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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999 09-18 CCM Planning Session with Facilitator 1, COMp�NY CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER, MINNE50TA CITY COUNCIL GOAL-SETTING WORKSHOP September 18, 1999 SUMMARY OF KEY OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS REACHED BY THE PARTICIPANTS Prepared by Carl H. Neu, Jr. September 21, 1999 0 Neu and Company and The Center for the Fuhue of Local GovernanceTM, 1999 CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER, MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL GOAL-SETTING WORKSHOP September 18,1999 SUMMARY OF KEY OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS REACHED BY THE PARTICIPANTS September 21,1999 I. INTRODUCTION On September 18, 1999, the City Council, City Manager and Assistant City Manager participated in a City Council Goal-Setting Workshop. A copy of the agenda for this workshop is attached as Appendix A. The primary purpose of this workshop was to establish goals for the Year 2000 and to discuss other topics of interest to the attendees. II. KEY CONCLUSIONS AND OBSERVATIONS MADE BY THE PARTICIPANTS A. Review of past performance. The attendees were asked, in preparation for goal setting for the Year 2000, to reflect on accomplishments achieved by the City during the last five plus Years. These accomplishments were categorized as "HITS" (accomplishments achieved) and "MISSES" (works still in pmgress and not completed). The participants working in two subgroups presented the following observations: l. Observations of Subgroup 1: HITS MISSES Code Enforcement 69th Avenue Crime Enforcement New crirne areas 53rd John Barlow 1 Brookdale Brookdale Housing East 252 Neighborhood streets Zoning commercial education Financial planning/budget EBHC operations capital plan Parks schedule Summerchase West 252 Brooklyn Boulevazd Rainbow Police reorganization (some remaining issues) Ordinances Community Center plan EBHC Grant for buildings and parking Brookdale Pond Budget Policy cont. services Council interaction Staff support of Council Joslyn Liquor shop: close move Police and Fire building Neighborhood watch Shingle Creek Towers GM1VVg�C Brooklyn Boulevard Shorter meetings 2 I Agenda order Police reorganization Service Center Jim Glasoe (Sep. CARS) Fees for recreation (adult full cost) Liquor moved out of Finance 2. Observations of Subgroup 2: HITS MISSES Code Enforcement Brookdale Police and Fire 69th and Brooklyn Boulevard Y2K Traffic issues Joslyn Pole Yard Barlow 53rd Street homes Perception of crime (City is not marketing what it does) Street improvement projects Senior housing at Riverwood Economic redevelopment: Lynn River Apartments Rainbow TGIF hotels Cub Foods Holding time in taxes/levy Proactive relative negative new businesses EBHC improvements New liquor/consolidation Human rights regional coalition 3 Park improvements Shingle Creek Towers/afforda.ble Housing values increased Landing Brookdale Grant Damage control (Police, Mall) Cooperation with schools District First program Crime neighborhood watch (+150) Theaters Community Center improvements B. Revisiting the Council's Vision for Brooklyn Center 2020. Since it has been several years since the Council members had a chance to reestablish and discuss their collective vision for the future of Brooklyn Center, participants were asked to envision what they would like, from their individual perspectives, Brooklyn Center to be in the Year 2020. From this sharing of individual visions for the future, the participants then identified the following: 1. Themes common to a majority of the individual visions. The following common themes were identified: a. Population: approximately 34,000 b. Brookdale c. Housing: Upscale Reinvestment Redevelopment 4 d. Parks and Trails e. Infiastructure f. Vibrant community: Jobs Environment Attractiveness g. Diversity of population 2. Points of divergence or major differences in the visions: No specific points of divergence were identified except with the observation that some participants established a"big picture" perspective while others focused more on specific issues and/or sections of the community as it would look in the Year 2020. 3. Major changes seen in the current vision drawings compared to those of four Years ago. The participants were asked to identify any major changes that may be reflected in the current vision drawings as compared to their recollection of the vision drawings completed four Years ago. The following two majar changes were noted: a. Crime prevention is not a major issue in the 2020 visions because it is perceived that "people see good things now. b. Changing demographics ofthe communitywith a greater appreciation for and emphasis on diversity as contrasted to four years aga 4. Strategic/Critical issues to be addressed. Once the participants have had an opportunity to create and share their respective visions for the future of the community, it is important to determine what aze the criticaUstrategic issues that must be addressed through decisive leadership action and supporting management programs if the desired future for Brooklyn Center is to be attained. These issues are considered to be of significant or strategic importance in shaping the community's future. The following issues were idenrified: 5 a. Transportation b. Diversity: Cultural Racial A Economic Need for communications among groups a Redevelopment to support the vision: Security reaUperceived d. Need for housing: Senior housing Diversity Reinvestment Maintenance e. Council-staff partnership. f. Commercial development. g. Money/revenue sources to support attainment of the vision. h. Infrastructure reinvestment. i. Changing ways of commerce/culture/communication. j. Working with other jurisdictions: Other cities School Districts 6 County et. al. k. Public acceptance and participation in "going to the future" 1. Citizen expectations relative to Citygovernxnent and its performance. C. Proposed Goals for the Yeaz 2000 I The participants identified the following proposed goals for the City of Brooklyn Center for the Yeaz 2000. Goal l: Support Brookdale Redevelopment By: use of tax increment assistance review and evaluation of land use applications prompt construction and plan review/inspection monitoring developer performance. Goa12: Continue and Improve Code Enforcement and Cornpliance Activities By: coordinated effort of police and community development departments focus on high-density areas while continuing neighborhood enforcement continue to evaluate additional approaches to achieving improved compliance. Goa13: Increase Proactivity Towards Fighting Crime By: increased visibility of police in neighborhoods continue and expand participation rate in neighborhood watch program include police safety information in all city newsletters. Goa14: Support and encourage 69th Avenue Redevelopment By: supporting and exploring responsible and credible finance development proposals ensuring that plans support the long-terxn goals of the City's Comprehensive Plan. Goa15: Gontinue Planning for Community Center and City Hall Work By: developing actual designs and cost estimates for project and improvements 7 Goa16: Continue and Improve Long-Term Financial Planning By: continue five-year planning for utilities and capital improvements continue/expand five-year planning for other funds review and develop contingency planning move toward development of 2-3 yeaz budget projections for the City. Goa17: Support and Promote Major Road and Street Improvement Projects: start Brookdale Boulevazd with the County in the Year 2000 (completion in the Year 2001) Highway 100: continue supportlparticipation in Highway 100 Coalition keep projection schedule with MnDOT support Highway 695 widening project, with improved sound walls, by MnDOT support other arterial enhancements as opportunities arise. Goa18: Plan for Destination Parks By: develop plan for destination park improvements in Capital Improvement Plan. Goa19: Support and Expand Joslyn Site Development By: working with developer to complete Phases II and III Goa110: Continue to Improve Traffic Safety Focusing on Traffic Calming By: continuing enforcement efforts through mulriple resources continuing and expanding information to the public on traffic safety and calming efforts. Goal ll: Special Visioning Project to Address Housing Reinvestment, Improvements, and Diversity (mix) creating a redevelopment strategy based on the City's vision for the future; and, developing opportunities to promote inclusion of ALL residents in Brooklyn Center's community life by: establishing 2 to 4 work sessions and retreats to be conducted during the period of JanuaYy-March, 2000 to set direction and develop outlines for accomplishing goals. 8 D. Additional Proposed, but not adopted, Goals The participants, mindful of the resource and staffcoxnmitments represented by the above goals, decided to postpone adopting the following two goals: Develop a transportation plan and funding for implementation of the plan Establishing an infrastructure investment plan and the means for the full implementation of the plan. These two goals were identified as ones to be considered for inclusion in the City's leadership direction and work programs at a future date. E. Principles. In Resolution No. 98-186 outlining the goals for 1999, the Council included a section entitled Principles to Guide Actions in the Form of Goals. The participants decided that this practice should be continued and the following three principles were identified for inclusion in the Resolution that will be used to adopt goals for 2000: l. Incorporate elements to make city more visually appealing, where and as possible, in projects and developments. 2. Identify issues that can be solved by the City working in cooperation and collaboration with other jurisdicrions. 3. Effectively communicate the City's achievements and opportunities to its residents. F. Establishing City Guidelines for Funding of Social Services. Considerable discussion revolved around the need for developing appropriate City guidelines that will be followed in deciding funding for social services. The Council directed the staff to prepare and present to it for consideration a set of proposed guidelines. III. FACILITATOR OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS A. In the March,1999, workshop, there was a sense of e�iilaration about the significant progress that has been made in building Council-staff teamwork and in the momentum that is being gained by the Council and staff in achieving significant results for the City. That exhilaration and sense of achievement are gaining momentuxn rapidly. 9 B. The intensity of workload resulting from the goals outlined above and the accelerating momentum that the City is gaining in a number of areas will continue to put significant time and workload pressures on the staff. The Council and the City Manager will need to continuously a.ddress this issue ensuring that staff time is focused on high-priority issues producing ma�cimum benefit for the community. C. A Council leadership position will need to be established relative to the issues contained in Goal l l above. Currently, it is anticipated that 2-4 workshops/retreats will be scheduled for the January-March, 2000 period. It is important that this commitment not be lost or postponed because of the extreme ixnportance of the issues under consideration. D. The Council and Management Team should take pride in their accomplishments and should express their combined appreciation, in whatever means are appropriate, to the entire City staff and all of the City's employees. E. One of the principles highlights the importance of communicating to the citizens of Brooklyn Center the many accomplishments resulting from the efforts and leadership of the Council and the performance of the Management Team. To further citizen involvement and pride in the City, the "good news" should be communicated strongly throughout the community. 10 CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER, MINNESOTA City Council Goal-Setting Workshop Saturday, September 18,1999 8:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m. AGENDA Introduction/Overview of Agenda Goal-setting for 2000+ Social Service(s) funding Youth Council Response(s) to new ethnic groups/diversity Visioning/Future issues Goal-setting for 2000+ (fine tuning) Other issues/topics 12