MuniciPals - a City of Duluth, MN Podcast: Recent Episodes
The City of Duluth, MN
MuniciPals is a monthly podcast hosted by the City of Duluth, Minnesota. Our goal is to highlight how the City operates, what each department and division does, and what services they provide, as well as discuss issues facing Duluth.
This month we feature two members of our Planning and Economic Development team to chat about housing and downtown revitalization. Tom Church is our "housing guy," and Tricia Hobbs is Manager of Economic Development and Executive Director for DEDA.
We chat a bit about their personal stories, what brought them to Duluth, and why they stayed. We also talk about the work being done to support our industry partners and the need to find housing for current and future employees. Lack of housing is curbing many manufacturers' ability to fill job openings. Which makes housing a workforce and economic development issue.
No surprise, downtown Duluth is another one of this team's top priorities. Neighborhoodification is a concept they are working on as they look provide leadership for the City's role in revitalizing the heart of our community and region, and a critical tax base. There is a shared vision and tangible progress, and also significant work still to be done.
This month I sat down with Pez Davila, Executive Director of Neighborhood Youth Services and the voice behind the Light Skinned Podcast and Taste Twin Ports Podcast.
This month we feature the Special Olympics. Mayor Reinert talks with Duluth Police Officer Ryan Temple to talk about the DPD's long history of supporting these athletes, as well as the 2026 Special Olympics. The national event this year will be held in Minnesota, and Duluth is one of a few communities nationally to participate in the carrying the torch to the opening ceremonies.
This month we feature Beatrice Ojakangas. Bea is an icon of the northland. She has published more than 32 cookbooks, written for a variety of magazines and is familiar face from public television who has shared her love of cooking and Finnish heritage with audiences across the country. Our conversation covered everything from her journey in the kitchen to what it was like to get a call from Julia Childs.
This month we feature our Chester Bowl Improvement Club's Executive Director Dave Schaefer. Dave gives us some park history, we tall about their programing and our partnership model. We also have a real time update on the Chalet renovations and their Growing Up Chester Campaign.
This month we feature our Street Maintenance Operations Coordinator, Geoff Vukelich. Geoff. We cover a lot of ground from sled dog racing to carpentry and Geoff's take on pizza (he's done over 900 reviews!). Importantly, Geoff also gives us insights into everything that goes into winter snow removal operations in a city that is 26 miles long, eight miles wide, and has over 1500' of elevation gain. We discuss P1s, 2s, and 3s, snow emergencies, and what to do during the big storms (stay home if you can!).
This month Nathan Bentley the President of Advantage Emblem and Screen Printing, or as he more famously known - the Mayor of Bentleyville joinrf me in the PACT TV studio. We cover an array of topics from how a chain letter sparked the start of his multimillion-dollar company, to his global travels and support for the communities he visits. Of course, we talk about Bentleyville too!
This month Visit Duluth's new Executive Director Haley Hedstrom joined me in the PACT TV studio to discuss her vision for destination marketing, her past experiences as Executive Director of the Lake Superior Zoo, and what she loves most about Duluth
This month, I sit down with Chris Owen. Chris is a renowned tattoo artist and owner of Living Art Duluth. We cover a variety of topics from studying art in Utah to ancient medicinal practices and the emerging cannabis industry in Minnesota.
This month, I sit down with Russ Salgy, Agency Director of Valley Youth Center. We talk about growing up in Upper Denfeld- folks that is a core Duluthian geography reference! We also chat the legendary Ivin Club Table Tennis Team, and their recent merger with Northwoods Children’s Services, and the resulting expansion in youth assets and programming as well as additional staff support and training.
During the final prep weeks for the 49th Annual Grandma’s Marathon weekend, I sat down with Executive Director Shane Bauer to talk about this signature Duluth event, its economic impact on the region, and his outstanding volunteer network. We also talk about his path to this job and what motivated him to become a Duluthian.
In this first episode I had a great chat with our new City Administrator, Matt Staehling. You get a chance to learn more about Matt, and what drew him to this role after nearly 30 years in St. Cloud. We talk about his first weeks on the job and his first takes as a new Duluthian. We also dive into that all-important topic: the difference between the roles of Mayor and City Administrator.
Breanna’s your Community Relations Officer, which is great for you considering how amazing she is. She kind of does a little of everything, and it would be impossible to fit it all into one episode. At any rate, we hope you enjoy!
Sustainability. Turns out, not a new concept. Also turns out, it means a lot more than we thought. Maybe you knew that, maybe not. Either way, Mindy Granley is wicked smart and we hope you enjoy!
Workforce Development – ever heard of it? No seriously, have you? Because Elena’s here to tell you all about it and you won’t want to miss what she has to say. Elena’s work is incredibly important and touches just about everything. We hope you enjoy!
We sat down with the Director of Properties, Parks, and Libraries Jim Filby Williams. For better or worse, this episode is nothing like the TV show Parks and Recreation, and Jim isn’t much like Ron Swanson (other than his deep love and connection to the outdoors). His department does some pretty incredible things that even involve fire trucks?! We hope you enjoy!
We told you last month that we have public safety on our minds, so we recently sat down with Chief Shawn Krizaj to learn about the Duluth Fire Department. Spoiler alert: the Fire Department does some pretty important stuff, and it’s not every day you get to hear directly from the Fire Chief or Police Chief about what they do, who they are as a person, or even what their favorite local food is. Also, we ask if we could have recorded this episode from a boat. Could we have? Probably not. Should we have? Definitely not. Either way, we hope you enjoy!
We’ve got public safety on our minds so we sat down with Chief Mike Ceynowa to learn about the Duluth Police Department. He’s got a lot to say about the many, many important things the department does. We even talk secret fishing spots, how to avoid rush hour traffic, and much more. Enjoy!
We’re back! Since we’ve been gone, we’ve said goodbye and best wishes to Alicia Kozlowski and welcomed new co-host, Tricia Hobbs! Hear from Finance Director Jen Carlson about the City’s Finance Department, the budget, Jen’s superpower, and so much more. Enjoy!
Recorded in November before the snow was here to stay, we remained optimistic about the winter months. Hear from City Attorney, Rebecca St. George, and how her department basically does it all and is connected to pretty much everything the City does. Enjoy!
Happy (almost) Halloween! It’s scary to think that snow’s around the corner, but hear from Jim Benning, Director of Public Works and Utilities about how you can be prepared. He also does A LOT of other things – like…a lot. Spoiler alert: the guy oversees the Aerial Lift Bridge. And so much more. Enjoy!
We’re back (bet you didn’t even know we were gone)! Our latest episode is with Carl Crawford, the City’s Human Rights Officer. He seemed like the right choice after a long, pandemic-induced hiatus. We hope you enjoy the episode.
For our second episode, we hear from Chelsea Helmer about what Administrative Services does. It’s pretty important stuff, so please forgive Phil’s phone ringing in the middle of it.
MuniciPals, episode one. We’re trying something new here, so listen in as we delve into what a Mayor and CAO does.