As the longest-serving member of Minneapolis City Council and likely its biggest “Survivor” fan, Lisa Goodman can’t help but parallel holding public office and participating in the castaway competition, whose participants attempt to make it 26 days without getting voted off the island.

"To me, 'Survivor' is a bit of an analogy for working at City Hall," Goodman said in an interview with Downtown Voices this week. "It's not a complete analogy, but the idea is that you really want to try to outwit, outlast and outplay everybody."

Goodman has been the Ward 7 representative for 26 years. She took office in 1998, at the age of 31. That predates the 2000 debut of “Survivor,” one of the longest-running reality shows.

Goodman’s long tenure shakes out to seven terms over 26 years, during which she’s worked with four mayors and 49 other councilmembers.

“I think, more than anything else, I'm most proud of the fact that I represented my constituents well,” Goodman said. “I responded to email and phone calls personally … I was completely accessible. I have a joke that I've attended more neighborhood meetings than all of the board members.”

Goodman held monthly afternoon meetings with constituents, known as Lunch with Lisa, for a quarter century. Her last one on Nov. 15 drew quite the crowd.

“I’m proud that I have been committed to being open, accessible and transparent with constituents, whether we agree on issues or not,” she said.

It’s hard for Goodman to pick a specific policy-related accomplishment of which she’s most proud because there are so many, but she’s quick to identify the indoor smoking ban as a time when she had to take a step back and listen to constituents with strong opinions on both sides.

“I would probably put it as one of the number one things where I learned a lesson about the importance of representing your constituents and being able to do the right thing in the same boat,” she said.

Goodman is considered a champion of historic preservation and supporter of development. She’s credited with numerous downtown-related achievements in a resolution honoring her years of service to the City.

Those noted achievements include:

  • Helping to grow the residential population, which has more than doubled since she took office in 1998
  • Leading the effort for green roofs on downtown’s library, City Hall and Target Center
  • Being a key player in the restoration of downtown theaters and creation of the Hennepin Theater Trust
  • Collaborating with the Minneapolis Downtown Council to establish the Downtown Improvement District
  • Leading the charge on renovations to/revitalization of Nicollet Mall and Peavey Plaza next to Orchestra Hall
  • Being heavily involved in improvements to the Minneapolis Convention Center
  • Helping to upgrade the Loring Greenway and establish the Loring Greenway Association
  • Helping to organize the group that’s now the North Loop Neighborhood Association
  • Being instrumental in the Guthrie Theater’s relocation, the impetus for development in the Mill District
  • Negotiating with Allina to sell their vacant hospital and parking lot by Loring Park
  • Recruiting a Lunds & Byerlys location to fill the need for a downtown grocery store
  • Establishing a nonprofit that built three dog parks downtown
  • Lobbying for dog-friendly breweries and sidewalk cafes, starting with Lakes & Legends Brewing Co. in Loring Park, which is closing after Dec. 30

During a “Last Call with Lisa” celebration last week, former Mayor R.T. Rybak said the Minneapolis City Council hasn’t had a councilmember who’s more real estate savvy than Goodman.

“At the time that I was first elected, downtown was trying to figure out its groove, and the city had spent a lot of money on subsidizing development rather than believing in development,” Goodman told Downtown Voices. “And so, I worked with others, especially R.T., to try to change that narrative.”

Goodman’s historic preservation resume includes The Armory, The Dayton’s Project, the Charles B. Lyon House and a handful of theaters.

Rybak also told MPR News earlier this month that Goodman is “the ‘smartest person in the region’ in understanding how local government, the private sector and nonprofits can focus together to build affordable housing.”

Goodman established the Minneapolis Affordable Housing Trust Fund, helped create the Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing Preservation Fund, encouraged Youthlink to build affordable housing for unhoused youth, and secured money for Avivo Village for people experiencing homelessness, according to the honorary resolution.

In January, Goodman will take a well-deserved vacation to decompress and then figure out her next career move, but don’t expect to see her run for higher office. She does plan to stay in Minneapolis and contribute to the city as a resident, though.

“I might not be able to solve problems in the same way, but I will be able to help move the city forward,” she said.