Accomplishments – New

During her first term on the Anoka County Commission Julie has continued to focus on continued to work on her major goals but has also widened her focuses to larger projects that the commission can tackle.

Adaptive Programs

• About two weeks after being sworn in, a Blaine mom reached out letting Julie know there were no programs during the summer for her daughter with special needs. Serving as an intermediary throughout the past year, she, a group of moms, as well as Anoka County Parks and Libraries, and Blaine and Spring Lake Park Parks have developed comprehensive programming for kids (with disabilities). 

Highway 65 Funding

• Highway 65, infamous for its long standing safety and traffic congestion, was one of Julie’s primary focuses, not just to improve driving times but also to prevent any further deaths along the corridor. Along with federal, state, and city partners, the board was able to secure 100% of the funding needed, $195 million for essential improvements to four of the worst intersections along highway 65. Due to her laser focus and perseverance at both the state and federal level, she helped secure this funding in record time, and she’s not slowing down until the main artery of central Anoka County is fixed. Check it out here.

Additional Road Construction Projects 

• With construction on TH65 starting in 2025, there are a lot of road projects that need attention, especially the 109th Ave NE and Radisson Road corridor. Julie made progress on working to make intersections in this area safer in 2024. 
• Using her connections with the city of Blaine and SLP school district, she was essential to moving the 105th Redevelopment project forward. This is a massive development, one the county has never seen nor probably ever will again, showing a unique case of private and public cooperation. Check it out here.

Julie has an ever-growing record of projects and initiatives she has either support or championed, many stemming from her time on the Blaine City Council from 2017 to 2022 where she focused on 3 major areas.

Transportation

• Julie believes in the importance of transportation infrastructure that helps the residents of Blaine get where they need to go while providing convenient access for visitors who wants to take advantage of Blaine’s amenities. Projects she has worked on while on the City Council include:
  • The full reconstruction of 105th Ave
  • The installation of stoplights at Xylite & Radisson, Lexington & Woodland Parkway, and 125th Ave & Lever St
  • Partnering with Met Council and MNDOT for the Highway 65 Study and renderings for redevelopment

Services

• Providing reliable and quality public services has been a key focus of Julie and she understands the value these services have to the community. She was involved in a number of improvements to City infrastructure and worked to introduce new amenities, some of which include:

  • Improving City water management systems to improve water security after failure in 2017
  • Redevelopment of the Mary Ann Young Center and expanding programs and services for seniors and youth
  • Support of SBM Fire to purchase replacement fire suppression equipment
  • Funding of Blaine PD to get to 100% staffing and to buy the tools necessary to keep Blaine safe
  • Blaine Wetland Sanctuary designation and expansion
  • Working with Anoka-Hennepin School District to open two new elementary schools: Centerview Elementary School and Sunrise Elementary

Development

• Blaine was one of the fastest growing cities in Minnesota from 2010-2020 and goes to show the appeal Blaine has to people both out-of-state and in-state. Julie understands the importance of balancing growth and preserving the quality of life of residents. Some of her work in sustainable development includes:
  • Support of numerous housing developments, business parks, and retail locations
  • Design of Northtown Mall and area redevelopment
  • Approval of a new industrial park off 35W Service Road
  • The solar array on Aveda and Medtronic Properties
  • Buying dilapidated properties in the 105th business park and developing a new master plan for its rehabilitation
  • Opening existing, and building new parking lots at National Sports Center for the US Cup and the TPC 3M Open