Two More File For City Council Race

As of Monday afternoon, Hopkins has five candidates for the two City Council positions up for election this year. Hopkins Patch talked with the candidates about their qualifications, the issues they’ll focus on and what they’d be like as council members.

Details on the other candidates . Check back with Patch regularly to see information on any other candidates who file before the Aug. 16 filing deadline and to see more-detailed discussions with the candidates about the issues facing Hopkins.

James G. Beauchene

Time in Hopkins: 44 years

Education: High school

Job: Retired city employee

Family: Wife, Paula and two grown children, a daughter and a son

Government experience

• Beauchene’s work with the city included trimming trees, working on the Dutch elm disease program, maintaining blacktop and plowing snow. “You name it, I did it,” he said.

Other relevant experience

• None

Issues of interest

• Spending: “I just want to get on there to see if I can get them to cut their spending,” he said. Beauchene specified that infrastructure shouldn’t be hit, but he said the city should hold off on capital projects until things improve. “If they cut their spending and the economy turns around, then they can do some more stuff,” Beauchene said.

Biggest challenges facing Hopkins

• Spending: “The biggest challenge right now is their spending habits. The economy is lousy, so they’ve got to think twice before they spend once,” he said. “I’m more interested in cutting spending. If they have any other issues, the city manager should take care of it.”

Approach as a councilman: “I try to get along with everybody. To me, that’s half the battle,” Beauchene said.

Norman Teigen

Time in Hopkins: 11 years

Education: Master’s in English education

Job: Retired claims adjustor for business, homeowner and auto liability insurance; now volunteers regularly for several organizations

Family: Wife, Judy, and an adult son

Government experience

• Volunteers with Hopkins Public Schools and the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Adopt a Highway Program, keeping many miles of roads clean. “My emphasis has been on hands-on, get your hands dirty experience,” he said.

Other relevant experience

• Volunteers to deliver blood products on the weekends for Memorial Blood Center.
• Volunteers with the Minnesota Historical Society—mainly at the Mill City Museum, where he serves as an instructor.
• Is in the process of writing a book.

Issues of interest

• Building community involvement: Hopkins is made up of both homeowners and renters, and Teigen said he wants to ensure everyone has a say. “We need to hear the voices of all the people,” he said. “We need to use our scarce resources for the best interests of the entire community.”
• Development: Teigen wants to attract new businesses and new residents while continuing to retain Hopkins’ small-town flavor. “I believe that the City Council has been doing an admirable job. I just look at myself as continuing that,” he said.

Biggest challenges facing Hopkins

• Economic: “People are having a tough time holding onto their homes, making payments, keeping their jobs and so on,” Teigen said. This impacts how the city does business, although he added, “I don’t think that the obstacles that Hopkins faces are any different than any other community.
• Maintaining quality of life: The city must work to maintain quality parks and recreation, housing, fire and police and other services, he said. “We have a nice clean city, and of course we have a nice clean city because the people who live in the community are genuinely interested in the betterment of the community.”

Approach as a councilman: Teigen said he would focus on being responsive to the needs of the community and making himself available to other residents. He promised to be non-partisan, making decisions based on what’s good for the community instead of advancing a preconceived agenda.