HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998 08-14 CCM Planning Session with Facilitator II r T
C�l �p���
CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER,
MINNESOTA
CITY COUNCIL LEADERS�IIP AND
GOAL-SETTING WORKSHOP
SUMMARY OF KEY OBSERVATIQNS
AND CONCLUSIONS
Prepared by
Carl H. Neu, Jr.
August 26,1998
Q Neu and Company, 1998
CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER,
MINNESOTA
CITY COUNCIL LEADERSHIP
AND GOAL-SETTING WORKSHOP
SUMMARY OF KEY OBSERVATIONS
AND CONCLUSIONS
August 26,1998
I. INTRODUCTION
On August 14,1998, the City Council, City Manager, and Assistant City Manager conducted
a City Council Leadership and Goal-Setting Workshop. The Objectives for this Workshop
are attached as Appendix A.
II. KEY OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS
A. Proposed City Council Goals for Calendar Year 1999
The Council developed a total of twelve goals, nine of which were identified as "A-
List" Goals, and three of which were identified as"B-List" Goals. The "A-List"
Goa1s were those that were identified by a majority of Council as being of the highest
priority for the City. The "B-LisY' Goals were Council Goals deemed to be of
importance to the Council but not having the high-priority status as those Goals listed
on the "A-List".
After each Goal listed below, the number of Council members indicating it as a high
priority and the number of Staff inembers indicating it as a high priority is noted.
1. "A-List" Goals
a. Develop a general Comprehensive Guide for Development and
Redevelopment
Redevelopment policies and priorities
Development and redevelopment that simultaneous provides
high-paying jobs (Council 5; Staff 2)
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b. Continue and improve long-term financial planning including
establishment of a contingency plan for possible cuts in funding from
the State Legislature. (Council 5; Staff 2)
c. Create Neighborhood Tra.ffic Safety Plan which includes enforcement
of speed limits. (Council 5; Staff Oj
d. Support Brookdale Redevelopment (Council 4; Staff 2)
e. Move the Brooklyn Boulevard Redevelopment to "top of the list" for
State and County funding assistance. Also search for additional
funding. (Council 4; Staff 1)
f. Evaluate housing programs and policies for:
Low-interest loan program
Occupancy issues
Multi-family housing
Point of Sale
First-time home buyers
Single family rental units (Council 4; Staff 0)
g. Work on Plan for Redoing City Hall and Community Center (Council
3; Staff 2)
h. Code Enforcement and Compliance (Council 3; Staff 1)
i. Increase proactivity towards fighting crime (Council 3; Staff 0)
2. ".B-List" Goals:
a. Establish usable benchmarks and data on Staff utilization, especially
in the Police Department (Council 2; Staff 2)
b. Make the City of Brooklyn Center visibly appealing to include
burying of utility lines (Council 2; Staff 0)
c. Finish Police and Fire Building construction. (Council 1; StafF 1)
B. Implementation Plans for Proposed Goals
The participants were then asked to examine and propose for each Goal the following
information relative to attaining its implementation:
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Relative priority (high-priority is a"must do"; medium priority indicates that
the Goal can be delayed until staff time becomes available for ensuring its
implementation)
Key Action Steps
Coordination required with other agencies including appropriate informatio�
on which agencies and how the coordination should be attained.
Budget implications for the 1999 City Budget
Other considerations
1. Goal: Develop a general Comprehensive Guide for development and
redevelopment
a. Relative Priority: Medium
b. Key Action Steps:
(1) Schedule required Council work sessions
(2) Schedule for appropriate Staff preparation work
c. Coordination Re uired with Other A encies: None
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d. Budget Implications:
(1) Salary of staff
(2) Consultant fees to assist in development of the general
Comprehensive Guide
e. Other Considerations: Competition for Staff and Council time.
2. Goal: Continue and improve long-term financial planning including
establishment of a contingency plan for possible cuts in funding
from the State Legislature.
No detailed implementation plan was developed by the participants.
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3. Goal: Create Neighborhood Traffic Safety Plan which includes
enforcement of speed limits.
a. Relative Priority: Medium
b. Key Action Steps:
(1) Define what we want and what we can accomplish
(2) Hire a consultant to assist in developing the Neighborhood
Traffic Safety portion of the Plan
(3) Evaluate use of Police time to determine ability of the Police
Department to enforce speed limits.
c. Coordination Required with Other Agencies: Neighborhood Watch
Groups
d. Budget implications:
(1) Cost of consultant to assist in creation of Neighborhood
Tr�c Safety component of Plan
(2) Potential cost to implement Plan
e. Other Considerations: Public acceptance of increased enforcement of
speed limits and Neighborhood Tr�c Safety Plan recommendations.
4. Goal: Support Brookdale Redevelopment
a. Relative Priority: High
b. Key Action Steps:
(1) Financing the redevelopment
(2) Issuing of Land Use Permits
(3) Construction Inspection
(4} Monitoring Developer performance
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(5) Recognition that Goal requires major management time
commitment and services of a full-time inspector.
c. Coordination Required with Other Agencies: some coordination may
be required with the County
d. Budget Implications: Salary for full-time inspector which should be
covered by fees.
e. Other Considerations:
(1) Related develo ment around Brookdale
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(2) Potential impact on the Target store area
5. Goal: Move the Brooklyn Boulevard Redevelopment to "top of the list"
for State and County funding assas��nc�. �11s� sea�°ch for
additional funding.
a. Relative Priority: Not indicated
b. Key Action Steps:
(1) Generate appropriate financial infc��rnation
(2) Sign contract with County
(3) Acquire right-of-way and insure relocation of affected
businesses
c. Coordination Required: Coordination with County will be a big part
of this effort
d. Budget Implications: Need to be determined.
e. Other Considerations: None
6. Goal: Evaluate housing programs and policies
a. Relative Priority: High
b. Key Action Steps:
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(1) Low-interest loan program
Council decision s�n �����z��� �Iio�atYa�
Possible funding option
GMHC
(2) Address occupancy per household:
Coordinate with Housing and Planning Commissions
Conduct survey on ordinances that other cities may
have pertaining to this item
(3) Multi-family housing continue current activities
(4) Council decision and implementation on a point-of-sale
ordinance
(5) Establish a First-Time Home Buyer Pa°ogr�
Program needs further clarification
Need to determine appropriate income levels and
ways to assess occupants' ability to maintain the
property
(6) Single-Family Rental Units:
Need clarification of program
Need to clarify numbers of units that exist in City
(7) Need to recognize that this Goal will require a major Staff
time commitment
c. Coordination Required with Other Agencies: GlOrIHC
d. Budget Implications: allocation of transfer of funds
e. Other Considerations: Potential litigation that could result from
enforcement of City's adopted policies in response ta tl�is �oal,
particularly pertaining to occupancy.
7. Goal: Work on plan for redoing City Hall and Community Center
a. Relative Priority: Medium
b. Key Action Steps:
(1) Develop overview of options and mandatory regulations that
must be met
(2) Generate citizen input
(3) Create plans for construction of centers and hire architect and
construction manager
(4) Recognize the project will require major Staff time
commitment and some commitment of Council time
c. Coordination Required with Other Agencies: None
d. Budget Implications: Capital improvement cost and Staff time
e. Other Considerations: None
Goal: Code enforcement and compliance
a. Relative Priority: High
b. Key Action Steps:
(1) Cooperation with Departrnent to ensure that police officers in
neighborhoods can "write things up" which are in violation of
Codes
(2) Mandate to share responsibility all patrol officers participate
in Code enforcement
(3) Require more than just the efforts of Heather and Janine
(4) Will include involvement of Building Inspectors
(5) Resources will be required to monitor Code Enforcement
(6) Code Enforcement will include all commercial properties
(7) Generate a report on the benefit that might be achieved from
escalating and stiffer fines and enforcement actions.
c. Coordination Required with Other Agencies: None
d. Budget Implications: Budget implications ar� ��.ti�� �t��� ��t n�ed
to be determined.
e. Other Considerations: Ability of the City to establish
escalating fines and stiffer penalties for Code violations. (May be
limited or prohibited by State Statutes)
9. Goal: Increase proactivity towards fighting crime.
a. Relative Priority: High
b. Key Action Steps:
(1) Increased presence in neighborhoods
(2) Find ways to increase citizen interacti�r�s ��th Police
(3) Establish a list of options as to what "proactive things" the
City can do.
(4) Stay within current staffing levels; no hiring of additional
police officers
c. Coordination Required with Other Agencies: None
d. Budget Implications: To be determined
e. Other Considerations: None
10. Goal. Establish usable benchmarks and data on Staff utilization
I
es eci
all in the Police De artment
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a. Relative Priority: Medium
I b. Key Action Steps:
(1) Conduct appropriate tirne studies
(2) Obtain benchmazk information from other cities against
which comparisons can be made
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(3) Recognize that a great deal of Staff time will be required to
implement this GoaL
c. Coordination Required with Other Agencies: None
d. Budget Implications: Staff support time
e. Other Considerations: Potential backlash that could result
from recommendations that emerge from benchmark studies.
11. Goal: Make the City of Brooklyn Center visibly appealing to including
burying of utility lines.
a. Relative Priority: Medium
b. Key Action Steps:
(1) Establish as a 1999 work goal, cre�tion of the appropriate
policies for achieving utility under grounding
(2) Provide more information to City Council on options
available to it in creating this policy.
c. Coordination with Other Agencies: Affected utilities and regulatory
agencies.
d. Budget Implications: To be determined;
e. Other Considerations: Could have franchise implications and
regulatory implications.
12. Goal: Finish Police and Fire Building construction
a. Relative Priority: High
b. Key Action Steps:
(1) Finish Police and Fire Buildings as planned
(2) Keep Council informed of progress
(3) Ensure that projects stay on schedule
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(4) Maintain a high level of service during the "move-in" phase
of the effort
c. Coordination Required with Other Agencies: None, unless
assistance from other agencies is required to prevent diminution of
service during "move-in" phases of project
d. Budget Implications: Project already is budgeted. Some
requirements for overtime pay might be incurred.
e. Other Considerations: None
C. Boards and Commissions
This section of the Workshop focused on a review of the City's policies relative to
the use of an operations of the various Boazds and Commissions.
1. Neigl�borhood Advisory Committees
a. There is a desire to have citizens go directly to the Planning
Commission rather than having the Planning Commission refer land-
use issues to neighborhood groups who then report back to the
Planning Commission.
b. Process for A roachin This Issue:
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(1) Explore how to streamline the process
(2). Strive to make more effective use of the Planning
Commission's and Council's time
(3 Create a new policy on the referring of land use issues and
citizen involvement
(4) Reduce the number of "hoops" that applicants need to go
through in obtaining required approvals from Planning
Commission and Council
(5) Clarify the new process and policy with the Planning
Commission
c. Next Step: Establish meeting with Planning Commission to resolve
this issue and create appropriate new policies.
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2. Boards and Commissions Except Planning Commission
a. Desired Actions:
(1) Council allocates staff time that will be made available to
each Boazd and Commission so that there can be a better
utilization and control of Staff resources.
(2) Limit the frequency of ineetings of each Board and
Commission except the Planning Commission or establish a
policy where the Boazds and Commissions will meet "on-
call".
(3j Require that each Board and Commission establish a definite
agenda for each of its meetings.
b. Action Items to Address this Issue
(1) Examine each Board and Commission and establish
appropriate allocation of Staff time and frequency of ineetings
foreach.
(2) Determine which issues the Council would like to address
with each Board and Commission.
(3) Establish a joint meeting between the City Council and the
Board and Commissions, or the Board and Commission
chairs in January to resolve concerns identified by Council.
(4) Conduct a City Council reception for the Board and
Commissions to recognize their contributions to the City of
Brooklyn Center.
D. Elections
The Council briefly discussed the upcoming municipal elections and the decorum
that it wishes to abide by during the "election season". The following issues were
discussed and agreed upon among the Council members:
1. Candidates and Council members should focus on issues rather than
personalities in their campaign activities.
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2. To the fullest extent possible, keep "politics" out of Council meetings and
deliberations.
3. Council members should provide feedback on any campaign statements or
actions which are considered to be "inappropriate".
4. All candidates and Council members respect the "gains" that the Brooklyn
City Council has made as the governing body over the last several years.
5. No one should participate in "behind-the-back" efforts.
6. All information requested from the City by candidates will be shared with
Council members.
E. City's Legislative Agenda
1. What does the City Council want from the State Legislature during the next
season:
a. Establish Highway 100 as a high-priority for funding
b. Address some T.I.F. issues:
Assistance in getting one arm of the DNR to have jurisdiction
over the Joslin site
Addressing housing issues and regulations in District 3.
2. The City will respond to requests for information and input made to Brooklyn
Center by the Legislature or rnembers of the Legislature.
3. The City will make no funding requests to the Legislature for this year.
4. The City Council must pre-approve participation in any funding requests ar
programs initiated by the Legislature.
F. Orientation for New City Council (this item will be discussed at the next City
Council work session).
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