Paul Gardner for Shoreview Mayor

09/03/2026

The Rice Creek Watershed District has an upcoming opening on its Board of Managers for someone in Ramsey County. The district includes a sizeable part of Shoreview. I'm happy to fill in any interested candidates in the position.

Serving on a Ramsey County advisory boards are a great way to get involved with your local government and make a positive impact on your community.

09/02/2026

Shoreview is partnering with the nonprofit Second Chance Recycling to accept mattresses for recycling at your house. You can schedule a pickup during the first two weeks of October at the link below. There is a fee but it's competitive if not cheaper than taking it yourself to a transfer station.

Having worked in the waste industry, I can tell you that handling mattresses at a waste facility is a pain! They are bulky and take up lots of valuable airspace. Their components can be separated, however, for recycling.

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09/02/2026

The new signs are in! Let me know if you'd like one if I haven't confirmed with you already.

09/01/2026

A Star Tribune columnist makes the case here for more cooperation among cities to avoid having 150+ municipalities doing their own thing with codes, public safety, etc. that leads to costly inefficiency. I agree, although of course, Shoreview is the best city of all! :)

He makes the case for a more robust Metropolitan Council, which doesn't go over well with everyone. I'd like to see a restructuring of some kind, and a new governor can help move that along. Shoreview has done well with the Met Council identifying regional gaps and strengths, and setting goals to be included in our ten-year comprehensive plans, but then having cities figure out how to meet the goals.

Several residents have asked me about the merits of merging cities for more efficiency. I like the idea--mostly--but the idea usually fails because one city feels it is paying more to help out their neighboring city. Instead, we share services a lot, such as for police and fire services, which saves us quite a bit of money compared to our peers. I'm always looking for ways that we can do more of this.

09/01/2026

It’s that time of year. Please be cautious.

08/31/2026

A relative's brother is an orthopedic expert who sees scooters as great for business! (Lots of hand injuries.) So I'm not a user, but be safe if you are!

08/31/2026

For the next 20 years, most states, including Minnesota, will see a big drop in high school graduates. That's just the demographic reality. That means employers, including cities, will have fewer job applicants to choose from, which will push labor costs up. That will impact your property taxes. We are already facing that pressure in our public safety budget. AI can't replace a law enforcement officer or a firefighter showing up at your house.

I doubt this post will get as much engagement as that elm tree in Shoreview, which touched many hearts, but I just wanted to share this important info!

08/30/2026

Everyone has their own system for how to get to the state fair. We had a very pleasant experience riding the A Line bus on Metro Transit today from Rosedale. $2 each way (use their app) and you're there in six minutes!

08/28/2026

The Arden Hills/Shoreview Rotary helped support this rain garden at McCollough Park!

08/27/2026

A resident reached out to ask about this elm tree along County Road I between Rice Creek Parkway and Schutta Road. Unfortunately, it is dying from Dutch Elm Disease and will be removed by the county. Efforts to treat it last year were unsuccessful. Online comments describe it as the "broccoli tree" and it has been a source of neighborhood pride.

Most elms like this perished decades ago from the same disease, so I was surprised that this one lived so long. It is a sad moment, however.