Meet the Candidates: Carver City Council

Four candidates are jockeying for a pair of seats on the Carver City Council - John Kobett, Kristy Mock, Kayla Pascoe, and Reid Welch.

Each candidate in contested races was asked the same set of questions by the Patriot, and were asked to limit their responses to 100 words or less. Unedited responses from Pascoe and Welch can be found below. Kobett and Mock did not respond to the questionnaire.

Early voting in Minnesota opened on Sept. 20, and Election Day is Nov. 5. Find your local polling place online at pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us/

Question 1: What prompted you seek election (or re-election) to office?

Kayla Pascoe: I seek to provide a fresh set of ideas to a council that represents residents throughout the community and those who have not had a voice in the development and planning of the growth in Carver.

Reid Welch: I enjoy giving back to my community. I am proud to be able to contribute to the City of Carver’s future. I enjoy attending the meetings and I am very prepared for every meeting. I always read the memos and staff reports in the council packets. I ask questions of the city staff before the meetings so they can have time to find the answers. Carver is a growing city and I enjoy looking over plans for future city infrastructure projects. My engineering experience helps me assess the costs and benefits for current and future residents.

Question 2: What is your long-term vision for the community?

Pascoe: I envision a vibrant city with a strong sense of community both downtown and on the hill. The city will be functional for all while respecting residents wishes and wallets. Small businesses will seek to establish a presence in Carver and will be able to afford establishment and ongoing costs. The city government will be transparent and responsive. Management of the city will be efficient and cost effective.

Welch: I love the current character of Carver. Carver is a growing city with a small-town feel. My family and I enjoy Carver’s trails and parks. We admire the historic downtown buildings and homes on our walks. I will continue to maintain Carver’s small-town feel. The use of zoning and planning will ensure future projects like housing, industry, shopping and dining are placed in locations that benefit both the residents and the developer. The city’s growing population will help us to attract these new retail shops and commercial businesses.

Question 3: If elected, how would you handle balancing economic development with maintaining a sense of community?

Pascoe: It is important that attention is paid to both the area downtown as well as the new development on the hill. No one area should be favored for development over the other, either in economics or recreation. While development is occurring, proactive communication with residents as well as encouraging community activities and involvement is important.

Welch: I plan to utilize Carver’s comprehensive plan to guide development and ensure projects benefit both the current and future residents. I support maintaining our historic downtown though the Historic Preservation Commission. The biggest obstacle to development is the ability to provide adequate infrastructure. Providing the necessary infrastructure with well planned growth will continue to foster a competitive business climate without a large burden on the taxpayer. Currently Carver has a very attractive business climate. In the time I have been involved with the Planning Commission and the Carver City Council over fourteen new businesses have opened in Carver.

Question 4: What do you believe is the best way to address aging infrastructure and acquiring the funding to replace/update that infrastructure?

Pascoe: As a general rule, the infrastructure in Carver is mostly new or newly updated. As we go forward, we should use broad property taxes, rather than property assessments, and plan ahead for maintenance expenses through savings based spending. This allows for maximum preparedness and flexibility as maintenance issues arise.

Welch: Carver’s first priority is to determine the city’s current needs and ensure existing services are maintained. I support our current process of a 10-year moving window for each city department to identify the current and future needs for the City of Carver. The City of Carver has just finished reviewing the current plans through the year 2033. I would use the following methods to spread out the costs of needed improvements between all of the stakeholders. These methods include revenue bonds, fees charged to developers, fees charged to new residents, and usage fees charged to current residents.

Question 5: What in your background/experience best qualifies you for office?

Pascoe: I am a licensed attorney with experience in legal analysis and contract interpretation. I have also attended, or viewed online city council meetings from the last year, analyzed the current budget proposal and the 2040 comprehensive plan, and spoken directly with members of the community.

Welch: I have experience working for local government on the Carver City Council, the Planning Commission for the City of Carver, and the Carver County Park and Recreation Commission. I have 25 years of engineering experience. My top priorities for Carver are: fiscal responsibility, effective planning and oversight of the levee construction project, and supporting future development.