Good Health in the Med City

00:00:00:04 – 00:00:04:21
David Martin
This is the good government show.

00:00:04:26 – 00:00:09:13
Kim Norton
We are America’s city for health.

00:00:09:18 – 00:00:20:37
Kim Norton
I’ve been eight years as mayor. I served ten years in the Minnesota Legislature, in the House of Representatives, and before that I was on the school board for eight years. So I’ve done 26 years of public service.

00:00:20:41 – 00:00:27:34
Kim Norton
That will allow people to walk and bike comfortably in our downtown area, which is not always comfortable.

00:00:27:39 – 00:00:34:38
Kim Norton
We have to make it easy for them. Or why would you come to the middle of the Midwest in the winter for health care?

00:00:34:43 – 00:00:51:47
David Martin
Rochester, Minnesota is the home of the world famous Mayo Clinic. Having a huge neighbor like that brings a lot of benefits, but some challenges on this show. I talk with the mayor about running a city with what I call the 10,000 pound gorilla, but she said they’re a good gorilla. Welcome to the Good Government show. I’m Dave Martin.

00:00:51:49 – 00:01:07:46
David Martin
First, help us share the message of good government by liking us and sharing us where we are. On your favorite social media. Make sure to review our show and share us everywhere. We all need to talk about good government. Mayor Kim Norton is the mayor of Rochester, Minnesota. It’s known as the Med City and America’s City for health.

00:01:07:48 – 00:01:25:13
David Martin
What I wanted to know is, is it really a healthy city? It is. Listen to the mayor talk about a program called move with the mayor, and we talk biking. But the biggest challenge he faces is having a resident like the Mayo Clinic. Here are some Mayo Clinic fun facts. There are some 73,000 people that work for the clinic.

00:01:25:14 – 00:01:44:24
David Martin
Many of them drive in every morning. Listen now the mayor and the city respond to the huge workforce coming into their city every day. That creates a need for parking, city management and transportation alternatives. She’s working on it after 26 years in public service. Mayor Norton is in her last years mayor, but she leaves a record of accomplishment.

00:01:44:24 – 00:01:52:12
David Martin
And as you will hear, she leaves with a lot of good government that’s coming up next.

00:01:52:17 – 00:02:18:58
David Martin
We have a new partner here on the Good Government Show. Hello, nation. This is a new digital magazine that showcases the best of cities across the nation. We’d all prefer if Good News traveled faster at Hello Nation. Positive stories don’t just get told they get amplified. Hello nation helps businesses, leaders, and communities share positive stories that matter building trust, credibility and meaningful connection through professionally produced podcast, digital features and targeted distribution.

00:02:19:01 – 00:02:43:26
David Martin
Hello nation positions you as the answer regular folks are looking for, while expanding and scaling your digital footprint across the platforms that people trust. Good news deserves momentum. Your city or your business can help spread the word of good news across the nation. At Hello Nation, they don’t just have advertisers, they have editorial content from trusted community leaders and cities that are helping spread the good news.

00:02:43:28 – 00:02:52:30
David Martin
Let Hello Nation lift you up and lead the conversation. Visit Hello Nation to learn more.

00:02:52:35 – 00:03:10:41
David Martin
Once you wrap up this episode of The Good Government Show, give a listen to our friends over at Good News for lefties. This daily podcast highlights news stories that show there’s more good news out there. Other people in government are really trying to do the right thing. That’s good news for lefties. Listen where you’re listening now.

00:03:10:46 – 00:03:17:07
David Martin
Welcome to The Good Government Show. I’m happy to have you with me. Kim Norton, you are the mayor of Rochester, Minnesota. Welcome to the Good Government Show.

00:03:17:09 – 00:03:18:45
Kim Norton
Thank you very much. Happy to be here.

00:03:18:55 – 00:03:27:13
David Martin
Well, not completely, because I did interrupt your happy hour. It is now 5:00. We’re recording of the National League of Cities, and you’ve got a glass of wine in front of you. I have water, you win.

00:03:27:13 – 00:03:31:32
Kim Norton
I win. I haven’t started it yet. I’m nursing it next to me for later.

00:03:31:35 – 00:03:42:53
David Martin
If the conversation gets to a tense, feel free to take a sip. So you are from Rochester, Minnesota. Rochester, Minnesota is the home of the Mayo Clinic. Is this the healthiest, happiest place on earth? Healthiest place.

00:03:42:56 – 00:03:45:10
Kim Norton
We are America’s city for health.

00:03:45:12 – 00:03:45:34
David Martin
Okay.

00:03:45:36 – 00:04:03:28
Kim Norton
And I have worked for the last almost eight years now, trying to make us also one of America’s healthiest cities. I do lots of activities and try to keep the community eating healthy, being active. I’m not sure we’re there yet. I’m sure there’s a lot of cities that would fight fight me for that, but it’s a goal.

00:04:03:30 – 00:04:05:14
David Martin
How are you making your city healthier?

00:04:05:16 – 00:04:16:04
Kim Norton
Well, I do move with the mayor every year. What’s that? It’s an organized activity through the National Forum for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention. Okay.

00:04:16:08 – 00:04:16:49
David Martin
And we’re all.

00:04:16:49 – 00:04:33:33
Kim Norton
For that. Yeah. Yes we are. And so I plan activities throughout the year to keep people active, to keep them healthy. And then I work with a local foundation and health clinic, if you will, to talk about healthy eating and plant based diet eating.

00:04:33:36 – 00:04:38:21
David Martin
What is your favorite mayoral activity with people to get healthy? What’s your favorite one?

00:04:38:21 – 00:04:52:04
Kim Norton
Well, I think I’m going to like the one that I’m planning really soon in honor of America’s 250th birthday, which we’re going to do in America. 250 Bike ride. All right. During our Rochester Fest week long celebration right before the 4th of July.

00:04:52:06 – 00:04:53:16
David Martin
Do you ride a bike regularly?

00:04:53:16 – 00:04:58:46
Kim Norton
I do, I have an e-bike, though. In my advancing age I have found that the hill.

00:04:58:58 – 00:05:00:51
David Martin
Hold it in you. So not that old.

00:05:00:53 – 00:05:06:29
Kim Norton
The hill that goes to my house is very steep and I cannot get up it without any bike. So?

00:05:06:34 – 00:05:09:00
David Martin
So it’s just pedal assist for the hard part.

00:05:09:07 – 00:05:09:46
Kim Norton
Exactly.

00:05:09:48 – 00:05:14:18
David Martin
Okay. Other than that, you’re you’re on your bike. Do you ride your bike to work or do you ride it around town?

00:05:14:19 – 00:05:23:23
Kim Norton
I don’t because of the hill, but okay. You know, I’m kind of hoping in my retirement I can spend a little bit more time on it and find flatter surfaces to traverse.

00:05:23:23 – 00:05:24:38
David Martin
So you’re retiring.

00:05:24:40 – 00:05:27:18
Kim Norton
At the end of January or in January.

00:05:27:21 – 00:05:29:30
David Martin
And how long you. Eight years as mayor?

00:05:29:33 – 00:05:38:18
Kim Norton
I’ve been eight years as mayor. I served ten years in the Minnesota Legislature, in the House of Representatives. And before that I was on the school board for eight years. So I’ve done 26 years of public service.

00:05:38:20 – 00:05:43:51
David Martin
26 years of public service, mayor, state representative and school board. Which is your favorite job?

00:05:43:53 – 00:05:44:58
Kim Norton
I can’t pick one.

00:05:44:58 – 00:05:46:34
David Martin
That’s my favorite politician.

00:05:46:39 – 00:06:08:18
Kim Norton
I know they all have aspects of them that were. I loved working on children’s health and children’s education. I have a passion for that. It’s my background is in education, so I loved that I was a bill carrier in the legislature. I probably carried 30 average, probably 30 bills a year and passed a good many of those. So I loved carrying bills.

00:06:08:18 – 00:06:16:13
Kim Norton
But as mayor, I get to represent my whole community. And there’s something very special about being able to do that and being the voice of the people of Rochester.

00:06:16:15 – 00:06:20:51
David Martin
What made you switch from state representative to mayor?

00:06:20:56 – 00:06:39:31
Kim Norton
I almost can’t say this in today’s world, but it was because it was becoming too partizan and people weren’t. You know, we would go into session and we work our buns off and pass all these bills, and then we couldn’t get them off the House floor at the end of session. And we’d go into the summer and we’d shut down the, you know, shut down the government a couple of times.

00:06:39:31 – 00:06:46:54
Kim Norton
And that’s not what I worked that hard for. So I got frustrated with that and decided I did a fellowship for two years and then ran for mayor.

00:06:47:06 – 00:06:52:20
David Martin
What people didn’t see is what I asked you that question. You tilted your head back and rolled your eyes and said, well.

00:06:52:25 – 00:07:18:50
Kim Norton
It was such a it was really hard to make that decision to switch. But after my two year hiatus, when I went back and got a master’s degree and I had a fellowship, I traveled the world getting ready to come back into public service. I was ready at that point, and my my mayor resigned, and I got to shepherd in one of the bills that I passed at the state legislature, which was called Destination Medical Center, which was $585 million of infrastructure funds for my city.

00:07:19:02 – 00:07:23:04
Kim Norton
As mayor. I get to serve on that board and help spend that money and make sure that we do it right.

00:07:23:07 – 00:07:25:57
David Martin
So so the money you raised, you, you now get to spend.

00:07:25:59 – 00:07:29:35
Kim Norton
Yes, I do, along with a lot of other people. It’s not it’s not just me.

00:07:29:37 – 00:07:32:25
David Martin
Not just you. So what was the money? How much was it again?

00:07:32:25 – 00:07:33:49
Kim Norton
$585 million.

00:07:33:49 – 00:07:34:37
David Martin
That’s a lot of money.

00:07:34:39 – 00:07:53:07
Kim Norton
And it was with the promise that Mayo Clinic would help bring in about between 5 and $6 billion in private investment in our community. Billion with a B. And in fact, last year, they announced that they themselves are investing $5 billion in growth in Rochester. And they’ve started that construction about a year and a half ago.

00:07:53:07 – 00:07:55:33
David Martin
So this $500 million was money well spent.

00:07:55:33 – 00:07:57:12
Kim Norton
It is going to be very well spent.

00:07:57:24 – 00:07:57:57
David Martin
Very well spent.

00:07:58:00 – 00:07:58:57
Kim Norton
We like that well spent.

00:07:59:04 – 00:07:59:43
David Martin
Money well spent.

00:07:59:45 – 00:08:16:44
Kim Norton
And we’re bringing in private industry. We have bio labs just come to to Rochester, Minnesota. They’ve never been in the Midwest before. It’s a venture capitalist and and and they do a lot more clinical trials and that sort of thing with labs. So this is going to be a really exciting time for Rochester. And I’m just getting it started.

00:08:16:44 – 00:08:19:10
Kim Norton
And then I’m going to retire handed off to somebody.

00:08:19:10 – 00:08:39:36
David Martin
Else to the next person to finish the work. When you have an organization like the Mayo Clinic, which is, you know, arguably one of the most important and well known hospitals in the world, how does that affect your ability to to truly govern your city, knowing that you’ve got this, you know, 10,000 pound gorilla, you know, sort of right in your town?

00:08:39:38 – 00:08:44:16
Kim Norton
Well, it’s a gorilla that does a lot of good. Okay. And so it’s not hard.

00:08:44:16 – 00:08:44:54
David Martin
It’s a good gorilla.

00:08:44:57 – 00:09:03:08
Kim Norton
It’s a good girl. It’s not hard to say that we need to make sure that Mayo Clinic remains successful. And I’ll tell you, I became mayor and the pandemic hit. And so imagine you have a town where you have one, 1.5 million people coming for specialized health care because we we take those tough cases, right. In Rochester, we’re graded diagnosis.

00:09:03:10 – 00:09:27:25
Kim Norton
We’re graded treatment. People come from all over the world, all over the Midwest, in particular two Mayo Clinic for those diagnoses, we had to make sure that they didn’t get Covid when they came to our community. So I had to make decisions very early on, very tough decisions when the community wasn’t 100% behind it, to say we needed to assure for male clinics health and safety, which means the health and safety of Rochester, Minnesota, that people did not get sick when they came to visit.

00:09:27:25 – 00:09:53:31
Kim Norton
So I had to make some really tough decisions during that time as as we governed through Covid and that 585 million, we had started some projects ahead of time, right. We also made the decision on the Destination Medical Center board to continue the work, even during the pandemic, because we talked about this and I said, you cannot have businesses shut down during the pandemic and then shut them down again right after the pandemic for construction.

00:09:53:31 – 00:10:06:02
Kim Norton
Let’s do it now while they’re shut down. And so we were able to move some significant projects forward during the pandemic so that the businesses were not affected twice because, as you know, everywhere in the world.

00:10:06:06 – 00:10:06:38
David Martin
In the world.

00:10:06:40 – 00:10:13:59
Kim Norton
Right, the pandemic affected businesses. And so we’ve recovered, I think, much better than many communities, and I’m very proud of what we’ve done.

00:10:14:01 – 00:10:26:09
David Martin
So you mentioned that you’re trying to turn Rochester into the healthiest city in America, and you talked about movement with the mayor and some of the other things. What are some of the other things you’re trying to get done to make sure you are, in fact, the healthiest city of America?

00:10:26:10 – 00:10:47:11
Kim Norton
So we’re on the destination medical center bill was a 20 year bill. It funds that 585 million a little bit every year over the 20 year period. We hit year ten. So as we hit the ten year mark, the destination medical center board and I’m on the CC, the corporation board made a decision to consider health as its focus.

00:10:47:11 – 00:11:08:03
Kim Norton
So when when we talk about economic development focused on health, when we talk about street design and movement, it’s about health. So everything we’re doing now with Destination Medical Center for the next ten years is going to be done with health care is the major focus, not just health care. I stated that wrong. It’s really health as the major focus.

00:11:08:05 – 00:11:31:16
Kim Norton
Okay, we’re living in a healthy community. We’re going to have healthy buildings. We’re working on our energy and environment policy. So it’s creating complete streets and walkable. Michael downtown, which I will tell you, it’s. Not everyone’s favorite thing. All right. But we’re trying to create places where people can bike and walk safely and for their health downtown as well as the rest of the city.

00:11:31:20 – 00:11:34:23
David Martin
So how do you get them to eat their brussel sprouts and not their French fries?

00:11:34:23 – 00:11:37:44
Kim Norton
I can just suggest.

00:11:37:49 – 00:11:45:08
Kim Norton
I don’t cook anymore. So it’s one of those difficult decisions when you go out to eat. How do you where do you find those healthy things on a menu?

00:11:45:10 – 00:11:47:39
David Martin
And is there stuff that the mayor’s office is doing to encourage that.

00:11:47:41 – 00:12:00:38
Kim Norton
We have over time? We’re not doing any legislation right now, but when I was in the legislature, we did try to make sure that our schools had healthy foods and that sort of thing, but a little tougher at the city level for that kind of policy. But I work with our public.

00:12:00:38 – 00:12:03:02
David Martin
Health because kids still want French fries and chicken nuggets.

00:12:03:04 – 00:12:05:02
Kim Norton
Oh, kids are knowing. Kids are.

00:12:05:02 – 00:12:23:36
David Martin
Learning slightly. Before we turn the mix on, you talked about a bus rapid transit program. I think you said it was 85 million. And then you said there was a little bit of pushback to this. So how’s it going? And tell me why $85 million needed to be spent for rapid bus transit. And when you think bus, you don’t think rapid transit.

00:12:23:39 – 00:12:27:03
David Martin
Well, I live in New York. Busses there do not do not move rapidly.

00:12:27:03 – 00:12:51:08
Kim Norton
So we have a couple mile corridor and we are working with Mayo Clinic in partnership. And they are and we are building housing and parking out on the edge of town. It’s not that far away, a mile away. Okay. Outside the downtown area. And so the bus rapid transit will start there. It will take people down second Street, which is our main street, goes in front of the hospitals, travels on, ends up downtown where Mayo Clinic main offices.

00:12:51:08 – 00:13:12:48
Kim Norton
There’s like, I don’t know, I think there’s like 12 male clinic buildings in our downtown. So it will and they’re building more okay. So we’ll go past those that will go out to our Civic center and City hall, take a right and end up out near our fairgrounds where there’s also parking. So the goal is the 45,000 male employee’s that work downtown, although not all of them.

00:13:12:48 – 00:13:30:32
Kim Norton
Some work from home now after the pandemic will park on the outskirts because there’s not parking for 45,000 Mayo Clinic employees and every other employee in the city. Yes, to park downtown. So we’ve had to be creative about this. So this will be it’ll be a straight shot. It’ll go back and forth every five minutes. All day long.

00:13:30:32 – 00:13:46:24
Kim Norton
People can hop on. And the beauty of the whole thing. We got the $85 million grant, other money, DMC, the destination medical center funds that I talked about, the 580, 585 million compliment that we’re going to get that built. It’ll be free. So once you get off, you can go underground and get to the buildings that you want and.

00:13:46:34 – 00:13:47:55
David Martin
Code free. Free code free.

00:13:47:58 – 00:13:48:19
Kim Norton
We call it.

00:13:48:34 – 00:13:49:12
David Martin
Free, okay.

00:13:49:15 – 00:13:56:57
Kim Norton
And it’s also Mayo Clinic is underwriting the cost for all the writers. So it will be free transportation for everyone. So while.

00:13:56:57 – 00:13:58:36
David Martin
It will you pull that off? Madam mayor.

00:13:58:38 – 00:14:00:31
Kim Norton
Mayo Clinic is a good partner.

00:14:00:33 – 00:14:01:45
David Martin
Okay. All right.

00:14:01:47 – 00:14:20:56
Kim Norton
This is going to benefit them. Absolutely. But they also said, yes, we will make this free for everyone. And the other nice thing about it is Mayo Clinic patients who might be in the hospital out at Saint Mary’s, which is on the same street, they might want to come downtown then for an appointment, and the family can or patients can travel back and forth for free, as well as community members and employees.

00:14:20:56 – 00:14:27:55
Kim Norton
It’s it’s great. It’s going to be exciting. It’ll open at the beginning of 2027. So right after I leave.

00:14:27:58 – 00:14:29:19
David Martin
Office.

00:14:29:24 – 00:14:31:31
Kim Norton
But I know it’s on its way, it’s going to be done.

00:14:31:31 – 00:14:35:29
David Martin
It doesn’t matter if someone’s still going to stop you at the grocery store or go, how come I had to?

00:14:35:31 – 00:14:52:13
Kim Norton
Well, the had to part is it’s we are closing down streets for Mayo clinics five with the be $5 billion buildings that they’re building right now and the bus rapid transit. We have a lot of closed streets, a lot of detours, a lot of cranes.

00:14:52:16 – 00:15:01:25
David Martin
And is the side benefit of this. Less cars on the road, less cars burning fossil fuel and less traffic congestion, right? Yes.

00:15:01:34 – 00:15:06:39
Kim Norton
That will allow people to walk and bike comfortably in our downtown area, which is not always comfortable. Or lime scooters.

00:15:06:41 – 00:15:10:36
David Martin
Why do they? Do they have too many hills for the mayor downtown? Okay. All right.

00:15:10:41 – 00:15:11:55
Kim Norton
Just just where I live.

00:15:11:58 – 00:15:12:19
David Martin
Okay.

00:15:12:22 – 00:15:16:31
Kim Norton
So it will create a healthier community. Absolutely. And that’s part of our goal.

00:15:16:33 – 00:15:21:02
David Martin
So do people actually walk out of their house in Minnesota in the winter? Coat free?

00:15:21:04 – 00:15:21:52
Kim Norton
Absolutely.

00:15:21:55 – 00:15:23:52
David Martin
Why? Why do people do that? It’s cold.

00:15:23:54 – 00:15:24:42
Kim Norton
Well, we’re used to.

00:15:24:42 – 00:15:27:09
David Martin
It okay. All right.

00:15:27:11 – 00:15:33:23
Kim Norton
We do that. You know, if it hits zero or, you know, particularly if it hits 30, we think it’s summer. So.

00:15:33:35 – 00:15:46:27
David Martin
But they could if I understand this correctly, they could step out of their car, step onto the bus, get off the bus, go underground, get to their office at the Mayo Clinic somewhere and do the reverse.

00:15:46:27 – 00:15:47:21
Kim Norton
And absolutely.

00:15:47:24 – 00:15:48:24
David Martin
They’re never in the weather.

00:15:48:27 – 00:15:49:22
Kim Norton
Absolutely.

00:15:49:24 – 00:15:54:07
David Martin
That’s, you know, not always a good idea, but on those really bad days, it is a good idea.

00:15:54:09 – 00:16:01:43
Kim Norton
And if you choose to walk outside, you certainly could when the weather’s nice, because our spring, summer and fall are gorgeous. It’s just those winter months. This is a little dicey.

00:16:01:45 – 00:16:10:23
David Martin
And you told me about a Skyways project. You said, I think I wrote this down 585 million you spent in a skyway system. Tell me about that.

00:16:10:25 – 00:16:12:23
Kim Norton
Well, the 585 million is separate.

00:16:12:25 – 00:16:13:32
David Martin
We have. Sorry, sorry.

00:16:13:35 – 00:16:27:03
Kim Norton
That’s all right. We have a skyway system throughout our community because of the cold winter months, because we have patients who are staying at hotels and they need to get to the Mayo Clinic. And we have to make it easy for them. Or why would you come to the middle of the Midwest in the winter for health care?

00:16:27:03 – 00:16:34:55
Kim Norton
So we have a skyway and a subway, and it doesn’t have a train, a skyway in a subway that are for walking. So you can go miles.

00:16:34:57 – 00:16:37:00
David Martin
Say subway because I’ll be lost.

00:16:37:02 – 00:16:51:37
Kim Norton
We call the subway and people do. Where’s the train? No, it’s your feet. And it connects miles of our downtown, including City Hall, the government center, Mayo Clinic buildings. You know, you can get to many, many, many places downtown. And that’s growing as well.

00:16:51:40 – 00:16:53:20
David Martin
Is this a good use of government dollars?

00:16:53:23 – 00:16:58:18
Kim Norton
Do we need patients to come to Mayo Clinic? Yes, yes, that’s a good use of government dollars.

00:16:58:20 – 00:17:01:39
David Martin
All right. What are some of the other projects you’ve pulled off in your eight years?

00:17:01:46 – 00:17:02:15
Kim Norton
Well, one of the.

00:17:02:15 – 00:17:03:41
David Martin
Things this is the good government show.

00:17:03:45 – 00:17:22:31
Kim Norton
So, you know, I had been a legislator for ten years, so I have good relationships with our senators and our representatives. In fact, I was just visiting one of our representatives who I served with in the House of Representatives, our senators, one ran the Destination Medical Center Corporation for us in Rochester. And Amy Klobuchar, I’ve known since before she went to Congress.

00:17:22:31 – 00:17:39:32
Kim Norton
So I have these relationships, which is very helpful. So I come to town, I come to conferences like this, National League of Cities, and then I go visit my friends and we talk about the needs in Rochester. I’ve been very successful in helping the city bring back grants while I’ve been here. I won’t take full credit for that.

00:17:39:32 – 00:17:59:00
Kim Norton
We’re the third largest city in the state and we have Mayo Clinic and people know that. So right. That matters to but those relationships haven’t heard. And so I have another project, $20 million for the Sixth Street Bridge, which is going to connect the southeast part of Rochester to the downtown. It’s been cut off forever over the one little river that we have through town.

00:17:59:02 – 00:18:07:52
Kim Norton
There is not a way to to directly cross there. So we have a bridge that will be built next year. Again, it will be completed after I leave office. That seems to be a theme here.

00:18:07:54 – 00:18:20:29
David Martin
It does seem to be a theme. We’re talking with Kim Norton, who’s the mayor of Rochester, Minnesota. So are you looking forward to stepping down and having all these projects complete? Are you? Is there a part of you that say, I kind of wish I was sticking around and see how this goes?

00:18:20:29 – 00:18:38:21
Kim Norton
It’s a little of both. We have a wonderful council right now, and I feel like for the first time, I’m blessed with a council that I can go to and talk, and we’re on the same page and we, you know, it may not be 100% in agreement, but it feels really comfortable. I hate leaving that. Yes, but as mayor, I know how important it is to have a good council.

00:18:38:21 – 00:18:55:03
Kim Norton
And so I am handing this off to someone else at a time where we have a good council. And that’s important because it’s tough to come in when you have a dysfunctional council. Sure, we’ve we’ve had that happen over the course of my time and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. So I’m leaving at a time where we have a great council.

00:18:55:08 – 00:19:02:08
Kim Norton
We’re in this wonderful growth pattern. It’s all, you know, full speed ahead, all good things in the future, and it feels like the right time.

00:19:02:08 – 00:19:07:15
David Martin
Well, you said you don’t cook, so maybe pick a different place, but how long does it take you to get to the grocery store?

00:19:07:17 – 00:19:26:23
Kim Norton
Oh, my husband does a shopping. It takes me zero time. I actually we started eating out during the pandemic to try to support that. You know, I’m the mayor. I have to make sure downtown businesses are strong. So during the pandemic, I started buying takeout and then we started eating to help them on the comeback. I won’t take responsibility for single handedly helping, but we eat out a lot.

00:19:26:35 – 00:19:35:11
Kim Norton
So good. So we do that in the shopping and cooking that’s done. Now. My husband does because he retired ahead of me. Yes. And he has a little more free time.

00:19:35:13 – 00:19:40:32
David Martin
Okay. But when you go to restaurants to people stop by and talk to you. Yeah. Of course. Is it a full time mayor?

00:19:40:34 – 00:19:41:08
Kim Norton
Absolutely.

00:19:41:10 – 00:19:46:55
David Martin
Okay. Do you have a city manager? We do. Okay, so it’s both full time mayor and the city manager. Yes. All right.

00:19:46:58 – 00:19:50:10
Kim Norton
Which has its challenges, I will say, but you know.

00:19:50:12 – 00:19:51:41
David Martin
Did you hire the city manager?

00:19:51:46 – 00:19:53:19
Kim Norton
I was on the team. Had hired her.

00:19:53:21 – 00:19:54:05
David Martin
Okay.

00:19:54:09 – 00:20:08:49
Kim Norton
Yes. And, you know, our charters kind of oddly written. And when I moved to Rochester, we had. And that was in 1990. We had between 60 and 70,000 people. We now have 127,000 people, roughly 25 to 125, 127.

00:20:08:52 – 00:20:09:18
David Martin
Okay.

00:20:09:21 – 00:20:11:37
Kim Norton
We wait for the census. So we’ve had a lot of growth.

00:20:11:40 – 00:20:18:30
David Martin
All right. Well, that was the hard part. We’re going to get to the easy part in just a minute. All right.

00:20:18:34 – 00:20:42:19
David Martin
The Good Government Show is sponsored by our. That’s you for our community. Get involved. We hear that all the time from government leaders our co brands with your government’s name and logo, your staff and the people you serve are connected and part of your community. From any device. Your members provide reliable data and meaningful feedback. Ask a question like do we want more parkland or better homeless services?

00:20:42:19 – 00:20:54:01
David Martin
More engaged conversations come through the our app. Visit our code that’s Cocom and book a demonstration.

00:20:54:06 – 00:21:23:09
David Martin
After you get done with this episode. Hear more good government stories with our friends at How to Really Run a City for memories, Kasim Reed of Atlanta and Michael Nutter of Philadelphia, and their co-host, journalist and author Larry Platt talked with guests and other mayors about how to really get stuff done in cities around the nation. Check them out where you’re listening now or through their nonprofit news site, The Citizen.

00:21:23:14 – 00:21:38:39
David Martin
This is the Good Government show. We’re talking with Kim Norton, the mayor of Rochester. I have a few questions I want to ask you that you had. No, no, no, I have a few more. These are completely different. We’re going to get to your philosophy of government right now. Are you ready? I’m ready. All right. School board, state legislature.

00:21:38:42 – 00:21:42:53
David Martin
Mayor of the city of Rochester. Who better than you to define good government? What is it?

00:21:42:53 – 00:22:06:42
Kim Norton
Good government is one that involves the voice of the people, that looks holistically at what the needs of the city and makes decisions based on the strategic goals that we set as a community. If I’ve had any frustration, it’s been that we don’t always get the voice of the community enough. And during my time as mayor, we started something called co-design, where we include disenfranchized groups, folks who don’t come to the table.

00:22:06:49 – 00:22:29:40
Kim Norton
We often talk about the SPS, the same ten people that show up at every city council meeting. We know what they think, but there are a lot of people who never come to a council meeting. And so we’ve worked really hard in Rochester to bring those other voices to the table. And we continue to seek new and better ways to hold public meetings and include the voices of the community, because that this is government by the people, for the people.

00:22:29:41 – 00:22:35:14
David Martin
If people are frustrated with government, what should they do? I know you just said you try to reach out to them, but what what should they do?

00:22:35:17 – 00:22:54:32
Kim Norton
They should reach out to their whether it be local government or state or federal government, they should reach out to their elected officials. We get elected by you to represent you. And so you have a right and I have a responsibility to talk with you, to hear what you have to say and whether it agrees or disagrees, I have to.

00:22:54:37 – 00:23:06:02
Kim Norton
Sometimes, I say I listen with curiosity to people that disagree with me, but I need to know what the community is thinking. And so you have an obligation to reach out to me, and I have an obligation to listen and make myself available.

00:23:06:03 – 00:23:09:43
David Martin
What drew you to public service? What made you get involved and run for office?

00:23:09:46 – 00:23:32:59
Kim Norton
Initially, and this would have been before I served on school board. I was volunteering because I believed in a quality education for every child in my city, and so I started volunteering. I got involved in PTA, I got I served in the state and national level on the National PTA board as well. Okay. Got involved with that and started learning about advocacy and started advocating for the school board.

00:23:32:59 – 00:23:39:10
Kim Norton
And I was helping other people get elected. And one day I said, why am I helping other people get elected? I could do this.

00:23:39:10 – 00:23:40:15
David Martin
I could do that.

00:23:40:17 – 00:23:41:53
Kim Norton
And that literally was a turning point.

00:23:41:56 – 00:23:44:46
David Martin
And right, you could do that. I did do it.

00:23:44:51 – 00:23:52:55
Kim Norton
For eight years, and I didn’t ever expect to run for office again. But my schools needed money, and I know where that money comes from, the state government.

00:23:52:55 – 00:23:57:09
David Martin
So make a call to what are your friends? There you go. Who inspires you in government?

00:23:57:12 – 00:24:22:29
Kim Norton
Oh gosh. Locally, I got inspired by a couple of school board members that I knew I they were women. They gave me kind of this nod that yes, women can serve. And then so Carol Carrier and Kay Batchelder, there were these really powerful women that were doing a great job. So that helped. And, you know, now, as I’ve moved on, Amy Klobuchar has been a really wonderful friend and role model for me, Tina Smith.

00:24:22:29 – 00:24:32:43
Kim Norton
But I grew up reading about Abigail Adams. Isn’t that strange? But, you know, not an elected official, but she had a huge influence on what happened in this country through her husband.

00:24:32:46 – 00:24:33:14
David Martin
Absolutely.

00:24:33:17 – 00:24:33:57
Kim Norton
So I grew up.

00:24:34:00 – 00:24:37:24
David Martin
And she said, notes to Thomas Jefferson say, hey, you forgot.

00:24:37:28 – 00:24:45:06
Kim Norton
So I love that. So while I was never really interested in government, I guess in the back of my mind I’ve always had this little something.

00:24:45:09 – 00:24:47:16
David Martin
Saying, well, you’re president of your high school class.

00:24:47:16 – 00:24:57:18
Kim Norton
No, I didn’t do anything like that. No, no, it was not until I, you know, I got involved in the schools and I will say, I just finished a little project in my town.

00:24:57:20 – 00:24:57:54
David Martin
Do tell.

00:24:57:56 – 00:25:16:31
Kim Norton
We were contacted by Gillian Mark were artists out of Australia, and they had a program called statues for equality. And they said, we’ll give you a half price statue of a woman. So we went and did some research and we found the first woman who was ever elected to office in the city of Rochester, who was elected to school board before women had the right to vote.

00:25:16:33 – 00:25:31:08
Kim Norton
Wow. She served on the board and as chair for like 20 years. And we just just a few months ago in December, in the cold, in the snow in Minnesota. Of course, we installed the statue in Central Park, our historic downtown park. So that was awesome.

00:25:31:11 – 00:25:33:04
David Martin
And I’m sure she inspires you there.

00:25:33:11 – 00:25:34:27
Kim Norton
They certainly does.

00:25:34:30 – 00:25:43:13
David Martin
So you’ve worked at a very local level in the school board. You’ve worked in state government and now you’re the mayor. What would you like people to know about government? They don’t know.

00:25:43:17 – 00:25:56:42
Kim Norton
The people that serve in government are your neighbors. There is a very strange belief that people have that sometimes that somehow elected officials are someone else. They’re not your neighbor. We’re just your neighbors.

00:25:56:43 – 00:25:58:45
David Martin
How about they see you at the restaurant? Yes.

00:25:58:50 – 00:26:21:53
Kim Norton
And they forget that sometimes. You know, we’re your neighbors. We want a wonderful city or county or a school just like you do. That’s why we ran for office. And I know things get a little different at the federal level, but I think people need to remember that with local government, it is because we care about the people in our community, the governments in our community, the children and families in our community and the schools in our community.

00:26:21:53 – 00:26:22:44
Kim Norton
That’s why we serve.

00:26:22:46 – 00:26:26:34
David Martin
What can we all do to restore people’s faith in government a little bit more?

00:26:26:36 – 00:26:40:33
Kim Norton
I would say pay attention to who you’re voting for. I know a lot of people who are really great spokespeople, but that being able to pound the tables and and give a good speech.

00:26:40:35 – 00:26:42:16
David Martin
Your award not too before we turn the bikes on.

00:26:42:16 – 00:27:07:19
Kim Norton
So those are those you have to be able to speak publicly. But an orator doesn’t necessarily mean you understand government and you’re going to do the right thing. So you need to understand the people that are running. What are their morals, their values, their character. We should be electing people. And I want to get into the politics of federal, but we need to be electing people of good character who care about their cities and have a record that you can look at, that you can be proud of.

00:27:07:19 – 00:27:23:09
Kim Norton
And I think we’ve lost that. So people need to vote in Minnesota. They do at huge high numbers where I think the second highest voting state, and my community is one of the highest voting cities in the in the state of Minnesota. So we vote in Minnesota, but we have to vote for people that we’ve studied.

00:27:23:11 – 00:27:24:40
David Martin
What’s the best part of being there?

00:27:24:42 – 00:27:29:11
Kim Norton
Being out with the people. Okay, that’s that’s the best. And trying to do good things for them.

00:27:29:13 – 00:27:44:29
David Martin
All right. So you you are uniquely suited to answer this question, as many mayors have been, but particularly yourself. I have never been to Rochester. I’m coming to Rochester. We’re going to meet up where we have it. Where are we going? What are we having? And what’s the dish of Rochester that I must try?

00:27:44:32 – 00:27:49:55
Kim Norton
Oh, this is so unfair to ask them, mayor. It is so unfair. I have so many favorite places.

00:27:49:58 – 00:27:53:47
David Martin
All right, well, you could say a stake in my backyard. I mean, I don’t know, you could say cook.

00:27:53:50 – 00:28:07:01
Kim Norton
I mean. He did. I have many wonderful restaurants. We have become a foodie city, kind of miraculously, since I’ve been mayor. It’s marvelous. Probably started a little before that, right? We had a lot. One of my favorites is Blue Duck.

00:28:07:04 – 00:28:09:47
David Martin
Okay. What do we serve at Blue Duck?

00:28:09:59 – 00:28:18:10
Kim Norton
My favorite dish there is their steak on lobster kimchi fried rice. It is to die for.

00:28:18:13 – 00:28:19:49
David Martin
So a surf and turf thing all at once.

00:28:19:49 – 00:28:21:20
Kim Norton
It is remarkable.

00:28:21:22 – 00:28:22:01
David Martin
Okay.

00:28:22:05 – 00:28:27:03
Kim Norton
When I go in and it’s not on the menu, I just pout.

00:28:27:07 – 00:28:30:17
David Martin
Wow. No puller there, no pull there. How to get your dish back on.

00:28:30:19 – 00:28:32:00
Kim Norton
Oh Jennifer’s great, but yeah.

00:28:32:02 – 00:28:33:53
David Martin
All right. What do you do for fun?

00:28:33:58 – 00:28:37:21
Kim Norton
I kayak. Oh I read okay. And I love to travel.

00:28:37:24 – 00:28:38:36
David Martin
Where do you go?

00:28:38:40 – 00:28:45:23
Kim Norton
Recently I’ve been doing a lot with our sister cities because during the pandemic, the sister city organization sort of fell apart. So I have made it my.

00:28:45:26 – 00:28:46:35
David Martin
What are your sister cities?

00:28:46:40 – 00:28:51:35
Kim Norton
We have five. We have a province in Cambodia, brand new, just signed this week.

00:28:51:37 – 00:28:52:56
David Martin
Okay. So we’ve.

00:28:53:01 – 00:28:54:08
Kim Norton
Done that for a year.

00:28:54:13 – 00:28:55:35
David Martin
Have you been there and have you visited?

00:28:55:42 – 00:29:17:02
Kim Norton
Not. But interestingly, Rochester Rochester is the was the first city in the state of Minnesota and the largest and had the largest Cambodian population in the state. This is where people, when they came over from Cambodia, was settled. In our city. We still have a very large population. Okay, so that was fun. We have Moose Berg in Germany.

00:29:17:02 – 00:29:26:52
Kim Norton
We have a city in China, Shenyang. We have Seung City in South Korea. All right. And we have a key to Japan.

00:29:26:59 – 00:29:28:28
David Martin
Wow. A lot of Asia.

00:29:28:30 – 00:29:32:40
Kim Norton
A lot of Asia. In fact, I went to all three cities last year. Wow. In a month and a half.

00:29:32:42 – 00:29:33:37
David Martin
What was your favorite?

00:29:33:39 – 00:29:37:06
Kim Norton
I loved them all. Don’t do that to me.

00:29:37:10 – 00:29:42:58
David Martin
Sorry, I forgot I was talking to you for a moment. Where do you get your news? Do you read about yourself?

00:29:43:03 – 00:29:43:56
Kim Norton
The news? Yes.

00:29:43:56 – 00:29:50:36
David Martin
No no, no. Does your husband say. Honey? Have you read this story? He. No. Not to.

00:29:50:38 – 00:29:56:17
Kim Norton
And I will say the nicest story that was ever written. And there have been a couple or when you retire.

00:29:56:21 – 00:29:58:07
David Martin
Okay. So you’re looking forward to that.

00:29:58:07 – 00:30:03:42
Kim Norton
I got I got one last week. It was beautiful. I have to thank our local newspaper for lovely coverage.

00:30:03:45 – 00:30:13:51
David Martin
All right. This is the Good government show. We’re talking with Kim Norton, the mayor of Rochester. We always bring it back to good government. Tell me about a good government project you’ve pulled off in the last eight years. You’re really proud of something we haven’t talked about.

00:30:13:51 – 00:30:30:07
Kim Norton
So we had a sales tax extension that our administrator passed. I did not agree with the direction they were going with what they were going to use the sales tax money for. Tried getting it stopped to no avail. Even vetoed the bill and it was overridden by the council. Right. The legislature is right now trying to repeal it.

00:30:30:07 – 00:30:50:28
Kim Norton
They won’t, but they’re trying to send a message. And the message was, you forgot to ask the people and listen to what the people wanted. So I did a Rochester visioning exercise. I hired a consultant that I had met through Bloomberg Philanthropies, and we surveyed in an open ended what do you what do you want Rochester to be in the future?

00:30:50:28 – 00:31:10:29
Kim Norton
And we got back thousands of ideas, and I wish someone had stepped back and allowed the community to tell them what they wanted, because a sports complex was not one of the things the city of Rochester wanted. And it was, it was. And I knew it wasn’t. I knew that they didn’t want it, and it was really hard to get it stopped, and I didn’t ultimately.

00:31:10:29 – 00:31:27:37
Kim Norton
But we are working on an alternative. I’m going to help try to get a performing arts center built in town, which is something that the community has been asking for. So that’s one thing. So I did that, and we also now are working with the National Civic League in a cohort to try to improve our City Council meetings.

00:31:27:37 – 00:31:36:08
Kim Norton
So when we hear from the people in the community, we’re actually listening in a way that helps them be able to impact the decisions that we make.

00:31:36:13 – 00:31:36:42
David Martin
Okay.

00:31:36:44 – 00:31:40:34
Kim Norton
So those are two things I’m really proud of getting back to the people. That’s what we need to be.

00:31:40:44 – 00:31:52:12
David Martin
That sounds like good government. We have been talking with Kim Norton. You are the mayor of Rochester, Minnesota, the healthiest city or if not yet soon, will be the healthiest city in America. Thanks for stopping by. Great to talk to you. Great to meet you.

00:31:52:14 – 00:31:56:57
Kim Norton
Thank you very much for the offer.

00:31:57:02 – 00:32:18:30
David Martin
The Good Government Institute has a new partner, the Charles F Kettering Foundation. I really like their podcast, The Context, and I bet you will too. They have a new series called Democracy Under Construction. The show is hosted by historian Alex Lovett, and he looks back at the first 250 years of U.S. history. Alex digs into the moments that have pushed us towards an inclusive democracy.

00:32:18:32 – 00:32:27:03
David Martin
You can find it where you’re listening right now, or visit Kettering and give them a follow.

00:32:27:07 – 00:32:45:02
David Martin
Want to hear more about good government? Check out another show I host leading Iowa Good Government in Iowa cities. I host the show with Brad Kavanagh, mayor of Dubuque, Iowa, and the immediate past president of the Iowa League of Cities. Together, we talked to leaders in Iowa cities. We talk about what works and what good government looks like in Iowa.

00:32:45:04 – 00:32:53:42
David Martin
Join us right here. We’re listening. Now that’s leading Iowa. Good government in Iowa cities.

00:32:53:47 – 00:33:11:50
David Martin
We’re your neighbors. That’s what Rochester Mayor Kim Norton says about the people who work in city government. We want the same things you do. She says that’s why we are in office. It’s because we care. It’s why we serve. That’s as good a definition of public service as you’re going to hear talking about the Mayo Clinic. Well, it’s a big and important neighbor.

00:33:11:50 – 00:33:29:25
David Martin
And I did describe it as a 10,000 pound gorilla. She was quick to point out it’s a good neighbor. Mayor Norton talked about ways it makes her city better, better managed and better run. Now she can just get a bike over that hill. Well, that’s our show. Thanks for listening. Please like us and share this with your friends and review us right here where you’re listening, and check out our website.

00:33:29:25 – 00:33:45:41
David Martin
Good government show for extras. Help us keep telling stories of good government in action everywhere. Join us again for another episode right here. I’m Dave Martin and this is the Good Government show.

00:33:45:46 – 00:34:24:39
David Martin
The Good Government show is produced by the Good Government Institute, a nonprofit organization promoting civic engagement and civic education. All donations to the show help promote trust in government. You can donate at Good Govt Institute. That’s good govt institute. Executive producers are Jim Ludlow, Dave Martin that’s me and David Snyder. Jason Stershic is our editor and producer. Join us again to hear good stories about our government right here on The Good Government Show.

00:34:24:44 – 00:34:27:46
Narrator
This podcast is part of the democracy Group.

**This transcription was created using digital tools and has not been edited by a live person. We apologize for any discrepancies or errors.