Matthew Dowgwillo (At Large)
Editor’s note: At an October 23rd public candidate’s forum, Matthew Dowgwillo stated he does not support the 9-hole plan, called supporters of the plan “disingenuous”, downplayed the pumping and flooding issues, and stated “I don’t think that we should be taking that resource away from that community, especially with the plans that they have,” presumably referring to the Bronze Foundation/Lehman plan.
The Hiawatha Golf Course Area Master Plan (aka Hiawatha Links) was approved by MPRB in 2022, calling for 9 holes of golf and the ecological restoration of Lake Hiawatha. As commissioner, will you support the master plan and work actively to move forward implementation of the plan?
I am an active mountain biker, skier, and golfer.
Honestly I don’t have a concrete answer for you yet. Though it’s not from lack of trying to come up with one.
The value I bring to the park board is one that will focus on Data, science, and unbiased transparency.
WHAT I DID
1. I read the plan and I like anything that maximizes use and benefits the most number of people and builds community.
2. I went down and spoke with the Tuesday golfers club, so I could learn more about their perspective and about the cultural value that the black community has for the history of the space. I meant some old-timers That helped me better understand some of the budget and financial arguments as well as some of the plans that Community has for teaching golf to kids so that they have future opportunities in business.
3. I have spoken with multiple current commissioners regarding the cost and benefits of the course, Including the cost of pumping, how often it floods, profits that are generated by the course, etc.
—> In the end, I feel there is a lot of information to further understand. I like the amenities I don’t like the cost, And I’m unclear on some of the benefits to water quality or how the course impacts the water quality
I will say that I Do not consider Myself an expert in some of the issues, despite having done water quality research, specifically on that lake during college, (Which was quite dirty when I was there).
I wish I could give you a more concrete answer, but I just feel that there’s been so many distorted facts on both sides that the first step should be really acknowledging the known numbers and trying to come up with numbers for the unknown so that we can make a smart decision
How will you work to ensure that the new parkland at Hiawatha honors the lake’s history as Rice Lake / Bdé Psíŋ with the Dakota people who have stewarded this land since time immemorial, and ensures safe access for Native lifeways?
I recognize that many people value this land the native Americans Should be valued. However, I don’t really understand this question.
My belief of what would make up the best park board is one that is made up of people that really understand their subject matter and are willing to listen to experts and unbiased data to try to come up with the most equitable solution for things that they must vote on.
For me, my lane is technology and children. I understand what it’s like to be a parent raising kids right now and no other park board candidate has that experience. I know for a fact that I can fix the calendars and registration systems and that I understand how parents schedules work and the challenges they face with registering for things and getting their kids where they need to go, and I believe that I can solve many of those problems for them.
By making life better optimizing our budget budgets and getting more people to the parks I feel that I can build community and we can use that momentum to educate people about the important issues that they face every day, including cultural and environmental issues.
How will you work to ensure that the new parkland at Hiawatha honors the history of Black golfers and the course’s legacy as a social hub for Minneapolis’ Black golf community?
I feel this issue is really important to our city and the message we send to all peoples that live here.
My view of the world includes the value of personal relationships, especially as a relates to business and opportunities in the future. I don’t want their community to feel like people are taking something away from them again. I think one of the best things park board could improve on is working with outside organizations to get more attendance at the parks. In this context: It means boys and girls clubs and groups from the north side being invited to come to the golf course and learn the new sport for the betterment of their futures and careers in business. I don’t want a single future leader of America to ever feel like they couldn’t get ahead and couldn’t get a promotion because they never learned the sport that their coworkers and Peers played. I think it’s important that we offer those opportunities to the black community.
A recent Star Tribune article covered the problem of stray golf balls from the course hitting houses along 43rd St. What would you do as commissioner to address that issue prior to the projected 2030 course reconstruction?
I’m not very familiar with this issue, I have spoken with several homeowners who are concerned about the water levels as some properties below the 215 Mark and the new course designs for 218 I believe.
Coincidentally in college, I actually installed the retaining walls and some of the sand traps at that course on the driving range. I did this for an organization called tree trust and it was a wonderful summer teaching kids the value of hard work and building life skills.
What role can the new parkland at Hiawatha play in expanding foraging opportunities for Minneapolis residents?
I am an active gardener and I love going to the parks with my kids to pick cherries from the tree every few days as new cherries ripen. I think the community garden spaces and anything that brings people to the parks is a good thing. There’s actually a course near Stillwater that I played one fall and we forgot about the golf and harvested pounds and pounds of apples😍
I would definitely consider fruit and nut trees, as well as other edibles if it made sense on the landscape.
How should we balance coexistence with other species in urban green spaces, even when doing so might causes challenges for humans? For example, beavers are native to the area and restore degraded streams, but can inconvenience us when they cut down trees.
I honestly haven’t thought much about this issue as I feel urban spaces unfortunately are already pretty hostile to native wildlife that has not already adapted to coexist with humans in urban environments.
I look forward to working with researchers and scientists who specialize in maximizing the opportunities for species to succeed in these areas and what we can do to help them. I believe Maintaining healthy ecosystems Is cost-effective and essential to preserving green spaces for all.
I am a firm believer that humans have completely destroyed the planet. Having said that I recognized that we all use resources and we should all be conscious of our usage I believe that the best long-term strategy for the planet and the environment and the wildlife is centered on education and compassion by massive Amount of people. Life is trade-off and a park commissioner for everything is a park commissioner for nothing. I believe the focus of the park system should be in how it can help the city. And I believe the neighborhood parks that we have our an unmatched resource. To me, it’s about branding Minneapolis and attracting the right people, Investment, And providing open community spaces that are well used for the purpose of meeting our neighbors, living Healthy lives, And preserving a high-quality life for the residence that live here. I believe in the value of our Neighborhood parks as a means of meeting your neighbors and building Community organically. We should be focused on educating people about the Impact they have on the planet and about the things that they can do to minimize that impact for the future Of all of us. We do this by having more people come To the parks, share a culture.