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Ramsey Housing Committee <br />Candidate Survey <br /> <br />1. Please give a brief description or background about yourself. <br /> <br />Mary Jo Olson <br />8260 [59 Lane NW <br />763-323-8430 <br /> <br />OCT <br /> <br />I am a married woman with two grown daughters. My family and I have been <br />Ramsey residents for the past eleven years. I have a Bachelor's degree in <br />Sociology and a Master's in Telecommunications. I retired from Qwest <br />corporation last year, where I was a market analyst and forecaster. I also <br />acted as corporate tiason to numerous communities throughout Minnesota, <br />and was a member of the Metropolitan Council Smart Growth Utilities <br />Commission. After my retirement, I founded my own company, contracting to <br />Qwest and other companies to do various kinds of market analysis and <br />forecasting. <br /> <br />Why are you interested in serving on the Ramsey Housing <br />Committee? <br /> <br />In my work as a market analyst and forecaster, I have watched the housing <br />market for the last ten years. I have analyzed economics, local business <br />conditions, and labor conditions,and seen how these and other factors impact <br />the local housing market. Currently, .part of my work entails keeping track of <br />all new development and redeve!opmer)t !n the Minneapolis- St. paul MSA. In <br />that roll, I talk with developers and every city planner in the Twin Cities area <br />and am able to see the vision of growth in their communities. I am very <br />interested in the growth of our city, and in seeing the needs of our community: <br />met in the best possible ways. I have studied the development of other cities <br />and know the benefits of being cautious and doing it right the first time. I <br />would like to be a part of making that happen in Ramsey. <br /> <br />Provide your thoughts on what the housing needs are in the City of <br />Ramsey. <br /> <br />The entire Twin Cities area is experiencing a shortage of housing. At the same <br />time, the demographics of the area are changing, as many people reach <br />retirement age. As a community, Ramsey is still growing and needs to closely <br />watch the local demographics and other indicators to be sure that the right <br />mix of housing is built. Because transportation and facilities such as water, <br />gas, electric, telephone and schools are other very important concerns, we <br />need to be sure that new development will maximize their use. At the same <br />time, the desires and needs of the citizens must be taken into account. A mix <br />of housing types, such as Iow, medium and.high density single family, <br />townhomes, condos, lofts, apartments, senior housing and assisted living, all <br />have a place in Ramsey. The question is, how much of each type and where <br />should it be? Mixed use commercial and residential communities, <br />congregated around mass transit centers, need to be developed, encouraging <br />a reduced dependence on automobiles and increased opPortunities for <br />walking and using public transportation. Careful planning can help to contain <br />urban sprawl as we move forward in the development of our city. <br /> <br /> <br />