Steve Morris
Name: Steve Morris
Public Office Sought: Woodbury City Council
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone:
Campaign Website: www.stevemorris1.com
Twitter handle: @smorris1180
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/SteveMorrisWoodburyCityCouncilmember
Candidate Bio
I’ve lived or worked in Woodbury for 20+ years and served on the Planning Commission before being elected in 2018 to the council. I have 25+ years of retail business management & marketing. My business experience is with both entry level employees, as well as business owners & corporations. I’ve worked for small and large companies and now as a business owner myself and I believe this experience brings an important voice to the council on behalf of our residents and businesses. Working with cities and governmental agencies across the country I’m able to see things that work, and those that don’t. I’m able to bring those experiences back for our community to aid in keeping Woodbury a great place to live & work. I’ve demonstrated both the desire and the ability to listen to the feedback from the public, the city staff, and my fellow councilmembers in order to make decisions, and this approach I believe works well for Woodbury. I’d be honored to continue this, along with the work I do in addition to the council, such as serving on Metro Cities Board of Directors & the Met Council Land-Use-Advisory Committee, as an advocate for our city.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
1) Effective use of taxpayer resources (taxes) through efficient execution of city services, effective planning and leveraging every available opportunity and 2) Execution of an effective community engagement plan to ensure that all voices in our community are given opportunity to be heard and 3) A continuation of our track record of coordinated and planned growth,
How would you characterize the business climate in Woodbury and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
Strong. As evidence of our ability to attract large and small businesses to the community without the need for TIF or other incentives. The continuing diversity of businesses in Woodbury allow for our community to be the place to live, work and play. Education and Healthcare job opportunities are plentiful, but so are business support, manufacturing, and retail opportunities. This diversity ensures that as a resident, you don’t need to go far for whatever it is you need or for work, and as a business, this ensures a strong climate of support for customers and employees. This diversity is a significant factor when people make their choice of where to live, or where to start a business. The city government has a strong Economic Development Commission and local Chamber, that ensure business voices are given ample opportunity to provide feedback. An example of the strong climate for business, when COVID-19 forced hospitality changes, the council quickly reacted to suspend liquor license fees, and alter building and exterior seating ordinances to accommodate the ever-changing guidelines from Dept. of Health or the state. In doing so, we loudly told our local businesses that we’re here to help you succeed and continue delivering goods and services to our community.
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, Woodbury?
As discussed in previous responses, the city has a strong Chamber of Commerce and an organized and well represented Economic Development Commission that advises the council. Ensuring that our businesses are supported in creating a fair and unbiased set of codes and requirements is chief amongst my beliefs of what a city should do. Public safety and health are where I believe the city should focus efforts on. Allowing the market to dictate winners in business by clearing the way for fair competition creates an attractive business climate. Ensuring businesses have the infrastructure available such as access to a robust workforce through transportation & housing opportunities and availability to ensuring that ample opportunity to start, grow and thrive for every business that wants to be here is the role of any city.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address the labor shortage?
Ensuring that businesses are given a fair opportunity to compete is the role of the city. I do not believe it is the city’s role to dictate policies for businesses. Each business is different and has its own unique set of circumstances. In my day job, I feel the retail worker labor shortage directly every day, and I do what I’m able to in the context of my businesses abilities to attract and retain labor. I feel strongly it’s not a city’s role to dictate how I address labor policies. I do believe the city’s role is to provide the infrastructure (transportation and housing) that supports a diversity in the workforce, and so that’s where I have and would like to continue my focus on the city council.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals in Woodbury (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 Woodbury and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
My previous answer addresses this question, in that I do not support specific proposals. I understand the desire to help those starting out, or those with limited opportunities, however I believe that by providing businesses with the ability for success in turn provides opportunities for employees to better their positions and circumstances if they chose to. Providing opportunity and ensuring fair competition in the marketplace is the role of a city government I believe. If such a policy were to come before the council, I would continue the track record I’ve had during my 4 years on council, I’d work to understand the issue by asking questions of staff and the public, ensuring that an effective community engagement process has occurred so I could render a decision. My position starts from a place of believing it is not the city’s place to dictate employment-related ordinances and policies.
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?
As a business effected directly by civil unrest, I directly learned what happens when the fire department doesn’t come. I directly learned the impacts of poor public safety policies and execution. I learned that one horrific event was the tipping point in a history of poor public safety, and a criminal justice system that is neither fair, nor effective. We are fortunate enough in our community to have the support of what I believe to be an effective city and county attorney’s office, and a public safety department that believes that community policies are not enough, but that community engagement is what drives safe and fair public safety outcomes. In my time on the council, we adopted a strategic initiative to adapt and enhance the public safety effectiveness, which includes police, but also includes fire and EMS services. With recent retirements in nearly all of the public safety leadership positions in Woodbury, our ability to continue a strategy ensuring that all voices are given opportunity to be heard for concerns is of utmost importance. Community engagement is a critical component in addressing public safety issues. I’ve heard loud and clear the concerns of recent activity with crime. An effective community engagement process that helps teach us all how to reduce risks and opportunities helps the entire community avoid continued issues, and allows for the public safety team to focus, and be effective.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address housing issues facing your community?
Woodbury has a strong track record that I’m proud of and will continue to support in the future, of focusing on a 50/50 mix of single family and multi-family housing for new developments. This diversity in housing ensures that the community is strong with a diverse set of options for people to choose to call home. I’ve advocated while serving on our Housing and Redevelopment Authority and on the council to appropriately utilize HRA and other grant funding to aid in the entrance to housing in our community and in offering low-cost financing opportunities for residents to reinvest or maintain their homes through HRA backed borrowing options. Continuing this strategy along with working hard to ensure we don’t price people out of their homes through the levy and utility rates are all things I will continue to push for if re-elected to the council.
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?
Prior to being on the council, I was co-chair of the Community and Business Advisory Committee for the Met-Councils Gold-Line project. An early supporter of this project, I continued this advocacy for this project throughout its process including during and post-COVID periods. I strongly believe that while the shape of public transportation may change with downtown commuter rides (Express Bus Service), ensuring that the East-Metro and Woodbury have access to consistent local service in addition to the commuter service is important for our community. The demographics of the workforce have changed, and with it, the views and “norms” of transportation have as well. Ensuring that our community embraces these changes, and ensures we aren’t strictly “1 worker – 1 car” focused ensures that not only are our residents attracted and served by this support, but our businesses have access to a wide range of applicants and job seekers, not restricted by their ability to get to the job. It’s important to keep options open for as many opportunities as we can, while understanding that ridership levels have changed, and providing that infrastructure ROI along with it, it’s still necessary and prudent for a balanced and prosperous community.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
In 2021, Woodbury had its lowest ratio of city employees per 1,000 residents, at 4.27. While this represents efficient operations and delivery of services, it also has its drawbacks. One of my priorities has been to encourage city administration to look at areas where services are either lagging behind desired levels or improvements to the quality of life or effectiveness of city services and so this is one priority for me. Second, continuing the city’s “pay-as-you-go” vision, which ensures that we minimize debt issuance, and reduce the burden of debt on taxpayers is a priority that I support continuing. Lastly, continuing our track-record of lowering or maintaining the tax rates by leveraging our growth and managing the infrastructure and operational impacts of this growth to ensure we keep in check the city budget, making sure its commensurate with infrastructure and development.
What will you do to expand Woodbury’s tax base?
Maintain the city’s current programs and partnerships. The local chamber of commerce, the HRA, EDA and their relationships with the county and state have all led to amazing opportunities in Woodbury. Ensuring that housing stock is diverse, that city policies and ordinances are not overly burdensome and detract from attracting and retaining businesses and residents is chief amongst the priorities. Maintaining and improving the quality of life for our residents through continued funding in our parks and natural resources, public safety and other investments all meant to ensure we maintain the high marks our residents give us. In a 2022 resident survey, 94% of respondents rate their quality of life excellent or good (improved from the 2017 and 2019 surveys). Maintaining the growth and expansion of our tax base is a critical factor in our ability to deliver services in order to maintain this rating.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce? Woodbury has 3 amazing public school districts and several charter schools that are rated amongst the top in the state. City staff and the mayor meet regularly with school board staff, and I look to ensure this process continues. I would like to see expanded partnership with our local chamber and our EDA, and opportunities be expanded for these organizations to partner directly through mentoring and program support to foster a strong connection to the Woodbury 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?
As our city grows, our ability to partner with other entities grows. An example is our public safety departments mental health programs where we share services with the county, ensuring that public safety has dedicated mental health professionals available for calls for service and programming support. Our strong partnerships with the county and local communities surrounding us are an amazing asset that serves the region well. As we grow, our first priority is to serve the community of Woodbury, and with our low headcount, there is not a large opportunity I believe to share services, however areas that could be looked at are areas such as the communications and IT divisions, recognizing opportunities of scale and process/proximity with the SWCTC and other local communities, may be an area to look into.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Woodbury?
Our partnership with the Woodbury area Chamber, the Washington County CDA, and our own Economic Development Commission has led to some excellent opportunities and businesses for Woodbury. The EDC under the urging of the council has undertaken a review of our communications efforts on how we effectively market available opportunities, and I look for the city to continue to push those efforts forward. I feel the role of the council is to provide the infrastructure and a fair playing field for business development opportunities, but I also think that pushing these same partnerships listed above to further outreach and opportunities through engagement and communication is something we at the city can foster and grow. As we learn about barriers to entry for minority and women owned businesses, the city should explore opportunities for support through grants or training opportunities to help foster growth and retention of businesses.
What further policies can Woodbury adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
Policies that the council, with my strong support, have already changed include adjusting the ordinance around liquor to food ratios for the hospitality industry, as a prime example of how we continually look for barriers we can reduce or eliminate at the city level while maintaining the health, safety, and wellness of our community. I make the commitment that if fortunate enough to be re-elected that I will continue to oppose minimum wage requirements, benefit related requirements (Safe/sick time, LOA, and others) or similar such policies at a city level. Maintaining a fair and competitive business landscape with communities around us is essential in continuing our strong community.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
Visit my website to learn more about my positions and views, feel free to reach out if you don’t see or hear something you wish to know. I look forward to earning each vote and continuing to represent our community on the city council.
Public Office Sought: Woodbury City Council
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone:
Campaign Website: www.stevemorris1.com
Twitter handle: @smorris1180
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/SteveMorrisWoodburyCityCouncilmember
Candidate Bio
I’ve lived or worked in Woodbury for 20+ years and served on the Planning Commission before being elected in 2018 to the council. I have 25+ years of retail business management & marketing. My business experience is with both entry level employees, as well as business owners & corporations. I’ve worked for small and large companies and now as a business owner myself and I believe this experience brings an important voice to the council on behalf of our residents and businesses. Working with cities and governmental agencies across the country I’m able to see things that work, and those that don’t. I’m able to bring those experiences back for our community to aid in keeping Woodbury a great place to live & work. I’ve demonstrated both the desire and the ability to listen to the feedback from the public, the city staff, and my fellow councilmembers in order to make decisions, and this approach I believe works well for Woodbury. I’d be honored to continue this, along with the work I do in addition to the council, such as serving on Metro Cities Board of Directors & the Met Council Land-Use-Advisory Committee, as an advocate for our city.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
1) Effective use of taxpayer resources (taxes) through efficient execution of city services, effective planning and leveraging every available opportunity and 2) Execution of an effective community engagement plan to ensure that all voices in our community are given opportunity to be heard and 3) A continuation of our track record of coordinated and planned growth,
How would you characterize the business climate in Woodbury and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
Strong. As evidence of our ability to attract large and small businesses to the community without the need for TIF or other incentives. The continuing diversity of businesses in Woodbury allow for our community to be the place to live, work and play. Education and Healthcare job opportunities are plentiful, but so are business support, manufacturing, and retail opportunities. This diversity ensures that as a resident, you don’t need to go far for whatever it is you need or for work, and as a business, this ensures a strong climate of support for customers and employees. This diversity is a significant factor when people make their choice of where to live, or where to start a business. The city government has a strong Economic Development Commission and local Chamber, that ensure business voices are given ample opportunity to provide feedback. An example of the strong climate for business, when COVID-19 forced hospitality changes, the council quickly reacted to suspend liquor license fees, and alter building and exterior seating ordinances to accommodate the ever-changing guidelines from Dept. of Health or the state. In doing so, we loudly told our local businesses that we’re here to help you succeed and continue delivering goods and services to our community.
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, Woodbury?
As discussed in previous responses, the city has a strong Chamber of Commerce and an organized and well represented Economic Development Commission that advises the council. Ensuring that our businesses are supported in creating a fair and unbiased set of codes and requirements is chief amongst my beliefs of what a city should do. Public safety and health are where I believe the city should focus efforts on. Allowing the market to dictate winners in business by clearing the way for fair competition creates an attractive business climate. Ensuring businesses have the infrastructure available such as access to a robust workforce through transportation & housing opportunities and availability to ensuring that ample opportunity to start, grow and thrive for every business that wants to be here is the role of any city.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address the labor shortage?
Ensuring that businesses are given a fair opportunity to compete is the role of the city. I do not believe it is the city’s role to dictate policies for businesses. Each business is different and has its own unique set of circumstances. In my day job, I feel the retail worker labor shortage directly every day, and I do what I’m able to in the context of my businesses abilities to attract and retain labor. I feel strongly it’s not a city’s role to dictate how I address labor policies. I do believe the city’s role is to provide the infrastructure (transportation and housing) that supports a diversity in the workforce, and so that’s where I have and would like to continue my focus on the city council.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals in Woodbury (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 Woodbury and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
My previous answer addresses this question, in that I do not support specific proposals. I understand the desire to help those starting out, or those with limited opportunities, however I believe that by providing businesses with the ability for success in turn provides opportunities for employees to better their positions and circumstances if they chose to. Providing opportunity and ensuring fair competition in the marketplace is the role of a city government I believe. If such a policy were to come before the council, I would continue the track record I’ve had during my 4 years on council, I’d work to understand the issue by asking questions of staff and the public, ensuring that an effective community engagement process has occurred so I could render a decision. My position starts from a place of believing it is not the city’s place to dictate employment-related ordinances and policies.
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?
As a business effected directly by civil unrest, I directly learned what happens when the fire department doesn’t come. I directly learned the impacts of poor public safety policies and execution. I learned that one horrific event was the tipping point in a history of poor public safety, and a criminal justice system that is neither fair, nor effective. We are fortunate enough in our community to have the support of what I believe to be an effective city and county attorney’s office, and a public safety department that believes that community policies are not enough, but that community engagement is what drives safe and fair public safety outcomes. In my time on the council, we adopted a strategic initiative to adapt and enhance the public safety effectiveness, which includes police, but also includes fire and EMS services. With recent retirements in nearly all of the public safety leadership positions in Woodbury, our ability to continue a strategy ensuring that all voices are given opportunity to be heard for concerns is of utmost importance. Community engagement is a critical component in addressing public safety issues. I’ve heard loud and clear the concerns of recent activity with crime. An effective community engagement process that helps teach us all how to reduce risks and opportunities helps the entire community avoid continued issues, and allows for the public safety team to focus, and be effective.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address housing issues facing your community?
Woodbury has a strong track record that I’m proud of and will continue to support in the future, of focusing on a 50/50 mix of single family and multi-family housing for new developments. This diversity in housing ensures that the community is strong with a diverse set of options for people to choose to call home. I’ve advocated while serving on our Housing and Redevelopment Authority and on the council to appropriately utilize HRA and other grant funding to aid in the entrance to housing in our community and in offering low-cost financing opportunities for residents to reinvest or maintain their homes through HRA backed borrowing options. Continuing this strategy along with working hard to ensure we don’t price people out of their homes through the levy and utility rates are all things I will continue to push for if re-elected to the council.
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?
Prior to being on the council, I was co-chair of the Community and Business Advisory Committee for the Met-Councils Gold-Line project. An early supporter of this project, I continued this advocacy for this project throughout its process including during and post-COVID periods. I strongly believe that while the shape of public transportation may change with downtown commuter rides (Express Bus Service), ensuring that the East-Metro and Woodbury have access to consistent local service in addition to the commuter service is important for our community. The demographics of the workforce have changed, and with it, the views and “norms” of transportation have as well. Ensuring that our community embraces these changes, and ensures we aren’t strictly “1 worker – 1 car” focused ensures that not only are our residents attracted and served by this support, but our businesses have access to a wide range of applicants and job seekers, not restricted by their ability to get to the job. It’s important to keep options open for as many opportunities as we can, while understanding that ridership levels have changed, and providing that infrastructure ROI along with it, it’s still necessary and prudent for a balanced and prosperous community.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
In 2021, Woodbury had its lowest ratio of city employees per 1,000 residents, at 4.27. While this represents efficient operations and delivery of services, it also has its drawbacks. One of my priorities has been to encourage city administration to look at areas where services are either lagging behind desired levels or improvements to the quality of life or effectiveness of city services and so this is one priority for me. Second, continuing the city’s “pay-as-you-go” vision, which ensures that we minimize debt issuance, and reduce the burden of debt on taxpayers is a priority that I support continuing. Lastly, continuing our track-record of lowering or maintaining the tax rates by leveraging our growth and managing the infrastructure and operational impacts of this growth to ensure we keep in check the city budget, making sure its commensurate with infrastructure and development.
What will you do to expand Woodbury’s tax base?
Maintain the city’s current programs and partnerships. The local chamber of commerce, the HRA, EDA and their relationships with the county and state have all led to amazing opportunities in Woodbury. Ensuring that housing stock is diverse, that city policies and ordinances are not overly burdensome and detract from attracting and retaining businesses and residents is chief amongst the priorities. Maintaining and improving the quality of life for our residents through continued funding in our parks and natural resources, public safety and other investments all meant to ensure we maintain the high marks our residents give us. In a 2022 resident survey, 94% of respondents rate their quality of life excellent or good (improved from the 2017 and 2019 surveys). Maintaining the growth and expansion of our tax base is a critical factor in our ability to deliver services in order to maintain this rating.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce? Woodbury has 3 amazing public school districts and several charter schools that are rated amongst the top in the state. City staff and the mayor meet regularly with school board staff, and I look to ensure this process continues. I would like to see expanded partnership with our local chamber and our EDA, and opportunities be expanded for these organizations to partner directly through mentoring and program support to foster a strong connection to the Woodbury 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?
As our city grows, our ability to partner with other entities grows. An example is our public safety departments mental health programs where we share services with the county, ensuring that public safety has dedicated mental health professionals available for calls for service and programming support. Our strong partnerships with the county and local communities surrounding us are an amazing asset that serves the region well. As we grow, our first priority is to serve the community of Woodbury, and with our low headcount, there is not a large opportunity I believe to share services, however areas that could be looked at are areas such as the communications and IT divisions, recognizing opportunities of scale and process/proximity with the SWCTC and other local communities, may be an area to look into.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Woodbury?
Our partnership with the Woodbury area Chamber, the Washington County CDA, and our own Economic Development Commission has led to some excellent opportunities and businesses for Woodbury. The EDC under the urging of the council has undertaken a review of our communications efforts on how we effectively market available opportunities, and I look for the city to continue to push those efforts forward. I feel the role of the council is to provide the infrastructure and a fair playing field for business development opportunities, but I also think that pushing these same partnerships listed above to further outreach and opportunities through engagement and communication is something we at the city can foster and grow. As we learn about barriers to entry for minority and women owned businesses, the city should explore opportunities for support through grants or training opportunities to help foster growth and retention of businesses.
What further policies can Woodbury adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
Policies that the council, with my strong support, have already changed include adjusting the ordinance around liquor to food ratios for the hospitality industry, as a prime example of how we continually look for barriers we can reduce or eliminate at the city level while maintaining the health, safety, and wellness of our community. I make the commitment that if fortunate enough to be re-elected that I will continue to oppose minimum wage requirements, benefit related requirements (Safe/sick time, LOA, and others) or similar such policies at a city level. Maintaining a fair and competitive business landscape with communities around us is essential in continuing our strong community.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
Visit my website to learn more about my positions and views, feel free to reach out if you don’t see or hear something you wish to know. I look forward to earning each vote and continuing to represent our community on the city council.