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<br />rll ---'\) <br />( ); <br />~l}( <br /> <br />ITEM # 6.8. <br /> <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />FROM: <br /> <br />Mayor & City Council L2..... <br />Pat Klaers, City Ad~_tor <br />September 27,1999 <br /> <br />TO: <br /> <br />DATE: <br /> <br />SUBJECT: W orksessions to Discuss Council <br />Priorities <br /> <br />Over the past six months or so, the City Council has briefly discussed the need and <br />desire for some type of work session to review City Council priorities. Whether or <br />not one or two worksessions per year is sufficient, or whether quarterly or monthly <br />council worksessions are necessary is unknown at this time. It will certainly be <br />beneficial to staff, which is charged with implementing City Council policy, to get <br />"everyone on the same page" so we are "speaking with one voice" on the direction <br />the city is going and the goals we hope to achieve. Building a consensus on issues is <br />essential to having support for city-wide goals and the action plan to achieve these <br />goals. <br /> <br />. A worksession on City Council priorities may include a discussion on such topics as <br />a community center (when and where to build, how to finance, what is included in <br />the facility, how and when to establish a committee to work on the project, and how <br />to "sell" the project to the public)......when the city should pursue a city engineer or <br />public works director and department (including how to finance the position and <br />department, how many support staff members are needed, where is this office and <br />department going to be housed until city hall is expanded, etc.)......the need and <br />desire for a city-wide strategic plan (this is in addition to a city Comprehensive Plan <br />- a proposal could take about 18 months and 20+ meetings, i.e.: the Economic <br />Development Strategic Plan and the original and updated Comprehensive Plans all <br />took between 12 and 20 months to accomplish and included between 12 and 25 <br />meetings). A city-wide strategic plan is a major undertaking and is not necessarily <br />12 different plans for each department like the Economic Development department, <br />but may be more of a general overview plan with less specific action steps. <br />Establishing the committee to work on a plan and getting a committee to agree on a <br />plan with public input is an incredibly challenging undertaking......transportation <br />has also been identified at a number of meetings as a council priority worksession <br />topic......and I am sure that there are many more topics for council priority <br />worksessions. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />13065 Orono Parkway. P.O. Box 490 · Elk River, MN 55330 · TDD & Phone: (612) 441-7420 · Fax: (612) 441-7425 <br />