by Ben Sehnert
news@thenewsleaders.com
When the City of St. Joseph approved the search for a potential community-development director in November, the decision was an indication of the significant expansion of development projects in the St. Joseph area.
Prior to the city council’s vote, St. Joseph had hired a consultant on a temporary basis to coordinate planning, economic and community development. However, Therese Haffner, who was hired in April to fill the new position, explained the recent flurry of construction was a significant factor in the decision to create a full-time position within the city’s administrative framework.
“Within the last 10 years, we have seen a lot of development in the city, such as in subdivisions, Coborn’s and the Central Minnesota Credit Union Service Center,” Haffner said. “But some of the projects in 2015 and 2016 really expanded the scope of activity in St. Joseph.”
The 39-year-old from Albany has worked for the City of Sartell between 2007 and 2014 as a planning associate and also for the City of Becker as the city planner and community-development director from 2014 to 2016.
She attended St. Cloud State University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in public administration with the intention of working in community development.
“I wanted to get involved in urban and community planning,” Haffner said. “I was very interested in walkability and architecture, the ‘hustle and bustle’ of downtown areas.”
Haffner’s love for the “hustle and bustle” of thriving towns has already endeared her to St. Joseph’s own downtown area and the potential that is present in the city as a whole.
“I love all the activity that is going on in the downtown,” she said. “Overall, things have been moving in a positive direction here: the beautification efforts, the floral arrangements, the streetscape, the walking trails. But the downtown is definitely No. 1 for me.”
Haffner currently oversees the approval and coordination of several projects, including the newly approved construction of a Country Manor campus and the expansion of the athletic facilities for the College of St. Benedict.
As a member of the city administration staff, the community development director participates in reworking both the city’s zoning ordinances and comprehensive plan. Haffner hopes to engage St. Joseph citizens in creating the comprehensive plan, which guides all future development.
“The process of redoing the comprehensive plan usually takes about a year, so we are hoping to begin that in the fall,” she said. “However, it’s important to involve the residents, so we hope to hold both physical and virtual open houses, so they can share their input.”
In addition to the open houses, the city hopes to provide other means of incorporating residents’ concerns in planning for the city’s future. Residents of St. Joseph can expect to see opportunities to participate in the planning process via social media as well as in the city’s newsletter.
Therese Haffner works at her desk at St. Joseph City Hall. The 39-year-old Albany native graduated from St. Cloud State University with a bachelor’s degree in public administration and was hired in April as the community-development director.
