Bill Palmquist
Name: Bill Palmquist
Public Office Sought: Afton Mayor
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 651-308-0569
Website: www.palmquistformayor.com
Twitter handle:
Facebook page: @palmquistformayor
Candidate Bio
I have served as mayor for the past two years. Prior to that I served on the city council for ten years.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
1. Ensure we continue our long-term street revitalization plan so that we are able to maintain our infrastructure in a managed and fiscally responsible manner. 2. Continue to support the preservation of open space, scenic easements, and ensure responsible development. 3. Enhance our efforts to improve safety in the community by dealing with growing traffic and noise issues throughout the city.
How would you characterize the business climate in Afton and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
Our Old Village business district has been impacted by the pandemic as have so many others. The closures and limitations imposed to curb the spread of this disease are especially hard when our businesses make almost all of their revenue in the summer months. With people limiting their travel, we have most likely actually seen an increase in visitors to our city as people are staying closer to home and taking day trips. However, that has not translated into the economic support our business really need right now. What it has done is showcase all our business district has to offer and the large infrastructure investments we have made over the last few years. These investments have enhanced the business climate, and created a bright future for our commercial district.
What role do you think the City should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in, Afton?
As already mentioned, we have just completed a major improvement project in our Old Village commercial district. We have a unique and beautiful location now coupled with modern infrastructure that will benefit our existing and future businesses. Afton also has an industrial zone in the north of our city with easy access to Interstate 94. My goal is to work with any business interested in investing in our city to identify uses and locations that would successfully bring them into our community.
Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in Afton (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of an ordinance on the many types of businesses in Afton and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
Given the small number of businesses and the limitations of the commercial district in terms of expansion, these are not issues we are facing in our city
What are your strategies to address public safety, housing, and transportation issues facing your community?
We are aggressively working to address the issue of traffic safety. We have just made substantial investments in our locals roads, as has Washington County. With these new roads unfortunately comes increased speeds. We have seen a significant rise in the number of vehicles speeding on roads not designed for that level of speed. It is a top property of mine to get that under control for the safety of our residents, and the visitors utilizing our roads.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
We are working hard to keep any increase in the budget to the lowest amount possible. We have seen the impact of COVID-19 and want to be very aware of the hardship many residents are experiencing right now as we continue our long-term budget discussions.
What will you do to expand Afton's tax base?
Afton is a rural community with long-standing zoning and development guidelines designed to preserve that environment. Where I see the real opportunity to broaden our tax base is to work to find the right partners to invest in our industrial zone with businesses that fit with those community goals.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
We have an excellent school district supporting our residents in Afton. I will continue to work to support the district in any way I can to maintain the high level of educational success they have provided for decades.
Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
Rather than cutting back on services we have been investing in our community to provide every home access to high-speed internet service, which is a challenge all rural communities face. We have invested in modern flood controls, stormwater management, and wastewater treatment to the historic portion of our community where lot sizes and proximity to the river made these long-term challenges.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Afton?
Although our city does not have an economic development arm that could be put to work on these issues, our city is committed to creating an environment that is free from discrimination, and welcoming to all. Race or gender will never play a role in how our city and our staff work with existing or potential property owners.
What further policies can Afton adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
As our business district relies a great deal on visitors, we have worked hard to ensure the public spaces that attract our visitors are safe and open, and that visitors feel safe coming to our community and supporting our businesses. This has ranged from installing sanitation stations, providing extra trash receptacles, to getting signage up in our parks. We will continue to monitor the progress of this pandemic and adjust as necessary to help our businesses.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
Thank you for the opportunity to better connect to the voters and to share some of what I hope to accomplish in a second term.
Public Office Sought: Afton Mayor
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 651-308-0569
Website: www.palmquistformayor.com
Twitter handle:
Facebook page: @palmquistformayor
Candidate Bio
I have served as mayor for the past two years. Prior to that I served on the city council for ten years.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
1. Ensure we continue our long-term street revitalization plan so that we are able to maintain our infrastructure in a managed and fiscally responsible manner. 2. Continue to support the preservation of open space, scenic easements, and ensure responsible development. 3. Enhance our efforts to improve safety in the community by dealing with growing traffic and noise issues throughout the city.
How would you characterize the business climate in Afton and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
Our Old Village business district has been impacted by the pandemic as have so many others. The closures and limitations imposed to curb the spread of this disease are especially hard when our businesses make almost all of their revenue in the summer months. With people limiting their travel, we have most likely actually seen an increase in visitors to our city as people are staying closer to home and taking day trips. However, that has not translated into the economic support our business really need right now. What it has done is showcase all our business district has to offer and the large infrastructure investments we have made over the last few years. These investments have enhanced the business climate, and created a bright future for our commercial district.
What role do you think the City should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in, Afton?
As already mentioned, we have just completed a major improvement project in our Old Village commercial district. We have a unique and beautiful location now coupled with modern infrastructure that will benefit our existing and future businesses. Afton also has an industrial zone in the north of our city with easy access to Interstate 94. My goal is to work with any business interested in investing in our city to identify uses and locations that would successfully bring them into our community.
Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in Afton (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of an ordinance on the many types of businesses in Afton and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
Given the small number of businesses and the limitations of the commercial district in terms of expansion, these are not issues we are facing in our city
What are your strategies to address public safety, housing, and transportation issues facing your community?
We are aggressively working to address the issue of traffic safety. We have just made substantial investments in our locals roads, as has Washington County. With these new roads unfortunately comes increased speeds. We have seen a significant rise in the number of vehicles speeding on roads not designed for that level of speed. It is a top property of mine to get that under control for the safety of our residents, and the visitors utilizing our roads.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
We are working hard to keep any increase in the budget to the lowest amount possible. We have seen the impact of COVID-19 and want to be very aware of the hardship many residents are experiencing right now as we continue our long-term budget discussions.
What will you do to expand Afton's tax base?
Afton is a rural community with long-standing zoning and development guidelines designed to preserve that environment. Where I see the real opportunity to broaden our tax base is to work to find the right partners to invest in our industrial zone with businesses that fit with those community goals.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
We have an excellent school district supporting our residents in Afton. I will continue to work to support the district in any way I can to maintain the high level of educational success they have provided for decades.
Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
Rather than cutting back on services we have been investing in our community to provide every home access to high-speed internet service, which is a challenge all rural communities face. We have invested in modern flood controls, stormwater management, and wastewater treatment to the historic portion of our community where lot sizes and proximity to the river made these long-term challenges.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Afton?
Although our city does not have an economic development arm that could be put to work on these issues, our city is committed to creating an environment that is free from discrimination, and welcoming to all. Race or gender will never play a role in how our city and our staff work with existing or potential property owners.
What further policies can Afton adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
As our business district relies a great deal on visitors, we have worked hard to ensure the public spaces that attract our visitors are safe and open, and that visitors feel safe coming to our community and supporting our businesses. This has ranged from installing sanitation stations, providing extra trash receptacles, to getting signage up in our parks. We will continue to monitor the progress of this pandemic and adjust as necessary to help our businesses.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
Thank you for the opportunity to better connect to the voters and to share some of what I hope to accomplish in a second term.