Emily Rousseau
Name: Emily Rousseau
Public Office Sought: Arden Hills City Council
Campaign Phone:
Campaign Website: www.advanceardenhills.com
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/advanceardenhills
Candidate Bio
My decision to seek a position on Arden Hills’ City Council was prompted by my community demanding data based decision-making and an improvement in ethical leadership from our City Council. It is essential for elected officials to treat people respectfully, to encourage, instead of dissuade public comment, and to provide facts on both sides of issues.
My MBA is from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, I am the Data Privacy Manager at a publicly traded corporation. In my role, I analyze state and federal privacy laws and develop enterprise policies and strategies to ensure the company meets legal requirements.
Previously, I was the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s Compliance Officer for the Minnesota Data Practices Act. This law makes local government records accessible to the public. In addition to facilitating government openness, I led risk assessment initiatives and a reaccreditation process based on 158 standards for government.
My husband is a 13-year employee at Boston Scientific. We have two children, one is a graduate from Mounds View High School, the other is starting kindergarten. We are active in our parents’ lives, and understand the balance needed to care for our children, support our seniors, and prepare for the future.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
My top priority is moving forward with the development of the 427-acre mixed-use Rice Creek Commons. It has been three years since Ramsey County filed to dissolve the Joint Development Agreement, with no further momentum. If elected, I would champion this effort, pushing for agreement on the number of housing units and even more importantly, the details included in the master plan. The master plan will provide a vision for quality of life, including economic development, social and recreation amenities, use of natural resources and energy.
My second priority is to increase engagement with community members. Encourgaing public comment, building up our committees, and adding a one-year youth position to our committees.
My third priority is to update zoning requirements, including, permitting modest changes to our aging properties without requiring the submission of a variance and council approval. With new leadership, focused on the future of Arden Hills, these are all achievable within a four-year term.
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?
For the purpose of answering this question, I am going to categorize Arden Hills’ businesses into two distinct categories, as job providers, or providers of services and goods.
Arden Hills is strong in our job provider category; we have more jobs than we have residents to fill them. We have large corporate campuses such as Boston Scientific and Land O’Lakes that have an international presence and hire professionals with specialized educations, we also have many businesses that need entry level workers.
The number of businesses that provide goods and services are not meeting the demand of residents. The city has many young families and these consumers travel to neighboring communities to meet their needs. They travel to Roseville, with its ever-expanding shopping center and multitude of dining opportunities, and to neighboring Shoreview, which draws in consumers with Target, a YMCA, and popular Churchill Street restaurant. Families in Arden Hills rely heavily on delivery and online services to fill retail gaps and to save time.
Although we use deliver services, they are not a substitute for a casual or contemporary casual dining experience. Our residents desire a walkable city where they can safely access restaurants and local businesses with their families and neighbors.
Additionally, senior housing dominates Arden Hills’ new development projects. Expanding senior support services would help improve the quality of life for many residents.
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?
Land O’Lakes and Boston Scientific are international companies that already have a presence in Arden Hills. Boston Scientific has expanded to add a new building and has had multiple projects to add parking to accommodate new employees.
I believe moving forward with the multi-use development of Rice Creek Commons, especially with its business opportunities, would help to fill the goods and services gap in Arden Hills.
Professional employees want hybrid or remote work, they value the time saved from reduced commute times and desire convenience of establishments to fill their daily needs. This location could bring in a minimum of 1500 new homes within walking distance of a corporate campus. Those homeowners would need trades and professional services, entertainment, and retail. In addition to the homeowners at the development, the expanded offerings will benefit all citizens.
Furthermore, Arden Hills’ Economic Development Commission has not met since February of 2020. This committees’ subject matter experts should be advising the Council on decisions related to business’ needs and development. Arden Hills would benefit greatly by supporting and collaborating with this committee.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address the labor shortage?
The Rice Creek Commons should include housing affordable for all workforce employees: teachers, childcare providers, the caregivers at Presbyterian Homes, and the people who stock our grocery stores should all be given equal access to quality housing in a wonderful and safe community.
Additionally, we have two colleges in the southwest corner of Arden Hills with many underclassmen not having access to a personal vehicle. If we connect our long-planned trail system, these students could safely bike or walk to the northeastern side of our city which has the need for many part-time employees.
Do you support any 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?
Due to the size of Arden Hills, implementing these types of requirements at the municipal level would not provide Arden Hills businesses a competitive advantage for attracting employees. I am open to discussions about employment-related proposals at a regional level.
Public safety and rising crime rates are of serious concern to the business community and residents. What strategies or policies would you propose to address public safety issues facing your community?
Arden Hills needs to base its decision making on data, and public safety is no exception. Arden Hills is one of seven cities that contracts with the Ramsey County Sherrif’s Office (RCSO). I would welcome the opportunity to connect with those other cities and determine if there is an interest in developing a Memorandum of Understanding to create a feedback loop with Ramsey County and the RCSO about its data and the effectiveness of programs. This strategic collaboration would give us an opportunity to use lessons learned from surrounding areas, pool resources, and work together to create more focused plans, based on what the data and citizens are telling us about what’s going on in our community.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address housing issues facing your community?
Arden Hills has a housing shortage and population growth has been negligible since the 1980s. The best strategy to increase our population without disrupting our current communities would be moving the development of Rice Creek Commons forward. We have the opportunity to add 1500-2500 units at this location, some of which would be rental units that are currently lacking in our community. Arden Hills needs to include housing for renters and first-time home buyers, as well as mature families and senior housing.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address transportation issues facing your community? Have your strategies or views changed on transportation since we’ve seen shifts in road use, public transportation use, work from home models, etc. due to the pandemic?
I am a remote worker, and my husband can walk to work. Employees see flexibility in work location as an incredible time-saving benefit and this provides a competitive advantage for employers. Employees that are hybrid or require a physical presence also prefer to choose employers closer to home based on this time-saving factor. As stated in #4, lets complete the multi-use development of Rice Creek Commons where homes and jobs could be located within a walkable or bikeable distance from each other.
Many families are also considering whether they could downsize to one vehicle and bike to work. They embrace an active living lifestyle, or the cost of multiple vehicles is a factor in this decision. Our incomplete and unsafe trail system is often cited as a deterrent; I would like to finish connecting our long-planned trail system.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
Arden Hills’ total revenue for 2021 was $14 million. This allows Arden Hills to provide minimum services. It no longer has a parks department and neighborhoods are often assessed for pavement rehabilitation, costing individual households thousands of dollars. We cannot afford to cut back or further eliminate services. To keep our taxes low and have money to invest in infrastructure and amenities similar to what is offered by surrounding communities, we will need to invest in something that will provide a return on investment. The most efficient way to do this is to develop the 427-acres at Rice Creek Commons. This will increase the number of taxpayers and the number of businesses, providing long-term sustainability.
What will you do to expand Arden Hills’s tax base?
I will do all that I can to move Rice Creek Commons forward so we can add homes and businesses.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Rice Creek Commons needs to include housing more accessible to those earning less than our society’s top earners. Teachers and other workers supporting education often have below median incomes and developing this site would encourage teachers to move to our area.
In addition, we have many students at Bethel and Northwestern, and many of our children want to raise their families where they grew up. If we provide lifecycle housing, we can attract residents that are beginning to build equity early in their careers and attract those educated in our community to stay!
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?
Arden Hills has one of the lowest tax rates in the region and provides minimum public services. As noted in answer #10, we no longer have a parks department and households in a neighborhood can be individually assessed thousands of dollars for pavement rehabilitation. We cannot afford to cut back or further eliminate services. Residents would like the city to reach an agreement with Shoreview or New Brighton for use of their community center facilities at a rate similar to their residents.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Arden Hills?
There is a gap in opportunities for women and for minorities. Although our city has a small population (approximately 10,000), the City Council should acknowledge and address this issue. One small, but achievable step the City Council could take to support these business owners would be to highlight them on the City’s website and in its monthly newsletter.
What further policies can Arden Hills adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
Bethel and Northwestern Colleges have many students that could fill part-time, entry level positions. Improving the trails system so they do not need cars to get to the northeast side of the city, where many retailers and fast-casual/fast-food restaurants are located is a good first step.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
Arden Hills’ residents need leadership turnover if we want a city that will offer a high quality of life for our current and future generations. I am one of four candidates running on a slate called Advance Arden Hills. Please visit our website at www.advanceardenhills.com to learn more about the other candidates and our vision for the city.
Public Office Sought: Arden Hills City Council
Campaign Phone:
Campaign Website: www.advanceardenhills.com
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/advanceardenhills
Candidate Bio
My decision to seek a position on Arden Hills’ City Council was prompted by my community demanding data based decision-making and an improvement in ethical leadership from our City Council. It is essential for elected officials to treat people respectfully, to encourage, instead of dissuade public comment, and to provide facts on both sides of issues.
My MBA is from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, I am the Data Privacy Manager at a publicly traded corporation. In my role, I analyze state and federal privacy laws and develop enterprise policies and strategies to ensure the company meets legal requirements.
Previously, I was the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s Compliance Officer for the Minnesota Data Practices Act. This law makes local government records accessible to the public. In addition to facilitating government openness, I led risk assessment initiatives and a reaccreditation process based on 158 standards for government.
My husband is a 13-year employee at Boston Scientific. We have two children, one is a graduate from Mounds View High School, the other is starting kindergarten. We are active in our parents’ lives, and understand the balance needed to care for our children, support our seniors, and prepare for the future.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
My top priority is moving forward with the development of the 427-acre mixed-use Rice Creek Commons. It has been three years since Ramsey County filed to dissolve the Joint Development Agreement, with no further momentum. If elected, I would champion this effort, pushing for agreement on the number of housing units and even more importantly, the details included in the master plan. The master plan will provide a vision for quality of life, including economic development, social and recreation amenities, use of natural resources and energy.
My second priority is to increase engagement with community members. Encourgaing public comment, building up our committees, and adding a one-year youth position to our committees.
My third priority is to update zoning requirements, including, permitting modest changes to our aging properties without requiring the submission of a variance and council approval. With new leadership, focused on the future of Arden Hills, these are all achievable within a four-year term.
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?
For the purpose of answering this question, I am going to categorize Arden Hills’ businesses into two distinct categories, as job providers, or providers of services and goods.
Arden Hills is strong in our job provider category; we have more jobs than we have residents to fill them. We have large corporate campuses such as Boston Scientific and Land O’Lakes that have an international presence and hire professionals with specialized educations, we also have many businesses that need entry level workers.
The number of businesses that provide goods and services are not meeting the demand of residents. The city has many young families and these consumers travel to neighboring communities to meet their needs. They travel to Roseville, with its ever-expanding shopping center and multitude of dining opportunities, and to neighboring Shoreview, which draws in consumers with Target, a YMCA, and popular Churchill Street restaurant. Families in Arden Hills rely heavily on delivery and online services to fill retail gaps and to save time.
Although we use deliver services, they are not a substitute for a casual or contemporary casual dining experience. Our residents desire a walkable city where they can safely access restaurants and local businesses with their families and neighbors.
Additionally, senior housing dominates Arden Hills’ new development projects. Expanding senior support services would help improve the quality of life for many residents.
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?
Land O’Lakes and Boston Scientific are international companies that already have a presence in Arden Hills. Boston Scientific has expanded to add a new building and has had multiple projects to add parking to accommodate new employees.
I believe moving forward with the multi-use development of Rice Creek Commons, especially with its business opportunities, would help to fill the goods and services gap in Arden Hills.
Professional employees want hybrid or remote work, they value the time saved from reduced commute times and desire convenience of establishments to fill their daily needs. This location could bring in a minimum of 1500 new homes within walking distance of a corporate campus. Those homeowners would need trades and professional services, entertainment, and retail. In addition to the homeowners at the development, the expanded offerings will benefit all citizens.
Furthermore, Arden Hills’ Economic Development Commission has not met since February of 2020. This committees’ subject matter experts should be advising the Council on decisions related to business’ needs and development. Arden Hills would benefit greatly by supporting and collaborating with this committee.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address the labor shortage?
The Rice Creek Commons should include housing affordable for all workforce employees: teachers, childcare providers, the caregivers at Presbyterian Homes, and the people who stock our grocery stores should all be given equal access to quality housing in a wonderful and safe community.
Additionally, we have two colleges in the southwest corner of Arden Hills with many underclassmen not having access to a personal vehicle. If we connect our long-planned trail system, these students could safely bike or walk to the northeastern side of our city which has the need for many part-time employees.
Do you support any 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?
Due to the size of Arden Hills, implementing these types of requirements at the municipal level would not provide Arden Hills businesses a competitive advantage for attracting employees. I am open to discussions about employment-related proposals at a regional level.
Public safety and rising crime rates are of serious concern to the business community and residents. What strategies or policies would you propose to address public safety issues facing your community?
Arden Hills needs to base its decision making on data, and public safety is no exception. Arden Hills is one of seven cities that contracts with the Ramsey County Sherrif’s Office (RCSO). I would welcome the opportunity to connect with those other cities and determine if there is an interest in developing a Memorandum of Understanding to create a feedback loop with Ramsey County and the RCSO about its data and the effectiveness of programs. This strategic collaboration would give us an opportunity to use lessons learned from surrounding areas, pool resources, and work together to create more focused plans, based on what the data and citizens are telling us about what’s going on in our community.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address housing issues facing your community?
Arden Hills has a housing shortage and population growth has been negligible since the 1980s. The best strategy to increase our population without disrupting our current communities would be moving the development of Rice Creek Commons forward. We have the opportunity to add 1500-2500 units at this location, some of which would be rental units that are currently lacking in our community. Arden Hills needs to include housing for renters and first-time home buyers, as well as mature families and senior housing.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address transportation issues facing your community? Have your strategies or views changed on transportation since we’ve seen shifts in road use, public transportation use, work from home models, etc. due to the pandemic?
I am a remote worker, and my husband can walk to work. Employees see flexibility in work location as an incredible time-saving benefit and this provides a competitive advantage for employers. Employees that are hybrid or require a physical presence also prefer to choose employers closer to home based on this time-saving factor. As stated in #4, lets complete the multi-use development of Rice Creek Commons where homes and jobs could be located within a walkable or bikeable distance from each other.
Many families are also considering whether they could downsize to one vehicle and bike to work. They embrace an active living lifestyle, or the cost of multiple vehicles is a factor in this decision. Our incomplete and unsafe trail system is often cited as a deterrent; I would like to finish connecting our long-planned trail system.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
Arden Hills’ total revenue for 2021 was $14 million. This allows Arden Hills to provide minimum services. It no longer has a parks department and neighborhoods are often assessed for pavement rehabilitation, costing individual households thousands of dollars. We cannot afford to cut back or further eliminate services. To keep our taxes low and have money to invest in infrastructure and amenities similar to what is offered by surrounding communities, we will need to invest in something that will provide a return on investment. The most efficient way to do this is to develop the 427-acres at Rice Creek Commons. This will increase the number of taxpayers and the number of businesses, providing long-term sustainability.
What will you do to expand Arden Hills’s tax base?
I will do all that I can to move Rice Creek Commons forward so we can add homes and businesses.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Rice Creek Commons needs to include housing more accessible to those earning less than our society’s top earners. Teachers and other workers supporting education often have below median incomes and developing this site would encourage teachers to move to our area.
In addition, we have many students at Bethel and Northwestern, and many of our children want to raise their families where they grew up. If we provide lifecycle housing, we can attract residents that are beginning to build equity early in their careers and attract those educated in our community to stay!
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?
Arden Hills has one of the lowest tax rates in the region and provides minimum public services. As noted in answer #10, we no longer have a parks department and households in a neighborhood can be individually assessed thousands of dollars for pavement rehabilitation. We cannot afford to cut back or further eliminate services. Residents would like the city to reach an agreement with Shoreview or New Brighton for use of their community center facilities at a rate similar to their residents.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Arden Hills?
There is a gap in opportunities for women and for minorities. Although our city has a small population (approximately 10,000), the City Council should acknowledge and address this issue. One small, but achievable step the City Council could take to support these business owners would be to highlight them on the City’s website and in its monthly newsletter.
What further policies can Arden Hills adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
Bethel and Northwestern Colleges have many students that could fill part-time, entry level positions. Improving the trails system so they do not need cars to get to the northeast side of the city, where many retailers and fast-casual/fast-food restaurants are located is a good first step.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
Arden Hills’ residents need leadership turnover if we want a city that will offer a high quality of life for our current and future generations. I am one of four candidates running on a slate called Advance Arden Hills. Please visit our website at www.advanceardenhills.com to learn more about the other candidates and our vision for the city.