Interim President Dietz joins Mayor’s town hall to focus on collaboration

St. Cloud State University's Interim President Larry Dietz joined St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis to answer questions from the community on Aug. 6 on the Eastman Hall patio, prioritizing strengthening partnerships between the University and the City of St. Cloud.

"It's critical that the University and the city are hand-in-hand … there's a strong desire for collaboration," Kleis, an SCSU alum, said. "That's what's going to help the University and help the city in working together."

The mayor's town halls are a chance for residents to ask questions and raise concerns about the city in an informal setting. Kleis has held over 1,000 town hall meetings in nearly two decades as mayor.

Kleis stressed the importance of strengthening downtown, which would also create a benefit for the adjacent neighborhood that SCSU resides in.

Tying a reimagined downtown together with SCSU's recently-announced campus plan to enhance green space and access to the Mississippi River could benefit the entire community.

"If we focus on the river and team with the city, this could be a heck of a tourist attraction, well beyond what we have now," Dietz said. "For people to come into the city, do their shopping here, have their families tour campus and spend time here, it's a win-win for all of us."

More than 20 community members attended the town hall and were able to ask questions important to them and express their opinions about the University.

Dietz has accepted an invitation to attend a St. Cloud City Council meeting on August 19 to further strengthen the possibilities of collaboration between the city and SCSU.