Jim Bull
Name: Jim Bull
Public Office Sought: Roseville City Council
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 612-719-6613
Website: www.JimBullForRoseville.com
Facebook: Jim Bull for Roseville City Council
Candidate Bio
I am serving my second three-year term with the Roseville Planning Commission, appointed and reappointed by the City Council. My fellow commissioners elected me to serve as Vice Chair in each of the past two years, and I was appointed to the Roseville Ethics Commission, where I have served since 2017.
Being part of the Planning Commission has given me much insight to land-use challenges, local development, redevelopment options, and ways to improve our city codes and our city. It’s also been a great privilege to be part of the team leading the update of the Roseville 2040 Comprehensive Plan.
I am a graduate of the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
As a professional IT Management Consultant with over three decades of experience in large corporations, I have led multi-million dollar projects throughout my career, managing the activities, financials, cost/benefit analyses, negotiations, and risk management. I am a former small-business owner, and understand the challenges owners and managers face as they navigate employment, benefit, and regulatory challenges.
I am a US Army Veteran and former volunteer fireman and EMT, have a wide variety of interests and hobbies including beekeeping, gardening, and volunteering in my community.
Business climate
1. How would you characterize the business climate in Roseville?
I would say the business climate in Roseville is filled with opportunity. The economy is in a great position, and we see several companies locating their headquarters here, and new food establishments opening. Our city is embracing a new direction to Community Mixed Use zoning that has proven very effective in other metro cities, and there will be even more opportunities for small and family owned businesses to operate in our neighborhoods.
2. 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, Roseville?
I think the City plays a partnership role with attracting and retaining businesses in Roseville. As part of the City Council, I will work to keep Roseville a great place to live and work by providing directions on housing, city services, parks, and transportation. It is also important to have a city that's attractive to the workforce. We want to have a high quality of life to attract workers to live in Roseville, not just good for the businesses and business owners. Ideally there's a good balance between a desirable business environment, and maintaining the historical wonderful culture and feel of our neighborhoods. The City Council also plays a role with the Economic Development Authority to assist businesses interested in locating in Roseville.
3. Would you support hiring a business advocate as a member of the city senior staff, to concentrate on business retention and expansion; new business recruitment; and business impact of proposed regulations on the business climate in Roseville?
I think Roseville has strong leadership in the City Manager, Community Development Director, and the department heads. The City recently added an Assistant City Manager and Assistant Community Development Director to staff. This enables the City Manager and Community Development Director to concentrate on business and other high-level responsibilities. We have recently seen an expansion at Rosedale Mall, new restaurants, and have two new company headquarters relocating to Roseville. I would always be open to evaluating the additional need for hiring a business advocate and other subject matter experts based upon the desired duties, derived benefits, and cost to the City.
4. Do you support an increase to the minimum wage in Roseville? If so, what specific steps would you take to understand the impact of an increase on the many types of businesses in Roseville and do you support proposals to mitigate the effects on businesses like a tip credit, a youth wage, a training wage, and/or a phase-in?
Minimum wage is a tough question as there are many aspects to take into consideration. As a former small business owner, I understand the impacts to employees and the business on the wages paid. Each business needs to accommodate employees with wages that enable them to meet life’s requirements, while the business affords to operate profitably. My preference is to not regulate the wages that must be paid, but let the market determine the right amounts to attract the quality employees they need. We are in competition for both businesses and people who work at them -- the right wages will resolve at the point where we are a destination city for both. As far as the programs, I want to keep it simple for businesses to operate, and I think they should be in control of how they need to manage employees and wages.
5. Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in Roseville (such as mandatory sick time or scheduling notice)? If so, what specific steps would you take to understand the impact of an increase on the many types of businesses in Roseville and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?’
Again, I support business rights to attract and retain their employees with the wages and benefits that are competitive across our metro area. I feel these programs are much better enacted by the state and federal government than the city council. I would support and encourage involvement and communication with our business entities and our worker population to engage on the types of programs that might be considered. In this way our city is represented to help drive the best outcomes for our city and state.
6. How would you support tourism and its economic impact on the City of Roseville? How would you increase the number of visitors to our destinations (creating a ‘downtown’ walkable area, producing wayfinding and welcome signage, etc.)?
I think the Roseville Oval and Park System are examples of public tourism draws. Then we have Rosedale Center for shopping enthusiasts. The Roseville Rosefest has over a week of various activities that draw runners, music lovers, fireworks enthusiasts, and families that want to enjoy the festivities in our wonderful city. I would help to publicize our tourism opportunities and seek the funding to keep our facilities as Best In Class locations. We recently completed the facility reconstruction at Cedarholm Golf Course. We have an opportunity for re-development of Har Mar Mall to increase the attraction of people to Roseville. Besides the locations and publicity, I would support increased walking and biking access the areas in our City. We need more connectivity, as in our 2040 Comprehensive Plan that was led by me and other Planning Commission colleagues.
Public safety
7. What is your strategy to address public safety concerns?
Public safety starts with a culture of safety. The more people involved, the smoother it will work. And we need the professional services of our Police and Fire departments. I want to keep the transparency our Police department has shown. My strategy is to have the right funding to provide adequate police and fire resources and training to protect our community. The right funding comes from an analysis of what is the appropriate level of public safety services needed vs. managing the cost to our citizens.
Budget
8. What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
My priorities are to make sound investment and operational decisions. We need to constantly weigh the cost to our citizens with the benefits the spending will provide. In my management consulting role, all projects customarily have a business case with a cost/benefit analysis, and determine capital investments to enable the corporations to execute while controlling current and future costs. Roseville residents have experienced some bumps in taxes and water bills in the past several years, and I understand how important it is to keep taxes stable, especially for our senior citizens, those on fixed incomes, and people striving to support their family.
9. How do you view the relationship between commercial and residential property taxes?
I view both segments of the property tax base as important contributors to the funding of City services. We are fortunate to have a good business climate in Roseville to attract and keep business and share the funding resources to run the city for those businesses and residents. Maintaining a balance will be one of my priorities because if the burden becomes too much on either group, they could leave our city, which would lower the tax base and shift the funding. Growth, stability, and balance are key factors between the businesses and residents property taxes.
10. What will you do to expand Roseville’s tax base?
Roseville does not have a significant amount of land to develop, so we will look to redevelopment in the future. I think the change to more community mixed use will provide opportunities to expand the tax base with multi-level business and family units. In addition, I would support redevelopment of some industrial space in ways that will expand Roseville’s tax base.
Workforce development
11. How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
I think the biggest influence on an educated workforce is the socio-economic culture of the area. I will work with businesses, trade schools, and Universities in our area to promote the demand for educated workers. As a continuing education student that worked full time while completing my degree, I know the challenges of family, work, and education. I also see in my family the demands on trade school / university decisions to be made for a career path. I will work to encourage business and school partnerships with internships, scholarships, pre-paid tuition programs that would benefit and retain our educated workers in our community.
12. What do you see as the city council’s role with regard to Roseville Public Schools?
I see the City Council’s role with the Roseville Public Schools as being a supporting entity to the two School Districts that serve our residents. The City certainly helps ensure the staff and students have safe facilities, environments, transportation, and pedestrian lanes. And the city council assists the school boards with land development opportunities. The City Council has established joint programs with the schools for after school care and educational opportunities. I will push to work even more closely with our local K-12 leaders to identify ways to collaborate that could prove beneficial to both the city and the schools
Other
13. What is the biggest challenge facing the city and how would you address it?
I think Roseville is a great city to live, work, shop, and visit. The biggest challenge is to keep it that way in the face of changes to population, environment, technology, and economic factors. This is where my leadership and experience stands out being accustomed to managing large corporate initiatives, million-dollar budget decisions, cost/benefit analysis, risk management, negotiations, and communications. Paired with my experience on the Roseville Planning Commission for the past 3+ years, I have the knowhow to deliver results.
14. What would be your top three priorities if elected?
My top three priorities would be the completion of the Roseville 2040 Comprehensive Plan, Incorporating the zoning changes that are commensurate with the Comp Plan changes, and ensuring we properly manage to our budget to provide the desired results. The Comp Plan is our roadmap to how we want to guide Roseville into the next 20 years, with some specific objectives and measures to know how we are doing. We need to complete the work of the Comp Plan by making the necessary zoning changes to align with the comprehensive planning districts. This effort will allow developers to more easily evaluate and act on the opportunities to develop/re-develop in Roseville, while continuing to adhere to the culture we enjoy with our parks, wetlands, and open spaces. Our budgeting provides for funding of essential services aligned to thoughtful cost/benefit analysis of the investments needed and impact to our taxpayers. Budgeting and controlled spending is always a priority as the City generates little of its own revenue but relies on the taxes of others.
15. What do you think should be the city’s top transportation related priority?
I think the city’s top transportation priority needs to be how to move people throughout Roseville efficiently, effectively, and safely. We have some great connectivity to the major cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul when people can get to those connection points. We need to expand the pedestrian and biking access within our city.
16. Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Or, are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
I believe Roseville is a lean operation relative to many of our neighboring cities and has proven to use a continuous improvement model to align with the needs of the city in a very efficient manner. I don’t see any service that I would recommend cutting back at this time.
17. Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
I believe members of the Roseville City Council must possess the ability and willingness to analyze a wide variety of subjects, and make decisions for the stability and growth of our community. I have the skills and experience that make me qualified for the Roseville City Council.
I am committed to be an independent, non-partisan candidate without endorsements or financial support from any political party. There is no need for political party platform and influence in our city government. My priorities follow my guiding principal: ‘Do the Right Things for the Right Reasons’
Public Office Sought: Roseville City Council
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 612-719-6613
Website: www.JimBullForRoseville.com
Facebook: Jim Bull for Roseville City Council
Candidate Bio
I am serving my second three-year term with the Roseville Planning Commission, appointed and reappointed by the City Council. My fellow commissioners elected me to serve as Vice Chair in each of the past two years, and I was appointed to the Roseville Ethics Commission, where I have served since 2017.
Being part of the Planning Commission has given me much insight to land-use challenges, local development, redevelopment options, and ways to improve our city codes and our city. It’s also been a great privilege to be part of the team leading the update of the Roseville 2040 Comprehensive Plan.
I am a graduate of the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
As a professional IT Management Consultant with over three decades of experience in large corporations, I have led multi-million dollar projects throughout my career, managing the activities, financials, cost/benefit analyses, negotiations, and risk management. I am a former small-business owner, and understand the challenges owners and managers face as they navigate employment, benefit, and regulatory challenges.
I am a US Army Veteran and former volunteer fireman and EMT, have a wide variety of interests and hobbies including beekeeping, gardening, and volunteering in my community.
Business climate
1. How would you characterize the business climate in Roseville?
I would say the business climate in Roseville is filled with opportunity. The economy is in a great position, and we see several companies locating their headquarters here, and new food establishments opening. Our city is embracing a new direction to Community Mixed Use zoning that has proven very effective in other metro cities, and there will be even more opportunities for small and family owned businesses to operate in our neighborhoods.
2. 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, Roseville?
I think the City plays a partnership role with attracting and retaining businesses in Roseville. As part of the City Council, I will work to keep Roseville a great place to live and work by providing directions on housing, city services, parks, and transportation. It is also important to have a city that's attractive to the workforce. We want to have a high quality of life to attract workers to live in Roseville, not just good for the businesses and business owners. Ideally there's a good balance between a desirable business environment, and maintaining the historical wonderful culture and feel of our neighborhoods. The City Council also plays a role with the Economic Development Authority to assist businesses interested in locating in Roseville.
3. Would you support hiring a business advocate as a member of the city senior staff, to concentrate on business retention and expansion; new business recruitment; and business impact of proposed regulations on the business climate in Roseville?
I think Roseville has strong leadership in the City Manager, Community Development Director, and the department heads. The City recently added an Assistant City Manager and Assistant Community Development Director to staff. This enables the City Manager and Community Development Director to concentrate on business and other high-level responsibilities. We have recently seen an expansion at Rosedale Mall, new restaurants, and have two new company headquarters relocating to Roseville. I would always be open to evaluating the additional need for hiring a business advocate and other subject matter experts based upon the desired duties, derived benefits, and cost to the City.
4. Do you support an increase to the minimum wage in Roseville? If so, what specific steps would you take to understand the impact of an increase on the many types of businesses in Roseville and do you support proposals to mitigate the effects on businesses like a tip credit, a youth wage, a training wage, and/or a phase-in?
Minimum wage is a tough question as there are many aspects to take into consideration. As a former small business owner, I understand the impacts to employees and the business on the wages paid. Each business needs to accommodate employees with wages that enable them to meet life’s requirements, while the business affords to operate profitably. My preference is to not regulate the wages that must be paid, but let the market determine the right amounts to attract the quality employees they need. We are in competition for both businesses and people who work at them -- the right wages will resolve at the point where we are a destination city for both. As far as the programs, I want to keep it simple for businesses to operate, and I think they should be in control of how they need to manage employees and wages.
5. Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in Roseville (such as mandatory sick time or scheduling notice)? If so, what specific steps would you take to understand the impact of an increase on the many types of businesses in Roseville and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?’
Again, I support business rights to attract and retain their employees with the wages and benefits that are competitive across our metro area. I feel these programs are much better enacted by the state and federal government than the city council. I would support and encourage involvement and communication with our business entities and our worker population to engage on the types of programs that might be considered. In this way our city is represented to help drive the best outcomes for our city and state.
6. How would you support tourism and its economic impact on the City of Roseville? How would you increase the number of visitors to our destinations (creating a ‘downtown’ walkable area, producing wayfinding and welcome signage, etc.)?
I think the Roseville Oval and Park System are examples of public tourism draws. Then we have Rosedale Center for shopping enthusiasts. The Roseville Rosefest has over a week of various activities that draw runners, music lovers, fireworks enthusiasts, and families that want to enjoy the festivities in our wonderful city. I would help to publicize our tourism opportunities and seek the funding to keep our facilities as Best In Class locations. We recently completed the facility reconstruction at Cedarholm Golf Course. We have an opportunity for re-development of Har Mar Mall to increase the attraction of people to Roseville. Besides the locations and publicity, I would support increased walking and biking access the areas in our City. We need more connectivity, as in our 2040 Comprehensive Plan that was led by me and other Planning Commission colleagues.
Public safety
7. What is your strategy to address public safety concerns?
Public safety starts with a culture of safety. The more people involved, the smoother it will work. And we need the professional services of our Police and Fire departments. I want to keep the transparency our Police department has shown. My strategy is to have the right funding to provide adequate police and fire resources and training to protect our community. The right funding comes from an analysis of what is the appropriate level of public safety services needed vs. managing the cost to our citizens.
Budget
8. What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
My priorities are to make sound investment and operational decisions. We need to constantly weigh the cost to our citizens with the benefits the spending will provide. In my management consulting role, all projects customarily have a business case with a cost/benefit analysis, and determine capital investments to enable the corporations to execute while controlling current and future costs. Roseville residents have experienced some bumps in taxes and water bills in the past several years, and I understand how important it is to keep taxes stable, especially for our senior citizens, those on fixed incomes, and people striving to support their family.
9. How do you view the relationship between commercial and residential property taxes?
I view both segments of the property tax base as important contributors to the funding of City services. We are fortunate to have a good business climate in Roseville to attract and keep business and share the funding resources to run the city for those businesses and residents. Maintaining a balance will be one of my priorities because if the burden becomes too much on either group, they could leave our city, which would lower the tax base and shift the funding. Growth, stability, and balance are key factors between the businesses and residents property taxes.
10. What will you do to expand Roseville’s tax base?
Roseville does not have a significant amount of land to develop, so we will look to redevelopment in the future. I think the change to more community mixed use will provide opportunities to expand the tax base with multi-level business and family units. In addition, I would support redevelopment of some industrial space in ways that will expand Roseville’s tax base.
Workforce development
11. How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
I think the biggest influence on an educated workforce is the socio-economic culture of the area. I will work with businesses, trade schools, and Universities in our area to promote the demand for educated workers. As a continuing education student that worked full time while completing my degree, I know the challenges of family, work, and education. I also see in my family the demands on trade school / university decisions to be made for a career path. I will work to encourage business and school partnerships with internships, scholarships, pre-paid tuition programs that would benefit and retain our educated workers in our community.
12. What do you see as the city council’s role with regard to Roseville Public Schools?
I see the City Council’s role with the Roseville Public Schools as being a supporting entity to the two School Districts that serve our residents. The City certainly helps ensure the staff and students have safe facilities, environments, transportation, and pedestrian lanes. And the city council assists the school boards with land development opportunities. The City Council has established joint programs with the schools for after school care and educational opportunities. I will push to work even more closely with our local K-12 leaders to identify ways to collaborate that could prove beneficial to both the city and the schools
Other
13. What is the biggest challenge facing the city and how would you address it?
I think Roseville is a great city to live, work, shop, and visit. The biggest challenge is to keep it that way in the face of changes to population, environment, technology, and economic factors. This is where my leadership and experience stands out being accustomed to managing large corporate initiatives, million-dollar budget decisions, cost/benefit analysis, risk management, negotiations, and communications. Paired with my experience on the Roseville Planning Commission for the past 3+ years, I have the knowhow to deliver results.
14. What would be your top three priorities if elected?
My top three priorities would be the completion of the Roseville 2040 Comprehensive Plan, Incorporating the zoning changes that are commensurate with the Comp Plan changes, and ensuring we properly manage to our budget to provide the desired results. The Comp Plan is our roadmap to how we want to guide Roseville into the next 20 years, with some specific objectives and measures to know how we are doing. We need to complete the work of the Comp Plan by making the necessary zoning changes to align with the comprehensive planning districts. This effort will allow developers to more easily evaluate and act on the opportunities to develop/re-develop in Roseville, while continuing to adhere to the culture we enjoy with our parks, wetlands, and open spaces. Our budgeting provides for funding of essential services aligned to thoughtful cost/benefit analysis of the investments needed and impact to our taxpayers. Budgeting and controlled spending is always a priority as the City generates little of its own revenue but relies on the taxes of others.
15. What do you think should be the city’s top transportation related priority?
I think the city’s top transportation priority needs to be how to move people throughout Roseville efficiently, effectively, and safely. We have some great connectivity to the major cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul when people can get to those connection points. We need to expand the pedestrian and biking access within our city.
16. Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Or, are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
I believe Roseville is a lean operation relative to many of our neighboring cities and has proven to use a continuous improvement model to align with the needs of the city in a very efficient manner. I don’t see any service that I would recommend cutting back at this time.
17. Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
I believe members of the Roseville City Council must possess the ability and willingness to analyze a wide variety of subjects, and make decisions for the stability and growth of our community. I have the skills and experience that make me qualified for the Roseville City Council.
I am committed to be an independent, non-partisan candidate without endorsements or financial support from any political party. There is no need for political party platform and influence in our city government. My priorities follow my guiding principal: ‘Do the Right Things for the Right Reasons’