Mayor’s Minutes: Brooklyn Park’s Hollies Winston
Brooklyn Park Mayor Hollies Winston recently spoke with CCX Media’s Dave Kiser about a variety of topics, including a busy election season in the city and where city leaders stand on regulating cannabis sales and use.
Brooklyn Park Mayor Hollies Winston in July 2024.
Elections
Mayor Winston said polls are already open for early voting in the August 13 primary election in Brooklyn Park.
There are primaries in one council district, and Winston hopes everyone participates in the election that is eligible.
“I would encourage everyone to get out and vote for their candidate of choice, because I think these local elections are just as important as what we see at the federal level and the state level as well,” said Winston. “Incredibly important. Everything from our police to fire to parks–(the city is) responsible for that.”
Blue Line Extension
Talks continue as cities will soon vote on municipal consent for the proposed Metro Transit Blue Line light rail extension from Target Field in Minneapolis into the northwest suburbs. Brooklyn Park would be the end of the line.
Winston said some plans call for storage area at the end of the line, which would be in the city limits.
“We want to make sure that’s used as efficiently and respects kind of the landscape of how our city works,” he said. “There’s always making sure that it is safe, so when people take that line we want metro transit and our police are working before day one to ensure that there’s a certain level of safety”
Cannabis Regulations
City council continues its discussions about regulations for the use and sale of cannabis.
“I’m happy with the decisions the council is making. It’s about just making it safer in our parks and our public spaces,” said Winston. “We don’t want an open-air environment where people feel comfortable just going out there and selling it. We want to make sure that there’s some regulations around it so families feel safe out there.”
