Stirring conversations in South St. Paul

By Jake Spitzack | Staff Writer | November 2025

Lifelong residents and newcomers alike can now get a behind-the-scenes look at the people who make South St. Paul tick. This year, Mayor Jimmy Francis has had casual conversations with city leaders, business owners and even a middle school student, to learn how they contribute to the intricate fabric of the city. The talks are available to view or listen to via the City’s podcast, “Conversations in SSP,” which launched in January and now has seven videos cataloged, each 30-45 minutes long. A new one is uploaded about once a month and can be found on the city’s website at southstpaul.org/973/Conversations-in-South-St-Paul, on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music.

“It’s been a multi-year process to increase communication to our residents in forms that they can easily access,” said Francis. “That has been really initiated and led by city staff with the encouragement of us elected officials…. The idea is to not just take soundbites or push out one-way communication like a Facebook post. It’s more in-depth. It’s more conversational and you get to know people better.”

The first episode was a simple introduction to the new podcast. Subsequent episodes have featured the city’s police chief Brian Wicke, community liaison Deb Griffith, Parks and Recreation director Heather Flock, Kaposia Library branch manager Honora Rodriquez, Kaposia Days board president Annie Regan, seventh-grade student Gio Rivera, Southview 66 owner and the mastermind behind the On the Road Again Festival Steve Mankowski, and, most recently, Fleming Field airport director Andrew Wall. More than simply an interview, the conversations are free to go wherever the wind takes them, dipping into personal hobbies and more.

Francis says he won’t always be the one hosting the show, and there are a few spin-offs in the works.

“Some of the council members are going to be giving updates,” said Francis. “We have a lot of frequently-asked questions at the city, and I would love to have a series of conversations with residents about them…. If people are saying, ‘Why is my water bill so high?,’ we can say there’s a 5- or 10-minute discussion and maybe you’re experiencing the same thing.” Various city department leaders will likely host some of those sessions.

One spin-off already underway is the “Local Legends” segment, in which Francis speaks with a notable figure in the community over a dinner at B52 Burgers and Brew in Inver Grove Heights. The first episode will be in November but the date was unavailable at press time. People can attend live, watch the livestream from home or view the recording after the fact. According to Franics, some of the first episodes are expected to feature Ted Trkla and his work with the Serbian Home and Cultural Society, and local hockey legend Richard Lick, a.k.a. The Beav.

“These local legends, I’d love to get their voices out and get their stories told so that we have it locked in time,” said Francis.
The mayor is also planning a business roundtable livestream to be held at B52 in November. It will be an opportunity for business owners to highlight upcoming developments as well as voice challenges they’re facing and share the best way people can support them.

According to Francis, viewership has increased with each episode of “Conversations in SSP” and more businesses will be highlighted in the coming months. City staff are encouraging residents to visit the city’s website to submit ideas for people and topics they want featured on the podcast. Notably, in the future, QR codes leading to podcast episodes about the city’s history may be posted around the city, such as at the site of the soon-to-be relocated Armour Gatehouse structures.

Talks about starting the podcast arose about three years ago when the city hired a full-time marketing staff member. It’s part of a greater initiative to improve communication between the city and its residents. Other efforts in recent years include newsletters and mailings. Additionally, last year the city overhauled its online city council agenda and meeting page to make it easier to navigate and allow users to quickly search for information.

The podcast conversations are unedited, but in the future may include relevant photos and videos and may take place at city events.

“Get to know your community a little bit, whether you’ve been here your whole life or just showed up,” said Francis. “For me, it has renewed that the human spirit is alive in our community. People’s desire to have conversations and visit with people is big…. You know, you can get your entertainment through reels and TikTok, but when it comes down to it, people want the human connection and the ability to talk to their mayor and council.”