Local climate action group Resilient Roseville asked Roseville City Council candidates about their climate stances

By Resilient Roseville

Resilient Roseville, a citizen group promoting local climate action, submitted questions to each of the candidates for City Council. We feel strongly that a commitment to thoughtful, urgent climate action is a quality needed for leadership in these times.

Below are the submitted answers from those that responded.

How do you plan to continue and enhance engagement with residents if elected to office, particularly around the newly adopted Climate Equity Action Plan?

Bruce Bester:  I suggest that we keep the plan alive and not allow it to “sit on the shelf” waiting for a final report. I suggest that each of the measurable actions be embedded in work plans for the coming year. I also suggest that we prepare an annual report of progress to the residents and businesses of Roseville. 

Wayne Groff:  Engaging residents with the Climate Equity Action Plan will be an ongoing process for the council and city. I would like to have regular articles in the city newspaper featuring parts of the plan that residents can implement in their lives. I will work with our Sustainability Manager, Noelle Bakken, to promote the Climate Equity Action Plan at community events, such as the Rice Larpenteur Alliance celebrations, Get to Know your Parks events and our schools, if possible.

Cassie Iverson:  This is exactly the gap I want to close. Only a handful of residents responded to the city’s last Climate Action Plan survey – not because people don’t care, but because they didn’t know it existed or weren’t on the platforms where it was shared. I want to meet people where they already are, rather than assuming engagement happens on the city’s terms.

That means clearer, more visible communication about what’s in the plan and how it affects people’s daily lives – energy costs, tree canopy, flooding, air quality – not just technical language in a city document. It also means genuine access: if a resident calls or emails me with a question or concern about implementation, I’ll follow up, do the research, and get back to them. Transparency isn’t just publishing information; it’s making sure residents can actually find it, understand it, and weigh in before decisions are finalized.

What are the top three opportunities you see to help Roseville become a more sustainable and eco-friendly city?

Cassie Iverson:  Expanding the tree canopy and protecting natural habitat, especially in priority areas that have historically had less green space, as part of carrying the Climate Equity Action Plan forward.

Reducing car dependence through connected infrastructure. Closing sidewalk gaps, completing the trail network, and building out dedicated bike lanes and stronger transit connections all reduce car trips – one of the most effective things a city can do for its climate goals, while also making Roseville more accessible for seniors, kids, and residents with disabilities.

Building housing density smartly. Continuing ADU and courtyard cottage zoning reforms creates more housing without sprawl. Any major redevelopment— including whatever happens at HarMar Mall —should be measured against our 2040 sustainability and Climate Equity goals, not just what’s easiest or most profitable to build.

Bruce Bester:  For me, the top three opportunities for Roseville to become more sustainable and eco-friendly are found in the following Sectors.

1. Clean Transportation — Net potential sector savings $182,000,000.
2. Clean Energy and Efficient Buildings — Opportunity to retrofit stock of older homes
3. Climate Smart Natural Lands — Protects the tree canopy that protects us

Wayne Groff:  We are working to reduce garbage and increase compostable material, especially in restaurant and food related events. Again, this is ongoing and needs further education and just getting used to it. Connectivity of walking paths and bike paths are crucial to a more sustainable transportation system. We have a master path plan and a bike plan but these plans need to be updated as we do other work on infrastructure to make connections to get to schools, shopping, and parks without having to always drive a car. 

What strategies do you support to lower carbon emissions as we work toward the goal of an 80% reduction below 2005 emission levels by the year 2050?

Wayne Groff:  The EV Fire truck is a success story, reducing carbon emissions and having a vehicle that lasts longer so it is more cost efficient. I would like to see us extend that soon to our inspections department vehicles.  Again, it would reduce carbon emissions and the vehicles would last longer and need less servicing.  We may also have opportunities to add solar to our new Public Works Building.  The bids are being placed now.

Cassie Iverson: I support treating the Climate Equity Action Plan as an active council priority, not a document that sits on a shelf. That means following through on its ten-year roadmap: supporting home energy efficiency resources so residents can actually afford to weatherize and electrify their homes, expanding the tree canopy in priority areas, and building sustainable neighborhood programs residents can actually access.

I also see transportation and land use as core climate strategies. Investing in sidewalks, trails, bike infrastructure, and transit reduces car trips, and evaluating every development proposal against our climate commitments ensures growth doesn’t undercut progress. The most cost-effective path is building Climate Equity Action Plan goals into projects the city is already doing – road rebuilds, facility upgrades, infrastructure work – rather than treating climate action as a separate add-on; it’s far cheaper to plan it upfront than retrofit later. None of this works, though, if it’s designed without resident input – the plan came from years of community engagement, and implementation should keep that same standard.

Bruce Bester:  My top strategy to lower carbon emissions is the transportation Sector. Some of this strategy is taking place as we speak, in the form of electric vehicles, e-bikes, bicycles, motorcycles and scooters.  A second Sector that stands to deliver carbon savings is Efficient Buildings using clean or renewable energy. Older homes are likely to have the most to gain from retrofitting, but least able to afford it, because it is part of our affordable housing stock. Special grants may be needed in this matter.