Ramsey Resident - 2022 - January/February

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Ramsey Hires New Deputy City Administrator / Community Development Director “? e most rewarding thing about working in public administration is knowing that you can make a positive impact on people’s lives,” Brian Hagen said between sips of coﬀ ee. Hagen was born and raised in Olivia, Minnesota, and graduated from BOLD High School in 2007. He earned his undergraduate degree at Minnesota State University, Mankato in corrections – at the time, he was considering a profession as a probation oﬃ cer. He then decided he wanted to continue his education and earned his Masters in Public Administration. While ? nishing his masters in 2013, Hagen was able to gain some experience working for the City of Hanover as an intern. Within two years, Hagen moved up the ranks serving as Hanover’s City Administrator from 2015 to 2021. Hagen is also certi? ed as an Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP). “I was looking to work in a City that had multiple projects going on,” he said. “Hanover was busy in its own way, but there’s opportunity for multiple residen- tial and commercial/industrial projects in Ramsey.” “I don’t really think of my role as a political one,” Hagen said. “Whenever a project comes forward the ? rst question to ask is, ‘What’s best for the community?’” he said. “At a local level, we have a responsibility to make sure we’re provid- ing basic amenities, and some desirable ones, too, at a reasonable cost. We just have to put the people ? rst. If we do that, we can help to shape a community we can be proud of.” Hagen and his wife, Jen, have been married for seven years. ? ey live in Maple Grove with their two young boys - Gavin and Parker - and their dog, Mika. A true Minnesotan, Hagen loves spending time outdoors, whether it’s boating, hunting or ? shing. Hagen began working as the City’s Deputy City Administrator/Community Development Director in the fall of 2021. Contact Brian at bhagen@cityoframsey.com or at 763-433-9826 or stop in to visit Brian at Ramsey City Hall. Mississippi River Crossing - Continued from Page 1 there is interest in moving forward with improve- ments. ? e following were identi? ed as necessary elements for advancing future projects: Otsego Existing River Crossings • Identify a champion for leadership on this project Albertville • Adopt a vision to determine improve- Ramsey ments that align with local goals • Establish a prioritization plan for imple- menting projects • Facilitate public involvement to incorpo- Rogers Coon rate additional voices Rapids Champlin In summary, advancement of mobility im- provements in the northwest metropolitan area will require additional study, environmental review and funding for implementation. For more information, please visit MnDOT’s website at Maple https://www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/ Grove mississippicrossing/. Brooklyn Park For more information, please contact City Engineer Bruce Westby at 763-433-9825 or email bwestby@cityoframsey.com. ? is map shows the current Mississippi River crossings in the North Metro Area. 6Ramsey Resident • January/February 2022