Brainerd City Council member Lucy Nesheim announced Thursday she won’t run for re-election this year for the Ward 1 seat.

In a letter sent to the Brainerd Dispatch, Nesheim, who was first elected in 1988, said she was honored to have served with many fine colleagues and to have worked with an excellent city staff.

“Some of the projects I’m particularly proud of are the retention of the paper mill in Brainerd, downtown revitalization, the joint effort with Baxter for the wastewater treatment project, the four-stage expansion of the industrial park and securing the Alm property for future park expansion and connection to the Paul Bunyan Trail, she wrote.

“The College Drive project, which is so important for the future vitality of Central Lakes College, the Brainerd High School and the city of Brainerd is well under way.”

Nesheim, 75, said she plans to continue being involved but hopes to find more time to spend with family, traveling and get back to painting.

She said it was a good time to make the announcement, with the recent retirement of City Administrator Dan Vogt.

“I thought it was appropriate to announce before filings opened so it would give other people a chance to consider serving,” she said.

Nesheim served as an at-large council member, serving the entire city, until the last two terms during which she was Ward 1’s representative.

She said she’ll miss the people she works with and the opportunity to be involved in many community projects.

She ran unsuccessfully for two other political posts. Those bids were a Crow Wing County Board campaign and a run for the Minnesota Legislature in 2002 as the DFL-endorsed candidate.

During her tenure she served as city council president.

Nesheim and her husband, Frank, previously owned Nesheim Bait and Tackle for 35 years.

MIKE O’ROURKE, associate editor, may be reached at 855-5860 or mike.orourke@brainerddispatch.com. He may be followed at www.twitter.com/MikeORourkenews.