Wayne Groff
Name: Wayne Groff
Public Office Sought: Roseville City Council
Email: waynegroff4roseville.com
Campaign Phone: 612-867-0915
Campaign Website: vote4wayne.org
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page: Wayne Groff for Roseville
Candidate Bio
I have served on the Roseville City Council for the past four years. Before that I was on the Planning Commission. I served eight years on the Human Rights Inclusion and Engagement Commission for the city. I have been a Realtor in the area for over 40 years so understand the relationship between businesses and a successful community.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
The top three issues that need attention in Roseville are Climate Change, how do we get the city to zero net on carbon, keeping taxes low enough for people to stay in their homes if they wish as they age, and all levels of housing to address the severe housing shortage.
How would you characterize the business climate in Roseville and what is the
role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
The business climate in Roseville would be described as robust. People move to Roseville because of its convenient location but also because of all the services that are here and a large part of that is the business 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, Roseville?
In Roseville, the city council members also serve as board members of the Economic Development Agency. The EDA promotes business and housing through low interest loans and some start up costs including assistance with web site and social media development to support small businesses. I have always supported these programs. We fine tune the programs to keep them current.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address the labor shortage?
We support the message boards that post employer needs and employees seeking jobs. We link the sites in Ramsey County.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals in Roseville (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 Roseville and how would you define any exceptions to those
policies?
I do support a living wage and family leave. This will lead to a healthier community. No decisions would be made without the input of the business community. Since decisions disproportionately affect small businesses they would need to be consulted. Perhaps a number of employees would be needed before either applied.
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?
Public safety is a core service of local and county governments. We have an excellent police force in Roseville. Residents and businesses are most concerned about crimes confronting people. The police have increased patrols to reduce this type of crimes. Businesses have hired extra security. One thing that is very helpful to the police is that people do not leave keys in the cars. 35-40% of stolen vehicles had keys left in them. If these cases were taken out of the work load for the police they could focus on the other car thefts that are committed. The police will go to any business and go over best practices to reduce shop lifting and security issues for that business.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address housing issues facing your community?
In Roseville, we have approved several building projects and are on track to meet the goals set by the Met Council. Housing is a state and nation wide issue and each community has to do their part. I feel that Roseville is doing their part.
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?
We have to consider all types of transportation including, car, bike, bus and walking. We have a master bike and walking path plan for Roseville and are implementing it as development and road work happens. Transportation needs have changed some with the pandemic but many businesses are going back to at least some days per week in the office. The most difficult issue in Roseville is the east-west public transportation. This is one of the reasons for the shortage of workers in service jobs. The people who do not have cars depend on public transportation.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
Our major budget costs are the police, the parks and the fire department. These are all services that residents want in Roseville. The concern of residents is that taxes will get to high to stay in their homes. So the budget will have to be reviewed carefully for any reduction that is possible while still maintaining the high level of services that residents want in Roseville.
What will you do to expand Roseville’s tax base?
New construction of businesses and housing is expanding the tax base. But that always has to be balanced with the increased demand in services.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Funding for education is separate from the city budget. However, I have supported the levy and bond votes that were successful in Roseville in the past three years. These funds helped keep the class sizes small and updated the schools throughout the district.
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?
At this time I do not know of any services that can be cut. We did a re-organization of the communications department last year. We do share services with smaller cities adjoining Roseville. An example is the work done by the Public Works department. Often engineering and some types of construction are shared with other communities to reduce costs.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Roseville?
We have a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion manager on staff. He helps us view all decisions through an equity lens. A tool kit has been developed to facilitate this process.
What further policies can Roseville adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
Most businesses in Roseville are through the worst of the Covid-19 crisis. We did facilitate funds to help them rebuild their businesses. One small detail is that we allowed restaurants to use outdoor space more generously without additional licensing fees when people wanted to sit outside.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
A healthy business community is part of the bigger picture of a successful and desirable community where people want to live. I will always work towards that end.
Public Office Sought: Roseville City Council
Email: waynegroff4roseville.com
Campaign Phone: 612-867-0915
Campaign Website: vote4wayne.org
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page: Wayne Groff for Roseville
Candidate Bio
I have served on the Roseville City Council for the past four years. Before that I was on the Planning Commission. I served eight years on the Human Rights Inclusion and Engagement Commission for the city. I have been a Realtor in the area for over 40 years so understand the relationship between businesses and a successful community.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
The top three issues that need attention in Roseville are Climate Change, how do we get the city to zero net on carbon, keeping taxes low enough for people to stay in their homes if they wish as they age, and all levels of housing to address the severe housing shortage.
How would you characterize the business climate in Roseville and what is the
role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
The business climate in Roseville would be described as robust. People move to Roseville because of its convenient location but also because of all the services that are here and a large part of that is the business 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, Roseville?
In Roseville, the city council members also serve as board members of the Economic Development Agency. The EDA promotes business and housing through low interest loans and some start up costs including assistance with web site and social media development to support small businesses. I have always supported these programs. We fine tune the programs to keep them current.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address the labor shortage?
We support the message boards that post employer needs and employees seeking jobs. We link the sites in Ramsey County.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals in Roseville (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 Roseville and how would you define any exceptions to those
policies?
I do support a living wage and family leave. This will lead to a healthier community. No decisions would be made without the input of the business community. Since decisions disproportionately affect small businesses they would need to be consulted. Perhaps a number of employees would be needed before either applied.
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?
Public safety is a core service of local and county governments. We have an excellent police force in Roseville. Residents and businesses are most concerned about crimes confronting people. The police have increased patrols to reduce this type of crimes. Businesses have hired extra security. One thing that is very helpful to the police is that people do not leave keys in the cars. 35-40% of stolen vehicles had keys left in them. If these cases were taken out of the work load for the police they could focus on the other car thefts that are committed. The police will go to any business and go over best practices to reduce shop lifting and security issues for that business.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address housing issues facing your community?
In Roseville, we have approved several building projects and are on track to meet the goals set by the Met Council. Housing is a state and nation wide issue and each community has to do their part. I feel that Roseville is doing their part.
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?
We have to consider all types of transportation including, car, bike, bus and walking. We have a master bike and walking path plan for Roseville and are implementing it as development and road work happens. Transportation needs have changed some with the pandemic but many businesses are going back to at least some days per week in the office. The most difficult issue in Roseville is the east-west public transportation. This is one of the reasons for the shortage of workers in service jobs. The people who do not have cars depend on public transportation.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
Our major budget costs are the police, the parks and the fire department. These are all services that residents want in Roseville. The concern of residents is that taxes will get to high to stay in their homes. So the budget will have to be reviewed carefully for any reduction that is possible while still maintaining the high level of services that residents want in Roseville.
What will you do to expand Roseville’s tax base?
New construction of businesses and housing is expanding the tax base. But that always has to be balanced with the increased demand in services.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Funding for education is separate from the city budget. However, I have supported the levy and bond votes that were successful in Roseville in the past three years. These funds helped keep the class sizes small and updated the schools throughout the district.
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?
At this time I do not know of any services that can be cut. We did a re-organization of the communications department last year. We do share services with smaller cities adjoining Roseville. An example is the work done by the Public Works department. Often engineering and some types of construction are shared with other communities to reduce costs.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Roseville?
We have a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion manager on staff. He helps us view all decisions through an equity lens. A tool kit has been developed to facilitate this process.
What further policies can Roseville adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
Most businesses in Roseville are through the worst of the Covid-19 crisis. We did facilitate funds to help them rebuild their businesses. One small detail is that we allowed restaurants to use outdoor space more generously without additional licensing fees when people wanted to sit outside.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
A healthy business community is part of the bigger picture of a successful and desirable community where people want to live. I will always work towards that end.