remarks during a forum that lasted just over one hour.

There are two four-year council seats up for election. They are at-large seats, meaning all Eden Prairie voters will choose from the four candidates. The top two vote-getters begin terms in January. The positions are nonpartisan in that political parties do not nominate the candidates, and the ballot does not carry political-party labels.

If all of the candidates’ statements at the forum were put into a “word cloud,” then “listening” might be the dominant word. All four candidates emphasized that a council member must listen to what constituents have to say.

Differences in policy positions were harder to discern. Toperzer was the lone candidate to suggest that the city become involved in the state-authorized sale of cannabis starting next year, proposing a city-run dispensary whose sales would offset the need for higher property taxes, much like the city does by operating municipal off-sale liquor stores.

Babovic emphasized the need for more community events bringing residents of different cultures together. “I’d like to see more representation,” he said.

Narayanan and Toomey emphasized their unmatched involvement in Eden Prairie, not only on the city council but on other local government panels and in nonprofit organizations.

Here’s a closer look at how the candidates answered some of the specific questions posed by the League:

Q: What is your background and experience that qualifies you to represent the citizens of Eden Prairie on the city council?

There’s a wide range of political experience among the candidates. 

Babovic and Toperzer have not served in elective office but said they have experiences that might help them start: Toperzer, a seven-year EP resident, with political studies coursework in college, and Babovic, nine months living in Eden Prairie, leaning into his familiarity with statutes and legislation as an attorney.

Narayanan, a 25-year Eden Prairie resident, has served six years on the city council. Toomey, a 23-year resident, is finishing her first four-year term.

The incumbents’ past experience includes serving on city commissions – Narayanan on the Human Rights and Diversity Commission and Toomey on the Planning Commission – and both have a long list of nonprofit involvements in Eden Prairie, including leadership positions.

Q: What is your vision for walking, cycling, and public transportation for our city, and what is your plan to realize that vision?

Incumbents Narayanan and Toomey said the city council has worked hard to provide and maintain its system of trails and sidewalks, paying close attention to connecting those with developing neighborhoods. 

They also noted that Eden Prairie has transit services provided by Metro Mobility and SouthWest Transit, a three-city public transit system with Narayanan on its governing board. Toomey noted that SouthWest Transit will soon pilot autonomous vehicles to fill that gap between major bus stops and work locations.

Toperzer acknowledged that his neighborhood is well served by trails and sidewalks but said it’s harder to get to places farther away, including retail centers. He said he favors continued improvements to trails and transit within Eden Prairie.

“I think there’s probably more that can be done” with trails, bike lanes, and public transit, agreed Babovic, though he acknowledged improvements might take time because of the potential tax impact.

Q: Describe a recent city council decision you agree with and one you disagree with, and talk a little bit about why.

Candidates had difficulty identifying a decision they disagree with; nearly all city council votes in recent years have been unanimous.

Toomey noted, however, that the council doesn’t always agree with staff recommendations. An example, she said, is the council’s decision not to connect a road serving Pulte Homes’ new Kinsley Townhomes development in southwestern Eden Prairie with the existing Valley Road in the Cedar Forest Road neighborhood. That connection, initially recommended by staff, was opposed by nearby residents.

Narayanan said it’s important to recognize that council votes usually come after months of study and deliberation on important matters, such as the city budget. “We don’t have a lot of chaos at our city council meetings like other cities have,” he said.

But, Toperzer questioned the city’s 2023 decision not to approve Ryan Companies’ plan for a five-story apartment building at Valley View and Topview roads. He said the city needs more moderately priced housing “for a normal, middle-class family.”

Babovic said he supported the council’s recent decision to increase the city’s property tax levy to fund more firefighters while still keeping the levy increase comparable to nearby cities.

Q: Do you support the Eden Prairie budget, and what might you want to change in the budget?

None of the candidates cited budget items they would change.

Q. How do you think the city should regulate the sale of cannabis?

“I think cannabis should be regulated like alcohol and tobacco,” said Toomey, with compliance checks and other measures the city takes to prevent sales to minors. She noted that state law requires cities to allow, at a minimum, one cannabis business per 12,500 city residents, meaning Eden Prairie will have at least five or six such businesses at the start.

“I would like to see a municipal dispensary,” said Toperzer, “where if we’re going to have cannabis sold in Eden Prairie, the city might as well take some of that money and put it toward the city to lower the tax burden on residents. 

“It would be a missed opportunity” if the city were not involved, he added.

Babovic noted that the state has legalized cannabis use, and he’s not one to add restrictions to how people want to live their lives. However,  he added that it’s important for the city to consider restrictions on where cannabis is used, such as in parks or around children.

Narayanan said the city is looking carefully at where cannabis businesses will be allowed in Eden Prairie and taking into account the restrictions neighboring cities are enacting or considering.

Q: What public safety challenges exist in Eden Prairie, and how would you address them?

Candidates said they generally like the path the City of Eden Prairie has taken on public safety, prioritizing it in the annual budget and enlarging the complement of police officers and firefighters as the population grows and calls for service increase.

Narayanan and Toomey noted that the city council looks at public safety closely, having, for example, recently commissioned a study on how to improve Fire Department response times to emergencies. Toomey said it’s worth noting that one of the recommendations is for another fire station to be built in the long term to better serve northeastern Eden Prairie.

Babovic said alcohol use and addiction have increased since COVID-19, and educating the public about available help is a step the city could take as a way to influence the number of emergency calls. Like others, he noted that social workers are being embedded in police departments. “So, I think we’re trending in the right direction,” said Babovic. “There’s always more that you can do.”

“I believe our Police Department is really, really great, and it’s a great example for the rest of the metro. I want to continue on that,” Toperzer said.

Q: Do you believe our city has a role to play in gun control?

All of the candidates said the city’s ability to control the sale of guns is limited, with the majority of regulation done at the state and federal levels. 

Toomey mentioned that she would favor whether the city could require retailers to ensure that guns on display are secured to the counter or disabled with locks.

Narayanan said that without many local control opportunities available, the best way to influence gun laws may be by working with state and federal lawmakers.

“I think a lot of the issues we’ve seen with gun violence lately nationally and locally probably come down to either issues of safety or issues with mental health,” Babovic said. “And those are probably things that the city to some extent can try to offer some resources to help with.”

Toperzer said he wished the city could control the use of guns more, but constitutional protections probably don’t allow that.

Q: Would you advocate for access to more mental health services for Eden Prairie residents and/or first responders?

All of the candidates favored the city playing its part in helping its first responders and residents in a way that would reduce the number of mental-health-related calls for emergency services.

Babovic noted there is “a balance” between offering help and keeping the city budget in line. “For sure our first responders,” he said about the city “leading the charge.”

Some local nonprofits are working in this area, said Narayanan. He and Toomey noted that social work expertise has been added to the Police Department and is likely to increase. “We’re hiring another social worker,” Toomey said.

“I think every dollar spent on mental health reduces crime,” Toperzer said.

Q: City council positions are nonpartisan and support all citizens. What does nonpartisan mean to you, and how would you serve in a nonpartisan fashion?

“I can do something about here” in Eden Prairie but not national politics, said Narayanan.

Toperzer added that being nonpartisan means adhering to personal ideals rather than those of a political party.

“Our only concern is the residents of Eden Prairie,” said Toomey.

You vote a certain way because you think a certain way, noted Babovic. “What you are working for is the best thing for the community as a whole,” he said.

Q: If you were elected or reelected, what is your biggest concern that needs addressing, and how would you work to solve it?

Babovic said he would work to ensure all the diverse cultures in Eden Prairie are represented and can prosper. “I’d love to see more representation,” he said. “We could do more community events, more multicultural get-togethers, or empower people to kind of host their own thing.”

Narayanan noted that residents, in a public-opinion survey conducted every two years, give the city high marks on quality of life – 92 percent, in the 2023 survey, rated it excellent or good. He said his priorities are to represent an increasingly diverse community well, provide good city services at a reasonable price, and be proactive in preparations by police and others to ensure that the debut of light-rail service in 2027 does not bring more crime to Eden Prairie.

The lack of affordable housing is the top issue, said Toomey, and it’s affecting young and old people. “It’s not unique to Eden Prairie; it’s all over the United States,” she said. The city needs to build on measures it has already taken, she said. Those measures have included an inclusionary housing policy and a housing trust.

Toperzer agreed there is a lack of  “moderately-priced housing” and that the city needs to do more. “That allows more people who grew up in Eden Prairie to stay in Eden Prairie” and avoid a “brain drain.”

A recording of the city council forum is available online. Look under “Other Programming” on the City TV page.