Boeke becomes Owatonna’s newest council member

Retirement didn’t suit Owatonna’s newly appointed at-large Council Member Dan Boeke.
“I didn’t like it,” said Boeke, adding that three months after selling his business in 2017, he went to work for the school district as an educational assistant until the end of the 2020 school year.
“I loved working with the students,” said Boeke. “ I have a degree in education but never applied for my license.”
Instead, he returned to Owatonna to work for his father-in-law, the late Harland Strohschein, at Harland’s Tire and Auto. Boeke purchased the business in 1992.
“Everyone should give back to the community in which they live,” said Boeke when asked why he applied for the at-large council seat left vacant following the death of Council Member Jeff Okerberg in May.
Boeke, one of 10 candidates interviewed by the Owatonna City Council in June, was sworn into office on Tuesday. His term expires at the end of 2022.
Boeke previously served on the Owatonna Park and Recreation Board and, in May of 2019, was appointed to a three-year term on the Owatonna Planning Commission.
“I’m tickled to death that they had faith in me,” said Boeke of his appointment to the council. “Okerberg left some big shoes to fill.”
Boeke, who described himself as fiscally conservative, said his first task will be getting up to speed on the budget.
“There are only so many dollars and you have to determine where they are best spent,” said Boeke. “If you have a $1 in your wallet, you better not spend $2.”
From there, the Owatonna native said he plans to focus on livability issues – safety, security and roads.
“Infrastructure needs to be a priority,” he said, adding that ensuring orderly growth is a close second.
Housing needs to be addressed, said Boeke. “The city needs to work hand-in-hand with the private sector.”
When asked if he has a pet project he’d like addressed, Boeke said he’d like the city to revisit the need for a community center with an indoor pool.
Boeke said he knows he has a lot to learn.
“I’m a rookie, but I’m capable of learning,” he said. “Please have some patience with me.”
As a council member, Boeke said he wants to be open and accountable, promising to listen to his constituents.
“It’s a little more daunting when you represent the whole city,” said Boeke. And, as an at-large council member, Boeke said he sees himself serving as a liaison between his constituents and the council members representing specific wards.
“I think you have to be available,” Boeke said, adding that as a private citizen, he would call city and county officials to get answers to questions he had on the issues. And he said he wants his constituents to contact him with questions or concerns.
“We might not always agree, but I’ll listen.”