5.4. PRSR 06-13-2018 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Process A postcard mailing was sent to each mailing address within the local zip code.Ads and information articles were placed in the Elk River Star News weekly newspaper. Information was shared on social media and the city website. Invitations were sent via email blast to recipients on city information lists and contacts from local youth athletic associations were notified of the scheduled meetings. The Elk River Area Chamber of Commerce was also engaged to solicit participation from the local business community. Citing concerns from social media posts regarding the recreation facility discussions and the lack of a true community conversation,the City Council indicated it was imperative that every member of the community have the opportunity to contribute to the conversation and it was implied that voices that did not participate were in agreement with the Council's direction on the final project. In an effort to ensure all residents were aware of the listening sessions,information was disseminated by every communication means available. Participants Between 17 and 50 participants attended each of the meetings, excluding city staff and elected officials.A small handful of individuals attended two or more sessions. Session Elements Each session opened with an overview of the purpose for the listening session and included visual displays of the three proposals discussed since 2016,a timeline of recreation facility acquisition,expansion,and improvements,and a facility plan option comparison. Four of the five meetings were facilitated by retired ISD #728 Community Engagement Director Charlie Blesener and the other meeting facilitated by City Administrator Cal Portner. Each session utilized a Community Cafe format with questions answered by participants and shared on a poster board. Following the Community Cafe input,participants spent the remainder of the time in a Question and Answer format. The final two sessions included a straw poll regarding the implementation of a Local Option Sales Tax as a funding mechanism and a poll to determine the most desired project of the three options recently considered. Summary of Feedback Responses to the three Community Cafe questions were shared on the city website. Straw polls identified an overwhelming support for a Local Option Sales Tax and a desire for the Multi-purpose Recreational Facility. Next Steps The City Council will have a number of conversations throughout the month of June with careful consideration from the feedback they received. They intend to have a final decision by July 1,2018,to ensure the community is fully educated on their proposal should it be left for another voter referendum.