Bobby Goldman
Name: Bobby Goldman
Public Office Sought: Arden Hills City Council
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 651-280-9917
Website: www.goldmanforardenhills.com
Twitter handle: @GoldmanForAH
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/goldmanforAH
Candidate Bio
Arden Hills is special to me, and has been a part of my life for nearly 25 years. I grew up here, went to school here, and moved back here following college. As a lifelong resident I’m passionate about the future of our city, and I want to see it succeed.
Over the past two years I’ve worked in multiple political and government affairs roles. I staffed for multiple state legislative campaigns during the 2018 midterms. Most recently I was a Government Affairs Director with the Saint Paul Area Association of REALTORS (SPAAR). My work has shown me how elected officials can be creative and ambitious in moving their cities forward. It's also allowed me to build valuable relationships with both local and state officials.
I graduated from Hamline University with a B.A. in Political Science and History. I plan to pursue a master’s degree in public administration this fall.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Resolving the gridlock preventing the development of the TCAAP/Rice Creek Commons Site
The 427-acre TCAAP/Rice Creek Commons site offers arguably the best opportunity to add needed housing, businesses, jobs, and transit connections to the north metro. Upon election I intend to bring a new voice to Arden Hills City Council that’s truly interested in finding common ground with Ramsey County in moving this project forward.
Guiding the city through the financial and public health impacts of COVID-19 while protecting local businesses
Almost every city government regionally and nationally is faced with the prospect of budget and service cuts due to decreased revenues. Weathering this extreme economic downturn will demand a combination of tough decision making and creative maneuvering. I also believe that our local businesses deserve timely public health updates and economic assistance information. As seen with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and other federal and state resources time is of the essence. As a candidate I’ve made it a priority to reach out to local businesses to inform them whenever federal, state, and local aid programs are available.
Community input and equity
Our elected officials should be accessible, responsive, and have the entire community’s interests in mind. I aim to bring a needed new perspective to City Council in order to ensure all Arden Hills residents are heard and represented. Our city must also prioritize policies that ensure Arden Hills is a more welcoming, equitable, and inclusive community for everyone, which is often missing from our current city leadership. One step towards achieving this is increasing outreach and support for BIPOC community members as well as traditionally ignored groups, such as renters and younger residents. Another step would be the formation of an Arden Hills Human Rights Commission.
How would you characterize the business climate in Arden Hills and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
Before the impact of COVID-19 the business climate in Arden Hills was relatively strong. We have a healthy mix of corporate companies and small local businesses. Our city's population of roughly 10,000 residents is outnumbered by the 11,000 employees who normally work in Arden Hills. COVID-19 has changed the dynamic of the local business climate by forcing many of these employees to work remotely. The absence of this consumer base has hurt local businesses and restaurants who depended on the weekday lunch crowd.
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, Arden Hills?
In order to attract and retain businesses Arden Hills needs to expand upon the resources and information provided by Ramsey County Means Business. This means exploring a city-specific economic development website as surrounding cities like Shoreview have done. Doing so would create a more tailored and centralized source of information that could meet the needs of both current and prospective businesses.
Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in Arden Hills (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 Arden Hills and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I am in support of a living wage. However, we are in the midst of an election year that’ll likely determine the outcome of many of these policies statewide. I believe Arden Hills is best served to wait and see what the state government does in 2021 instead of moving forward with its own policies.
What are your strategies to address public safety, housing, and transportation issues facing your community?
The lack of diverse transportation and transit options in Arden Hills has a direct impact on our local economy and business development. For low-income workers the lack of transit is a threat to finding viable employment in the area. One of my priorities on City Council is advocating for the extension of the A-Line BRT into Arden Hills and Shoreview. Doing so would connect the current terminus at Rosedale Mall to the future Rice Creek Commons site. The route of this extension would likely run through Lexington Avenue, and in the process include large portions of Arden Hills’ business and commercial district.
Housing is also severely restricted in our community. There’s a severe lack of both affordable single family homes and rental units. When the average sales price of a home in Arden Hills is over $340,000 it limits who can live and work in your community. This limits the workforce available locally to many businesses. I intend to push for deeper affordability and more units of housing on the TCAAP/Rice Creek Commons site to alleviate the lack of diverse housing options here in Arden Hills. I also intend to remove some of the exclusionary zoning practices that drive up the costs of homes.
Public safety has rightly been a point of focus since the death of George Floyd. Cities such as Arden Hills too often shy away from discussions of systemic racism in law enforcement and within our own communities. Rebuilding trust between police and their communities will require deep and meaningful policing reforms. I look forward to ensuring that Arden Hills’ policing contract with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department reflects the concerns and priorities of residents while ensuring that public safety is preserved.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
My priorities for the budget focus on preserving the bulk of city services while preventing an overburdensome property tax increase for residents and businesses during a time of extreme economic hardship. I also want to avoid further furloughs or layoffs of city staff if possible. The length of the COVID-19 public health and economic crisis will determine if these priorities remain possible in the future.
What will you do to expand Arden Hill's tax base?
The development of the TCAAP/Rice Creek Commons site is the most straightforward way to expand our city’s tax base. The added commercial, retail, and residential space will help spread out the property tax burden. Other opportunities for redevelopment exist with unused or underutilized properties such as the Pot o’ Gold Bingo site (Snelling and County Rd E) and the Lake Johanna Fire Department Station #1 site.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Arden Hills is located within the Mounds View and Roseville School Districts. Our city is also home to Bethel University and a portion of the University of Northwestern. As an alumni of Mounds View High School I believe that there’s an enormous opportunity for the City of Arden Hills to connect local businesses to our educational institutions. Whether it’s creating pathways for students to gain work experience through internships, or introducing students to different careers through business visits, we can provide and retain a qualified and diverse workforce in our community.
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?
While there aren’t any city services that I believe should be cut back on, the City of Arden Hills could better partner with other local entities like Ramsey County. The protracted legal battle with Ramsey County over the TCAAP/Rice Creek Commons redevelopment has tainted the collaboration needed between our local units of government.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Arden Hills?
The City of Arden Hills can play a large role in attracting and fostering increased BIPOC- and women-owned businesses in Arden Hills. Our city can help foster these businesses by better promoting services such as Ramsey County’s Open for Business. The City Council could also explore a microloan program in the future for BIPOC- and women-owned start-ups.
What further policies can Arden Hills adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
It’s vital for Arden Hills to move forward with urgency in establishing and distributing financial assistance to local small businesses that have been directly impacted by the COVID-19. I’m encouraged to see the City of Arden Hills moving forward with a business grant program funded through a portion of the city’s CARES Act allocation.
This first round of grant funding will be important toward easing the negative impacts of COVID-19. Beyond direct financial assistance, I believe the City of Arden Hills must improve the channels of communication to local businesses in regards eligibility and applications for other local, state, and federal grant and loan programs.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
I’ve been proud to witness how our city has changed and grown over the years. Yet, despite this change, our city has often failed to fully meet the needs of residents and businesses. During our time of unprecedented circumstances and challenges I look forward to bringing a new voice of professionalism and resourcefulness to our local government.
Public Office Sought: Arden Hills City Council
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 651-280-9917
Website: www.goldmanforardenhills.com
Twitter handle: @GoldmanForAH
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/goldmanforAH
Candidate Bio
Arden Hills is special to me, and has been a part of my life for nearly 25 years. I grew up here, went to school here, and moved back here following college. As a lifelong resident I’m passionate about the future of our city, and I want to see it succeed.
Over the past two years I’ve worked in multiple political and government affairs roles. I staffed for multiple state legislative campaigns during the 2018 midterms. Most recently I was a Government Affairs Director with the Saint Paul Area Association of REALTORS (SPAAR). My work has shown me how elected officials can be creative and ambitious in moving their cities forward. It's also allowed me to build valuable relationships with both local and state officials.
I graduated from Hamline University with a B.A. in Political Science and History. I plan to pursue a master’s degree in public administration this fall.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Resolving the gridlock preventing the development of the TCAAP/Rice Creek Commons Site
The 427-acre TCAAP/Rice Creek Commons site offers arguably the best opportunity to add needed housing, businesses, jobs, and transit connections to the north metro. Upon election I intend to bring a new voice to Arden Hills City Council that’s truly interested in finding common ground with Ramsey County in moving this project forward.
Guiding the city through the financial and public health impacts of COVID-19 while protecting local businesses
Almost every city government regionally and nationally is faced with the prospect of budget and service cuts due to decreased revenues. Weathering this extreme economic downturn will demand a combination of tough decision making and creative maneuvering. I also believe that our local businesses deserve timely public health updates and economic assistance information. As seen with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and other federal and state resources time is of the essence. As a candidate I’ve made it a priority to reach out to local businesses to inform them whenever federal, state, and local aid programs are available.
Community input and equity
Our elected officials should be accessible, responsive, and have the entire community’s interests in mind. I aim to bring a needed new perspective to City Council in order to ensure all Arden Hills residents are heard and represented. Our city must also prioritize policies that ensure Arden Hills is a more welcoming, equitable, and inclusive community for everyone, which is often missing from our current city leadership. One step towards achieving this is increasing outreach and support for BIPOC community members as well as traditionally ignored groups, such as renters and younger residents. Another step would be the formation of an Arden Hills Human Rights Commission.
How would you characterize the business climate in Arden Hills and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
Before the impact of COVID-19 the business climate in Arden Hills was relatively strong. We have a healthy mix of corporate companies and small local businesses. Our city's population of roughly 10,000 residents is outnumbered by the 11,000 employees who normally work in Arden Hills. COVID-19 has changed the dynamic of the local business climate by forcing many of these employees to work remotely. The absence of this consumer base has hurt local businesses and restaurants who depended on the weekday lunch crowd.
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, Arden Hills?
In order to attract and retain businesses Arden Hills needs to expand upon the resources and information provided by Ramsey County Means Business. This means exploring a city-specific economic development website as surrounding cities like Shoreview have done. Doing so would create a more tailored and centralized source of information that could meet the needs of both current and prospective businesses.
Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in Arden Hills (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 Arden Hills and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I am in support of a living wage. However, we are in the midst of an election year that’ll likely determine the outcome of many of these policies statewide. I believe Arden Hills is best served to wait and see what the state government does in 2021 instead of moving forward with its own policies.
What are your strategies to address public safety, housing, and transportation issues facing your community?
The lack of diverse transportation and transit options in Arden Hills has a direct impact on our local economy and business development. For low-income workers the lack of transit is a threat to finding viable employment in the area. One of my priorities on City Council is advocating for the extension of the A-Line BRT into Arden Hills and Shoreview. Doing so would connect the current terminus at Rosedale Mall to the future Rice Creek Commons site. The route of this extension would likely run through Lexington Avenue, and in the process include large portions of Arden Hills’ business and commercial district.
Housing is also severely restricted in our community. There’s a severe lack of both affordable single family homes and rental units. When the average sales price of a home in Arden Hills is over $340,000 it limits who can live and work in your community. This limits the workforce available locally to many businesses. I intend to push for deeper affordability and more units of housing on the TCAAP/Rice Creek Commons site to alleviate the lack of diverse housing options here in Arden Hills. I also intend to remove some of the exclusionary zoning practices that drive up the costs of homes.
Public safety has rightly been a point of focus since the death of George Floyd. Cities such as Arden Hills too often shy away from discussions of systemic racism in law enforcement and within our own communities. Rebuilding trust between police and their communities will require deep and meaningful policing reforms. I look forward to ensuring that Arden Hills’ policing contract with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department reflects the concerns and priorities of residents while ensuring that public safety is preserved.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
My priorities for the budget focus on preserving the bulk of city services while preventing an overburdensome property tax increase for residents and businesses during a time of extreme economic hardship. I also want to avoid further furloughs or layoffs of city staff if possible. The length of the COVID-19 public health and economic crisis will determine if these priorities remain possible in the future.
What will you do to expand Arden Hill's tax base?
The development of the TCAAP/Rice Creek Commons site is the most straightforward way to expand our city’s tax base. The added commercial, retail, and residential space will help spread out the property tax burden. Other opportunities for redevelopment exist with unused or underutilized properties such as the Pot o’ Gold Bingo site (Snelling and County Rd E) and the Lake Johanna Fire Department Station #1 site.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Arden Hills is located within the Mounds View and Roseville School Districts. Our city is also home to Bethel University and a portion of the University of Northwestern. As an alumni of Mounds View High School I believe that there’s an enormous opportunity for the City of Arden Hills to connect local businesses to our educational institutions. Whether it’s creating pathways for students to gain work experience through internships, or introducing students to different careers through business visits, we can provide and retain a qualified and diverse workforce in our community.
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?
While there aren’t any city services that I believe should be cut back on, the City of Arden Hills could better partner with other local entities like Ramsey County. The protracted legal battle with Ramsey County over the TCAAP/Rice Creek Commons redevelopment has tainted the collaboration needed between our local units of government.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Arden Hills?
The City of Arden Hills can play a large role in attracting and fostering increased BIPOC- and women-owned businesses in Arden Hills. Our city can help foster these businesses by better promoting services such as Ramsey County’s Open for Business. The City Council could also explore a microloan program in the future for BIPOC- and women-owned start-ups.
What further policies can Arden Hills adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
It’s vital for Arden Hills to move forward with urgency in establishing and distributing financial assistance to local small businesses that have been directly impacted by the COVID-19. I’m encouraged to see the City of Arden Hills moving forward with a business grant program funded through a portion of the city’s CARES Act allocation.
This first round of grant funding will be important toward easing the negative impacts of COVID-19. Beyond direct financial assistance, I believe the City of Arden Hills must improve the channels of communication to local businesses in regards eligibility and applications for other local, state, and federal grant and loan programs.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
I’ve been proud to witness how our city has changed and grown over the years. Yet, despite this change, our city has often failed to fully meet the needs of residents and businesses. During our time of unprecedented circumstances and challenges I look forward to bringing a new voice of professionalism and resourcefulness to our local government.