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HomeMy WebLinkAboutYEAR 2000 COMMITTEE REPORT P�� K y I O z t� YEAR 2000 COMMITTEE REPQRT v v V V v f V 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 CITY F B O RO KLY O N CENTER 6301 SHINGLE CREEK PARKWAY BROOKLYN GENTER MINNESOTA 55430 YEAR 2000 COMMITTEE REPORT CITY 6301 SHINGLE CREEK PARKWAY OF B ROOK LY N BROOKLYN CENTER, MINNESOTA 55430 TELEPHONE 561-5440 CENTER TO THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL: Submitted herewith is the report of your year 2000 Committee. Since our creation by the Brooklyn Center City Council in February of 1984 your Committee, in accordance with our original charges, has reviewed the City Council's advisory committee and commission structure; examined methods of injecting a long term perspective into our community's policy making process; and finally much of our efforts have been directed toward identifying and examining those issues and trends Brooklyn Center will be facing by the year 2000. I would like to personally thank and acknowledge the efforts of all the members of our Committee. In addition, I would like to acknowledge the assistance of the City staff in the preparation of this report, particularly Jerry Splinter, Ron Warren and Gary Shallcross. Respectfully submitted, George Lucht, Chairman Planning Commission trr� Z�.,..:_U �wr.r ��li�� Michael Bea�chane-Charter Commission hilip�Cohen-T ffic Safety Commission �.JG'�� ��..c��,������ Uale Greenwald At Large Member Sarbara Jense�i—Conservation Commission s /c` �c,-�r /�.C� Tony Kue r-At' L ber na� La. n-Housing Covmmission �-r� ,�.,i� ne L otka-Counci er Dean Nyquist-Mayor y t I ��,t/�.Lv E n a ine-Human Ri hts Comm. s' chools Re resentative Mary 1� g P a l T V"'� 1/ Y`�' IV !r Arvid (Bud) Sorenson-Park Rec CouBa. G�rald S nter-City Manager "7�cc So«�ctici�Cq �l aac L�ltg� THE YEAR 2000 COMMITTEE REPORT INTRODUCTION In 1986 Brooklyn Center will celebrate its 75th anniversary. As we move toward our centennial in the year 2011 we can look back on our community's history with pride. Since 1911 when citizens of southeastern Brooklyn Township and eastern Crystal Lake Township voted to incorporate the Village of Br.00klyn Center, its citizens seem to have had a propensity for planning ahead. As development pressures began to intensify in the 1950's and 1960's our community quickly recognized the need for comprehensive planning. We developed a Comprehensive Plan which is the basis for the development pattern now seen in Brooklyn Center. Because the City was split into several large sectors by major arterial roads and large park and open space.areas; there was a challenge to provide a strong central focus. Our neighborhood and land use patterns, the placement of pedestrian, bicycle, vehicle and other public facilities has resulted in a strong, central focus for our community. Such an orientation is rare among suburban municipalities and is much to the City of Brooklyn Center's credit that a history of competent, comprehensive planning and effective implementation controls has resulted in a minimum of land use conflicts and resulted in a pleasant urban environment. Because we have been left with a legacy of forward looking "doers and thinkers," it is our responsibility to provide that view for the next 75 years of Brooklyn Center's life cycle. The members of this Committee believe the recommendations and suggestions contained in this report will be a continuation of Brooklyn Center's forward looking perspective. This document should serve as a general guideline for and be an impetus to continued quality planning for Brooklyn Center. What our forefathers have given us is a quality foundation. Our task now is to build on that foundation to assure a quality urban environment for Brooklyn Center's citizens into the future. MERGE YEAR 2000 REPORT WITH COMPREHENSIVE PLAN As the next step in our continuing planning process we suggest the City Council instruct the City staff to merge the pertinent sections of this document with our Comprehensive Guide Plan. The resulting document should be of an "executive summary type" To the extent possible, the Year 2000 Matrix contained in this report should be expanded to include all the major issues, goals and trends stated in our Comprehensive Plan. When such a document is developed, it should be given to citizens choosing to serve on any of our advisory committees or commissions. It will provide a relatively brief and understandable reference which addresses the trends and issues impacting our community. This document will also serve the purpose of promoting some of the long term view or perspective necessary for a successful advisory commission and committee process. However, creating this document is not going to be sufficient onto itself. This plan summary should not be a type of document which simply sets on the shelf once completed. To be effective it must be an easily understood document which is reviewed and periodically updated on a consistent basis. Its assumptions and directions should be reviewed and questioned at each decision point as it is applied to any of the community's decision making processes. BIENNIAL PLANNING PROCESS Our plan must change and grow to fit the changing needs of Brooklyn Center. To accomplish a vital, foreward looking plan and achieve the vitality such a plan should have, we recommend the City Council initiate a planning process to occurat least biennially. We envision in this planning processthe City Council, members of their various advisory commissior�s and committees, and staff would meet and jointly discuss and analyze the trends, goals, and objectives of the committees and commissions and assess how they relate to general goals contained in our Comprehensive Plan. We recommend this planning session be held sometime in February or March to�allow for adequate time to accommodate appropriations for suggestions emanating from this process. To accomplish and direct this kind of session it may well be necessary for the City to hire a professional facilitator to organize and direct these planning sessions. This process will also assist the Council and the advisory commissions in assessing the vitality and effectiveness of the individual commissions and guide the direction of their activity. With this type of planning process we believe the City Council will be able to provide direction and emphasis currently lacking in their relationship with the advisory commissions and committees. This would also allow the advisory committees and commissions to have a better opportunity to communicate with the Council as a whole rather than just with individual liaison members. 1 MODIFICATION OF ADVISORY COMMISSION STRUCTURE Your advisory committees and commissions are an integral part of the overall process which the Council uses to communicate with the citizens of the community. The membership of these advisory bodies offer at times technical advice, political advice, act as buffers to the City Council in handling delicate, difficult issues, and serve as citizen sounding boards forthe Council to use when they considerthe impact of certain proposals. We can't emphasize enough the importance of the effective use of these advisory bodies. However, we must also point out they are only one element in a comprehensive communication system available to a City Council. Other elements in that total system are newspapers, the City Manager's quarterly newsletter, cable television, radio and commercial television. A comprehensive use of all of the elements in your communication system will assist the Council in communicating with and gaining input from the community. The City Council should review these various communication elements or mechanisms, along with the advisory commissions and coordinate in a manner to keep our community informed. In light of the changes we can expect in the coming decades, we recommend the Council consider modifying their advisory commission and committee structure along the following lines: 1. Because of the diversity of concerns the community will have to address in the future, a rigid, permanent advisory committee structure alone may not be flexible enough to meet community needs. We recommend the Council use ad hoc (single purpose, self terminating) committees for special policy making considerations. By using ad hoc committees the Council will be able to address specific problems in a relatively shorter period of time. The sole purpose of these committees would be to accomplish a single task and not get bogged down in the regular agendas of permanent commissions. Current experience seems to indicate citizens are more witling and interested to serve on shorter term, single purpose committee rather than the long term permanent commissions. 2. Each of the advisory commissions were contacted and requested to review their activities and report to the Year 2000 Committee through their representative on this Committee. They were asked to make any suggestions which would improve their capability to serve the City of Brooklyn Center. They were also asked if they believe the purpose of their commission was being achieved, whether or not they could better serve by being merged with another commission, and whether or not their commission should be abolished. While most of the reports came back from the commissions indicating they were still active and vital, the Conservation Commission did report their activities seem to have been displaced by an existence of a high degree of conservation awareness in the community and in society in general. At this time they believetheir mission has been accomplished to and extent their activities could be merged with another commission and their members work on the other commissions. Because of these indications this Committee believes the City Council should consider merging the charges and responsibilities of the Conservation Commission with one or more of the other active commissions. We further recommend the City Council, in conjunction with the permanent advisory commissions, review the original charges of these commissions and update them and make necessary modifications to direct their efforts toward the problems, concerns, and challenges stated in other sections of this report. Over time continual review of our commissions should result in fewer more comprehensive commissions. We also believe for the advisory commissions to remain vital they may have to adopt a more flexible approach to their work patterns. There are some indications advisory commissions, though not required to meet monthly, continue to do so at times even when there isn't significant work for them to do. We believe staff time and volunteer member time can best be served by holding meetings only when there is a need for such meetings as judged by the advisory commission itself. Whatever the committees or commissions the Council chooses to use, this Committee recommends the Council adequately provide staff assistance to their advisory commissions and cdmmittees. This will allow volunteer citizens to be more effective in the use of their time to assisi the Council in making their decisions. The staff assistance should accomplish the research and "detail work" required, thus, allowing the advisory committees and commissions more time for study and deliberation. 3. Currently, a number of advisory commissions have neighborhood advisory groups serving in an advisory capacity to the permanent commissions. There are at least two of these neighborhood advisory groups, and it is ourviewthey are underutilized. We believethese groups could serve a more meaningful and active role if they were merged and all advisory commissions use a single group of neighborhood advisory committees. 2 YEAR 2000 TRENDS AND ISSUES MATRIX We believe the heart of our report is contained in the Year 2000 Matrix. Vertically on the matrix are listed the trends and issues this Committee believes will be of primary interest and concern for Brooklyn Center in the years to come. Horizontally are listed the impact areas. In the final column are suggested implementation strategies. Following the matrix in this report is a section which comments on the trends and issues reviewed by the matrix. We believe by the use of a matrix we can most effectively present our ideas and suggestions. The comments listed under the impact areas are meant to give the City Council, a straightforward and concise review of impacts and concerns. Futurists have criticized municipalities for being much likethe captain of the ill fated ship Titantic. They claim, like theTitanic's captain, municipalities are spending far too much time arranging deck chairs on their organizational ship rather than steering it through the iceberg laden seas. Your committee does not wish to diminish the importance of short term, day-to-day "deck chair" issues. However, as the Council seems to believe by creating this Committee, there needs to be more time, energy and effort directed toward maintaining and further developing a long range or strategic perspective for Brooklyn Center. If our community is to be vital in the coming decades, we must anticipate trends, problems and issues and attempt to mitigate or avoid their negative impacts and take advantage of the positives. We believe our recommendations in this area, if adopted, will place our community in an anticipatory stance ratherthan being constantly placed in a situation of reacting to current crises. The listing order of trends and issues on the matrix should not be considered a priority listing. We have chosen to give the Council a list of implementation suggestions which appears as the far righthand column on our matrix. In setting specific deadlines for completion of suggested tasks we do not mean that these deadlines are absolute. The City Council should work with their staff and the involved advisory commissions and committees to agree on specific deadlines for the completion of assigned studies and tasks. It may well be the press of current business will make some of these deadlines as suggested unreasonabte. We believe the completion dates of these tasks should be a matter of negotiation between and among the Council, the advisory commissions and your staff. COMING CHANGES ARE OPPORTUNITIES, NOT JUST PROBLEMS As a final comment in our report we wish to point out that in our examination of the issues and trends which will be impacting Brooklyn Center in the years to come, two words seemed to reoccur consistently. These two words were "change" and "anticipate". Change in our society, the way we look at the world (our paradigm), our technology, our economic base and almost everything else we can think of wilt be occurring faster than it has in the past. We can also count on the fact that these changes will be more pervasive than ever before. Government institutions, including municipalities, have traditionally served as buffers to change and defenders of the status quo. We believe in the future, because of the speed and the extent of the change in our society, municipal and other institutions will have to be more flexible and accommodating to change. This will not be easy because human beings and their institutions simply do not care for, like, or indeed, want to consider change. Generally, people will be more comfortable witli a status quo. The Council will have to work with the community to accommodate coming changes. This will call for a high degree of leadership, citizen participation and communication. The word "anticipate" is defined in Webster's Dictionary as "to look forward to; to prevent by action in advance". The quality of our future may well depend on how well we anticipate and plan for change. We must adopt a forward looking stance which will allow us to "prevent by action in advance." The implementation of our plan should involve a"working partnership" among businesses, government and our citizenry. The continued positive relationship among these elements in our co�nmunity will enhance our prospects for the future. With a cooperative effort on the part of all aspects of our community, Brooklyn Center can structure itself to be flexible enough to anticipate and accommodate the coming changes and yet make those needed changes in both an intuitive and analytical fashion. We should view these coming changes, as much as possible, as opportunities—not just problems. 3 COMMENTS ON TRENDS AND ISSUES 1. SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLDS INCREASING AS A PERCENTAGE OF HOUSEHOLDS There currently exists, and apparently will continue to exist in Brooklyn Center and in society in general, a significant number of single parent households. Their service and housing needs should be carefully examined along with other community needs. A special report detailing these needs is enclosed to the appendix of this report. 2. BALANCE AMONG AGE GROUPS IN POPULATION WILL CHANGE It will be important for the community to not have a predominance of any one age group within its population profi{e. If you can maintain a baiance among ages it will be easier for the community to provide needed services. Age "waves" passing through our poputation statistics, such as the baby boom generation, make it difficult because the services they need change and fluctuate through short periods of time. To the extent possible we should strive to keep a balance of ages and review all possible means of accomplishing this balance of age groups. A primary goal of such a policy should consider methods of keeping and attracting middle income families. 3. AGING POPULATION-BROOKLYN CENTER AND "INNER RING" SUBURBS The age of our citizens will be trending older. It is and will continue to be important to analyze the effect of this trend on all aspects of community life. Because the elderly will be a more significant portion of our population, it will be important to analyze carefully their needs and the financial feasibility of providing senrices. There also should be a careful review of current services available in this area and a consistent effort to avoid duplication. Attached in the addendum section of this report is an outline of what a review, analysis or study of these concerns might contain. It is also suggested this study could be included as a full section of our Comprehensive Guide Plan. 4. PROBLEMS WITH LANDFILLS MAY REGIUIRE MANDATORY RECYCLING Research has documented the continued use of landfill operations for the disposal of solid wastes will not be acceptable in the future. Brooklyn Center should work diligently with the County, Metropolitan and State Agencies involved in these policy decisions and support them in their efforts to establish effective recycling systems for the metropolitan area and the State. 5. STORM WATER DRAINAGE THROUGH BROOKLYN CENTER AFFECTS LOCAL SYSTEMS As construction and development continues heavily in communities to the north and west of Brooklyn Center the inflow of water into the various streams and drainage systems will be increased. The proper maintenance and design of these drainage systems will have a profound effect on future flooding potential in Brooklyn Center. The recent establishment of joint powers Watershed Districts is a step in the right direction. However, Brooklyn Center should actively involve itself in these groups to assure ponding areas and drainage systems design requirements are implemented properly. 6. QUALITY OF DOMESTIC WATER SUPPLY At this time the City's water supply appears "safe" both in quality and quantity. However, constant vigilance and testing must occur in the future to assure current quality and quantity. The Water Department should continue its experimentation with methods ot iron bacteria control to assure a quality water supply for all sections of our community. 7. SAFETY PROBLEMS OF CRYSTAL AIRPORT Recent history demonstrates that the Crystal Airport does represent a hazard to the residential areas immediately adjacent to the ends of its runways. While the immediate shutdown and remova{ of the airport facility may not be warranted, certainly the Council should work diligently to encourage the Airport Commission to eventually phaseout the Crystal operation into the expansion of other airports in the metropolitan area. If at some point in time this phaseout should be accomplished, the City Council should anticipate and work with the neighboring communities of Crystal and Brooklyn Park on an effective complimentary redevelopment of the airport property. 4 8. RAPID TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT We may have already become a computerized information society and there are many who say it is only the beginning. Futurists claim rapid and pervasive change will be the hallmark of the coming decades and nowhere will it be more evident than in the application of technology. Brooklyn Center should be alert to cost effective applications of technology. However, achieving "state of the art" for its own sake will not be cost effective. We should continue to carefully analyze the effective use of technology and use joint powers consortiums such as LOGIS to maximize our investment in technology. 9. PUBLIC PHYSICAL FACILITIES AGING Because much of our street system was developed and constructed without concrete curb and gutter and at a time when paver laid asphalt technology was not available, portions of these streets in the next ten years will be reaching an age where sections may start to deteriorate. Other physical facilities may also need evaluation. With some physical facilities it is questionable whether continual repair will be the most economic answer to deterioration. Planning for the financing of their eventual reconstruction should commence by reviewing existing assessment policies, examining special assessment and bond legislation, court precedents, other available financing techniques and continual updating of a capital improvements program. 10. CONTINUING NEED FOR ENERGY CONSERVATION While currently there exists no "energy crisis" the cost and availability of energy is an important factor in the continued viability of our community. There will be a continuing need to conserve all forms of energy. 11. CHANGE WILL OCCUR MORE FREQUENTLY AND MORE PERVASIVELY Generally, people view change with suspicion and resistance. There usually exists in society a"comfort" with the "status quo" or the "known" and a discomfort with "change" or the "unknown:' Sociologists and futurists tell us in the coming decades change will occur more often, faster and more pervasively. Our institutions, values and our paradigm (way we view the world) will be stressed and assaulted. We must develop a flexibility to accommodate changes. 12. GREATER POTENTIAL FOR CITY INVOLVEMENT IN SOCIAL AND HUMAN RESOURCE SERVICE DELIVERY If this trend develops further, it will involve the community in administering programs in which its current staff has little or no experience. The City Council must review carefully on a case-by-case basis the funding and development of human service type projects. We must be watchful in developing these types of programs and beware of duplicating services and anticipate future imbedded costs. We do not mean to state these programs are in and of themselves not worthy, but we do believe the Council should approach them carefully and analytically. 13. MINIMAL CULTURAL ACTIVITIES AND FACILITIES AVAILABLE IN THE NORTHWEST METROPOLITAN AREA The Committee noted there are few cultural facilities immediately available in the northwest metropolitan area, and we recommend this aspect of our community's development and life should be nurtured to a greater extent in the future than it has in the past. 14. FOSTERING A PLEASANT URBAN ENVIRONMENT We believe iYs important that our streets and boulevard areas portray Brooklyn Center as a beautiful community in which to live, work and shop. We have noted some of our right-of-ways along our major thoroughfares, such as Highway 100, I-94, I-694, and Brooklyn Boulevard, are lacking in landscaping and maintenance. More resources should be allocated to the mowing and maintenahce of these boulevard areas. A Comprehensive Plan for replacing boulevard and park trees as they age or become diseased should be developed, the desirability of decorative street lighting should be examined, and a review of the maintenance needs of street plantings should be commenced. We believe that how our streets and boulevards "look" helps to form a good first impression of our community. We should also review building architecture as an opportunity to improve our visual image. 15. COMPLETION OF PARK DEVELOPMENT PLAN Brooklyn Center is blessed with a number of major recreational elements and amenities such as Shingle Creek Trailway System, Central Park, Community Center swimming pool, and we believe the construction 5 of the golf course at Lions Park west site is a needed addition to our park and recreation system. We recommend the design of this course be such that it effectively serve all age groups in the community from the youth to the elderly. Other elements of our park plan remain to be examined also: Kylawn Preserve, North Twin Lake and Riveridge Park. The Park and Recreation Commission should examine the value of nature interpretive programming within our system without duplicating Hennepin County's programming. 16. HISTORIC PRESERVATION OF EARLE BROWN FARM A few years ago a telephone survey asked residents to express their interest in preserving the Farm. A significant percentage of those surveyed, 76%, indicated the Farm should be preserved. We encourage the Council to seek an economically feasible plan to preserve a significant portion of the Farm for future generations to enjoy. Because the condition of the Farm buildings is worsening, the Council should expedite its search for a feasible preservation plan. We also wish to point out that the economic feasibility review should be an exhaustive analysis covering the costs of purchase, redevelopment and continuing operation. 17. "CUT-THROUGH" TRAFFIC IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS Because Brooklyn Center is a crossroads of majorthoroughfares and overtime there will be periodic traffic problems and congestion on the major thoroughfares, there is and will continue to be shortcutting and cut-through traffic by commuters attempting to avoid congestion on the majorthoroughfares. Because it is important to maintain viable residential areas and this cut-through and shortcut traffic will be a detriment to residential areas, the City should review all possible techniques to mitigate this problem. There should be a review of the traffic diverter systems used in other communities and conduct a thorough analysis of all possible methods, including the actual closing off and cul-de-sacing of certain residential streets where grid patterns make it easy for bypassing and cut-through traffic. 18. 70% OF HOUSING STOCK 40 YEARS OLD BY THE YEAR 2000 A significant portion of Brooklyn Center's housing will be reaching the 30 to 40 year mark before the year 2000. It will be important as these houses reach the major repair stages in their life cycle, that timely maintenance and rehabilitation occur. The City Council should address this problem immediately and seek to implement whatever mechanisms are available to make it as easy as possible for this housing to be rehabilitated so as to assure its viability in the future. Currently much of our housing stock is made up of three bedroom ramblers of approximately 900 to 1000 square feet. Many have single car garages. The Housing Commission and the Planning Commission should jointly review the possible need to modify setbacks and other building and zoning code requirements which might restrict remodeling of our current housing stock to meet the need and desires of home buyers in the future. 19. BROOKLYN CENTER IS IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING FROM A"DEVELOPMENT" TO A"MAINTENANCE" STAGE OF ITS LIFE CYCLE Brooklyn Center, as it approaches its diamond anniversary, is on the verge of being completely developed. As a community reaches full devetopment and as the first developed portions of the community age, redevelopment pressures begin. Our community's ordinances and policies were developed while we were preoccupied, justifiably so, with the concerns of a fast growing suburb. We believe the City Council should examine ourordinances and policies for needed changes in light of the gradual change of our community's focus from growth to maintenance and redevelopment. We believe our community should institute a formal policy plan for "redevelopment". We suggest the elements of this plan should include at least the following: designation of areas of rehabilitation need and/or potential within the community; the Council should develop specific direction to its staff on the extent of City involvement in various types of rehabilitation and/or redevelopment projects; and establish the extent of City financial involvement in rehabilitation proposals. Brooklyn Center still has some lands available for development. Most of this land is industrial and commercial. We anticipate within the next five to ten years virtually all vacant land in Brooklyn Center will be developed. We believe redevelopment opportunities and needs will be coming more to the forefront. Currently some redevelopment proposals are already in the formation stages, and we anticipate more to come in the near future. While this redevelopment interest is relatively small at this time, we would anticipate it will be important for the community to develop a policy in anticipation of redevelopment rather than in response to it. 6 20. OUR ECONOMY IS TRENDING MORE TOWARD AN INTERNATIONAL BASE AND AS SUCH CHANGES WILL BE OCCURRING IN THE ECONOMY AS IT IMPACTS BROOKLYN CENTER. The general economy of the United States is fast becoming orientated toward an international rather than a national base. Businesses based in Brooklyn Center and in Minnesota are becoming more and more involved in competing in international markets. The current State of Minnesota policy is directed at encouraging international based marketing for Minnesota businesses. The Council and its advisory commissions should be aware of this trend and keep it in mind in their decision making processes. 21. BROOKLYN CENTER'S GEOGRAPHtC LOCATION IS IN A FROST BELT AREA OF THE UNITED STATES AND IS AFFECTED ECONOMICALLY AS A VIABLE PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK BY THIS LOCATION. Our geographic location both enhances and deters our ability to attract and keep a diverse population. On one hand, being a frost belt area and the resulti►�g high energy costs is a deterrent to development. On the other hand, our abundant water resources are a valuable asset. 22. CITY WILL CONTINUE AS THE JUNCTION FOR MAJOR TRANSPORTATION CORRIDORS WITH INCREASING VOLUMES OF TRAFFIC. Noise and air pollution standards should be monitored and innovative steps taken to buffer these kinds of problems which are generally associated with major traffic thoroughfares. Landscaping and buffering techniques and technology should be continually monitored and any possible improvements should be put in place as soon as practical. While our major thoroughfares increase in traffic volumes more attention should be given to the development of an intrasuburban transportation system. The growth corridor between Brooklyn Center and St. Cloud and the adjacent lands represent the fastest growing area in the State of Minnesota. All indications are this is where the heaviest growth will continue to happen in the next 15 to 20 years. We must work with adjacent communities, Metropolitan and State agencies to control the adverse impacts of this development. 23. GRADUAL INCREASE IN AGE OF COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS Brooklyn Center's industrial and commercial buildings are relatively new and for the most part well maintained. However, we should be alert to pockets of deterioration and review our experience with encouraging rehabilitation of housing to see if successful techniques in housing rehabilitation can be transferred to rehabilitation of commercial and industrial buildings. 24. COMMUNICATION OF COMMUNITY NEEDS, PLANS AND GOALS We must persuade our Legislature to consider Brooklyn Center's and other community needs in their deliberations. We must gather information and present it to the Legislature in such a fashion for them to make better informed decisions relating to Brooktyn Center citizens. Currently suburbs are relatively ineffective in influencing the State legislative process. Suburban communities such as Brooklyn Center lack lobbying clout and organized effort. The State of Minnesota continues to mandate without fiscal analysis. This is a process which cannot continue if the City is to effectively plan its financial future. Current State policies relating to such things as local government aids and fiscal disparities legislation have served to create friction between and among municipalities in the State Legislature. The local government aid formula, fiscal disparities legislation, and mandatory arbitration have created haves and have nots within the various constituencies within and among municipalities. The net result is conflict, and we should work diligently with the Legislature to eliminate the competition and conflict between and among cities. 25. FOUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS SERVING BROOKLYN CENTER The maintenance of a quality education system for Brooklyn Center is an absolute necessity if the community is to be viable in the future. The perception by those individuals and families interested in living in Brooklyn Center that it is served by quality educational institutions is the most important factor in the continued viability of our housing stock. If younger families continue to move in the community and buy housing, then much of our residential redevelopment problems will be mitigated. It is essential a continuing quality level of education be provided by our school systems. 26. INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION AND COORDINATION The federal government has an important influence on Brooktyn Center as it, in varying degrees, affects the economic viability of our nation and by its policies affect our ability to finance such redevelopment projects as the Brookwood housing development. A major arm of the federal government affecting cities is the Housing and Urban Development Department. Their policies affect our ability to finance such redevelopment 7 projects as the Brookwood housing development. A major arm of the federal government policies have for the most part proved to be ineffective in assisting Brooklyn Center in accomplishing its planning goals. Federal mandated controls and regulations are making it more and more difficult to accomplish any project with federal funding. The federal government's current health care assistance programs do not encourage community based health care facilities and systems. This has been a trend in most of their programs. We must work in the future to changetheir policies and develop programs which encourage community based facilities and allow for input of community based goals, needs and interests. The City Council should use the League of Cities, the Metro Association of Municipalities, and other municipal networking devices such as joint powers agreements to accomplish monitoring of these governmental unit policies as they are developed and modified. 27. BALANCE AMONG BROOKLYN CENTER LAND USES It appears, from the Committee's point of view, Brooklyn Center and the surrounding area is currently and probably into the future well served by existing retail facilities. The City Council should ask the Planning Commission to review carefully what kind of and to what extent future retail development is warranted. The Planning Commission should also monitor land uses for an emerging predominance of any one type. 28. CRITERIA FOR ORDINANCE AND REGULATION DEVELOPMENT Our Committee believes that many times special interest groups or the wrongful acts of a few dictates the direction and initiation of ordinances. While the City Council cannot ignore these factors, your primary responsibility is the overall good of the community which may or may not be represented by any organized lobbying effort. 29. VIABILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF BUILDING MAINTENANCE CODES Our existing Code has served us well to date; however, a review of the following should be conducted: 1. Review the feasibility of upgrading lawn, landscaping and other maintenance standards in our ordinances. 2. Consider the extension of the housing and maintenance code to include commercial and industrial properties. 3. Continue to review the newer developments in housing and building maintenance codes and evaluate them as to their effectiveness within Brooklyn Center. 30. ZONING, BUILDING AND LAND USE REGULATIONS WILL BE CHALLENGED BY REDEVELOPMENT PRESSURES A review of the following suggestions should be conducted: 1. Consider the development of a planned unit development feature within our zoning ordinance to facilitate redevelopment: 2. Examine the feasibility of elderly housing clusters and accessory apartments and similar "new" trends in housing. 3. Review lot size restrictions which may be complicating infilling within development areas. 4. Review the complications of singte family dwellings within potential redevelopment areas. 5. Consider modifications of codes and regulations which will allow the City flexibility in developing and implementing rehabilitation projects in a manner which does not compromise our development standards. 6. Review the sensitivity of our regulations to the needs of new energy efficient designs and construction concepts. 7. Review ordinance standards which may relate to such developments as high tech cottage home occupations and other home occupation developments. 31. MORE PROBIEMS ORIGINATING OUTSIDE THE CITY RATHER THAN FROM WITHIN As we reach full development, without question, more of our problems and the source of their solutions will be outside the boundaries of Brooklyn Center. With continuing growth to the northwest, Brooklyn Center must work with adjacent communities, MNDOT, the Metro Council and others to mitigate building traffic congestion problems. We must similarly look outside to solve Crystal Airport safety concerns. These are only two examples of problems and solutions requiring "outside" attention. The City Council members will have to develop and foster, with staff assistance, communication links to our neighboring communities, Metro Council, and State government. 8 32. CONTINUING CITIZEN AWARENESS AND INVOLVEMENT The City Council should continue to seek input at early stages and policy considerations. Many futurists indicate there's going to be a greater and greater need for personalization of our institutions and their policies because of our increasingly automated society. They claim and are predicting there will be a trend toward more "participation democracy". Members of the Committee believe it has been here for sometime in Brooklyn Center and ought to be nurtured and encouraged. In the future in deciding upon the levels and types of services and the impacts of the community's regulations, we believe the City Council must be aware of an apparent trend toward people being interested in multiple options rather than either/or choices in both their private lives and their public policies. 9 �a�+ z. Pa9 e �o CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER YEAR 2000 REPORT MATRIX IMPACT AHEAS pUBLIC PNIISICAL MAJOR CITY COUNCtt QEMAND FOR NEW PUBLIC MODIFICATION OF EXISTING FACILITIES POUCY CONSIDERATIONS SERVICES AND ORDINANCES PUBLIC SERVICES TRENDS ISSUES AND ORDINANCES CHANGES IN BROOKLYN CENTER'S DEMOGRAPHICS WARRANT SPECIAL ATTENTION. possible health care clinics on site need for analysis of the needs of potential new programs clustering of services for both at high schools the single parent.household increased demand for da care children and single parents who are SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLDS because of their mcrease as y working toward self-sufficiency. INCREASING AS A PERCENTAGE OF percent of households need to develop comprehensive HOUSEHOLDS family life education programs in coordination with other schools government agencies needed 2 population imbalance creates short an imbalance among age groups in research methods of encouraging BALANCE AMONG AGE GROUPS IN term pressure on physical facilities the population places population balances POPULATION WILL CHANGE such as Parks and Schools service dehvery systemse on g potential need for "elderly" center determine the extent of City more elderly recreation many City services will have to responsibility and/or role m programming anticipate needs of more elderly AGING POPULATION delivering services for the elderly transportation needed fewer youth program demands BROOKLYN CENTER AND financing new service needs of "INNER RING" SUBURBS elderlX must be tempered with sensitivity to financially burdening younger generations CONTINUING THREATS TO OUR COMMUNITY'S ENVIRONMENT MUST BE MONITORED. 4 may require land or building area must cooperate with Hennepin may have to develop a system for possible modification of existing PROBLEMS WITH LANDFILLS MAY County who has primary at the source separation of refuse regulations REQUIRE MANDATORY RECYCLING responsibility for landfills and recycleables resource �ecovery if upstream facilities are not must use watershed district potential for storm water treatment properly designed our existing regulations to assure proper exists in watershed laws STORM WATER DRAINAGE THROUGH storm sewers will be undersized design of upstream storm sewers BROOKLYN CENTER AFFECTS LOCAL monitor e SYSTEMS quity in assessing watershed improvements g potential need for treatment should be major continuing City additional expenditure for water QUALITY OF DOMESTIC WATER facilities Council concern quality monit4nng may be needed SUPPLY 7 after phase-out of airport new the Crystal Airport does not meet SAFETY PROBLEMS OF CRYSTAL development could cause storm modern safety standards because AIRPORT and sanitary sewer capacity structures are built too close to problems airport runways P PAGE 10 7 HOUSING STOCK OTNEN GOVERNMENT UNITS PRIVATE PHYSICAL FACILITIES P�NNIN6 CONSIDERATIONS IMPLEMENTATION AND/OR QUE3TIONS SUG6ESTIONS may call for review of "size" and solutions to problems must involve patential for increased day what development and direct the Human Rights cost requirements of new housing other Cities, State, County and care demands redevelopment impacts will Commission to idenfify and possible increase in demand for Federal officials solutions to r rental housing p oblems involve recommend alternative actions for potential demand for accessory the City Council's consideration by apartments or other single family July of 1987 dwelling conversions must keep a balance of housing planning for housing the elderly must anticipate factors which will direct the City Manager to analyze alternatives should be addressed on an area create population imbalances population projections and analyze new and modified housing should wide basis so that action or otential im acts of existin attract elderly out of underutilized inaction by a community is not P Q 9 single family detached dwellings cancelled by action or inaction of population' waves and report to new and modified housing must another community the City Council by January of 1986 attract young families must provide attractive elderly avoid service duplication and utilize contractual services when study, plan and anticipate needs of create an "ad hoc" committee to housing oQiions ta encourage coordinate provisions of elderly possible an aging population base analyze the impact of an "turnover' of empty nester homes services with County, Schools and take advanta e of rivate facilities increasin elderl opulation monitor chan in elderl housin other Cities 9 P plan to avoid a preponderance of 9 Y P 9 9 y 9 and services where possible any age group including examinmg the need for preferences an "aging" element in our comprehensive plan potential for intercommunity can resource recovery be made landfilling refuse is an direct staff to monitor the Metro recycling cooperation profitable unacceptable solution Council's and Hennepin County's must work toward developing progress on':resource" recovery alternatives involvement by M sh of jg� if storm water runoff is not joint powers watershed if storm water runoff is not effective watershed design criteria direct the City Manager to report to pesultrly channeled flooding could agreements are guidelines for joint properly channeled flooding could eliminate problems the City Council on the and cooperative solutions could result anticipate need and cost of storm progress of the implementation of water treatment the various watershed drainage plans any major change in water quality monitor actions in other any major change in water quality planning and anticipating potential direct the City Manager to develop could adversely impact housing communities whose actions may could adversely impact pollution sources and treatment a consistent water quality testing values affect our water su p pl y source dev el o p m e n t a l t e r n a Uves s hou l d be a con tinuing and monitoring program values process (formalization of the current monitor the safety of the AMOCO program may be acceptable) pipeline on Dupont housing close to the end of airport coordinate efforts with Crystal to as we wark for the phase-out of the more actively support Crystal in its runways are more likely to be convince the Metro Airports airport discuss with Crystal and efforts to improve the safety of the involved in aircraft accidents Commission to phase-out Crystal Brooklyn Park the eventual existing operation and theirphase- Airport redevelopment plan for the airport out efforts property I I I I �a 211 CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER YEAR 2000 REPORT MATRIX IMPACT AREAS pUBLIC PHYSICAL MAJOR CITY COUNCIL DEMAND FOR NEW PUBLIC MODIFICATION OF EXISTING FACILITIES POLICY CONSIDERATIONS SERVICES AND ORDINANCES PUBUC SERVICES TRENDS ISSUES AND ORDINANCES BROOKLYN CENTER'S ROLE IN PROVIDING AND FINANCING SERVICES AND PUBLIC FACILITIES WILL HAVE 8 evaluation of benefit new do not buy technology just to with the implementation of expect continuous pressure for technology can have for existing accomplish "state of the art" technology there wili be need for implementation of computer RAPID TECHNOLOGICAL physical facilities complete cost-benefit analysis more personalized service (more technology ADVANCEMENT before implementation of any high tech=more high touch) joint powers technology usage, technology such as LOGIS offers economic technology has the capability of advantage giving a Crty Council greater qualrty and quantity of information 9 need for continuous monitoring and plan for the financing of major may have to expend more maintenance of existing physical repair and replacement programs resources on research, testing and PUBLIC PHYSICAL FACILITY AGING facilities anticipate and detenoration planning don't wait for it to occur key factor will be the decision of when to repair and when to replace energy conservation projects to financing conservation projects consider value of point of sale examine value of adding energy rehabilitate public bwldings ordinance as energy conservation conservation requirements to CONTINUING NEED FOR ENERGY need to accommodate alternative mechanism maintenance code CONSERVATION transportation bike and pedestrians changing interests and service City Council must be flexible in the more frequent demands for new existing services may not be needs may result in obsolete public problem solving approaches services needed�or tess demand for them CHANGE WILL OCCUR MORE facilities City institutions must accommodate computer crime and the expertise to might exist FRE�UENTLY AND MORE chan e, not resist it address it need to keep abreast of new 9 technology, m all departments, PERVASIVELY services oriented to "wellness" and especially in use of computer "prevention" not just curing technoloqy problems and addressing cnses must wo�k to.eliminate or reduce programs which are no longer or have ceased to serve their purpose 12 potential need for office space problem of avoiding services these programs and services are duplication with Hennepin County generally more staff intensive and GREATER POTENTIAL FOR CITY and others could call for increased staffing INVOLVEMENT IN SOCIAL AND financing additional programs new type skills will be needed to HUMAN RESOURCE SERVICE decision of providing services accompfish these types of services DELIVERY directly or contracting for services 13 potential for additional area to cultural and recreational activity potential for additional cultural- accommodate cultural activiry should be given higher priority recreational programming MINIMAL CULTURAL ACTIVITIES AND FACILITIES AVAILABLE IN THE NORTHWEST METRO AREA I I I 1�a�' Z.0 PAGE 11 HOUSING STOCK OTHER GOVEHNMENT UNITS PRIVATE PHYSICAL FACILITIES P�ANNING CONSIDERATIONS IMPLEMENTATION AND/OR QUESTIONS SUGGE3TIONS TO BE EVALUATED CONTINUALLY. be aware of all opportunities for more work and business may be examine carefully the contribution the City Council should insist on joint power usage of technology conducted at home technology can make in improving valid cost-benefit analysis before (high tech cottages) the City Council's access to approving implementation of information and the quality of their technology decisions considershared facilities ANTICIPATE is the key word; don't direct the City Manager to develop will the price of replacing existing wait for the problem to occur a schedule of "deteriaration" for the facilities'be competitive with the major elements in our physical oute suburlbsng new facilities in plan and make recommendations on the need for preventive maintenance and replacement by July of 1987. aging housing stock will need to be will we have to compete with other energy audits rehabilitation continuing need for energy direct the Planning Commission, in anatyzed for energy conservation cities for scarce energy supplies program and mformation will conservation emphasis their review of our Land Use and deficiencies (energy audits) be needed Building regulations, to consider additions and modifications which would encourage energy conservation must keep up with new housing greater flexibility may be required existing commercial and industrial need for more frequentreview of more City Council, Advisory material and energy technology in our �omt powers agreements structures must be adaptive to Comprehensive Plan Commissions and staff time will housing structures may have to changing market demands must develoP techniques and/or need to be spent on "anticipating" accommodate changing methods of selling" need for and "accommodating" change; we demographics service elimination and reduction to will have ta be more flexible and the public imaginative in addressing change must develop techniques and/or methods of selling "change" with public involvement possible duplication of services plan carefully and,remember this direct the Human Rights continue cooperation and support type of programming involves Commission to study and of Northwest Human Services expertise not available on current recommend guidelines for staff evaluating new social and human resource service needs by January of 1987 potential exists for joint opportunity for jbint programs with the current efforts of the Fine Arts sponsorship efforts the private sector (Brookdale) subcommittee of the Park and Recreation Commission should be encouraged and additional staff assistance should be authorized in 1985 z �a CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER YEAR 2000 REPORT MATRIX IMPACT AREAS pUBUC PHYSICAL MAJOR CITY COUNCIL DEMAND fOR NEW PUBLIC MODIFICATION OF EXISTING TRENDS ISSUES FACILITIES POIICY CONSIDERATIONS SERVICES AND ORDINANCES AND ORDINANCES ATTENTION TO BROOKLYN CENTER'S QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE MIDST OF RAPID LOCAL, REGIONAL AND NA1 1 Q may create more boulevard plantings need to review the value of improving the research "streetscape" proposals more resources expended on mai�tenance potential for decorative street lighting and City's right-of-ways with plantings and of plantings FOSTERING A PLEASANT URBAN boulevard furniture street beautification reinforcement of appearance sections of ENVIRONMENT constant awareness of the overall maintenance codes appearance of Brooklyn Center 5 final development of Kylawn Preserve. North evaluate the value ot a golf course as an management and maintenance of a additional maintenance needs for future Twin Lake Park, Riverridge Park and element in our park system golf course developed park areas COMPLETION OF PARK DEVELOPMENT PLAN 6olf Course review other park development plans 16 City may have to assume maintenance determining financial feasibility of eventual buildings may be able to house some or all and/or ownership of some or all of the farm builtling uses of future service and program needs HISTORIC PRESERVATION OF EARLE BROWN buildings approval of an economical plan for farm FARM bwlding rehabilitation and use 17 street system modifications may be required too much "cut-through" traffic can devalue need to research for any innovative ideas residential neighborhoods and create which could mitigate these problems "CUT-THROUGH" TRAFFIC IN RESIDENTIAL difficuft public relations problems for AREAS the Council 18 development of financial and informational new statt and/or contractual assistance mechanisms to assist homeowners in major needed to develop assistance mechanisms 70% OF HOUSING STOCK 40 YEARS OLD BY maintenance and energy modernization YEAR 20W (APARTMENTS WILL ALSO BE projects AGING) 19 must develop a redevelopment policy by City must develop or contract for additional less staff demand for development projects outlining priorities. designating areas redevelopment of staff skills CITY IS CHANGING ITS FOCUS FROM determining the extent of City mvolvement "DEVELOPMENT" TO "MAINTENANCE AND REDEVELOPMENT° ECONOMIC VIABILITY REQUIRES AN UNDERSTANDING OF OUR ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT AND ITS CONSTF QQ need access to international aoticipate impact of international economy telecommunication and international air ECONOMY IS TRENDING TOWARD AN transportation routes INTERNATIONAL BASE 21 must be aware of continuing need for research and identify "besY' altematives for review need for "energy" related code energy conservation insulation and energy efficient heating modifications FROST BELT GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION need to be sensitive to financing needs of systems energy conservation 22 this iact is the "life blood" of our commercial need to examine all methods of mitigating and industrial development impact of these traffic corridors CITY WILL CONTINUE AS THE JUNCTION OF MAJOR TRANSPORTATION CORRIDORS WITH INCREASING VOLUMES OF TRAFFIC 23 declining building value could make potentiai property tax revenue decline if maintenance code for industriat and assessment of public improvements difficult buildings not properly mamtained and commercial buildings GRADUAL INCREASE IN AGE OF COMMERCIAL rehabildated AND INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS need to establish a redevelopment policy Pa�+ PAGE 12 HOUSING STOCK OTHER GOVERNMENT UNITS PRIVpTE PHYSICAL FACILITIES PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS IMPLEMENTATION SUGGESTIONS AND/OR QUESTIONS �IONAL CHANGES IS AN IMMEDIATE CHALLENGE. boulevard beautification could improve wili need to convince Hennepin County and ap aspects of maintenance coaes shouid be must establish a long term plan for direct the Planning Commission. with staff value of residential hausing MN/DOT to expend more funds on boulevard ex tended to commercial and industrial development beautification and maintenance of street assistance, ta analyze and determine the aesthetic �mprovemeNS would add to community maintenance and beautification. baulevards need and value ot boulevard beautification iden�i[y continued attention to the appearance of and re back to City Council by March aesthetic improvements may involve public industrial commercial develo ment Of 1987 expenditures on private property P Golf Course may 6e an asset in stabilizing with the major portion of our Park direct Park and Recreation Commission with residential land values in southeast Development Plan a complete review of the staff assistance. to review the remaining neighborhood tinal elements remaining should be conducted park tlevelopment projects and recommend quality parks are an asset to residential a park system is never complete because an implementation program by March of areas user acttvity is always changing 1986 for each element rental housing may be a valid use adjacent tax increment financing impact must be examine carefully the role of the private eventual Farm use must be complimentary the existing Earle Brown Farm Committee to the Farm along with commercial and reconciled with other government units sector in assessing preservation pro�ects to industrial/commercial area developme�t established by the City Council appears to industrial uses City must examine carefully its be addressing this issue in a timely and "entrepreneurial" relationship to the final effective manner Farm redeveloprnent plan traffic control helps protect housing efforts will require coordination with as development to our north and west direct the City Manager to monitor levels investments Hennepin County and MN/DOT continues more traffic will lead to more and location of cut-tfirough traffic for the "shortcutting" pressure next five years and,repart to the City Council on the mondonng results quality assistance programs wiil result in anticipate the impact of other aging public direct Housing Commission to study and re�uvenation of our housing stock and private faalities recommend financial and informational (energy auditsl will future chanyes in housing needs make mechanisms to assist homeowners in major Brooklyn Center s housing stock maintenance and energy modernization functionally obsolete or will remodeling projects by July oi 1986 make it viable will need to provide assistance for housing be aware of impact of tax increment and patentially more government involvement in in the future we will have to orient our direct the City Manager to develop a redevelopment other government units pnvate rehabilitalion projects planning and ordinances toward the needs redevelopment palicy draft by July of 1986 may be competing with other cities for of redevelopment and atter its submittal the Council should redevelopment pro�ects integrate redevelopment plans with direct the Planning and Housing Comprehensive Plan Commission to review the policy draft prior to Council adoptinn IAINTS. monitor impact of international marketing monitor and anticipate needs of the City Council. advisory commissions and on Minnesota s Legislature. Governor's international business committees should simply be "aware" of Office and State agencies this trend and keep it in mmd dunng their deliberations need to upgrade insulation Federal and State governments must assure need to upgrade building insulation examine role of zoning requirements in the City Council, adviso� commissions and need to install energy efficient heating continuing availabtlity of reasonable cost need to upgrade heating systems resource conserving srte and buildmg design committees should simp y be "aware" of systems energy sources this fact and keep it in mind during their encourage congressional delegation to join deliberations to protect frost belt States housing adjacent to heavy traveled must work with MN/DOT and Hennepin high level of accessabili� may lead to more must monitor and encourage planned the City Council and staff should actively thoroughfares may not be able to survive County to compete development of their intense commercial deve opment growth to the north and west toward monitor growth to our north and west transportatwn system m the northwestem St. Cloud metro area possible increased inspection of private anticipate needs of aging commercial and at this time there are only smail pockets of buildings by city inspectors industrial buildings older industrial and commercial buildings commercial and iodustrial structures should critical decision point is when do yau and Council should review the Housing be covered by our maintenance code. rehabilitate and when da you raze and Commission recommendations on housing rebuild rehabilitation mechanisms for future use on commercial industrial structures I i I PROCESS DESCRIPTION The Year 2000 Committee was established by the Brooklyn Center City Council on February 13, 1984 and was charged with the responsibility of reviewing and advising the City Council on facts, trends, critical issues and future needs of the community. The City Manager was made responsible for the general direction of the study, and the Committee served as a review and sounding board in developing final recommendations to the City Council. The membership of the Committee consisted of one member from each of the City's advisory commissions (Planning, Park and Recreation, Conservation, Housing, Human Rights, Traffic Safety, Charter), a representative from the schools and from the City Council, two at large members and the Mayor and City Manager as ex-officio members. Meetings were held approximately once per month on a non-Council meeting Monday evening. The first meeting of the Committee was essentiatly a get-acquainted session with a presentation by staff of statistical information on both the people and structures ot the City. There was also some discussion of the book Megatrends by John Naisbitt. In general, the theme of this inaugural meeting was that Brooklyn Center is a maturing community in a changing world. The City Manager explained that the purpose of the Committee was to identify and label trends and issues, not formulate solutions. The Committee then spent most of the next three to four meetings reviewing and discussing a set of positive and negative community attributes (Inventory of Conditions) in the areas of: Population, Housing, Commercial and Industrial, Finance, Transportation, Land Use, Public Facilities, External Factors, Physical Characteristics (Aesthetics, etc.) and Miscellaneous. Special attention was given to External Factors. Beginning in late August 1984 the Committee also began to consider the duties and responsibilities of the respective advisory commissions in an effort to explore the most appropriate way to address the policy issues arising out of the I nventory of Conditions. At the same time the Committee considered various ways of fostering a long range planning perspective and of instituting a process for periodically reviewing and updating policies and plans. The advisory commissions were asked to evaluatetheir roles and the activities in which they were engaged. It was agreed finally, that the role and responsibility of the commissions should be reviewed biennially as part of a regular long range planning process. It was also agreed that a biennial joint meeting of the City Council and members of the advisory commissions should be held to evaluate progress and continually define the issues facing the City. At the November 1984 meeting the Committee was presented with a draft list of Observations and Recommendations. This list grew out of the Inventory of Existing Conditions and reflected the Committee's concerns as to what those conditions implied for the City's policy agenda. The recommendations were not in the form of specific programs or policies to be implemented, but rather set an agenda of concerns that need to be addressed by the City Council and its advisory commissions. In March of 1985 the Committee reviewed a draft of trends and impact areas facing the City in the form of a matrix. The matrix listed trends or issues vertically, impact areas and implementation suggestions horizontally. The trends and issues generally flowed from the Inventory of Conditions. The impact areas included: public facilities, policy considerations, new services, effect on existing services, housing stock, other governmental units, private facilities, and planning considerations. The spaces created by the matrix contained many of the observations and recommendations made by the Committee. The matrix serves as a framework for containing the substance of the Year 2000 Committee Report. During the Committee's deliberations two committee members, Philip Cohen and Mary Ellen Rabine, made presentations on specific issues. Mr. Cohen presented a report on the need to plan for an "aging" population, and Mrs. Rabine presented a paper on the need to plan for single-parent population. Materials presented with both of these presentations are included in the appendix of this report. The entire report is to be transmitted to the City Council as a document commenting on long range planning issues, on needs for further study, and, to some extent, on the advisory commission apparatus and the planning process for dealing with issues. It is not intended to be a one time study nor is it an actual plan. It is a recommended agenda of policy issues which must be re-evaluated and revised from year to year. In a long range sense then, this report is only a single step in a continuing process of analyzing the issues confronting Brooklyn Center. 14