Char Gust for Casselton

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I’ve been thinking about something that comes up quietly during city election conversations in Casselton.There’s an unde...
03/31/2026

I’ve been thinking about something that comes up quietly during city election conversations in Casselton.

There’s an underlying belief that business owners—or those closely connected to one—shouldn’t serve on City Council because decisions might impact their business. Edit: by impact I mean lose business.

I understand where that concern comes from. But it’s worth asking: "what are we losing by holding that view too tightly?"

Many of the people who best understand our local economy, challenges, and opportunities are business owners. When they choose not to run—or feel they can't without impacts on their busienss—it limits the perspectives at the table.

Every council member, regardless of background, has to navigate potential conflicts and make decisions in the best interest of the community. That’s part of good governance.

Curious how others see this and what we can do about it:
* Should being a business owner be a barrier to serving?
* Or is it a perspective we should be encouraging, with the right transparency in place?

03/19/2026

If you’ve ever looked at a rundown building, a dead storefront, or a stubborn “Why won’t anyone just…?” situation:

Same.

We've talked about this with our membership group and it seemed particularly apt this week since we're talking about vacant buildings.

It's a tricky problem because, frankly, not everyone cares, and sometimes the fastest way to burn out is trying to convert the unconvertible.

Some people are okay with things looking poorly.
Some people won’t engage.
Some people will never say yes.

And if you make your strategy “change their mind," you’ll waste years and maybe go a little crazy along the way.

A better strategy:

1. Start where you have control (your block, your business, your committee).
2. Find one other person. Two people changes everything.
3. Ask for small concessions. Small wins are real wins.
4. Double down on the ones who already care.

Hope isn’t something you wait for. It's a practice, and momentum is so much easier to create when you work with the willing rather than trying to convert the non-carers.

This is exactly the kind of practical, honest, real-world community work we unpack inside the Growing Small Towns Membership.

👉 Join here: https://www.growingsmalltowns.org/club

03/10/2026

I used AI to generate a transcript of the March 9 Ordinance Committee meeting and then used AI again to create summaries of each agenda item. The result is a document that’s much easier to skim if you want to understand what was discussed.

Topics include things like:
• Data center regulations
• Golf cart and scooter rules
• Pesticide spraying near the walking path
• A few other city issues

If you want a better sense of how local decisions start taking shape before they reach the City Council agenda, this gives some useful insight.

Take a look here:

For tonight’s ordinance committee I have no idea what’s these are about
03/09/2026

For tonight’s ordinance committee
I have no idea what’s these are about

03/03/2026

Some on City Council want to place a moratorium on data centers.

But they are unwilling to commit to a deadline for drafting and adopting an ordinance.

A moratorium without a timeline isn’t leadership — it’s avoidance.

If this issue is urgent enough to justify stopping development, then it’s urgent enough to start writing the ordinance. That work could already be underway.

Instead, time and energy have been spent regulating sandwich board signs on Front Street.

That’s a choice. If the Council believes data centers need regulation, then set a deadline. Do the work.

Here’s the agenda for tonight‘s City Council meeting. Who’s bringing the popcorn?
03/02/2026

Here’s the agenda for tonight‘s City Council meeting. Who’s bringing the popcorn?

Casselton’s record retention policy deletes recordings of public meetings after two months.Do you think that’s long enou...
02/27/2026

Casselton’s record retention policy deletes recordings of public meetings after two months.

Do you think that’s long enough for residents to access and review meetings — or should recordings be kept available longer?

Curious to hear what others think.

02/06/2026

Anyone go to council meeting Monday? What did I miss?

01/30/2026

Let’s say this plainly:

You are not nuts for wanting great things in your community.

You deserve:
Nice things.
Functional systems.
Local businesses that thrive.
Places people actually want to return to—or stay.

We’re tired of the tired narrative that rural is dying and nobody wants to live there.

That’s not what we’re seeing.
And it’s not what our members, podcast guests, friends, neighbors are living.

All over the country, people are quietly (or loudly) building something better:

Starting businesses.
Reviving main streets.
Creating gathering spaces.
Making room for new ideas without losing what makes a place home.

Growing Small Towns and everything we do is about is about elevating those voices, making more of them, and helping anyone who wants more for their town.

It doesn’t make you unrealistic. It makes you a builder.

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Casselton, ND

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