On Wednesday, Governor Tim Walz named Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Natalie Hudson as the person who will become the next Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court when Chief Justice Lori Gildea retires this fall.
Hudson will be the third woman to lead the Supreme Court and the state’s judicial system, and the first person of color to do so.
Associate Supreme Court Justice Gordon Moore, a Northfield resident, said in a statement, that he believes Hudson is well deserving of her new appointment and offered his congratulations.
“Justice Hudson’s vast experience will serve the Judicial Branch well and will give Minnesotans confidence in a justice system that is focused on ensuring equal justice for all,” he said. Justice Moore, who hosts a monthly show on KYMN Radio called Legal Talk, said he has enjoyed working alongside Justice Hudson and praised her as “empathetic, extremely dedicated, and hard-working.” Moore also called Hudson a consensus builder.
Walz also announced that Karl Procaccini, a former member of the Governor’s legal staff, would fill the vacancy on the court and become the newest Associate Justice.
Justice Moore offered his congratulations to Procaccini as well.
“I also congratulate Karl Procaccini on his appointment,” he wrote, “and extend him the warmest welcome as he joins the Court in October.”
Chief Justice Gildea announced in June that she would step down this fall. Her last day will be October 1st.
‘No decision’ has been made regarding Wall Street Road trees
On Tuesday night during the Northfield City Council meeting, Councilor Jami Reister raised concerns about what she characterized as a misinformation campaign regarding the Wall Street Road and Jefferson Parkway reconstruction projects scheduled for 2024.
Both projects will include the construction of sidewalks and bike paths, including sections of the Mill Towns Trail. Residents in both areas, and in the Wall Street Road area in particular, have expressed great concern about the need to clear land for the project, which will most likely mean removing a large number of trees.
Indeed, social media posts have been made and mass emails have gone out that identify several of the trees the residents believe will be removed. Councilor Reister’s concern is that these statements are assumptions, and the city is still in the development phase of both projects.
City Councilor Jessica Peterson White attempted to assuage the concerns being expressed this week with an email sent to the Carleton College Community.
Peterson said in her email, “in June, the council agreed to move forward with exploring the feasibility of plans which could include, but will not necessarily include, the features described. This feasibility study phase includes the exploration of options to adjust the project, which often result in significant changes and are always undertaken with sensitivity to the neighborhood’s assets and concerns.”
Sean Simonson, the City of Northfield Engineering Manager addressed the marking of trees with pink ribbons in both project areas. Trees with pink ribbons along Jefferson Parkway, he said, are Ash trees being treated against the Emerald Ash Borer. The city has made no marks nor has it made any decision about which trees will be removed in the Wall Street Road area, and, as Simonson wrote in an email, “all of the trees marked with pink ribbon on that project corridor were marked by individual property owners and residents based on the preliminary design approved with the feasibility report for the project.”
City Administrator Ben Martig said markings on and around trees are commonplace, and people should not rush to judgment when they see a mark on a tree.
“If people have questions about what’s being marked and why, it’s pretty common to see a Gopher locate come into your neighborhood. That creates questions like “Why are they painting on my lawn out in that public right of way? We can answer those questions by calling the city’s engineering department to get clarification. But I think maybe just use some caution when making assumptions on some of those projects.”
Coming on the heels of the Heritage Village/Lincoln Street South project, in which the construction of bike paths and sidewalks has led to a potential lawsuit against the city, the mayor and the council, some residents are very concerned that their voices will not be heard by the powers that be within the city government.
Both City Administrator Martig and Mayor Rhonda Pownell have encouraged residents to contact City Hall with questions and to attend the open house informational meeting being held to give residents a better idea of what the plans will entail and to ask questions of city staff.
Opportunities to contribute to local housing solutions
The Northfield Racial and Ethnic Equity Collaborative an initiative of HCI, is looking for community members to serve on one of four Solutions Teams that will address housing and education issues facing the Northfield community.
A Statement issued by the organization on the Northfield website said personal experience is an extremely valuable qualification, however no special experience in housing or education is necessary. Team members will meet four times over the next four months, starting in September – twice in-person and twice virtually. Total time commitment, according to the statement, will be 15 to 20 hours. Participants will receive a stipend unless they are already being paid to participate through their employer. Accommodations and resources will be available during the meetings to support multilingual participation.
The different teams will have very specific roles. Team #1 will be tasked with finding the best way for repairing and replacing manufactured homes in Northfield. Team #2 will work toward improving housing conditions and strengthening tenant rights for renters and mobile home park residents. Team #3’s role will be in Increasing access to homeownership and first-time homebuyer support. Finally, Team #4 will work on developing new rental housing in Northfield.
For more information on how to apply for a Solutions Team, visit the Northfield website at northfieldmn.gov.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
