St. Paul MayÂor Chris ColeÂman, re-electÂed to a third term TuesÂday in a landÂslide, and BetÂsy Hodges, who is now mayor-elect of Minneapolis, met for lunch ThursÂday on Hodges' home turf at the IDS Center in downÂtown Minneapolis.
The hourÂlong one-on-one meetÂing carÂried on a traÂdiÂtion inÂitiÂatÂed by ColeÂman's deÂpartÂing counÂterÂpart, R.T. Rybak, when the two met for lunch in St. Paul just afÂter ColeÂman's eÂlecÂtion. That first meetÂing was helpÂful and set a coÂoperaÂtive tone, ColeÂman said.
"It was a great opÂporÂtuÂniÂty to beÂgin what I beÂlieve was some of the most imÂportÂant work that we've done over the last eight years," he said, "which was to reÂalÂly foÂcus on not what our difÂferÂences were, not to be comÂpetiÂtors, but to underÂstand that we are abÂsoÂluteÂly at our best when we act reÂgionÂalÂly, when we act as citÂies that coÂoperÂate — when we underÂstand that our comÂpeÂtiÂtion is not with each othÂer, but with othÂer citÂies across the counÂtry and across the globe."
Some of those comÂmon isÂsues inÂclude transÂit, inÂcludÂing the CenÂtral Corridor light-rail line conÂnectÂing the two downtowns of the Twin Cities that is nearÂing comÂpleÂtion, the Greater MSP ecoÂnomÂic deÂvelÂopÂment partÂnerÂship of the two citÂies and, at the top of their agÂenÂdas, findÂing ways to help schools close the raÂcial edÂuÂcaÂtionÂal achieveÂment gap. "We have got to move the dial" on that isÂsue, Hodges said.
ColeÂman and Hodges have been friends for a long time — he enÂdorsed her canÂdiÂdaÂcy. She is formÂer president of the League of Minnesota Cities, and he takes over next week as president of the National League of Cities. ColeÂman also preÂsentÂed Hodges with a framed art piece tiÂtled "612/651" by St. Paul artÂist Adam TurÂman.
Hodges said she was grateÂful for ColeÂman's inÂsights on the job, and said she planned to build on the coÂoperaÂtive base he and Rybak had esÂtabÂlished.
She also reÂitÂerÂated her supÂport for alÂterÂnaÂtives to the proÂposed "shalÂlow tunÂnel" route for the SouthÂwest light-rail line and, alÂthough an opÂpoÂnent of the new ViÂkings staÂdiÂum, pledged to work on the city's beÂhalf to see that it brings its promÂised ecoÂnomÂic deÂvelÂopÂment to the east part of downÂtown.
Asked what adÂvice he ofÂfered to Hodges, ColeÂman quipped, "WhatÂever you do, you don't want to take lesÂsons from the mayÂor of ToÂronÂto. Look to othÂer mayors to be your role modÂel."
He was reÂferÂring to Rob Ford, who has acÂknowÂledged smokÂing crack coÂcaine while drunk, but has reÂfused to step down.
Jim Anderson • 651-925-5039 Twitter: @StribJAnderson