Four candidates are on the ballot for St. Anthony City Council. Two — Lona Doolan and Dave Colling — are newcomers to city politics, though Colling has run for a council seat before. Thomas Randle is incumbent; he has served on the Council for six years. Hal Gray has served on the Council in previous years. When elected, two of the candidates will serve four-year terms.
Dave Colling
davecolling.com
Originally from Detroit, Dave Colling has lived in Minnesota since 1998. He moved from Northeast Minneapolis to St. Anthony eight years ago. He is the nonprofit manager at Metro Meals on Wheels and a board member of the St. Anthony Chamber of Commerce. He sells his Rouge Smoked Foods at the Northeast Farmers Market.
Why are you running for City Council? I was encouraged to run by [current City Council Member] Bernard Walker. Open seats don’t come around very often. I’m taking advantage of the opportunity.
What do you see as St. Anthony’s biggest challenge? We could be doing more to bring community members back into policy making. After staying home for a year because of COVID — we went a long time without seeing our neighbors. We need more people to get involved, be more proactive instead of reactive. For instance, the car wash [on Kenzie Terrace] was already in motion before people learned about it. If neighbors had known about it from the beginning, the owner wouldn’t have had to put so much time and money into meeting the city’s demands. Communicate with residents instead of relying on them to find things out for themselves.
What tools do you bring to the council table? I have been involved in several political campaigns, and acted as Keith Ellison’s congressional campaign manager. My experience in community organizing can help bridge the gap between individuals and government.
I’ve been doing a lot of work with the Chamber of Commerce, working with Hennepin and Ramsey counties to let people know this city is open for business, encouraging businesses to take advantage of what we have in St. Anthony. There is a lot of help at the county level that we can use. There’s a lot of disposable income in St. Anthony. Bus Rapid Transit on Lowry Ave. and denser housing are things that will attract businesses. I’d like to see people, government and businesses work hand-in-hand.
What do you see happening in the city? I’ve seen a lot of change in just one block. Several homes on the opposite side of the street from my home have changed hands. I’m seeing a lot of younger families coming here for the school system. St. Anthony is somewhat insular. But there’s an increase in population and changes in demographics. We need to recognize that.
Lona Doolan
lonadoolan.com
Lona Doolan moved to St. Anthony Village in 1985 and has been an active volunteer in the community ever since. She and her husband, Bob, were named Villagers of the Year in 2020. She has worked as a financial analyst. A Village Gardener, she currently serves on the city’s Parks and Environmental Commission.
Why are you running for City Council? I think the city could do a better job of communicating with its citizens, making them aware of what’s going to be on the agenda ahead of the City Council meetings. I’ve been attending commission and council meetings for ten years. I have a service ethic; that’s why I’ve volunteered with our schools, Nativity Lutheran and Citizens for Sustainability. I’ve also worked 30 years as an election judge.
I want to work on St. Anthony’s sustainability program. A one-year experiment on “No Mow May” isn’t enough. I want to really champion the environment. I’ve brought in $100,000 in environmental grants for schools and churches in St. Anthony and our organics composting site, which has proved very popular.
We need to offer more services to our seniors, provide them with information so they can make decisions. For instance, our church put together a directory of resources.
I’d like to see more women on the Council. We’ve had had only five women on the Council and one female mayor. Change is coming slowly to St. Anthony.
The people who founded St. Anthony were very civic-minded. We have a lot of newcomers moving here because of the schools. My job would be to connect people and get them more involved in the city.
What tools would you bring to the council? I’m a collaborator. I look for ways to get things done. I know how to reach out and solve problems and bring money into the community. My years as a financial analyst have connected me to people and organizations that provide money for things that aren’t in the city budget. For instance, I wrote a grant that financed a solar panel for the roof of the pavilion at Central Park — it cost the city nothing. I can look at the pros and cons of a topic and I know how to quantify the information and make a decision rather than, “I don’t like one or the other.”
What would you do to attract businesses to St. Anthony? There are vacancies even in newer developments. We need to make it easier for businesses to get involved in the community, not just ask them to help with the sports teams, but to participate in events like the Big Rig. We need to do more things like that.
Hal Gray
Hal Gray has lived in St. Anthony Village for over 50 years, and he served on the city council for 15 years up to 2019 when he was defeated in a city election. He is a senior manager for FedEx at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. He is treasurer of the St. Anthony Sports Boosters and has served on the VillageFest committee, the Sister City program, Northeast Youth and Family Services and the planning commission.
Why are you running? I still have that itch to be involved. I want to give back to the community. I have a fairly unique history with St. Anthony, and I might have a little different perspective than most people. But it comes down to community service. I want St. Anthony to continue to be the great city it is.
What’s the major challenge facing the city? I’d say it’s crime and public safety. Since the end of COVID, crime has gone up in the city. That’s not the fault of the police — they’re just a little overwhelmed. We need to bring more focus to public safety, especially the Police Department. We need to give them the resources they need, and we need to recruit and train excellent police officers. The incidents with George Floyd and Philando Castile have been a strain on the system, not just here but nationally. There needs to be change. I think we can do better at crime prevention and deterrence.
What other issues does the community face? We’ve always done well at sustainability, and we won an award in 2016, but I think there’s an opportunity for improvement. I think the focus on climate these days is important. I know the city has a plan for the next five years. In terms of water, waste, transportation and other issues, we could do better.
Affordable housing is also an issue we need to look at.
Why should a resident vote for you? I think because of my experience. I’m a business leader. I have a good, solid foundation to make decisions.
Thomas Randle
Incumbent
thomasrandle.wordpress.com
Thomas Randle grew up on a farm in Mississippi, went to college in Atlanta, worked for Pepisco, and moved to Wisconsin. His final move was to Minnesota and he has been a homeowner in St. Anthony Village since 2015. Randle is the culinary director at St. Anthony Health and Rehabilitation Center. He and his wife have two boys. He was first elected to the Council in 2020 and he is running again as the incumbent.
Why did you run for the Council four years ago? I had a great interest in what was going on in the city. I thought only one side of the story was being heard. People were speaking on behalf of people of color. They thought they knew what was best without ever asking. I wanted to have a voice. I wanted to help shape the community I live in.
How was the first four years on the Council? I’ve grown so much since then. St. Anthony has a great culture and I can see it. It’s just a great city. It has been a challenge of bringing people together on the Council. I don’t think you should ever bring a political or personal agenda to the Council, but people do. Don’t get me wrong. The Council is healthy when we have differences of opinion, different viewpoints. But it’s in the best interests of the city if we don’t get personal or political.
What are the major issues in St. Anthony Village? We just did a survey of the city, and public safety is number one. There’s been a lot of damage done in that area. People want to defund the police. Then what? Because of St. Anthony’s culture, I believe we should give the police what they need to support them. There’s crime all around us. I’m not pointing fingers, but it’s a challenge to keep our streets safe.
Another challenge is getting businesses in St. Anthony. It’s very difficult because we’re pretty much built out. But new business would help our tax base.
Why should people vote for you? Because I’m authentic — What you see is what you get. I have no agenda. All I want to do is the best for the people of St. Anthony Village. That’s where my responsibility lies.
Note: Hal Gray does not have a website.
St. Anthony Mayoral candidates are interviewed here.
St. Anthony has three voting precincts.
Hennepin County: Precinct 1: Autumn Woods, 2600 Kenzie Terrace; Precinct 2:
St. Anthony City Hall, 3301 Silver Lake Road: Ramsey County: Precinct 1: Silverwood Park, 2500 County Road E.
Enter your address at https://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us/ to find more voting information for your precinct.
The general election is Tuesday, November 7.
In future editions, the Northeaster will look at candidates for school boards serving
St. Anthony (District 282) and Columbia Heights (District 13).
Watch for information about forums and other opportunities to meet the candidates.