Loading...
03/11/2014 - City Council SpecialSPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING TUESDAY MARCH 11, 2014 5 :30 P.M. EAGAN ROOM - EAGAN MUNICIPAL CENTER AGENDA I. ROLL CALL AND ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA II. VISITORS TO BE HEARD III. UPDATE FROM EAGAN'S BEYOND THE YELLOW RIBBON TEAM IV. DYNAMIC SIGNS V. 2014 CITY PRIORITIES AND COMMUNITY VISIONING VI. OTHER BUSINESS VII. ADJOURNMENT Agenda Information Memo March 11, 2014 Special City Council Workshop III. UPDATE FROM EAGAN'S BEYOND THE YELLOW RIBBON TEAM Direction for Consideration: The presentation is for informational purposes regarding the efforts of the Eagan Yellow Ribbon Team. Facts: ➢ The Eagan Yellow Ribbon Team has been meeting since 2008 in an effort to support military servicemen and women, and their families, particularly during deployments. ➢ On August 23, 2011, Eagan was officially named by Governor Dayton as a Yellow Ribbon City. ➢ By definition, a Yellow Ribbon Community unites all areas within a community to create a comprehensive network that connects and coordinates agencies, organizations, resources and employers for the purpose of proactively supporting Service members and military families. ➢ Bud and Julie Johnson served as the founding co- chairs of the Eagan Yellow Ribbon Team and lead the team for several years. Recently, Eagan residents Madonna Backstrom and Ted Daley have taken over as the co- chairs of the team. ➢ Members of the Eagan Yellow Ribbon Team will be present on March 11 to provide an overview of their efforts currently underway in the community, and seek feedback from the Council on additional partnership opportunities between the Yellow Ribbon team and the City. ➢ Additionally, the Yellow Ribbon Team would like to call out the annual Eagan Memorial Day event on Monday, May 26 at the Tribute and Memorial Plaza in Central Park. Attachments: (0) There are no attachments. Agenda Information Memo March 11, 2014 Special City Council Meeting IV. ON- PREMISE DYNAMIC SIGN MESSAGE DURATION Direction To Be Considered: To receive additional information and provide staff with input and direction regarding the duration of on- premise dynamic sign messaging. Facts (New Information in Bold): ➢ At the City Council's Listening Session on August 5, 2013, the Council gave staff direction to review the current dynamic sign messaging frequency. The initial request for the review came to staff from the Chamber and some local business people. ➢ In October 2007, the City Council adopted an ordinance amendment that provided the parameters for dynamic signage. Part of the ordinance language spoke to the minimum amount of time required for each displayed message. A minimum duration of eight (8) seconds for a billboard, or off - premise sign, and twenty (20) minute duration for on- premise signage. ➢ Eagan's ordinance was adopted at the time that the standards for dynamic signage in the state and region were the subject of litigation between the City of Minnetonka and Clear Channel billboard company. The City of Eagan used the City of Minnetonka's dynamic sign ordinance as its model, because it was based on the professional study performed for that City and it satisfied the interests of the litigants. ➢ A public safety rationale for message duration time is related to driver distraction. For off -site signs, general guidance has been provided by the Federal Highway Administration. Their studies determined an eight second interval for billboard signage assumes the driving public is traveling between 55 -70 mph on a highway and is dealing with relatively few signs, fewer lane changes and limited turning movements. As a consequence, drivers will have a limited window for message recognition. At those speeds and circumstances, it is typical for two dynamic messages to be legible in the time it takes a driver to pass the sign. ➢ A rationale for a longer imaee duration for on- premise sienaae is the drivine Dublic on local streets is dealing with lane changes and multiple turning movements over short distances and there is the potential for multiple dynamic signs changing images within the same sight lines. At the same time, drivers on local streets are traveling at lower speeds or stopped at signal lights, which allows a greater window of time for message recognition. The Chamber of Commerce and Holiday Stationstores have submitted comments in this regard. ➢ Planning staff has gathered message duration information from a number of metro area cities and there is a wide spectrum (from one message per day to one message every three seconds) of allowed message intervals. Some of the cities are among those Eagan benchmarks for budget and other purposes. Others are included because they are within the suburban area and responded to the City's request for information. A matrix is attached. ➢ The twenty minute duration was chosen because it was part of the Minnetonka ordinance. A different duration may established, if the Council determines it to be appropriate, in consideration of the factors noted. ➢ The policy question involves the balance between a business owner's desire to attract or provide information to potential customers, possible driver distraction due to frequently changing messages and the general apprearance and esthetics of the community. ➢ If the Council determines it would like to formally consider a change in the dynamic sign message duration, that direction may given and staff will place an item on an upcoming Consent Agenda to direct the City Attorney to prepare an ordinance amendment for consideration by the Advisory Planning Commission. ➢ At its meeting of January 14, 2014, the City Council discussed this matter and noted that a Texas A &M study regarding dynamic sign image changes that had been referenced in the packet background had been prepared for a sign industry organization and they asked staff to do further research to determine whether there is a typical municipal standard for on -site dynamic image changes and bring information back to a future workshop. ➢ Staff performed additional on -line research and spoke with two consultants who have performed sign studies for cities in Minnesota. A single municipal regulatory standard for on -site signage was not identified in the research. In those cases in which a staff report was available from other cities, it was typical for them to look at the standards of cities they consider to be comparable in establishing what they find to be an appropriate local standard. ➢ This conclusion was confirmed by the consultants, who indicated that most definitive analysis, other than that done by the sign industry, relates to off- premise /billboard signs and that on -site sign standards are often determined by comparisons. Attachments: (3) IV. -1 Message frequency matrix IV. -2 Letter from Vicki Stute, Chamber President IV. -3 Letter from David Edquist, Holiday Stationstores m 0 N U O U) v U Ln N N bA C f0 t U N bA co N N 41 G 4- U U C U1 7 N L LL fu O Q 41 N bA C bA to U C (B a, Ln Hopkins No more than once per 24 hours Woodbury No more than once per 24'hours Edina ¢ No more than once per hour f Robbinsdale No more than once:per hour t Chanhassen I McSsaee minimums;c io a) N � r- bb..0 0 m m U M b U l0 f6f6 C Vn @ N E 40 C� Y U C U C U -0 3 L- 0 W v U N 4- \ N -O bA � o z Q a � � U dakdta county r eg io a' C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E January 8, 2014 City of Eagan 3830 Pilot Knob Road Eagan, MN 55122 Re: Eagan Dynamic Signage Message Display Duration Dear Honorable Mayor and Councilmembers, Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce would like to provide the following comments and explanation regarding lowering the rate at which dynamic signs may change messages. Presently, dynamic signs in Eagan are only able to change messages every 20 minutes. Such message display duration restricts businesses that use dynamic signs from effectively communicating their services to the community in a timely manner. Despite some economic progress over the past year or so, businesses should continue be afforded every opportunity to be successful. Per the city's research of neighboring cities' message change rates, many nearby cities have adopted change rates more beneficial to businesses. More than half of the cities listed have change rates of a minute or less. Thus, we encourage Eagan to adopt a lower change rate similar to those municipalities. Two concerns cities frequently discuss about message-change rates involve safety and community impact, which are explained below. Safety Several safety studies have been performed over the years reviewing whether dynamic signs are a hazard to traffic safety. None have shown these signs are a hazard. Methods of operation have already been developed and approved by the f=ederal Highway Administration as well .as the majority of states and many municipalities that. appropriately regulate this valuable technology. Methods of operation include a change rate between four and ten seconds. Additionally, Texas A &M recently conducted a study regarding the safety of on- premise signs, which also found no correlation between accidents and dynamic signs. Please let us know if you would like copies of these reports. Additionally, one of the primary safety concerns actually stems from overly bright dynamic signs. Thus, we recognize the importance of requiring dynamic signs come equipped with automatic dimming technology. Through the usage of a light sensor or photocell, the dimming technology automatically adjusts to ambient light conditions and prevents displays from appearing overly bright to drivers. Appropriate brightness language can and should be modified within the dynamic sign code language document.—Therefare; throagl rte brightness regulations, it-is not necessary o limit-the change rate to 20 minutes. Community Benefit A lowered change rate for dynamic signs has the potential to benefit the community as a whole, not just businesses. With a change rate of 8 seconds, businesses have the ability to relay more information 1121 Town Centre Drive I Suite 102 1 Eagan, Minnesota 55123 NOR P: 651,452.9872 1 F. 651.452.8978 1 E: info a dcrchamber.coni about its services to the community, increasing community awareness. The increase in communication to the community has the potential to increase business revenue, ultimately increasing sales tax revenue for the city of Eagan. Additionally, a change rate of S seconds provides an incentive for new businesses to relocate to Eagan or open up a new location as the ability to inform the community about their presence and services is easier and more effective than with a 20 minute change rate. As a result, Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce supports a reduction in the frequency messages may change on dynamic signs in the city of Eagan. Thank you for your consideration of this important subject matter. Please let us know if you have any questions and we look forward to your discussion and decision. Best Regards, Vicki Stute President ,. W. rj { HOLIDAY STATIONSTORES r k 4567 American Boulevard West Bloomington MN 55437 (952) 830 -8700 t!.fll �� ��t! �y� ,a,._.,c. _. G.tir i ,,.�ti..cz`�fi,x��h��T` - �'it;`$ <�'� < .�+„�✓ cam._, Direct Dial: 952- 830 -8727 Fax: 952 - 830 -1681 Email: dave .edquistuAholidaxcomoanies.com January 9, 2014 The Honorable Michael Maguire, Mayor of Eagan VIA EMAIL and U.S. MAIL City Council Members City of Eagan 3830 Pilot Knob Road Eagan, MN 55122 Re: Eagan City Code \ Dynamic Sign Timing Dear Mayor Maguire and City Council Members; On behalf of Holiday Stationstores, Inc., I am writing to encourage you to consider amending the City Code relating to the frequency of change for dynamic display signs. As you are aware, the City Code currently allows a message displayed on a dynamic sign to change once every 20 minutes. At the time that this ordinance was adopted, dynamic sign technology was new and cities across the State had little to no experience with how this new technology would be used and whether it would precipitate distracted driving and increase crash rates. The City was wise to adopt a more conservative ordinance until sufficient time had passed and experience accrued. In the years since Eagan adopted the current ordinance, cities across the metropolitan area have adopted ordinances with frequency (hold times) that range from 8 seconds to 24 hours. The majority of them have adopted hold times measured in seconds rather than minutes. In 2012, Burnsville and Shakopee, at the request of the Chamber and local businesses reviewed their ordinances and after thorough study, reduced their hold times from 60 seconds down to 30 seconds, and from 4 times a day down to 60 seconds respectively. Additionally, and based on the 318 Holiday Stationstores across our system that utilize this technology, 281 (88 %) of our stores have a frequency of change between 8 seconds and 60 seconds, while the remaining 37 (12 %) have a frequency change between 70 seconds and 24 hours. As a business, we utilize these signs in a very conservative manner to advertise businesses. Holiday serves a diverse group of customers. Some customers drink coffee, some don't....some drink Coke, others drink Pepsi. Under the current ordinance, if the sign displays a steaming cup of coffee, then for the next 20 minutes, we are only able to communicate with coffee drinkers. If the customer is not a coffee drinker, but is a Coke drinker, we have lost the opportunity to communicate with them. The Honorable Michael Maguire, Mayor of Eagan City Council Members January 9, 2014 Page Two The 20 minute hold time limits the opportunity to communicate with customers, especially those that might pass the location more than once during the 20 minute hold time. Safety concerns were the driving force behind the adoption of the 20 minute hold time. Those safety concerns have not materialized. Cities that adopted hold times measured in seconds have not experienced any increase in accidents that we are aware of. If there was concern that the signs were causing distractions, those cities would have acted to amend their ordinances to increase the hold times, or ban the signs outright. This has not been the case. Holiday would appreciate the City Council to consider adopting a change in hold time measured in seconds vs. minutes. As a result of working closely with quite a number of cities and counties, we have assembled a significant amount of data and formulated a list of best practices that we would be happy to make available to the City if it that would be helpful. Thank you for your assistance. Sincerely, ®AE /nah Agenda Information Memo March 11, 2014 Special City Council Workshop V. 2014 CITY PRIORITIES AND COMMUNITY VISIONING Direction for Consideration: Direction and feedback is requested on the proposed 2014 City Priorities (proposed for formal consideration at the March 18, 2014 City Council meeting). Direction is also requested on whether the Council would like to seek formal proposals to conduct a community visioning exercise. Facts: 2014 City Priorities ➢ The enclosed 2014 City priorities have been revised per the feedback of the City Council at the January 28, 2014 Special City Council Meeting. ➢ The Council may recall the work plan and priorities were compiled as an off -shoot from previous meetings with the City Council, Senior Management Team and two employee focus groups made up of a cross section of all departments. ➢ The revised priorities were created by combining several of the work plan items and themes previously discussed by the Council. ➢ The priorities are intended to be shared with the public to demonstrate the key focus areas of the City in 2014. ➢ A few of the more detailed work plan items previously discussed have been removed with the understanding that they will be used internally as staff seek to carry out initiatives that align with the City's overarching priorities. ➢ Once the City Council has completed their review and feedback, the 2014 priorities will be included on the March 18, 2014 City Council for final approval. Community Visioning ➢ Since the Council's 2013 goals retreat, there has been discussion about engaging the community in a visioning exercise to discuss the community's identity, values and priorities. ➢ At the January 28, 2014 Special City Council meeting, the Council discussed and requested by the Council, more specific samples of work from each of the consultants were also provided to the Council following the meeting. ➢ Based on Council feedback to date, there was consensus to focus on the visioning services offered by consultants Rebecca Ryan and Julia Novak. Both have since provided the enclosed letters and supporting materials to further define what their respective teams could bring to the City of Eagan. ➢ The Council also asked staff to gather more information from the consultants to include a general scope of work, anticipated outcomes of visioning, and estimates costs. This information is provided in the enclosed memo, which includes web links and documents previously provided to the Council. ➢ Should the City Council conclude there is interest in considering a visioning exercise throughout the entire community of Eagan, a more formal Request for Proposal could be distributed to one or both consultants to seek a more detailed proposal outlining the scope, schedule and cost for a visioning exercise in our community. ➢ If members of the City Council have any questions regarding the visioning exercise being considered, please contact the City Administrator. Attachments: (5) V. -1 Proposed 2014 City of Eagan Priorities V. -2 Letter from Rebecca Ryan V. -3 Letter from Julia Novak V. -4 Memo, Consultant Summary and Web Links V. -S Novak's Community -Based Strategic Planning Overview 2014 City of Eagan Priorities • Improve the City's vibrancy and attractiveness to a broad range of cultures, lifestyles, and generations. • Host a City- sponsored food truck festival. • Improve the City's physical connections by strengthening the walkability and bike friendliness to retail centers, schools, transit and businesses. • Enhance the City's Financial Assistance Policy and approach to consider attracting specific uses/amenities being sought by the City. • Create additional opportunities for public art, cultural amenities, and historic preservation to enhance the City's identity. • Strengthen the City's engagement with school age youth to further improve their understanding and participation in local government. • Ensure state -of -the -art broadband service is provided in the City of Eagan. March 5, 2014 Dianne Miller City of Eagan 3830 Pilot Knob Road Eagan, MN 55122 Dear Dianne, As the Eagan City Council considers its decision to pursue a Visioning process, I offer the following insight from 17 years working with communities: The future will come to Eagan, whether you complete a Visioning process or not. One of the benefits of a Visioning process is that Eagan will not be flat - footed or surprised when the future comes. It will be prepared, maybe even proactive. Citizens want to be a part of community that is on the move, not one whose best days are behind it. Visioning processes that engage broad community input and are focused on the future help citizens feel energized about Eagan's future and the role they can play. This is especially true for young professionals, seniors, and others whose voices are sometimes marginalized in communities. Visioning is different than strategic planning. Strategic planning starts with where you are now, and asks, "Where do we want to be three to five years from now ?" Strategic plans tend to be tactical, e.g. where to put the next sewer line or how to engage young professionals in city leadership. Visioning, when done with the tools of strategic foresight, starts in the future and asks, "What forces do we know will shape our community ?" For example, how will the proliferation of smartphones impact citizens' expectations for city services? And as Minnesota becomes older and less Caucasian, how must Eagan adapt to engage all citizens? By anticipating these changes, we can develop a clear vision of the city we want to become, a draw a map to get there. Visioning enables community leaders to have a response when citizens ask, "Where are we headed ?" Ken Warner, President of the Willmar Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, had this to say about their region's decision to pursue Vision 2040: "It became apparent that it was time to renew our Vision when community members asked where we were headed, and we didn't have a definitive answer. The question was being raised by our usual community advocates, and by our immigrant populations and our young professionals too. We built on the success of our Vision 2020 initiative and the community is buzzing and pulling together, now determined to make Vision 2040 even better than Vision 2020 was. It has given our community new life looking towards what we want to be, not where we've been!" As a futurist, I am biased. None of us will live our lives in Eagan's past; it is behind us. We will live in Eagan's future. Why not co- create it, with an engaging process pointed towards an even brighter future? Best wishes in your deliberations, UM Rebecca Ryan Founder, futurist, Author '� The I Vovak 'f ^y. Consulting Group February 28, 2014 Ms. Dianne Miller Assistant City Administrator Eagan Municipal Center 3830 Pilot Knob Road Eagan, MN 55122 Ms. Miller: I appreciate your interest in embarking on a Community Based Strategic Planning process in the City of Eagan. I have had the privilege of being involved in these types of processes in several communities over the past twenty years in various capacities — staff liaison, project manager, and as a consultant facilitating processes in several communities. This month, Public Management magazine published an article I wrote on this topic: "Dreams That Make a Difference — The Value of Community Based Strategic Planning." I have included an electronic copy of the article with this letter as I feel it best describes the long -term benefit and outcomes associated with such a process. One of the processes was in Rockville, Maryland and last month I had the opportunity to facilitate the Mayor and Council goal setting process and visited the community. Two members of the current 5 member Council (including the Mayor) participated in the community visioning process I worked on there in the late 1990's called Imagine Rockville. Seeing leaders rise up from the process, and even more importantly, the physical manifestations of the process — rebuilding downtown, the prominent placement of the library in Town Center, etc., happened in large part because of that Imagine Rockville process. Community Based Strategic Planning has the potential to profoundly influence and shape the future of a community. I hope the article is helpful to you and the governing body as you consider whether or not to embark on such a process in Eagan. Regards, w Julia D. Novak, President The Novak Consulting Group 77Y6 Mentor Ave. I Cincinnati, Ohio A5232 513 -721-0500 n' \ E +t �a + t t y J J Y S 4 S sL F } S 2 � A it c S � i 4 f . ` 4 r 1��.`, t� -,t••: '�4� +` i{ - ry.,,�_.- fit °.r. ok `jai 'y �'��� } \ i I ,fly -•,. v 0.., t��`�'42� °+.�ik ELL �. a r � > Community -based strategic planning is a specific approach to strategic planning that engages the community in a tangible way. > A local government can be the initiator or the collaborator in designing a strategic planning process, > Community -based strategic planning acknowledges that local government cannot meet all the needs in the community, while simultaneously validat- ing the important role it plays in the lives of stakeholders. 4 s there any value in engaging com- munities in strategic planning? After all, locally elected officials function within a representative democracy, accepting responsibility for planning for the future of _ local governments. While the need is not always tangible, the value in community -based strategic planning is derived from the engage- ment, buy -in, and owning a stake of the future of the communities within which local govern- ments operate. In the late 1990s, I recall Alvin Toffler speaking at a national conference where he shared a metaphor that left a lasting impres- sion. Toffler talked about how local govern- ments were becoming vending machines. A vending machine is not something anyone "buys into" —you literally put your money in, press the button, and get what you want. And what happens when we don't get what we want? We shake or kick the machine, leave nasty Post -it notes, and perhaps call the posted phone number and complain to a customer service representative. While I am a believer in to the future of a community. The question is: Does it make a difference? Back to the Future Over the past 20 years, I have had the op- portunity to participate in community -based strategic planning processes as both a city official /manager and as an adviser. At this juncture, it is reasonable to ask the question: What difference did those processes have in the lives of community residents? Fort Collins, Colorado: Challenge Fort Collins. The first exposure I had to com- munity -based strategic planning beyond public processes for capital improvement planning (CIP) was a process known as Challenge Fort Collins in the early 1990s. Fort Collins had long been known for ac- tive resident participation. Two successful CIP processes had brought impressive city facilities to life in this college town —one known as Designing Tomorrow Today; the other, Choices 95. local governments providing excellent customer service, Toffler's metaphor is clearly not the image we want for local governments. Engaging residents (and businesses and ning replaces the vending machine and invokes a setting where people and institutions come together, dream about, and then go about creat- ing the future of their community. Toffler offered the image of a barn raising being a more apropos metaphor than a vending machine. It sounds lovely. Spending time with a group of residents to get their input and buy -in One could have almost questioned the need for Challenge Fort Collins but in reality it was bigger than the city government, it was about the entire community. Leadership was Valley School District, Colorado State Uni- versity, Poudre Valley Hospital, the business community, the arts community, and the city. Everyone had an equal voice, and when residents wanted to open up the public schools for community use "after hours," it took several years of dedicated individuals working tirelessly to engage icma.org /pm MARCH 2014 1 PUBLIC MANAGEMENT 13 the school district and create an award - winning program that was later recognized by President Clinton as a program of excellence, Rockville, Maryland: Imagine Rockville. In the late 1990s, Rockville, Maryland, engaged in a community- based process that was known as Imagine Rockville: Creating the Future, followed by its successor Imagine Rock- ville: Checking in with the Future. Those processes had a profound impact on the community and city government. Out of the process, the city decided to intentionally engage neighborhood associations in order to establish a Neighborhood Resources Program that ORE C "UNCE YS AND SEARCH V7 0 IN IT 11 F It 'I, W_ • People are an extraordinary source of information about the world. • People can have a role in creating their desired future. • People like opportunities to engage their heads, hands, and hearts. • People can participate in collaborative planning and collaborative action. • Content experts who par- ticipate in a search must fully engage in the process. • People participate as individuals with their own experiences and information, not as a representative of, or for—,any- single- interest group. • Facilitators manage the time and the tasks, not the content. • Participants must be willing to investigate the ideas of others (listen with respect). was desired by the community and is still in place today. It was determined that downtown Rockville, which was emerging from a failed shopping mall that imploded in late 1995, needed grid The process in Rockville was replicated in Mansfield, Connecticut (Mansfield 2020, 2008); Worthington, Ohio (Worthington 360, 2010); and Clayton, Missouri (C the Future, 2012). Each of these community -based visioning processes used the Future Search process, which uses a specific facilitation tech- nique called a Future Search Conference. What Is a Search Conference? The Future Search Conference model is an innovative and exciting way to include a community in planning its future. In regards to community -based strategic planning, a search conference model is used to develop a unified com- munity vision that identifies both the vision and actions to be taken to achieve that vision. The search conference "brings people together to achieve breakthrough in- novation, empowerment, shared vision, and collaborative action" (Discovering Common Ground, Marvin R. Weisbord, streets to be reestablished, and the com- 1992, Berrett - Koehler Publishers, San munity wanted a new county library to be the centerpiece of Town Center. Today, Rockville Town Center has a beautiful library, mixed -use develop- ment, and entertainment that is a regional attraction. Bridget Newton, an Imagine Rockville participant and now mayor of Rockville, noted: "The Imagine Rockville process brought a hundred residents into the process of articulat- ing a future for our community and then kept people engaged in the process of implementation. Imagine Rockville was the barn - raising process that turned downtown Rockville into Francisco, California. A subsequent book, Future Search: An Action Guide to Finding Common Ground in Organiza- tions and Communities, was published in 2000 by Berrett - Koehler.) Elements of a search conference include environmen- tal scanning, identification of key issues, articulation of likely and desired futures, and action plans that are designed to set the implementation process in motion. The search conference is a strategic planning event that is purposefully de- signed to be inclusive and action oriented. It is a participative planning method that enables people to create their desired future. It is a flexible process designed for everybody's neighborhood." Unique to Imagine Rockville was not only-the — accomplishments -that cam- e-ou of the process but also the very process itself, which was innovative and effec- tive. Imagine Rockville borrowed from a concept known as Future Search that was developed in Australia then brought today's rapidly changing environments. Participants in the search conference cr-eatea- plan -based on -shared-ideals- -with tangible and flexible goals. Clayton, Missouri: C the Future. Clay- ton, Missouri, is a successful suburb of St. Louis that is also known as that to the United States and adapted for use city's "second skyline." In 2011, the in these types of specific engagements with residents. community's elected officials decided to engage the community in a strategic 14 PUBLIC MANAGEMENT I MARCH 2014 lcma.org /pm Figure 2. C the Future Community Issues. 5 - w G t Lack ' . ofJ Appeal +n a1Y1 ,n�erc�al Vu�t��9 W& ,' . S � \ I � / l�7es�rable 1'uiu E i C 1,j ncif; � l5 {_bar �iUdr�i!/ cl T° This is an artist's representation of what C the Future participants in Clayton, Missouri, identified as critical issues to address. planning process to commemorate its centennial and chart a course for the next 100 years. The participants examined community programs and processes and strategized about what elements needed to be addressed in order to achieve the desired future. Figure 2 is an artist's representa- tion of what C the Future participants identified as critical issues to address. From that process the community identified four critical success factors that would enable the community to attain its desired future: • Exceptional city services. • Livable community. • Strategic relationships. • Economic development and vibrant downtown. A directional statement was written and key initiatives identified for each of these areas. While many initiatives did were decidedly community -based and required the engagement of the com- munity's two universities, public and private schools, and its active business community to make them happen. The Vision for Clayton — Clayton is recognized regionally and nationally as a premier city of its size and character. Figure 3. Vision for Clayton, Missouri, in Word Cloud Format. The community is a safe, vibrant destination defined by its unique combination of leading businesses and educational institutions, the seat of county government and picturesque to provide an exceptional quality of life —and shown in Figure 3 might resonate with managers who wish for their communities to create an idyllic environment for people to thrive. The difference in Clayton was the dedica- tion to making sure the dreams would make a difference. Community is created when people are allowed to engage their heads, their hearts, and their hands in establishing something tangible. Community -based strategic planning is more than a is a strategy for engaging residents and creating community. PA JULIA NOVAK, ICMA -CM, and a former city manager, is president, Novak Consulting Group, Cincinnati, Ohio Qnovak@thenovakconsulting- group,com). icma.org /pm MARCH 2014 1 PUBLIC MANAGEMENT 15 City of Evan to TO: DAVE OSBERG, CITY ADMINISTRATOR FROM: DIANNE MILLER, ASSISTANT CITY ADMINISTRATOR DATE: MARCH 7, 2014 SUBJECT: COMMUNITY VISIONING SUMMARIES — REBECCA RYAN AND JULIA NOVAK In the fall of 2013, five community visioning consultants were contacted to learn more about the services they could offer to the City of Eagan. Those five consultants and several of the visioning exercises they facilitated were discussed at the January 28, 2014 Special City Council Meeting. Direction was provided at the meeting to seek additional samples of work from consultants Rebecca Ryan, Julia Novak and Craig Rapp. On January 31, 2014, City Administrator Osberg forwarded several web links demonstrating the work product and approaches of the three consultants. Since the retreat, and as agreed upon at the January 28 meeting, Councilmembers provided feedback on the three consultants. Based on that feedback, there was consensus to focus on the visioning services offered by consultants Rebecca Ryan and Julia Novak to assist the Council in making a decision on whether to proceed with a community visioning process. Below is a summary of the background and responses that both consultants have provided to the City to date, both verbally and in writing. The previously provided samples of work are referenced below as web links and PDF attachments. Lastly, enclosed are letters provided by Ms. Ryan and Ms. Novak in preparation for the March 11 workshop that speak to how they each believe the City could value from a community visioning process facilitated by their respective teams. Rebecca Ryan, Next Generation Consulting 1. What experiences do you have in community visioning projects, and what samples of work can you provide to us? • Overview of Rebecca Ryan's approach /services: http:/www.youtube.com /watch ?v =- pVNj ty PSN8 Vision204O plan for Willmar, MN: httl2:llwillmarlakesarea204O.com/w loads /Vision -2040 November2013.1df Web Overview of Southwest Louisiana's Quality of Life Plan facilitated by Rebecca Ryan: http:// nextgenerationconsulting .com/project /next - generation - southwest- louisiana COMMUNITY VISIONING SUMMARIES— REBECCA RYAN AND JULIA NOVAK Page 2 Ms. Ryan offered the following in terms of what differentiates her team from other consultants: a. Inclusivity: In Willmar, we used Spanish and Somali translators at half of the public events and we worked closely with leaders from all populations, e.g. senior citizens, faith based communities, young professionals etc. to ensure they were engaged in the process. We don't leave it to chance to engaged folks; we work at it from the start. b. Transparency: We set up a website for each project where we publicly commit to openness and transparency. Here's the project website we had for Willmar: http:/ /willmarlakesarea2040.com/ and here's the page where we state our guiding principles for the project: http _/ /willmarlakesarea2040.com� page id =88 c. Engagement tools: We use a mix of public meetings, public art, social media (Facebook and Twitter), and a website to engage the public. In Willmar, for example, we used chalkboards throughout the community asking, "What one wish do you have for Willmar ?" The chalkboards were written in English, Somali, and Spanish. Read more about that here: http:/ /www.wctrib.com content /vision- 2040 - effort - using - chalkboards- ag then - public- comments d. We have a proprietary "handprint" tool that we use to measure a community's quality of life, or as you say, "vibrancy." We are the only consulting company with a tool like this; we built it ourselves from the ground up. Here's a preview: httl2:llwillmarlakesarea2040.com� =168 e. We are 100% women owned. We are also a certified B Corporation, which is the equivalent of being "fair trade certified" as a business. Here's a blog post I wrote to explain why being a B Corporation matters: http:/ nextgenerationconsulting.com/woot- next - generation- consulting-is-a - certified -b- corporation / f. We guarantee our work. If you're dissatisfied, you don't pay. This is written right into our contracts. 2. What advice do you have for the City to ensure a successful process? • Be inclusive, transparent, and engaging • Don't rely on people to come to you; determine who you want to participate in the process and go get them on the front end to ensure their participation. 3. Can you give me a high level overview of the process you could see for Eagan's visioning effort? identified four key findings and four goals that spoke to attracting and retaining residents, workforce /economic development efforts, enabling more "things to do" in the area, and developing next generation leaders. COMMUNITY VISIONING SUMMARIES— REBECCA RYAN AND JULIA NOVAK Page 3 4. What is the estimated cost for a visioning process? • $65,000 (less or more depending on features) Julia Novak, Novak Consulting Group 1. What experiences do you have in community visioning projects, and what samples of work can you provide to us? • The link from the City of Clayton's website referred to as ClaytonConnects (utilizing Mindmixer technology): http: / /www.claytonmo.gov /Government /C the Future - Clayton s Strategic Planning Process.htm • City of Clayton's Vision 2013 Report: http:/ www.claytonmo.gov /Assets/ Government /PDF +Files /VISION +2013 +(1 ).pdf • Facebook Page for Clayton, Missouri's Strategic Planning Process: https://www.facebook.com [pages/C- The - Future - Clayton- Missouris- 2012- Strategic- Planning- Process/210421939075301 • Attached is a Community -Based Strategic Planning overview (includes brief descriptions of several projects) 2. What advice do you have for the City to ensure a successful process? o Consider whether you want the vision to be specific to the City or a vision for the broader community o Ensure the process is inclusive 3. Can you give me a high level overview of the process you could see for Eagan's visioning effort? • Three Questions they ask: 1. What do we know to be true? (Where are we ?) 2. What do we hope will be true in the future? (Where do we want to go ?) 3. What must go well in order to make it so? (How do we get there ?) • Participants stay engaged after process has been completed. • Budget narratives can be linked to the identified strategic planning goals • Use Mind Mixer or wiki technology to engage residents and businesses • Various models can be used, including in- person meetings throughout the year, or they have had success with a two -part process involving a one -day search conference and one -day action conference. In between the two conferences, the recommendations are taken to the community (both in- person and virtually) to seek feedback over a 6 -8 week period. The process concludes with an action conference, where community feedback is considered and 5 -7 areas are identified out of which specific actions are achieve the established vision. • Novak's firm also offers to conduct an environmental scan of the community to kick off the process (what do we know to be true today ?). The scan often results in a 200+ page document, which includes a SWAT analysis and demographic information about the COMMUNITY VISIONING SUMMARIES — REBECCA RYAN AND JULIA NOVAK Page 4 community, which is presented to participants at the search conference. The scan adds $25,000 to the project. 4. Ballpark cost fora visioning process? • $75,000- 125,000 (depending on the scope of the project) /s /Dianne Miller Assistant City Administrator 6'r �4) M Strategic planning for an organization is powerful. Strategic planning for a community is transforrnative. Engaging stakeholders in community -based strategic planning creates a space for sharing both the power to determine the future and the responsibility to make it happen. Great organizations, great companies and great communities are intentional about their future and harness the collective wisdom, talent, and resources to move into their vision. C -The Future was launched by the Mayor and Board ofAldermen to celebrate the City's Centennial and position the community to be proactive in creating its future. "The process brought together a group of more than fifty diverse stakeholders to help shape our community's future. Clayton now has a collective vision and a strategic plan in place to take us into the next 100 years." - Linda Goldstein, Mayor y Process involved extensive stakeholder outreach for the environmental scan Used "Mind- Mixer" technology to conveniently engage residents and businesses Community consensus for the Vision of the future of Clayton Vision guides the Board of Aldermen in establishing policy initiatives alignment with the community vision. r 1" What do we know to be true today? What do we hope will be true in the future? What roust go well in order to make it so? !tile n � 9!1 -�.;.� IPIf' - !•46114ht .••�TT -•' _7i. ti�vEt9aW._:`A "The Imagine Rockville process brought a hundred residents into the process of articulating a future for our community and then kept people engaged in the process of implementation. Imagine Rockville was the "barn raising "process that turned downtown Rockville into everybody's neighborhood." - Bridget Newton, City Council Member Key Points results Vision conference and - Participants have stayed engaged - boards search conference and commissions, neighborhood association Resulted in multiple leadership, etc. action teams - Town Center - from vision to complete build out of multi -block downtown Neighborhood Resources program - ongoing engagement. The City's annual goals are now aligned with a vision the community buys into for the future of the Town. Each element of the work plan moves the Town closer to the vision. Key Points Process involved significant numbers of people - over 600 Used wikis to engage more people in crafting the vision Used a graphic recorder to bring the words to life Results - Partnered with a neighboring city to share some parks and recreation services Utilized UConn students for work study across departments Conducted a police study w Budget narratives linkto strategic planning goals The vision process was a joint endeavor with the City, School District, and Library system which share the same taxpayer and stakeholder base. Key points - Agreed upon vision Separate implementation steps to achieve it for each group Results - Community support of vision Community support of income tax increase even during an economic downturn - New community group formed to support downtown elements of vision z�iYy Wv�'� Htt?fN $ (E' y r WOR'l 1 -11 NU ION AKLA 3600 �t�a�lr c u r fua uxc aobet�;sr