New Hope City Council Member John Elder joins host Josh Weber for a scintillating conversation on this episode of “Access to Democracy”. John Elder has a multi-faceted career engaging with the public of New Hope as a scout leader, police officer, founding member of the New Hope Community Farmers Market, in addition to also serving on the board of the Basset Creek Watershed Management Commission.
Elder talks about the changing concerns of New Hope citizens since he first started as a council member, the major redevelopment projects the city has recently completed, and goals for procuring unused land as locations for future commercial developments. With rising interest rates and drops in home sales, New Hope plans to bounce back as the market starts to stabilize and sellers recognize lowering the price will help in maintain strong growth in the area and encourage new home buyers to live in New Hope. Elder also talks at length about his tumultuous period as the Director of Public Information for the Minneapolis Department around the time of the murder of George Floyd.
He details the blowback MPD faced following their statement on the nature of Floyd’s death, the ensuing investigation carried out by the FBI, And the efforts from the likes of himself and former MPD Chief Medaria Arradondo in responding to the social unrest in Minneapolis.
