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Ann Sullivan
Q-Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
A-I was born in Minneapolis to former naval officers who moved there after WWII, and family trips to the North Shore and up the unpaved Gunflint Trail were frequent. Those trips set the stage for development of my passion for the Boundary Waters and Cook County, where I’ve owned property for nearly three decades. My husband, Tim, and I have lived here permanently for over a decade, and our son, Tom moved here, as well.
Being in the education profession most of my life, I am a lifelong learner. For 44 years I worked as a teacher, staff developer, and principal–and upon retirement, worked for both ISD 166 and the Grand Portage Education Department. Living here is my dream; it’s a place where I can utilize my skills and passion for education, the outdoors, and community.
In addition to participating in over two dozen groups through my current role as county commissioner, community involvement is one of my primary passions. Involvement in our local American Legion Auxiliary, the ISD 166 Education Foundation, being a regular blood donor, participating in MN Responds, and being a MN DNR Firearms Safety instructor are all activities which I still engage in. I also participate each October in CCLEP’s local Solar Tour, showcasing our home solar installation. Outside of work, I also provide community leadership in the areas of both housing and racial equity.
Q-Why are you interested in serving as a Cook County Commissioner?
A-I was elected to serve four years, but I am running again for another two, due to our population growth and subsequent redistricting. I am in this race again, not only because I enjoy public service, but because I am proud of the work our County Board has accomplished. Constituents asked me to continue in this role, and I am pleased to continue to serve not only those living in District 4, but all who call Cook County their home!
When the pandemic hit, I was suddenly NOT in school with students. I was asked to run for commissioner at that time, two years ago, based on the realization that many of the skills I developed in education were readily transferable. Emergency management, development of pandemic plans, working under the auspices of federal and state statutes and mandates, and dealing with large, complex budgets during tough economic times– those were all experiences I had. I was ready to answer the call and provide service, in a different way, to our community. I’ve enjoyed working with a great team of Cook County employees these last two years! We’ve managed well during challenging pandemic times, and I am looking forward to continuing to serve District 4 and the entire county–now, facing an uncertain economic future.
The county is currently conducting a comparable wage study with other counties. Presumably wages will go up for some county workers. Many of the same or similar jobs are done by private firms who pay less and have less benefits. How does the private sector compete with the county for workers?
I would disagree that many similar jobs are done through private firms. Many county positions require considerable, specific education and experience. For those positions which happen to be more similar to those in the private sector, I believe there is a need for all employers to provide a living wage and an opportunity for benefits. Looking back historically, this was regularly done in the United States. Having medical insurance may cost employers in the short term, but in the long term, it will secure health for employees and increase productivity.
The compensation study being done is back in the hands of the county, but the information gathered has not yet been shared with the County Board. Until we see the information, we can only speculate, but I do imagine our beginning wages may be lower than in other comparable counties–particularly when you compare the ratio of wages to the cost of housing. I suspect that is particularly true for recent hires. Given that, it is likely that some positions will see increases in the future to “level the playing field” so we can better compete for workers.
Q-Cook County Public Health and Human Services needs more space for its staff. Would you vote to build PHHS a new building, add on to the current courthouse, or seek to have some employees work from home as they did during the COVID-19 pandemic?
A-I would support additions or new facilities, if it is determined that was needed. Currently, that information is being gathered for all buildings and departments, in order to prioritize the needs in our Capital Improvement Plan. That plan will look at both current and future needs and help to provide a road map for major capital expenditures over many years, so we can approach expenditures in a more reasonable and predictable fashion.
Until that information is all presented, I can only say that remote work WILL have an impact on the look and needs of PHHS, as well as other departments. Things will NOT go back to the way they were before the pandemic. Working remotely will evolve and grow. Clearly, the impact of remote work and shared workspaces will redefine all workspace needs. I’m anxious to get the results of our study back, so we can begin examining all of the needs and prioritizing them.
Q-The county owns quite a few properties and buildings it can’t properly maintain due to lack of staff and finances. Would you be in favor of selling or donating some of these to townships or individuals?
A-I would definitely be in favor of selling or donating sites or buildings, if the information gathered supports that decision. Referring back to the study being done on all our facilities, this information will help drive the conversation and decision-making. Having that complete list of all land and facilities, including the Hovland and Colvill town halls, examining the work needed at each site or facility, and then prioritizing the work in light of the number of events, number of people using the facilities is what has to be done. For any site that is rented out for use, development of fee schedules–for events, meetings, and other activities–should contribute to repairs and maintenance. Repairs need to be done under the supervision of the County, so that work is completed by licensed contractors to avoid liability issues. Work should be prioritized keeping in mind the numbers and frequency with which facility is used.
Before selling or donating any property or buildings, community conversations need to be held to gather input from stakeholders. In addition, there are statutory sales requirements, appraisals, surveys, title work, that should be examined. Given where we live, it is very important to consider historical and archaeological interests, as well. If the information gathered about a site or facility supports sales or donation, I would definitely be in favor of such an approach, and I have some in mind already!
Q-Should Cook County place a limit on Airbnb’s?
A-As has been done in other places, a limit on the number of vacation rentals, whether Airbnb’s, Vrbos, or privately advertised short-term rentals, seems wise at a certain point. Due to the fact we have excellent broadband, people often come here for a working vacation; my belief is that there will be an increasing demand for vacation rentals here. It has been demonstrated that vacation rentals are not impacting the availability of affordable housing, but there are adverse impacts on water quality, the enjoyment of residents’ property, as discussed by the recent Vacation Rental Committee, whose recommendations are being made public this week. In earlier meetings, the committee discussed an approach with a “trigger.”
If Cook County were to establish a limit to the number of vacation rentals, we’d be following in the footsteps of many other places with tourist-driven economies, such as communities in Florida, Nevada, and Colorado, for example, as well as a growing number of Minnesota communities like Brainerd, Duluth, Rochester, and Two Harbors. We’d be in good company. Personally, I like a measured approach with a “trigger” number to re-establish a group to evaluate the need for a limit of vacation rentals either in a geographic area, zone district, or perhaps, throughout the entire county.
Q-A lack of affordable housing is a big issue for the county. What can the county do in order to help solve that? Or should this be left up to the private sector?
A-The private sector has had the opportunity for decades to solve our housing crisis; it has not worked. That’s why the Community Leadership’s subcommittee on housing, which I joined nearly two years ago, pushed for the development of our HRA. I sat on that subcommittee along with many others, and we knew we needed a laser focus on housing to create change! Our meetings were the seeds needed to sprout our HRA, along with its board and the subsequent hiring of its skillful and well-networked director, Jason Hale.
Using the EDA’s timely housing study (thank you Beth Drost), we have current data to help to chase State and Federal financial resources to help us with our “end of the road” construction costs. We have interjurisdictional partnerships, along with planning and zoning changes which support the development and construction of apartments and homes. Already in discussion are more One Roof units in Lutsen, a three-story apartment below the GTSB water tower, and homes to the east of that on the new Gunflint Trail. The county has offered tax abatements to encourage developers and build the future tax base of Cook County. The ball is rolling!
Q- Given the time commitment and responsibility of the job, should county commissioners be paid more?
A-It is my opinion that county commissioners are not adequately paid. Look at the color of the hair on the County Board. Most of us are retired and have savings or social security to assist us with living expenses. Even though the job is not 40 hours every week, the schedule varies from week to week and month to month, so none of us can get even a part-time job if we wish. Only individuals who are self-employed are able to have the flexibility to work as a commissioner, and that still doesn’t allow one many hours to run their own business.
With earning around $25,000 a year, I’d now like to create a county commissioner job description and run that through our classification and compensation process. It would be interesting to see how that might inform us of next steps in evaluating what would be appropriate compensation.
Q-Why vote for Ann Sullivan?
A-I’ve had the opportunity to serve District 4 and all of Cook County not only as commissioner, but as vice-chair and Board Chair. I provide thoughtful research, energy, and reflective practice to the over two dozen committees and groups I participate in through this role. It has also been my pleasure to be part of the Association of MN Counties, being an active member of the Environment and Natural Resources Policy Committee.
I’m honored to have been a part of the County Board for the last two years. There are so many accomplishments to be proud of. For such a long time there was a need to focus on the pandemic and make certain we were meeting the needs of our community’s health and welfare. As the pandemic moved to the endemic stage, things changed. New or revised board policies and ordinances were established (Tobacco and the Airport come to mind), creation of business development and workforce efforts through the EDA (like One Spirit and the North Shore laundry), reviewing and updating bylaws and procedures in many different organizations, creating consistency and reliability in our procedures and practices, helping to improve safety along the Gunflint Trail, getting meaningful work done by our HRA to set the table for construction of housing, and lastly making strides in the area of racial equity by beginning the work land acknowledgments, learning more and providing more cultural education for our county’s residents, and supporting the efforts of Grand Portage to have the Old Shore Beach area conveyed from MnDOT back to them.
It has been my pleasure to serve as commissioner these last two years, and I look forward to continued service to those in District 4 and all of Cook County. Our current County Board is a great team, with differing, yet complementary strengths. Although the board will change–at least with the District 1 commissioner– I hope to continue to be part of that team. I listen, research, and provide thoughtful decisions in the overall best interests of the county. I can help us to continue to move forward in a positive way.
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