New Hopkins City Manager No Stranger To Ushering in Change

Look at incoming City Manager Mike Mornson’s resume, and “stability” is the first thing that comes to mind.

In a profession that sees regular turnover—the average city manager tenure in 2006 was about seven years—Mornson has had an incredibly steady career. He spent about 17 years in St. Anthony—nearly three times the tenure of the Hopkins city manager he’ll replace. He has seven years as a Big Lake city administrator before that.

But don’t assume Mornson’s longevity means that he’s someone who avoids change. St. Anthony was anything but stable during his tenure. The city replaced many of its public buildings, built three new liquor stores and generally changed the face of the city.

“The more challenging the redevelopment, the more excited and energetic I get,” Mornson said.

Perhaps the best example is the city’s storied Apache Plaza mall. The 750,000-square-foot retail center was the second enclosed mall in the state, but it had been on the wane since construction of the nearby Rosedale Center in the 1970s.

Mornson’s time in St. Anthony saw the demolition of Apache Plaza in 2004 and the property’s redevelopment into a center dubbed Silver Lake Village that has both residential and retail space. Mornson said he worked hard to maintain momentum for the project—even when redevelopment on the site faced council rejections.

Hopkins planners envision that type of mixed-use development near the proposed light rail stations on Eighth Avenue, Shady Oak Road and Blake Road. Minneapolis-based Klodt Inc. has already begun preliminary work for such a project , while The Beard Group for its Marketplace and Main development on Seventh Avenue.

St. Anthony is similar to Hopkins in other ways, too. It’s an inner-ring suburb that works closely with neighboring local governments—although it’s split between two counties. It even works closely with its watershed district, experience that should help with with Minnehaha Creek Watershed District.

The two communities even aim for a similar atmosphere. Hopkins officials pitch the city as a "livable, walkable community," while St. Anthony's home page proclaims it is "a walkable community."

“St. Anthony likes to feel that they’re a small town with big-city ideas, and Hopkins is that same way,” Mornson said.

But Mayor Gene Maxwell said the City Council didn’t just choose Mornson because he’s tackled challenges similar to those Hopkins faces, pushed through economic development or led a city similar to Hopkins. It and the half dozen panels that interviewed him liked his energy, intelligence, vision—even his sense of humor.

“Once you put it all together, everything’s a factor,” Maxwell said. “He’s just a good fit for Hopkins.”

Mornson will use these skills as soon as he arrives in Hopkins. He joins the city as planners are discussing how to replace equipment that on the city and mapping out anticipated large purchases. This is happening while residents remain crunched by the economic downturn.

St. Anthony’s general fund budget was less than half Hopkins’ $10.3 million budget, but that doesn't mean he'll have any problems stepping up. The St. Anthony budget was actually tied for the largest among the Hopkins city manager finalists, and Maxwell praised Mornson’s budget acumen.

(One finalist was from Chaska, which has a $10 million budget. But that candidate is an assistant city administrator, not a city head.)

However, Maxwell expects Mornson’s first priority to be simply getting to know city staff and continuing Hopkins’ tradition of communicating with residents.

For his part, Mornson said he’s excited about coming to Hopkins. With all the work done in St. Anthony, he felt it was time for some new challenges. For many city managers with a couple decades of experience, that would have meant jumping up to a 60,000-person city, such as Eden Prairie. But Mornson said those larger cities don’t suit his personality. He wanted a smaller community—just like Hopkins.

“I’m somewhat picky on what cities I apply for,” he said.

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Mike Mornson

Current job: St. Anthony city administrator since 1994

Previous jobs: Big Lake city administrator (seven years), city administrator of Carver and Young America (two years).

Hometown: Jordan

Family: Adult son and daughter, six siblings

Education: Bachelor's degree in public administration from Mankato State University (now Minnesota State University, Mankato), mini-master's in public administration from Hamline University

Favorite activities: Movies, books, sports and exercise