Get Involved

The City of New Brighton has a long history of working with Scouts hoping to achieve their Eagle Scout rank. In the past, Scout have worked on projects such as:

• Free Little Libraries
• Garden planter beds
• Fishing overlook area
• The totem pole at Totem Pole Park
• Pergola at Veterans Park

The City encourages you to work with your Scout Leader to identify a potential need within our community that you could address with your project and then email Charlie Prasek to discuss your ideas! The City is always looking for ways to enhance our community, and we look forward to working with you!

Links

• Volunteer Application (PDF)
• Acknowledgment of Training (PDF)

The New Brighton Department of Public Safety offers many ways to get involved with the community through volunteer opportunities. If you have the desire to be a part in the protection, service and education of our community, public safety offers several programs.

• Police Reserves
• Police Explorers
• Volunteers in Public Safety (VIPS)
• Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
• Public Safety Commission

Any additional questions or comments can be emailed to Community Engagement Officer Brad Krebsbach, or you can call 651-288-4161.

If you are interested in learning more about your community and its governance, you are encouraged to attend City Council and Commission meetings, which are generally open to the public. Public meetings are also recorded and available to watch on local cable channel 16 as well as online when you visit the Materials and Media page.

The New Brighton City Council holds business meetings the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 6:30 pm in the City Council Chambers in the lower level of New Brighton City Hall. They also hold informal work sessions the first, second and fourth Tuesday of every month at 5 pm in the lower level conference room at City Hall.

If you are interested in running for municipal office, please visit our election page for more information. If you are interested in running for State, County or School office, please contact that governmental entity directly.

The City of New Brighton also has four commissions that advise the City Council:

• The Economic Development Commission (EDC)
• The Parks, Recreation and Environmental Commission (PREC)
• The Planning Commission
• The Public Safety Commission

If you are interested in serving as a volunteer commissioner, applications are due by the first Tuesday in February. If appointed, terms begin April 1st of each year and generally last three years.

There are a lot of ways you can help your community behind the scenes!

• If you want to help behind the scenes with Parks and Recreational activities or events, email Recreation Supervisor Zoe Kesselring or call 651-638-2121.
• If you want to help behind the scenes with our Public Safety Department initiatives, email Community Engagement Officer Brad Krebsbach or call 651-288-4161.
• If you want to help behind the scenes with other City projects and programs, email City Clerk Terri Marohn or call 651-638-2045.

Let us know if you have a special skill you are hoping to use or an idea you are hoping to pursue. We may or may not be able to use it but we'd love to at least talk about it with you!

If you want to get involved but do not have time to formally commit to something, there are still things you can do!

• Watch public meetings online
• Write a letter or send an email sharing your views about a topic the City Council or a Commission is discussing on an upcoming agenda
• Vote in the next election
• Take a neighbor with you to the polls
• Attend the next Recycle/Clean-Up Day event
• Pick up trash when you take a walk
• Shovel your fire hydrant out in the winter
• Participate in a National Night Out event in your neighborhood
• Attend the next Town Hall meeting or neighborhood meeting
• Request and care for a boulevard tree

Have more ideas? Look for the City of New Brighton on Facebook to share them!

If you are interested in our business community, please feel free to attend a meeting of our Economic Development Commission. Information is available on the Governance page of our website.

Additionally, you can learn more about local businesses by visiting the Open to Business program website. Open to Business partners with Hennepin County, Carver County, Dakota County, Scott County, Anoka County, the City of North St. Paul, the City of New Brighton and the City of Minneapolis to provide our services to "Open to Business" communities in the Twin Cities area.

Our Engineering Department is seeking public participation in New Brighton's stormwater management projects. We rely on volunteers to keep our gardens green, care for our ponds and lakes, and build relationships with our community. Whether you are a resident looking to fill a few hours of extra time or a business group looking to spend a day together, we have a project for you!

If this is something you might be interested in, please contact the Community Assets Development Department to let us know what you might be interested in!

If you would like to donate to the New Brighton Parks and Recreation Scholarship fund to provide kids in need access to recreational activities and lifelong skills in athletics, swimming and more please email Lori Hokenson or call 651-638-2124. Any denomination accepted to help a child in need gain 50% off registration of programs that will impact a lifetime.

If you would like to make a donation for National Night Out or to our Santa Cop Program, please email Community Engagement Officer Brad Krebsbach or call 651-288-4161.

Election Judges are officials that staff local polling places, administer election procedures, and ensure that the rights of voters are protected on Election Day. Duties include but are not limited to:

• Setting up the polling place
• Operating voting equipment
• Directing voters to the correct line
• Registering individuals to vote
• Ensuring all qualified voters are permitted to vote
• Demonstrating how to vote
• Assisting voters in the polling place
• Closing the polling place
• Determining the results after the polls close
• Certifying the polling place results
• Assisting voters who with to cast an absentee ballot
• Helping staff prepare election materials for the mail

See more information on elections or call our Elections Line at 651-638-2060.