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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996/01/02 - ADMIN - Agenda Packets - Economic Development Authority - RegularSC A N N E D n AGENDA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA Tuesday, January 2, 1996 7:00 p.m. 1. Call to order 2. Roll call 3. Approval of minutes of December 18, 1995 meeting Action: Motion to approve - Motion to approve as amended 4. Approval of agenda for January 2. 1996 JJ/ C {] Action: Motion to approve -Motion to remove/add item(s) (GU> 5. ) Reports a. Contract with strategic planning facilitator Action: Motion to authorize execution of a contract with Cincinnatus b. Order special meeting for January 16, 1996 Action: Motion to schedule special meeting g. Election of Officers for 1996 7:co [9 ]/ s Fl -c 6. 7 8. New business Unfinished business Communications and bills a. Vendor claims 9 >-c Action: Motion to approve and authorize payment J/et Adjournment 4JC. res- Hun • 5-o- C yP- Jo Co/?L b- Sec- CU Ju/Se 0 6-c-+GP', 7as. "- 2 5-0-I G M IN UTES ECONO M IC DEVE LO PME NT AUTH O RI TY ST. LOUIS PARK , M IN NESOTA December 18, 1995 1. Call to order The meeting was called to order by President Hanks at 7:00 p.m. 2. Roll call The following Commissioners were present at roll call: Jeff Jacobs, Sue Sanger, Ron· Latz, Robert Young and Gail Dorfinan. Also present were the Executive Director (Mr . Meyer); EDA attorney (Mr . Steilen); Director of Community Development (Mr . Harmening); Economic Development Coordinator (Mr . Anderson) and Director ofFinance (Ms. McBride). 3. Approval of minutes ofDecember 4, 1995 ) It was moved by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Dorfinan, to approve the minutes. The motion passed 6-0. 4. Approval of agenda for December 18, 1995 It was moved by Councilmember Jacobs, seconded by Councilmember Dorfinan, to approve the agenda for December 18, 1995. The motion passed 6-0. 5. Unfinished business a. Adoption of 1996 Economic Development Authority budget It was moved by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Young, to approve the revised 1995 budget and the 1996 EDA budget. The motion passed 6-0. b. Resolution creating Development Fund Resolution EDA 95-7 It was moved by Councilmember Jacobs, seconded by Councilmember Dorfinan to adopt Resolution EDA 95-7 entitled "A resolution of the Economic Development Authority of the City of St. Louis Park, MN authorizing the establishment of a Development Fund." 1 The motion passed 6-0. c. Business points_-_Assisted Living project Resolution EDA 95-8 Commi ssioner Young was supportive of the idea of an assisted living project at this location; however, his inclination would be to support the proposal but to utilize the 3/8 option to bring in additional revenue over the 30 years to help compensate for the potential loss of revenue and contribute more to the District over all. ) Commi ssioner Dorfin an asked if the resolution did not give the Authority the opportunity to renegotiate the actual term s of that incentive later. Mr . M eyer responded the way the resolution was worded gave the Authority some latitude. An y change from the 1/8 of l % would necessitate staff meeting with the developer again and attempting to negotiate. He could not at this point say that the Authority has an agreement from the developer that they would pay anything up to 3/8 of a percent Councilmember Sanger asked if, in other TIF-backed projects, has the City used this approach at the l/8th% level, at what level or has it been done at all. Al so why was it being recomm ended to release the personal deficiency guarantees when there is any outstan ding TIF balan ce. Mr . Meyer said this was the first time; on every other TIF project, it has strictly been the TIF that repays the advance made by the EDA. In light of the ever-increasing constrictive legislation comi ng from the Legislature, staff felt it needed to go above and beyond what has been done in the past. As to the second question, Mr . Steilen responded the TIF balance is paid out of the real estate tax es and so it becomes a question of when is the City convinced that real estate tax es are going to be paid, no matter what. In this instance it is felt real estate tax es are going to be paid on a S10 mi llion project -- who's going to walk away from a S10 mi llion project on the basis of S160,000-$170,000 worth ofreal estate taxes. Mi ke Gould, developer, addressed concerns over projected rates of return. Councilmember Jacobs asked if the resolution were passed in its present form , could staff discuss with the developer the incentive in the future. Mr . Meyer referenced the further resolved section of the resolution and noted 3 points were made therein: (1) the approval is prelimi nary and non-binding; (2) the EDA reserves the right to modify the business points; and (3) it is recognized there are a lot of land use and planni ng issues as yet unresolved. Approval of the business plan does not mean the lan d use would in some way be prejudiced. It was moved by Commi ssioner Jacobs, seconded by Commi ssioner Sanger, to adopt Resolution EDA 95-8 entitled "Resolution providing prelimi nary approval of business points associated with Parkshore Assisted Living project as proposed by G & P Properties, Inc." 2 The motion passed 5-0-1 (Commi ssioner Young opposed). 5d. Purchase of 4820 Excelsior Blvd. Resolution EDA 95-9 Mr . Meyer reported the price of the parcel has been reduced in excess of $20,000 due to negotiations of the Community Development department staff Commissioner Sanger noted that the staff recommendation includes the hiring of a property management service to manage it after the Authority acquires it. She wondered how much that would cost. President Hanks noted in the financial statement that cost was listed at $2100. Attorney Steilen said the approval of the resolution should be contingent upon making sure the title is all right with regard to the easement. It was moved by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Dorfinan to adopt Resolution EDA 95-9 entitled "Resolution authorizing purchase of property" contingent upon title being clear. ) The motion passed 6-0. Se. Purchase of 4540 Excelsior Blvd. It was moved by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Dorfman, to approve the purchase agreement. The motion passed 6-0. 6. New Business None 7. Unfinished Business None 8. Communications and Bills a. Vendor claims It was moved by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Latz, to approve and authorize payment. The motion passed 6-0. 3 9 Adjournment It was moved by Commi ssioner Jacobs, seconded by Commi ssioner Dorfman, to adjourn the meeting at 7:24 p.m. The motion passed 6-0. President Hanks Executive Director ) 4 REQUEST FO R EDA ACTIO N o January 2, 1996 DATE AGENDA SECTION: 5 NO. Reports ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT: Community Development ITEM: Contract with Strategic Planning Facilitator Sa NO. APPROVED: David M. Anderso n» 344 Eco nomic Development Coordinator PROPOSED ACTION Motion approving the firm of Cincinnatus to provide facilitation services for the housing and economic development strategic planning process and authorizing the Executive Director to enter into a contract with the firm for said services. OVERVIEW At its meeting of November 20, 1995, staff reviewed with the Council the housing and economic development strategic planning process which included a brief discussion regarding the use of a professional facilitator during certain phases of the process. Staff has had an opportunity to solicit five proposals from firms that provide facilitation services for strategic planning projects. Only one of the firms contacted was unable to submit a proposal. ) Provided below is an outline of the fees proposed by each of the firms to provide facilitation services for this project. It should be noted that each firm developed their proposals with consideration to the process outline approved by the City Council on November 20, 1995. It should also be noted that the proposals represent each firms base price and any additional services provided would be at an additional fee. SUMMARY OF PROPOSALS The proposals were evaluated on the basis of each firms planning approach, experience, and cost. The firms that submitted proposals have a diverse blend of experience in facilitation in both the public and private sectors. Each firm primarily focused on providing facilitation during the plan preparation phase which would be completed through a committee retreat and a series of committee meetings (between 4-6 two hour sessions). Copies of the proposals are attached. Below are the proposed base prices for facilitation as provided by each of the firms: Cincinnatus Hoisington Koegler Group Inc. The Watson Consulting Group Kim Ratz $ 6,000 11,130 13,500 6,000 The source of funds to pay for these services would likely be the development fund or tax increment dollars. PUBLIC WORKS ROVAt • AINED FINANCE APPROVAL OBTAINED cowu:11.4LU so \ [eeov OBTAINED \ ' [OBTAINED Executive 0irector APPROVAL /l, h.. O8TAN=D (UAJ/" ACTION: MOTION BY 2ND BY TO ----------- ----------- ------ ' Contract with Strategic Planning Facilitator January 2, 1996 Page2 SUMMARY/RECOMMENDATION Following its review of the proposals, staff concurred that Cincinnatus provided a well thought out and competitively priced proposal. The company also brings experience in providing strategic planning facilitation services to a wide variety of organizations, both public and private. It is staff's belief that Cincinnatus would bring a strong base of experience from which to draw in completing the planning process in an aggressive time frame (6 months). Staff also has received very positive feedback from references that have used this firm for similar projects, including: League of Minnesota Cities, City of Bloomington, Richfield and Prior Lake. Please note that the $6,000 fee may be subject to change (increase) during the actual planning process if it is determined that the facilitator is needed to attend additional meetings and/or provide other services. Enclosed you will find personal biographies of the facilitation team which includes background information on the primary facilitator for this project, Kent Ecklund. Mr. Ecklund has a diverse management background in the private and public sectors. His public sector experience includes service as the commissioner of what is now the state Department of Trade and Economic Development and the former Mayor of the City of Northfield, Minnesota. It is staff's belief that Cincinnatus and Mr. Ecklund provide a sound planning approach; experience with similar planning processes; and a relatively inexpensive cost for these services. ) Staff recommends approval of the proposed action as stated above. ATTACHMENTS -Proposals -Process Outline 1-2-cc Cincinn atus RIVERPLACE. SUITE 306 43 MAIN STREET S.E. MINNEAPOLIS. MINNESOTA 55414 PHONE (612) 331-9007 FAX (612) 331-9004 December 15, 1995 ) Ms. Judie Erickson Planning Coordinator City of St. Louis Park 5005 Minnetonka Blvd. St. Louis Park, Minnesota 55416-2290 Dear Judie: Thank-you for the opportunity to facilitate a leadership support project to assist the City in the development a Housing and Economic Development Strategic Plan. As I stated to you on Monday, we are very comfortable facilitating and consulting with internal teams on such projects and hope that we are selected. As a discussion document, I have enclosed a planning template we have used with previous clients to design strategic planning processes. Though we have never used the template exactly as we have presented it in this draft, you should see a great deal of similarity with it and the 11/16/95 memo you shared with us. We would be extremely comfortable with the outline you have currently developed. Our facilitation of the process would include the following steps. ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN AND ORGANIZA TIONAL MEETING: We will meet with the staff and the city council leadership, or Mayor, to complete the design of the process. At the Organizational Meeting of the Steering Committee we will start with a brainstorm of the preferred outcomes of the participants, a review of the proposed process and the development of the dates for subsequent meetings. KICK -- OFF RETREAT The "real" kick-off of the process will be a retreat during which we will review the results of the City Visioning Process of 1993 And 1994 and discuss directions which flow from that process into this project. We will also be interested in revisiting any changes which may have occurred during 1995 which might impact this planning process. We will then conduct a brainstorm on the Mission and Vision for our 10 year goals in Housing and Economic Development. This activity would consume the first half of the retreat. The second half of the retreat will be the development of our Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats brainstorm for both Housing and Economic Development. Neither half of this retreat will result in actual decisions. We will work simply to develop a broad range of options and alternatives for the City. ) SERIE S OF FOUR 2 HOUR STEERIN G COMMITTE E MEETIN GS: A. First Meeting's Objectives: 1. Complete the Mission and Vision for the project; 2. Decide on the major strategic issues working with the SWOT developed at the retreat. B. Second Meeting's Objectives: 1. Develop the top priority issues for Housing and Economic Development; 2. Brainstorm on some of the timing of the priority issues. C. Thir d Meetin g 1. Establish goals for the higher priority issues; 2. Establish estim ated tim e lin es for the higher priority goals; 3. Establish ini tial param eters for the staff development of 1-- 5 year actions plans. D. Fourth Meetin g 1. Complete adoption of the priority goals; 2. Adopt the work plan for the next two years; 3. Review the work plan outlines for years 1-- 5. CIN CINN ATU S STAF F, ROLES AND BUD GET: President Kent Eklund wi ll be the project manager for this project Available to him durin g this project will be our Chair, John Yngve, and our Partn er, Dian e Herm an . Th e curre nt plan is that Kent will be the facilitator of all of the meetin gs and the lead contact for work with the staff between meetings. Th e biographies of all three are included in this packet Cincinnatus will facilitate all of the meetings and work with staff between each meetin g to process the previous meeting, to prepare for the next meeting, and to make modifications to the planning process as necessary . Th e Fee for perform ing these roles is based on our senior consultan t public sector rate of $1,50 0 per day . W e assum e th at the above ro les w ill call for 4 days of our time, so ou r pro p o sed fee fo r th is pro ject is $6,000 . R eferences fr om oth er m unicipali ties w ith w hom w e have w ork ed ar e avail able upon requ est I have incl uded cu rr en t listin g of our cli ents . W e have as a distin ct corp ora te objec ti ve to m ain tai n acti ve project m anagem ent ro les in th e publi c an d pri vate sectors. AL TE RN ATIVE P R OC E S S: In our m eeti ng on D ecem ber 11th, T om H arm enin g as ked if th ere w ere an y other pro ces ses w hich w e m igh t consider. It should be obvious fr om our tem plate th at w e w ould be ex tre m ely com fo rt able w ith your sugges ted m odel. An al tern ati ve w ith which we have had som e very in teresti n g results is a Scenari o B as ed M odel. W e util ized this m odel fo r the C ity of P ri or L ak e. Th eir situation is quite diffe rent th an your s. Th ey have 40% of their ar ea curre ntl y undeveloped. R ec ent regional tran sporta ti on im pro vem ents in sur e th at their pe ri od of fas t gro wth w ill be in the next 10 year s. Th e C oun cil fe lt in cre as in gly as if they w ere m akin g decis ions wi th out an overall vis ion. W e fo und th at usin g a scenari o appro ach help op en up new possibilities an d helped fram e issues fo r th em . In your cas e , your degrees of free dom m ay be m ore res tri cted: th e C ity m ay not have th e sam e flexi bili ty to determ in e dram ati call y different scenari os. I do not yet kn ow enou gh about your situ ati on to m ak e th at cal l, but I did w an t to share w ith you an exam ple of a different appro ach to plan ni ng. CONCLUSION: W e are very interested in serving your community in this exciting project and look forw ard to furth er conversations. Sincerely, Kent E. Eklund President ) C in c inn atu s RI V E RP LA C E . SU IT E 306 43 MAIN ST RE ET S.E . MINNEAPOLIS. MINNESOTA 55414 PHONE (6 12) 331-9007 FAX (612) 331-9004 Decem be r 15, 1995 T o: Fro m : Subject: Judie Erickson, Plan ning Coordinator, City of St. Louis Park Kent E. Ekl und, President, Cincinnatus (CC ? Overv iew of th e Cincin natus "Tem plate" fo r Strategic Planni ng ) ! ,- Thi s is a brief overv iew of the plan ning pro cess Cincin natu s utilizes with its clients. W e have fo und more often than not that plannin g is given a bad nam e in man y organ izations by fixation on the pro cess an d not enough attention to the substan ce. W e definitely lik e to customi ze th e pro cess to th e culture and previ ous experiences the organi zation has had with plan ning. W hat we are th erefo re describing is the initial tem plate we use to design a pro cess to meet our clients' needs. Th e final introductory warn ing is critical: we have never drafted a strategic plan over 15 pages. Our process is designed to pro vide th e top level strategic direction fo r the organi za tion. W ork plan s an d fu rth er w ork in implementation alw ays fo llow this pro cess. STEP 1 SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Th ere is no ro cket science in thi s fir st step. Wh at w e find is that this fir st step opens a dialogue in which eventuall y every one can attach to the ini tial conversation and agre e to the "data" fo r plannin g. Al l fo ur categories in this an alysis begin with a brain storm in g session -- as long as one person on the plan nin g team has a perception, that perception is on the initial list. Strengths and W eakn esses fo rce the gro up to look intern all y: Opportu nities and Th reats fo rce the gro up to fo cus more externally. Once th e in itial list is created, the gro up then determ ines th e vali di ty of the statem ents. Som etim es thi s tak es debate; sometim es it tak es some tim e fo r res ear ch or data gatherin g. Once the list is agree d to, we merely as k the group to segment the list as to the im portan ce of each issue for the organ ization. W e also go thro ugh the list to ascertain the degree to w hi ch your organi zation can "contro l" an issue: for exam ple, the effects of agin g overall an d equall y importan tly th e effects of the agin g of the baby boom ers is a trend you can not control, but th e wise organi zation considers these tre nds in its plan ning. A negative em ployee morale issue you can control, more or less, as you may determ ine its im port ance to your fu tu re. A t thi s stage, we lik e to leave a whole set of these issues unresolved. W e are not yet ready to mak e decisions, but we have every one thinki ng . sp; 3: " STEP 2 Mission Statement. This is typ ically when the Type A's begin to glaze over if you are not careful. Our job is not necessaril y to write a statement as a group. The job is simply to ask the question, "Wh at is the core reason for this organ ization to exist?" Mission statements are meant to survive over tim e with relatively few changes. This discussion gets to the core values and the core statements of existence. Usually, this discussion gets somewhat heated. The character of this discussion is often determined by the CEO and by whether we are workin g with an existin g mission statement or doing one for the first tim e. STEP 3 Vision Components ) This is, believe it or not, often when the Type A's reattach to the process. We ask ourselves the sim ple question, "By year X (predetermined at the beginning of the process), if we are wildly successful at meeting our mission, what descriptive sentences will we or others write about us on January 1 of year X?" This is when people begin to draw on the SWOT data base. Again, we have found it helpful to begin with a brainstorming mode and then develop a validity check later. We do not lik e to get people to try to develop a single vision statement, although some clients want one. We tend to think about vision statements as intermediate steps to the goal statements; how these visions are presented in the plan is up to the client STEP 4 Value Statements (Optional) Some clients want to develop a listin g of value statements or phrases which describe the organ ization either currently or in the future. We tend to be a little am bivalent about these, only because it is often difficult to keep these from becoming too general to be helpful. STEP 5 Strategic Goals W e are now ready to bring the first four steps together into a series of very explicit strategic goal statements. In essence we are asking ourselves what it will tak e to fulfill our mission and arri ve at the descriptive statements we want by year X? We clearly build into our analysis the Strengths we need to build on, the Weakn esses we have to fix, the Op portun ities we are going to purs ue, and the Threats we are attemptin g to mitigate. This is clearly the most critical stage of the process. STEP 6 Objectives Sometimes Cincinnatus is finished after Step 5: the client takes the goal statements and develops the work tasks directly from the goal statements. We prefer to stay through STEP 6, because this is the stage at which we re-introduce several important constraints: time, money and staff. The objectives discussion splits the time from now to X into planning units -- usually fiscal years. Objectives indicate in what years specific goals will be pursued and identifies financial and staff resource requirements. This stage is critically important, because management teams have to determine realistically what available resources can be directed to these goals, which goals are currently being fulfilled by current activity, and what new resources will have to be found to pursue the goals. Management must also face the hard decisions regarding activities that will no longer be pursued. If these objectives are add-ons to current activities with no financial or staffing relief, the plan heads to the shelves and planning once again gets a bad name. We feel strongly that an outside, objective source needs to be in the room at this time. Many are the times when this stage is almost explosive as CEO's do not want to step back from any current commitments and staff argue for more resources or, minimally, direction for the reassignment of current resources. ) We hope this overview helps. This template does take some time, but if pursued correctly, it provides the focus so necessary for organizations today. We often summarize this model with a sports analogy. We call this the Wayne Gretsky school of planning. When asked why he may be the greatest hockey player to ever play the game, Gretsky often answers, "I skate to where the puck is going to be." Without a plan, organizations have no idea where that spot on the ice is and without a plan, we can guarantee the team will be all over the ice in year X. Cin cinnatus Clients (P artial) ) Business Aronson Ward Inc. Bondhus Corporation Burns Engineering Citizen's State Bank Cray Research D. Brian's Deli & Catering David Agency Erickson's Diversified Corporation GN Danavox IT Research Inc. Lutheran Brotherhood Minnesota Valley Engineering Inc. Novus Franchising Inc. Padilla Speer Beardsley Progressive Technologies, Inc. Robinson Rubber Products, Inc. Shazam Network Stein Industries UMC, Inc. World Satellite Network Professional & Trade Associations Association of Residential Resources in Minnesota (ARRM) Greater Minneapolis Building Owners & Managers Association International Prepress Association Minnesota Bankers Association Minnesota Corn Growers Association Minnesota Electrical Association Minnesota Soybean Association National Association of Credit Managers, North Central Region Soil & Water Conservation Society Health Care Cokato Manor Covenant Retirement Community Ebenezer Society Mercy Hospital Minnesota Association of Homes for the Aging Minnesota Nurses Association - 3rd District* Saint Benedict's Center Saint Cloud Hospital Saint Olaf Residence Sholom & Community Housing Government \ City of Bloomington City of Faribault City of Prior Lake City of Richfield League of Minnesota Cities Legislative Auditor - Best Practices Review of Snow Removal Metro 911- EMS Committee Metropolitan Airports Commission Minnesota Department of Administration - Data Practices Division Minnesota Department of Trade & Economic Development Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Office of Environmental Assistance Red River Trade Corridor Non Profits American Red Cross Arts Midwest Artsvision Augsburg Fortress Publications Board of Social Ministry Cable Access of Saint Paul Camp Fire Girls & Boys Children's Home Society of Minnesota Citizens League Citizens Scholarship Foundation of America College of Associated Arts Cowles Media Foundation Givens Foundation Gustavus Adolphus College Hazelden Foundation Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota Mental Health Resources Minneapolis Institute of Arts Minnesota Alliance for Arts in Education Minnesota Center for Arts Education National Center for Vision and Aging; The Lighthouse Inc. Minnesota Christian Alliance National Youth Leadership Council Plymouth Music Series Search Institute United Arts YWCA of St. Paul Membership Associations 11/95 KENT E. EKLUND ) Mr. Eklund, President of Cincinnatus, offers a broad range of senior management skills and experience. His background allows him to work comfortably with public, private and not-for-profit organizations. With Cincinnatus, Mr. Eklund provides leadership support services focusing on strategic planning and implementation, including leadership search support services. Prior to joining Cincinnatus. Mr. Eklund was President of CEO+, a Minneapolis-based consulting firm assisting in business transitions and executive searches, and providing interim management at the executive level. Before this, he served as President and CEO of Parkside Senior Services, President and CEO of Ebenezer Society, and Vice President of Market Development with Lutheran Brotherhood. Mr. Eklund's public service background includes service as a commissioner of two departments under Minnesota Governor Quie and as Mayor of the City of Northfield, Minnesota. Concurrently. he was the Chair of the Political Science Department at St. Olaf College. Mr. Eklund holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in Political Science with specializations in planning and organizational theory. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Citizen's League. chairs the Board of the Ebenezer Society, and serves on the Boards of Padilla Speer Beardsley and Corporate Benefits Administrators. He was also named Outstanding Professor in the Masters of Arts program in Public Administration at Hamline University, where he teaches Organizational Theory and Non-Profit Management. JO HN A . Y N G VE -------- Mr. Yngve, Chairman of Cincinnatus, has more than twenty-five years of management exp erience in high technology organizations. In addition, he has served an eQual amount of time on boards and commissions for a variety of professional, public, civic and community organizations. Presently, Mr. Yngve is servi ng as Chairman of Bondhus Corporation, a tool manufacturer in Monticello, Minnesota. He is also chair of Minnesota Technology Inc., science advisor to the governor and chair of Minnesota Project Outreach, Inc. ) Mr. Yngve was president and chairman of Nortronics Company, an electronics manufacturer. He has served as an officer or member on the boards of the Minnesota Council. national board of the Am erican Electronics As sociation, Minnesota High Technology Council. Metropolitan Transit Commission, Citizens League, Plym outh, MN City Council, Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota, University of Minnesota Foundation, and the University of Minnesota Institute of Technology Advisory Council. He has also served as a representative in the Minnesota State Legislature. Mr. Yngve received a law degree from University of Minnesota. DIANE L. HERMAN Diane Herman, Vice President and Senior Associate of Cincinnatus since 1989, provides expertise in research. competitive strategy and planning. She has recently completed assignments in the arts, education, health care, and social service industries. ) Prior to her consulting career, Ms. Herman managed several large and highly competitive businesses at The Pillsbury Company. For these, as well as other businesses, she was instrumental in successfully changing their strategic directions and positioning them for more profitable, long- term growth. She has a solid track record of delivering several years of profit commitments through the develop- ment of creative and effective competitive business strategies. Before joining The Pillsbury Company. Ms. Herman spent several years in public service. working for the governor of Minnesota and the senate majority leader on a variety of public policy assignments. In those positions. she developed her strengths in writing. analysis. problem solving and project management. Ms. Herman earned an MBA in marketing and a bachelors degree with high honors from the University of Minnesota. Ms. Herman also has a long history of community involve- ment and currently serves as a director of Children's Early Leaming Centers. Inc. and Graywolf Press. C ITY O F ST . LO UI S PARK C om m unity D evelopm ent Engagement Letter for the Strategic Planning Facilitation ) { E * Housing and Economic Development N ov em ber 27, 19 95 [J 7lsoa Consulting Y Yr% Watson Consulting Group J 7.son Consulting Y Y pa Watson Consulting Group 45 East Pleasant Lake Road Saint Paul, Minnesota 55127 (612) 490-1653 fax (612) 490-1653 Thomas N. Watson, CMS November 27, 1995 ) Thomas K. Harmening Director of Community Development City of St. Louis Park 5005 Minnetonka Blvd. St. Louis Park, Minnesota 55416-2290 Re: Strategic Planning Facilitation Engagement Letter Dear Mr. Harmening: We are pleased to receive your invitation to assist the City of St. Louis Park (City) with the housing and economic development strategic planning. Thank you, and to David Anderson, for arranging and meeting with me last week. The enclosed engagement letter was prepared in response to our November meeting, along with feedback from the recent Council meeting and review of our draft engagement letter. It describes an understanding of the planning project and your objectives, the scope of consulting services involved, our approach and proposed workplan for effectively completing the project, the qualifications of the professionals involved, a proposed schedule and an estimate of project costs. We believe that our familiarity with local government, our objectivity and our long experience with group planning activities will enable us to successfully complete the planning and satisfy the City's and your objectives. Our Experience with Minnesota Local Government Our services to local government in Minnesota is and has been an important part of our professional services practice. We have significant experience serving Minnesota government units spanning more than fifteen years. We believe, our professional personnel, through work and associations, have developed excellent relationships with administrators and elected officials, who appreciate our expertise and attentive service. To best serve the needs of the City, we have considerable experience in the following functions and areas relevant to this planning project: • Local government operations • Financing of Minnesota local government • Strategic planning • Visioning • Process improvement and reengineering • Total quality management (TQM) and quality improvement • Internal administrative and fiscal controls • Information technology and systems. We believe this demonstrates, when combined with specific client engagement experience, a strong commitment to serve Minnesota government through skilled and experienced professionals Thom as K. Harm ening City of St. Louis Park N ovem ber 27, 1995 Page 2 w ho can address the im portant stra tegy, opera tions, organization, and finan ce issues unique to the industry . * * * * * We are prepared to work with the City to achieve your goal of creating a city-wide housing and economic development strategy. We appreciate your seeking our services in this matter and we look forward to this opportunity to assist the City of St. Louis Park. Should you have any questions, please call me at (612) 490-1653. Sincerely, THE ATSON CONSULTING GROUP omas N. Watson, CMC Principal Enclosure--Engagement Letter ) k e k je j Following your acceptance of this engagement letter and proposal, please sign both copies of this letter, return one copy to us for our files, and retain one copy for your files. The foregoing letter and accompanying proposal fully describes the services requested and we accept your engagement letter and proposal. City of St. Louis Park Thomas K. Harmening, Director of Community Development on behalf of the City of St. Louis Park Date BACK GROUN D AND INTRODUCTION The City, like many public organizations, is consistently challenged with (1) citizen demands for more services, (2) pressures to contain expenditures and property tax increases, (3) increases in service quantities provided, (4) demands to "change" the service delivery system, and (5) budgetary increases and plans for providing services. The City approached this situation in the pas t tw o year s an d addressed a response through "VISION St. Louis Park". Cognizant of the City's mission, this report formulated a community vision and recommendations fo r atta ining an d realizing the "VI SIO N St. Louis Park". Th e Committee addressed the fo llow ing subjects in fo rm ulating th eir report : • D iversity • R esponsive Govern m ent • A Safe C om m unity • Life long Learn ing • C hildren First • H ousing • Business ) • Com m unity Conn ections . Th is str ategic plan ning project initiative is consistent with this adopted report and vision. PR O JE C T G O AL Th e Project G oal is identifi ed and described in a recom m endation m ade to th e City Council last w eek: "To create a city-wide Housing and Economic Development Strategy." Th is engagem ent letter has been prepar ed to respond to and provide the serv ices re quired to fu lfi ll this purp ose and goal. SCOPE OF THE PROJECT W e w ill perform those tas ks and activities, identifi ed in th e next section of th is pro posal, OUR APPR O A C H , necessary to com plete th is project an d to address the Project G oal. As we have discussed, C ity personn el, presum ably D avid and you, w ill have pri m ary responsibility fo r com pleting the plan . O ur responsibility an d ro le w ill be pri m ari ly fo cused on the C om m ittee fa cilitation tas ks, an d w e will as sist you as necessary an d required w ith th e oth er tas ks. Should th e Com m ittee or the City desire to extend the w ork such that th e overa ll scope, w orkplan or schedule w ould be extended, w e w ill com m unicate the situ ation and the project im pact. Any change in the term s of our appro ved engag em ent letter, as contr as ted w ith th e details identifi ed in this proposal, w ill also be the subject of a separ ate pro posal or a m odifi cation to this proposal. T o 3 Watson Consulting The Watson Consulting Group the extent of a project schedule or budget im pact, we will prepare an letter, that once approved, w ill authorize the change and project modification. W e have assum ed that deviations in our activities from our workplan, and any im plem entation activities if desired, would be the subject of a modification of this engagem ent letter, or the subject of a separ ate engagem ent letter. ) Prior to commencing any project, we develop a specific project approach by identifying the project goal and objectives, preparing a comprehensive work plan, describing the key components and subjects to be covered, developing the expected work steps involved in the project, and identifying the major deliverables. This approach enables us to carefully plan the engagement, to clearly identify the project tasks, and to use the resultant work plan in controlling our work activities. You will have a means, with this approach, of better understanding and monitoring our effort, too. We approach management and planning projects by combining our functional experience with applicable quality management and TQM principles. While each project and client engagement is unique, we have found the specific project approach is most effective when it includes an overall framework and supporting methodology that applies these elements. We have developed our approach for this project with five (5) tasks, consistent with the City's proposed planning process, as follows: Task 1. Project Kick-Off (Process Initiation). This initial task, which will require a minimum of time, is important for not only the identified details, but also for initiating and establishing the interpersonal relationship(s) important to a project like this one and establishing arrangements for effective project administration. a. Initial Meeting and Communication with Key Administrators We will arrange an initial meeting with you and others to secure a solid understanding of the project, reaffinn the project goal and objectives, re-establish deadlines and meeting schedules, and identify City policies and guidelines for our activities and work arrangements. We will be available to assist in communicating with residents, if needed, and infonning them of the purpose and scope of this planning initiative, as well as enlisting their support. At this time, we will want to ensure that the proposed organization and work program for the project meets your needs. b. Progress Meetings and Arrangements We will also arrange for progress meetings to be conducted over the duration of the project. Based on our experience, we recommend such progress meetings be conducted monthly during the project. 4 Watson Consulting The Watson Consulting Group c. O rganizing and Scheduling This will be an opportunity to consider organizing and scheduling the steering committee. We have worked under similar circumstances with a steering committee. Our experience and judgment encourages us to offer an initial meeting schedule and arrangements that meet the needs of the Committee members and the City. Early Committee meetings can address modifications that make these arrangements most workable and effective for the Committee and the City. ) Task 2. Complete a Situation Analysis (Situation Audit) -- Present and Future. In this task, we will assist in completing an analysis of the housing and economic development situation existing and critical for initiating this planning assignment. The review is intended to provide an identification of the housing and economic development- related issues, questions, data and options that are important background and foundation for the planning. We anticipate that we can, at a minimum, obtain and prepare this analysis based on the following items: (I) financials and budgets for City housing and economic development programming and services; (2) City policies and procedures impacting housing and economic development; (3) state policies, procedures and formulas; (4) City and community issues about housing and economic development; (5) trends and forecasts of needs, demands and supplies; (6) City demographics, features and issues; and (7) objectives of the City, City Council and the community about housing and economic development matters. We anticipate that these items will be compiled, copied or summarized from existing resources for distribution to the Steering Committee. Where feasible and available, the materials will be assembled for distribution in advance of the Committee's initial meeting. These materials will be assembled in a manner that will enable Committee participants to easily use them through their work. Task 3. Facilitate the Planning and Committee Work (Plan Preparation). We will provide the following project administrative services in facilitating the work of the Steering Committee, based on our initial understanding of your expectations: (1) assist the Committee Chair and the Director of Community Development in completing Committee arrangements and schedule; (2) provide a suggested work program for the Committee; (3) work with the Committee, as a whole or through subgroups, to complete the tasks assigned; 5 Watson Consulting The W atson Consulting Group ) ( 4) provide the current and background materials, together with the City personnel involved; (5) provide the Committee with the materials and information described in Task 2. above; (6) assist in the obtaining of other materials as the Committee may desire from time to time; (7) arrange for the Committee to have the relevant materials, reading matters, and meeting agenda prior to the meeting for members preparation; and (8) assist in the formulation of the recommendations and the preparation of the Committee report and strategic plan. In facilitating the work of the Committee and completing the strategic planning, we will arrange and complete the following activities over the project duration, including: a. Assess Current Program and Services: Complete Strengths and Improvements Analysis In this activity, we will have the Committee complete a strengths and improvements (aka weaknesses) analysis of the City housing and economic development. We have used both an individual and group process for this purpose. At the same time, the Committee will be asked about the need for any other community input. Focus groups or survey questionnaires can be used, at the City's direction, to supplement information obtained during Vision St. Louis Park or available with Committee members and other City sources. b. Assess Future Program and Services: Complete Opportunities and Limitations Analysis In this activity, we will have the Committee complete an opportunities and limitations (aka threats) analysis for the City housing and economic development. Again, we have used both an individual and group process for this purpose. We will also ask the Committee about the need for any other community input on the future situation. Focus groups or survey questionnaires, combined with item a. above, can be used, at the City's direction, to supplement information obtained during Vision St. Louis Park or available with Committee members and other City sources. c. Formulate Critical Success Factors for Housing and Economic Development We will encourage the Committee to consider and identify those factors that the Committee and the community would identify with success in its housing and economic development services and outcomes. We have used a group process for this purpose. d. Prioritize Critical Issues for Housing and Economic Development Individually and together, the Committee will be asked to consider materials provided for them as an initial means for identifying these critical issues. The Committee will also be encouraged through a group process to identify other critical issues. Finally the critical issues, using facilitation tools, will be prioritized on the basis of key factors for such priority, such as the critical success factors identified above. 6 Watson Consulting The Watson Consulting Group e . Ide n tify Str a te g ie s , G o a ls a n d O bj e c tiv e s ; O u tc o m e s a n d Me as u r e s Later in the Committee work, employing a group or subgroup approach, the strategies, goals and objectives for housing and economic development will be identified. We will also assist the Committee in the identification of the expected outcomes for the strategies and goals, along with possible key measures for each. f. Complete a Planning Retreat Any of the above activities can also be the agenda for a half day or day Committee retreat. We will provide assistance and advice for the importance of a retreat and assist in completing arrangements. Certainly other activities and matters may be identified during one of the earlier tasks or during the undertaking of the earlier activities. We will handle those matters consistent with the terms of this engagement letter. ) Task 4. Assess the Alternatives and Options (Test Alternatives in the Community). At this point in the schedule and the plan preparation, the Committee will seek input and reaction to the draft strategic plan, the identified alternatives and options, and the effects of the plan and its elements. It is contemplated at this time that the testing and assessment will be completed through a combination of Council presentation; community meetings with school board, neighborhoods, and business organizations; public hearings; and facilitated meetings. Other means are available such as surveys, questionnaires, and neighborhood meetings and can be arranged depending on schedule, budget and other personnel availabilities. Task 5. Assist the Committee in the Preparation of its Report and Plan (Final Document Preparation). The Committee, with our assistance, will prepare a final plan and report that addresses the strategies for housing and economic development, recommendations and priorities for programming, expected outcomes, and finance and budget. We will assist the Committee Chair and the Director of Community Development in the presentation of the plan and recommendations to the City administration and the City Council presumably at a meeting(s) in June or July 1996. Our Project Deliverables 1. Suggested initial work program and schedule for the Committee's activities. 2. Progress communications. 3. Final communication to the administration, if desired and necessary, that outlines the recommendations for any continuing activities the City might undertake with this matter. 7 Watson Consulting The W atson Consulting Group W e are prepared to comm ence this project within tw o weeks of your approval and comm itm ent to proceed. W e have estimated the elapsed time of each tas k of the project as follows, which we can review and affi rm in our Task 1 initial meeting -- Task 1 Project Kickoff (Process Initiation) Underway in early December Task 2 Complete a Situation Analysis December to mid-January (Situation Audit) -- Present and Future Task 3 Facilitate the Planning and Committee mid-January to late May Work (Plan Preparation) Task 4 Assess Alternatives and Options (Test late May/early June Alternatives in the Community) Task 5 Assist Committee with Report (Final late June/early July Document Preparation) ) This schedule is flexible and will vary based on the selection and availability of Committee and City personnel. As we progress, we will continually monitor our performance against this schedule and bring to your attention any deviations from this estimate. This project schedule shows our estimate of about seven (7) months overall and a Committee schedule of 20 weeks for completion of the planning and project. The project team proposed for this project and described in this section was developed based on five significant factors: • breadth and scope of this project • specialized and technical skills necessary • experience in public sector management and planning • need for effective facilitation and communication skills • critical role of client personnel. To best serve the City in this project, we have assembled a team experienced in the following: • Local government operations • Financing of local government • Business process improvement and reengineering • Total quality management (TQM) • Strategic business planning 8 Watson C on su ltin g T h e W a tson C onsulting Group ) • Internal administrative and fiscal controls. Similarly, an improvement project like this depends on the active participation of City personnel throughout the project. City Participation and Responsibilities We think this project will best achieve the desired outcomes through a joint effort of the Committee members, District personnel, and our Project Team which is described in the proposed workplan. The City's participation will include -- 1. being available for interviews; 2. assisting with data collection, process analyses, documentation, and follow-up inquiries; and 3. preparing and assembling the Committee materials. Our Project Team and Responsibilities Our Project Team will be responsible for two primary responsibilities throughout this planning engagement, including: l. planning and Committee facilitation; and 2. advising and coordinating project administration with City personnel. The following narrative summarizes the role and experience of key project members. Principal Consultant and Project Director -- Thomas N. Watson. CMS Tom, a Certified Management Consultant (CMS), will be the principal consultant and serve as the Project Director for this planning effort. He has extensive experience in State and local government, education, and exempt and business organizations in areas of strategic management, management productivity studies, job assessment and organizational analysis, management systems and financial management. Tom has actively managed and participated in Minnesota government., as an employee, a local government elected official, and a management consultant for over twenty years. In addition, he assists private businesses with similar services and business management situations. During his career, he has been responsible for and developed the Government and Exempt Organizations Management Consulting Practices in the Minneapolis Office of two national accounting and management consulting firms. Tom has the following experience that is particularly relevant and will add important value to this project: • long-range and business planning, management and operational improvement studies, cost improvement and reduction projects, and program and business assessments, including the following examples - --financiai and operations reviews to identify improved efficiencies and performance, --strategic planning for regional joint powers organizations, --management improvement of a shared data processing/computer center, 9 Watson Consulting The Watson Consulting Group --cost and service im provements fo r adm inistrative and business support in several large school districts, and --organizational and job class studies for reorganizations and consolidations; ) • planning and quality improvement projects, including the following examples - --a performance and operations improvement review of a large, complex human services program and system, --diagnostic performance and cost reviews of the administrative and business functions, --organizational review and issues analysis projects, --planning and operations improvement studies, and --performance and operations evaluations; • financial, operational, systems and management advice and counsel to small and medium sized business clients, both for profit and non-profit, to effect change, "turnarounds", and planned growth; and • adjunct professor of finance and accounting at Metropolitan State University (Graduate Program in Management and Administration), University of St. Thomas (MBA program, Management Center, and Center for Health and Medical Affairs), and the University of Minnesota, School of Public Administration. Other Consultants We will have available other members of our professional personnel should and as the need occurs. Should we desire to consider any other changes to the project team, we will discuss that with you before the change is implemented. Detailed resumes of the identified professional personnel on our Project Team are available. References We have made a strong commitment to serve Minnesota government, and we can address the strategy, financial, operational, and organizational issues and needs important to them. You asked for references who can provide evidence of our experience and services. While all of our clients are available for that purpose, we offer the following clients: • State of Minnesota, Senate • Independent School District 276, Minnetonka • METR02 • Popham Haik law firm Patrick Flahaven, Secretary of the Senate and Administrator Thomas Berge, Director of Business Services Joanne Chabot, Executive Director James Steilen, attorney/partner Lee Sheehy, attorney/partner 10 Watson Consulting The W atson Consulting Group ) We request that you inform us of your intended contact prior to the communication so that we can clear it first with our client. Affirmative Action The Watson Consulting Group is an equal opportunity employer. Due to our size, we are not required at this time to obtain an Affirmative Action certificate of compliance with the State of Minnesota's Affirmative Action laws. PROFESSIONAL FEES Toe estimated hours necessary to complete the project in a thorough, professional manner are affected by the scope of work you have identified. Based on our experience, we are prepared to complete this project as proposed in this proposal for professional fees that will not exceed $13,500. Our professional fees are based on the hours budgeted to complete each identified task, extended at our rates. PROJECT EXPENSES ) We are also reimbursed for the project expenses incurred on your behalf such mileage, report production, and certain clerical services, which we have budgeted at five (5) percent of the projected total project cost. We will seek every opportunity, where that is appropriate, throughout a project to use City personnel and services. This will also enable other work efforts or reduce our professional fees and out-of-pocket expenses. In this project, we will discuss the role of City personnel in certain activities -- examples would include mailings to the Committee, Committee materials assembly, and final Committee report production and distribution. BILLINGS It is our practice to submit our billings semi-monthly. We appreciate receiving your payment within ten working days thereafter. Due to the timing of this project, we are prepared to start within two weeks as indicated earlier in this proposal. However, in the event the City will not make its decision immediately, this proposal will remain in effect for sixty days. This proposal includes only those services specifically described in this letter. Consistent with our normal policy, our liability under the terms of this engagement, if any, shall not exceed the amount of fees collected for our services. 11 Watson Consulting Te Watson Consulting Group C r e a t i v e S o l u t i o n s f o r L a n d P l a n n i n g a n d D e s i g n H oisington Koegler Gro up In c. [GI FI D ecem be r 15, 1995 DEC1 8 ) C ity of St. Louis Par k 5005 M innetonka Boulevard St. L ouis P ar k, MN 554 16-22 90 R e: P roposal fo r Strategi c Plann ing Serv ic es A ttention : M r. D avid A nderson, Econom ic D evelopm ent C oordinator H oisin gton K oegler G ro up In c. (HK G i) is pleased to subm it this proposal as an indic a tion of ou r interest in assisti ng the City of St. Loui s Par k w ith the conduct of its H ou sing an d Economi c D evelopm ent Strategic Plannin g Process. O U R U N D ER STAN DING Based on discussions w ith D avid A nderson an d th e review of the City's H ousing an d Economi c D evelopm ent Str ategi c P lann in g Pro cess, w e un derstan d as fo llow s: 1. Th e C ity has design ed a strategic plan ni ng pro cess an d is in nee d of an objective thi rd party to pro vi de coun sel an d fa ci litate the plan prepar ation task (Step #3). 2. C ity Staf f w ill be responsible fo r the conduct of the str ategi c plann ing process w ith assistan ce fr om the C onsul tant. 3. A Steering C om m itt ee wi ll be appointed to oversee th e process. M ost of the w ork of the C onsultant w ill be to gui de an d fa cili tate th e w orki ngs of the Steering C om m ittee during Step #3 to produce appro priate outcom es (vision, m ission, goals, etc.). 4. C ritic al issues incl ude housin g (i.e. how to incr ease th e val ue an d diversity of the C ity's hou sing stock) an d econom ic developm ent (i.e. w hat projects shoul d be given priority). The intent w ill be to develop both a housing strategy and an econom ic developm ent strategy w hi ch gi ve the C ity clear and conci se directions, wi th acti ons steps, to im plem ent the plan . 7300 Metro Boulevard. Suite 525. Minneapolis, Minnesota 55439 (612) 835-9960 Fax (612) 835-3160 t Propo sa l for Strategi c Planni ng St. Loui s Park Page 2 A PPR O A C H R ecogn iz ing tha t the very natu re of str ategi c plan ni ng is that it m ay, at tim es, fo ll ow uni n tended cour ses, our appro ach w ill be to rem ain both loo se and flexible. W h ile w e wi ll und erstan d fr om the onset the objecti ves of th e proce ss, w e wi ll be open to an y ch an ges in directi on w hi ch appear m ore appropri ate to attain desired outcom es. HK G i wi ll em ploy a variety of fa ci li tati on techn iques bas ed on th ose recom m end ed by th e In stitu te of C ultural Af fai rs. Sessions wi ll in cl ude a mix of lar ge and sm all group discussions as m eans to develop vision an d m ission statem ents, establish prioriti es, defin e m easur able goals an d develop acti on steps. B ASIC SER VI CES- W O RK PRO G RA M T he C on su lt ant w ill : ) 1. R eview A ll Backgro und Info rm ati on to be provi ded by th e C ity . 2. D esign and Faci litate the retr eat an d w orkshops as part of Step #3 of th e C ity's S tr ategi c P lann ing P rocess. W e assum e that th e vision /mis sion retr eat wi ll be a half-day session an d that th ere wi ll be up to five w orks hops of tw o to thr ee hou rs each wi th th e Steerin g C omm itt ee an d Staff . C ity Staff wil l produce all se ssion su m m aries. 3. O versee the P rocess/P rovide C ounsel. Whil e C ity Staff will cond uct the process an d draw on the C onsul tant fo r supplem entary tasks, th e C onsu ltant wil l provide an objecti ve th ird par ty perspecti ve. Th e C ons ul tant wi ll also review the various docu m ents pro duced by the C ity and offer com m ents thereon. 4. M ee t wi th C itv Staff up to five tim es to discu ss th e pro cess an d products an d recomm end appropri ate responses to un fo resee n cir cums tan ces. OPTIONAL SERVICES Th ou gh not requested, HK G i offers th e fo ll owi ng addi ti onal serv ices: 1. Th e D esign and F aci li tati on of O ne T own M eeting w hi ch w oul d incl u de signi fi cant pu bli c par ti cipati on dur in g Step #4 of th e Str ategi c P lann ing Process. 2. A d diti on al M eeti ngs not li sted un der Basic Servi ces. Proposal for Strategic Planni ng St. Louis Park Page3 FE E PROPOSAL HK G i is agree able to a lum p sum or hour ly plus expenses fee for Bas ic Serv ices not to excee d ELEVEN TH OUSAN D O NE HUN DRE D THIR TY DOLLARS ($11,130). Th e fo llow ing provides a fee break down by task. Basic Services: 1. Review Background $ 600 2. D esign /Facil itate Step #3 • Retreat 2,40 0 • W orkshops (5) 5,430 3. O versee Process/Review Documentation 1,600 4. M ee t w ith City Staff (5) 1,10 0 T O T A L $11,130 ) O ptional Serv ices: 1. Town M eeting $1,500-2,40 0 2. A dditional M ee tings ... (hourly per attach ed Rate Sch ed ul e) The Consultant Team wi ll consist of Fred H oisington an d Tracey Secula. I will serve as Princi pal-in-Char ge. Tracey will play a key role in the facil itation of the retr eat an d w orkshops. W e thank you fo r th e opportu ni ty to submit this pro posal an d look forw ar d to the prospect of servi ng the City of St. Louis Par k in thi s importan t Strategi c Planning endeavor. HOISINGTON KOEGLER GROUP INC. , HOISINGTON KOEGLER GROUP INC. 1996 HOURLY RATES ) Principal $80-100 /hr Professional III $60-75 /hr Professional II $42-50/hr Professional I. $35-40/hr Technical. $25-38 /hr Secretarial $37 /hr Testimony $130/hr Incidental Expenses: Mileage 30<t / mile Photocopying .............-..............................,,, 15¢/page Outside Printing Actual Cost Diazo Printing Actual Cost Draft Plotting $5.00 each Vellum Plotting $10.00 each Color Plotting $20.00 each 5 <I <I PROPOSAL STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR HOUSING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS PARK Client: Contact: City of St. Louis Park 5005 Minnetonka Blvd. St. Louis Park, MN. 55416 Judy Erickson Phone: 924-2574 (fax=924-2663) The following proposal is submitted for your consideration to address the needs and goals shared during our previous discussions. The intended outcome is the development and use of a strategic plan to help the City of St. Louis Park meet the housing and economic development needs of its residents over the next 2-5 years. Clear roles and tasks will be included. This outline may be modified as needed but is intended to provide an overview of both activities and timelines to complete the planning process. The content, methods and timelines to be used are to be mutually determined, based on your desired outcomes / results of this effort. The services offered in this proposal include: V Clear communication to reach agreement with the City on the process, content, activities and actual tirnelines to be used. V Professional delivery of services that will make people feel good about their involvement, respect good group process dynamics, and produce the desired results to the satisfaction of the client. V Individual consultation with the project coordinator as needed or requested. V Facilitation of meetings with the Planning Team and other groups to collect information and develop the plan. V Production of materials needed to both provide information to the group as well as collect information from and for the group. V Detailed accounting of time spent in this project to document billing, to be submitted monthly for payment. Goals: 1.·Provide the Planning Team with a systematic approach-to developing a strategic plan for housing and Economic Development (E.D.) within the City of St. Louis Park. 2. Assist in the identification of key criteria to use in determining priority issues. 3. Assist in the identification of methods and criteria the Planning Team will use to make decisions. 4. Facilitate planning sessions which maximize the-participation and involvement of each Planning T earn member to provide the content and resources necessary to make the decisions and develop the plan. 5. To finalize, by June 1, 1996, a well thought out plan with recommended goals, activities, timelines, and assignments of responsibilities to staff. page -1- of -4 <<I - - 4 Format: Facilitating a strategic planning process requires some effort up-front to create a cohesive team that can work together well towards the goal of the project. In this case, facilitation skills will focus on: 1. Establishing a sense of teamwork and creating clear expectations and understanding of each member's role with each other and towards the project goals. 2. Involving the Team members at each worksession to provide the content and resources necessary to develop a comprehensive plan, with measurable activities and outcomes. 3. W orki ng w ith the Team to develop realistic agendas and timeframes within which to complete th e planni ng tasks , w hich will include the collecti on of or w orki ng on identifi ed ty pes of inf orm ation be tw ee n w ork sess ions . D ate / T im e: It is proposed that the Team begin wi th a ki ck -off in early January , and that subsequent w orks essions be held approxim ately every tw o weeks to provide continui ty to the proces s. Planni ng ses sions should be abo ut 2.5-3 hours per se ssion. Tim es ca n be eith er durin g the w ork day or evenin gs , as sch edul es requir e. P art icip a n ts: Th e City of St. Louis Park will select m em bers of th e Plannin g T eam , w hich is estim ated to incl ude approxi m ately 12 indivi duals identified as needin g to part icipate in th e plan nin g. C os t Th e pro posed co st of $6,000.00 in cludes (m ore if parti cipation is required in public heari ngs, fo cu s gro ups and public tes ting phase): V overall project coordin ation V facilitation of on-site works ession (approx. 26 hours thru 6-8 m eetin gs) ¥ d evelop agendas , summ ary of sugges ted statem ents, fin al recomm endations, etc. V -- telephone & on-site cons ul tation Suppo rt se rvi ces reques ted fro m the C om m uni ty Developm ent D ept. and Planni ng Team include: V Copyin g of m ateri als produced fo r parti ci pants in the plannin g process. V M ai lin g of m aterials to in dividual s an d gr oups as needed. V Provide coffee and/ or re fr eshm ents at m eetin gs. V M eeting supplies- butcher paper, m ar kers , tape, pencil s, w ri tin g paper, etc. V C leri cal support , as needed. V Co mmi tm ent to w ork on plan developm ent an d inf orm ation co llecti on betw een m eetings. : : 20000 c c 20 o coo00000000000OOOO The above proposal is submi tted for your rew and discussion pri or to m utu al agre,ment. saca y G s [22f-95 Ki Es D ate page -2- of -4 g SAMPLE OF ACTIVITIES / TIMELINES Th e fo llow ing pages contain a suggested outline of steps and activities to complete in order to develop a com prehens ive plan. The suggestions m ay need to be m odifi ed regarding the amount of tim e need ed to com plete each step and the m onth w hen spec ific acti vities occur. January - Clarify the mission / purpose V M eet w ith project coordinator to review and finalize plan. V C ollect info rm ation and prepare fo r firs t work ses sion. V Facilitate vision/mi ssion retr eat w ith Plannin g Team for the purp ose of general overview of the planni ng project, teambuilding and developing a statement of purpose or mission statement (if one is not available). Also, identify and agree on the procedures for group decis io n makin g; and other gr oup process norms or values to follow w hile working together. Conduct a SWOT (strengths, w eaknesses, opport uni ties & th reats) analysis, facilitate team discu ssion about future trends w ithin th e City of St. Louis Park, review demographic projections,·horizon scanning, review of existing needs assessments, etc. Is there m ore inf orm ation the team needs to review before a clear unders tanding of housing and E.D . needs is established? V ._ C onvene 2n d works ession to finalize tasks not com pleted at the ini tial retreat. V M eet w ith project coordinator about ideas and info rm ation collect ed to date, review strategies, tasks , next steps, etc. V Summ ariz e additional info rm ation collect ed thr ough m eetings fo r distri bution. ) February - Wh at are the needs / issues? V C onvene 3rd w orks ession to outline the strategic issues and prioritize. V Convene 4th w orks ession to establish priority issues and identify key types of information needed to begi n to develop som e target goal areas . V M eet w ith project coordinator abo ut ideas and info rm ation collect ed to date, review str ategies, tasks, next steps, etc. V Summ ari ze additional info rm ation collect ed thr ough m eetin gs fo r distri bution. March - Develop Goals to Address Priority Issues V Faci litate 5th-w orks ession to establish set of measurable goals related to issues (10.year s). V Facilitate 6th w orks ession to develop underlying strategies and action steps (2-5 yea rs). V M eet w ith project coordinator about ideas and info rm ation collect ed to date, revi ew strategies, tasks , next steps, etc. V Sum m ari ze additional inf orm ation collect ed thr ough m eetings fo r distri bution. page -3- of -4 A pri l - Test A ltern a ti ves in the C omm un ity At this point in the process it is proposed that the Planning Team and staff will release a draft of the strategic plan, containing identified issues, goals and underlying strategies. The draft is to be reviewed through public hearing by the City Council, various Commissions and civic/business organizations. Based on public comment, determi ne other needs / issues that should be addressed, integrating common public concerns and suggestions into the plan. [ need to know if- you desire my participation durin g public hearings and presentations. V Conduct focus groups and/or survey concerning draft plan elements. The staff wil be asked to identify and recru it specific individuals and/ ororganizations to be involved in focus groups for reaction to the draft. The time for each focus group should be approximately 60-90 minutes; the number of focus groups needs to be determi ned. Signifi can t time is require d to conduct the focus groups effectively and generate useful outcomes. I also need to know if vou desire mv involvement in facilitating these focus groups and working with the informa tion and reactions that result. V Meet with project coordinator about ideas and information collected to date, review strategies, tasks, next steps, etc. V Summarize additional information collected through meetings for distribution. ) May - Getting it All Together V Convene 7th worksession to refine strategies, goals, objectives and actions, etc. Determine if one more worksession is necessary to finalize plan contents. V Complete document with clearly defined goals, strategies and action steps. V Meet with project coordinator to review final draft and implementation strategies, tasks, next steps, etc. V Presentation to City Council / others as needed. By June 1 V Stra tegic Planning process is completed and ready for review / adoption. page -4- of -4- ' . CITY OF ST. LOUIS PARK HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRA TEGIC PLA NNING PROCESS Planning Purpose: To create a city-wide Housing and Economic Development Strategy. STEPS Step 1. Process Initiation Key Tasks: Appo int stee ring co mmittee participants Esta blish overall wo rkplan and timelines Introd uce strategic planning initiative to public Step 2. Situation Audit Key Tasks: Compile various historical, current, and projected housing and eco nomic data ) Cond uct one Town Meeting on Housing and E.D.(tenta tiv e) , Step 3. Plan Prepa ration Key Tasks: Vision/M iss ion Retreat Conduct SW OT analysis workshop Outline Strateg ic Issues/Priorities Establish Priority issues Establish set of measurable goals related to issues (1 O year) Develop underlying strategies and action steps (2-5 years) Step 4. Test Alternatives in the Community Key Tasks: Relea se draft stra tegic plan for housing and econ om ic develo pment Present at City Council -Public Hearing Present to various Commissions/civic and business organiza tions Determ ine other need s, issues , etc. that should be addressed Integ rate co mmon public concerns, sugges tions into plan Conduct foc us groups and/or survey as need ed conce rning draft plan elements Step 5. Final Doc ument Preparation Key Tasks: Refine stra teg ies , goals, objectiv es , and acti ons, etc. <O Presentati on to City Council/others as need ed \. .. Complet e doc ument wit h clearly defined goals, strat egies , and acti on steps 11/16/95 Preplanning City Council Staff/City Council Staff W ee k 1-5 Staff Public/Staff/Facilitat or W ee k 6-13 Committee/Staff/Facilita tor Committee/Staff/Facilitator Committee/Staff/Facilitator Committee/Staff/Facilitator Committee/Staff/Facilitator Committee/Staff/Facilitator W eek 14-17 Committee Committee/Staff Committee/Staff Committee/Staff Committee/Staff Public/staff/consultant W ee k 18-19 Committee/Staff Committee/Staff Committee/Staff g A» Step 6. Relea se Final Doc um enUPlan adoption Key Tasks : Council holds public hearing Adopt final plan Step 7. Plan Im plem entation Key Tasks: Form ulate and im plem ent po licies , etc. Initi ate project s, prog ra m s, etc. Step 8. Plan M onitoring Step 9. Annual Plan reassessment/Adjustment ) 11/15/95 City Council City Cou ncil City Cou ncil/Staff Staff/City Council Staft/City Council Committee/ Counci l/Staff/ Public W ee k 20 W ee k 20 Ongoing Ongoing (at lea st annually) TENTATIVE STEERING COMMITEE STRUCTURE ♦MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL (7) ♦PLANNING COMMISSION (t) ♦HOUSING AUTHORITY (t) ♦NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION COMM. (t) ♦SCHOOLBOARD (t) ♦BUSINESS COUNCIL (t) ♦OUTSIDE AREA REPRESENTATIVE (t) ( ) \ ♦CITIZEN ADVISOR(S) (1-2) 11/15/95 R E Q U E S T F O R E D A A C T IO N }'-------------,-----------, AGENDA SECTION: ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT: Repo rts Community Development NO. 5 par'gry 2, 1996 ITEM: NO. Special Meetin g for January 16, 1996 5b APeveto;_ David M. An derso n Economic Development Coordinator PROPOSED ACTION Motion to call a special meeting for January 16, 1996 PURPOSE OF SPECIAL MEETING The purpose of this special meeting is to consider the following tentative agenda items: ( ) • Approve final TIF Application - Victoria Ponds (SVK Development) • Request Council to set a public hearing for creation of TIF District - Victoria Ponds (SVK Development) • Direct staff to prepare TIF plan documents and negotiate redevelopment agreement ( SVK) • Approve Development Fund Policy 7238:GEN55 PUBLIC WORKS APPROVAL <TTAINED O FINANCE APPROVAL OBTAINED COMM APPROVAL OBTAINED Executive Director APPROVAL /} n». OBTAINED (//(YT ACTION: MOTION BY 2ND BY TO REQUEST FOR EDA ACTION January 2, 1996 DATE ---------- AGENDA SECTION: New Business NO. ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT: Community Development ITEM: Election of Officers NO. APPROVE©avid Anderson -7444 Economic Develop5fent Coordinator Proposed Action The Economic Development Authority is requested to take action to elect a slate of officers. Background The last officer election took place on January 3, 1994. Attached are the minutes from this meeting. Below is the current officer structure: Office Officer Date Elected President- Commissioner Hanks 1/3/94 ) Vice-President- Commissioner Haun 1/3/94 Secretary- Commissioner Jacobs 1/3/94 Treasurer- Commissioner Hanks 12/7/92 *Executive Director- Charlie Meyer 1/3/94 Assistant Treasurer- Kathleen McBride 1/3/94 Also serves as Assistant Treasurer The EDA by-laws state that the EDA shall elect annually, a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer to serve until the next election of members to the St. Louis Park City Council or until· their successors are elected and qualified. Offices must be filled by a commissioner, except the office of Secretary, Assistant Secretary and Assistant Treasurer. Recommendation Elect officers for 1996 in accordance with EDA by-laws . . I PUBLIC WORKS I peopQVAL kAiuzD FINANCE APPROVAL OBTAINED cour:T{{59- APPROVAY ] ] [APPovA. OBTAINED \ [OBTAINED Executive Director APPROVAL. 7,_ ) 3, OBTAINED CZ" ACTION: MOTION8BY 2NDBY TO ----------- ----------- ------ ~ It was moved by Commissioner Hanks, seconded by Commissioner Haun, to authorize execution of a contract with DSU/RLK. The motion passed 6-0-1 (Commissioner Haun abstained). 6. New business a. Election of President and Vice President of EDA It was moved by Commissioner Jacobs to elect Commissioner Friedman as President. Commissioner Friedman respectfully declined in light of the fact he would be serving during 1994 as Mayor Pro Tern of the City Council. It was moved by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Haun, to elect Commissioner Hanks as President of the EDA. The motion passed 7-0. It was moved by Commissioner Dorfman, seconded by Commissioner Friedman, to nominate Commissioner Haun as Vice President. The motion passed 6-0-1 (Commissioner Friedman abstained). It was moved by Commissioner Friedman, seconded by Commissioner Dorfman, to nominate Commissioner Jacobs as secretary. The motion passed 7-0. It was moved by Commissioner Friedman, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs, to nominate Mac McBride as treasurer. The motion passed 7-0. It was moved by Commissioner Friedman, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs, that Charlie Meyer be nominated as Executive Director of the EDA. The motion passed 7-0. 7. Unfinished business None 8. Communications and bills a. Vendor claims It was moved by Commissioner Friedman, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs, to approve and authorize payment. The motion passed 7-0. 9. Other business None 10. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 8:38 p.m. President Executive Director