Candidate Questionnaire Responses

Steffanie Musich, District 5

After the Hiawatha Golf Course flooded in 2014 and unpermitted pumping issues were discovered, MPRB Commissioners directed a citizen advisory committee (CAC) to work with park staff to develop a new master plan to guide the future of the site. The master plan was presented in 2020 and the MPRB Commissioners voted on it twice in 2021, failing to pass the plan each time. As of now, no master plan exists for the Hiawatha Golf Course Area, and the pumping issues and flood risk remain unaddressed.

1. What are the next steps MPRB should take with regards to planning for the future of the Hiawatha Golf Course Area?

The park board needs to better understand what the failed master plan vote’s impact is on the dewatering permit. For example, Will the MPRB need to re-apply for that permit since no master plan reducing pumping has been adopted? Are there environmental and pollution reviews that need to occur as part of that application?

2. According to the master plan document, “Water management alternatives that address fully the range of issues faced by a property situated below the elevation of an adjacent lake render the opportunity to create an 18-hole golf course impracticable, if not impossible.” Would you support a plan for the site that retains 18 holes of golf and does not address pumping levels or flood risk?

No, a plan that does not address the water issues on this site is one that ignores current and future conditions that significantly impact the viability of golf in this location.

3. Would you support a plan for the site similar to the master plan developed in 2018-2019 that provides a 9-hole golf course and integrates other land uses (such as walking, cycling, paddling, and picnicking) when possible?

Yes, there is broad support in the community for the master plan that failed to secure enough votes to be adopted by the current board. I would vote for adopting it, or a similar plan, if brought up for a vote again.

4. Would you support a plan that removes golf entirely from the site and replaces it with other land uses, such as walking, cycling, paddling, picnicking, and natural space?

No, the course is a popular amenity that should be retained in a way that works with the water issues on the site and is configured in such a way that greater access for other users is accomodated.

5. Hiawatha was a historically important course for black golfers in Minneapolis in an era when they faced widespread discrimination. How should plans for the site honor this legacy and serve current communities of color?

The role of Minneapolis' public courses in desegregating the sport of golf is an important one, and recognizing Solomon Hughes’ work to desegregate the Hiawatha Club House by naming it for him was an important first step. Conversations with golfers about ways that this history can be communicated on the property going forward should be continued and future engagement should continue the practice of purposefully engaging communities that have not traditionally been involved in planning land use.

6. What should be done about trash entering Lake Hiawatha from the “north pipe”? More generally, how should MPRB address water quality concerns in Lake Hiawatha?

The hard infrastructure conveying trash and other non-point source pollutants should be modified to use modern best practices for stormwater management. The park board’s master plan that was developed with the assistance of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District and City of Minneapolis Public Works department achieves this on public land without displacing residents or businesses while preserving some of the current recreational use, creating new recreational opportunities and enhances water quality through partial restoration of the wetlands that were destroyed to create the course.

7. Two major issues MPRB is facing at this site and citywide are correcting historic inequities and planning for a more variable future climate. How would you balance the needs of MPRB properties to be sustainably designed and managed with the need to equitably serve all Minneapolis communities?

The methodologies being utilized to plan and invest in Minneapolis parks across the city have equity included at every level, ensuring that equity plays a role in how work is done. I will continue to support strong frameworks for decision making that include adaptation to our changing climate.