Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Engagement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Minnetrista student Elon Feiner named a top‑four 'mayor for a day' essayist
Summary
At the May 4 Minnetrista City Council meeting, local resident Elon Feiner read his finalist 'mayor for a day' essay proposing a lakeside Main Street, events and local business growth; council members praised the young writer.
Mayor Lisa Whalen introduced special guest Elon Feiner at the May 4 meeting and asked him to read his statewide "mayor for a day" essay after noting he was one of four finalists from about 540 submissions.
"My name is Elan, and I live in Minnetrista. If I were mayor for a day, I would work on city development," Feiner read. He proposed creating a lakeside Minnetrista Main Street with shops, monthly events such as food tours and art activities, and a committee to manage and promote the area. Feiner cited nearby Excelsior as a model and said, "They make $7,000,000 yearly in tax, which is a lot of money to help the city thrive." The council praised his public speaking and welcomed him to read again at an upcoming State of the City event.
Why it matters: The essay highlighted a youth perspective on local economic development and community engagement; council members used the moment to encourage young people’s civic participation and to promote the city’s State of the City program.
