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(Mayor’s Corner is a regular feature where Carver County mayors share updates, insights, and messages with their communities. Carver Mayor Courtney Johnson is providing this edition.)
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Summer is flying by! Maybe it’s because we’ve got so much going on in Carver.
Here are my updates for July:
Population Estimates
Each year, the Metropolitan Council shares population estimates for our community. As of April 1, 2025, (these estimates are always a year behind), the City of Carver was estimated to have 7,378 people and 2,433 housing units. This is up from 2024’s estimate of 7,029 residents.
New Businesses
I’m excited to share not one but two updates on new businesses this month:
- Les Schwab, located in Carver Square, north of Hometown Bank, celebrated their grand opening in late May. Les Schwab specializes in tires, brakes, wheels, alignments, batteries, shocks, struts and more, and are a great community partner, having already given new tires to nonprofits including Bountiful Basket Food Shelf and the Community Action Partnership of Carver, Scott and Dakota counties.
- The Bernard Group, a visual merchandising company that caters to the retail industry, is coming to Carver’s industrial district. The 257,400-square-foot building will be located at the corner of Jonathan Carver Parkway/CR 11 and Levi Griffin Road. The business will include warehouse management, inventory storage, order pack-out and shipping and receiving. It’s anticipated to have 50 employees in positions ranging from logistics, warehousing and operations management and may be open by the end of the year.
Night to Unite
This statewide event builds and fosters community bonds. Once again this year, Carver Fire will be collecting nonperishable food items for Bountiful Basket when they visit your Night to Unite block party on Aug. 4. Last year, the City of Carver won the friendly competition between the cities of Chaska and Chanhassen to see who can collect the most food, and we’ve got to defend our title!
Resident Advisory Group
Last month, we had our first meeting of the Resident Advisory Group. Attendees discussed ideas for a new playground in Community Park, got the latest development updates on new residential and commercial projects in the community, and learned more about the Public Services Department’s space needs. If you’re interested in participating in the group, please visit http://www.cityofcarver.com.
ReClaim-It
This program supports reuse in Carver County. Give quality materials a second life and support local sustainability. Find unique items for your next project or drop off materials you no longer need at a nearby ReClaim-It location. Want to learn more? Check out ReClaimItCarver.org
LMC Leadership
Finally, I’m honored to have been elected president of the League of Minnesota Cities (LMC) Board of Directors. LMC is a nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to promoting excellence in local government. The League serves 842 of Minnesota’s 856 cities through advocacy, education and training, policy development, risk management and other services. I am excited to amplify my voice in advocacy on behalf of not only the City of Carver, but also for all cities in Minnesota.
As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns about anything that’s going on in our community, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I look forward to hearing from you! Reach out to Mayor Courtney Johnson, CJohnson@CityOfCarver.com, Cell: 612-702-7703.
