City of Roseville

In October 2019, the Roseville City Council held a public workshop to set the long-term vision for our City. The result was a four-year strategic plan that highlighted the Council’s top priorities and gained consensus around the strategies aligned with each. The Council’s strategic plan has remained relevant and an important policy document to guide budget decisions.

At the workshop February 21, the City Council reviewed accomplishments and milestones from the past year. The Council affirmed its priorities and looked ahead at the next several years—all while being mindful of the financial requirements, staff capacity, and timelines to tackle these priorities.

The strategies focus on timely efforts, whether specific projects like body-worn cameras or initiatives like making our community inclusive and welcoming. Each year, as Council does its annual update, the update workshop allows for the current council to weigh in, for completed projects to be removed, for new initiatives to be considered, and for new circumstances to be factored in.

Within our city, we’ve had quite a bit of change, faced a variety of new circumstances and pressures, and celebrated successes.  

• We had the highest ever temperatures on record followed five months later by some of the coldest and wettest conditions our region has seen in decades. The Council’s consistent support for infrastructure improvements over the years made our community resilient in the face of both extremes. We kept the power on for most of the time in both circumstances for nearly all customers, had minimal flooding issues, and took advantage of banking excess water in our aquifers for dry times.
• We’ve had nearly a full year of a hybrid work schedule for eligible city positions. It continues to be a high priority benefit for recruiting new candidates and is working well.
• We saw the passage of a 3% increase in the hotel tax to bring us on par with or still below most cities in California. The first increase since 1975 in Roseville, and important as we continue invest significantly in amenities that our visitors use.
• We’ve been facing supply chain issues regarding electric transformers that are slowing development.
• We continue to advocate strongly at the federal and state levels on legislation and regulations that are being developed at what seems like warp speed sometimes. Our Council is adamant about protecting local control, promoting public safety, and providing value in our reliable delivery of utility services. This requires a level of attentiveness, strong track record, and key relationships.
• Cyberattacks on nearby communities that remind us of the importance of vigilance in this area for operational continuity and community trust.
• Our organization has evolved due to significant turnover at all levels of the organization with retirements and other changes. We remain an employer of choice and a place where people can grow both personally and professionally.

The councilmembers noted the following factors as helping Roseville accomplish so much:

• Leadership of City staff
• Accessibility of City staff at public counters—permits, utilities, quickly and efficiently addressing public needs
• Fiscal strength, budget planning process
• City-owned utilities
• Collaboration, outreach, engagement, communication
• Economic diversity
• Anticipating needs and trends for utilities and staying on top of things
• Future focused
• Public engagement and connection with community
• Balance between being proactive and pragmatic
• Early focus on vision of public safety, self-determination, education, quality of life, jobs, economy from the very start of the city in 1909 

Following is the Council’s Strategic Plan with six priorities, which remained the same, and the updated strategies as determined at last week’s workshop:

Maintain a safe and healthy community

1. Ensure public safety service levels are maintained with facilities and staffing, and real-time crime monitoring, as the City grows.
2. Continue City efforts to reduce homelessness while collaborating and advocating regionally as appropriate.
3. Continue inclusiveness, equality and justice efforts for all in partnership with the community.

Remain fiscally responsible in a changing world

1. Balance utility services and customer rates, given legislative mandates and rising costs. 
2. Seek ways to reduce pension liabilities to maintain high quality services.

Enhance economic vitality

1. Advance sports tourism strategy, including soccer complex.  
2. Support conditions that attract, promote and retain retail, commercial and industrial opportunities that have a positive fiscal impact 
3. Consider strategic reserves and other funding for vacant storefronts, façade improvements, corridor rehab and other opportunities to adapt to changing economic conditions.
4. Implement Economic Development Strategy.

Invest in well-planned infrastructure and growth

1. Reinvest in core neighborhoods. 
2. Increase funding for CIP rehabilitation to prevent erosion of infrastructure.
3. Prioritize completion of soccer complex and crucial corridors. 
4. Maintain investment in water resiliency and increase capacity of the electric utility.
5. Seek increased regional and local transportation funding and revenues

Support community engagement and advocacy

1. Remain focused on community engagement and education about City services and the budget.
2. Explore opportunities to engage increasingly diverse audiences in relevant ways.
3. Increase outreach to and engagement with younger populations.
4. Explore volunteer opportunities for employees.
5. Help county, state, and federal policymakers understand key City issues, including local decision-making.

Deliver exceptional City services

1. Explore ways to strengthen code enforcement efforts, including graffiti and blight abatement.
2. Remain an employer of choice through expanded recruitment and attraction efforts, a focus on retention, and a strong culture.
3. Implement greater community-based and volunteer cleanups.
4. Implement a new and more efficient way to process increasing Public Records Act requests.

This consensus on policy direction helps guide the work of our 14 departments and 1200 staff members serving our growing city of 154,000.