HomeMy WebLinkAboutNotes 09-12-07 joint study sessionMeeting Notes from September 12, 2007
The focus of this meeting was twofold:
1. Review progress on the Employee Survey Process
2. Beginning scoping the Infrastructure Planning Process
Infrastructure Planning Process
The purpose of this discussion was to clarify the scope and purpose of the
Infrastructure Planning Process. To this end the team discussed outcomes,
design principles, key dilemmas and strategic next steps.
Desired Outcomes:
1. Identify specific priorities and funding allocations for public infrastructure
projects
2. Delineation of all the choices and the list of possible options
3. Identify things that we will not fund in the future
4. Identify strategies to develop funding for essential and vital services for the
long-term. In order to do this we will explore the following issues and
possibilities:
Charter Cities
Sales tax
Developer impact fees
Broader tax base
What can we do to displace general fund fees? Flexibility
MCOG -street impacts
Tax sharing agreements
Annexation
5. Our plan would reflect community input, priorities and what they are willing to
pay for in the future
6. Identification of the most cost effective way of providing services - e.g.
contracting
Design Principles:
1. Whatever we do creates internal consistency across the system
2. Budget follows the plan rather than the budget driving the plan
3. We look for the most cost effective ways of achieving our priorities -
better, faster, cheaper.
4. We include and involve employees in infrastructure~lantljng,
,impiemenung ana monrtonna.
5. e1~7 will design anon-political, data driven planning process that reflects
the informed desire of our community. It will be a two-way process of
communication, education and planning.
6. We will keep the planning process to the level of usefulness and
application - it will be distilled to a manageable scale.
7. The final decisions will be based on public safety, providing for vital
services and cost effectiveness.
Tensions and Dilemmas
1. Outside influences and decisions from the State and other agencies could
restrict funding, impose mandates and change the short term focus of staff
activities.
2. General versus special tax requires a 2/3 vote
3. Retirement and personnel costs
4. Use of eminent domain
5. Energy, resource and construction costs may continue to climb which puts
us further behind the curve from planning to implementation
6. A percentage of the city population will attack whatever we do
7. Climate change impacts
8. Current staffing levels are already low to do the work
Potential Strategies
1. Cost benefit analysis of Charter Cities - Agendize for future Council
Meeting
2. Compilation of current state information on all infrastructure analyses
(Asset Management Program) -Candace
3. Develop a strategy for Community Engagement around infrastructure and
funding: (Subcommittee - Benj, Chris, Mari and Steve)
Look a education and website applications as tools
Community survey process
How to create a community dialog
Well publicized informational meetings around specific topics
Weekly articles in paper
4. Research successful efforts by other cities -don't reinvent the wheel