2022.11.22 CC Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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cÜÉvÄtÅtà|ÉÇ CITY OF NEW BRIGHTON WHEREAS Connie Bernardy is retiring from public office after serving eight terms in the Minnesota House of Representatives during which she represented, at different times in her career, neighborhoods in New Brighton, Fridley, Spring Lake Park, Blaine, Coon Rapids and Mounds View; and WHEREAS Over the years, Connie served on the Education Finance, Transportation, Rules, Ways and Means, Elections, Taxes, State and Local Government and Veterans Committees; was the lead DFLer on the Transportation Policy Committee; and, has been the Chair of the House Higher Education Finance Policy Committee since 2019; and WHEREAS During her tenure, Connie was responsible for getting bipartisan support to approve the Springbrook Wetland Restoration Project – the first urban wetland restoration project in the Nation and securing funds to build the Springbrook Nature Interpretive Center; for helping the City of New Brighton expand our License Bureau, for replacing railroad bridge in New Brighton, for enacting an aquatic invasive species Emergency Response Plan for Long Lake, for spearheading the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency Citizen Advisory Committee; was a leader and advocate for long-term and sustainable multi-modal transportation funding focusing on active transportation for Minnesotans who walk, bike or have a disability; and, was a champion of students working to improve access to high education through tuition and textbook affordability, working on hunger free campuses, and comprehensive affirmative consent standards. Connie helped preserve hundreds of PreK opportunities for children in our communities and, for the first time ever, secured dedicated funding for higher education for students of color training to be teachers; and WHEREAS Connie has been a leader in fostering bipartisan relationships to achieve results, was one of the first 26 facilitators trained by the National Institute of Civil Discourse; and, was a founding member of the Legislative Civility Caucus designed to bring Democrats and Republicans together in Minnesota and throughout the country; and WHEREAS Connie has dedicated her entire career to creating and building community partnerships, to advocating for everyone who lives in her district and all Minnesotans, and to being intentional about seeing marginalized groups and giving everyone’s voice an opportunity to be heard; NOW, THEREFORE I, KARI NIEDFELDT-THOMAS, Mayor of The City of New Brighton do hereby thank: Connie Bernardy For her service and declare her an ambassador in the City of New Brighton. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the City of New Brighton, Minnesota to be affixed this 22nd day of November 2022. KARI NIEDFELDT-THOMAS – MAYOR