HomeMy WebLinkAbout#14 - City Council 2023-2024 Work PlanSTAFF REPORT
DATE: February 21, 2023
REGULAR
AGENDA ITEM: 2023 Goal Setting Report and 2023-2024 Work Plan
SUBMITTED BY: Kristina Handt, City Administrator
BACKGROUND:
Council and Department Heads held a work session on January 24, 2023 to develop the 2023-2024 work
plan. The discussion was facilitated by Phil Kern and included an environmental scan of the city to identify
strengths, weakness, opportunities, challenges and trends. This led to the development of a list of goals
for 2023-2024 that were voted on by council and staff.
ISSUE BEFORE COUNCIL:
What goals should council adopt in the 2023-2024 work plan?
PROPOSAL:
A copy of the 2023 Goal Setting Report prepared by Phil Kern is attached.
There were five goals that received support from a majority of the Council. Additionally, there were four
goals that had at the support of at least 2 members of Council.
Proposed 2023-2024 Short-Term Goals
High Priority
1. Update the Water Supply Plan - reflect new PFAS findings, strive to have one additional well,
develop policy(ies) related to clean water and water management, and reduce irrigation/peak
levels of community usage
2. Develop a comprehensive financial and management plan for parks - facilities, land, amenities
and uses - to guide prioritization and decision-making
3. Explore ways to increase non-property tax revenues, including consideration of franchise fees
4. Develop a sustainable approach to execute the work of the Commissions - increase public
participation and community engagement in decision-making
5. Finance and implement dashboards - implement a 5-year operation plan by department
Priority
6. Produce and take action on RFP to develop 180 acres of City land
7. Complete Pavement Management Plan
8. Move into and become fully-functional in City Center (including Washington County Sheriff’s
Department)
9. Establish vision/goal for a multi-use community space
Are goals 1-5 still the goals the council would like to focus on for the next year and a half? Given some
staff vacancies, would Council consider hiring an outside firm to complete some of these items?
Alternatively, as the Mayor referenced at the work session perhaps by making them SMART goals they
will more realistically align with our resources.
Also Council may want to consider how, or if, the goals they set work in conjunction with the work plans
approved for commissions. Having consistency can be one of the things to ensure we are all rowing in the
same direction. For example, as you can see in the appendix of the report “improve connectivity of existing
trails and identify areas where development isn’t likely to connect within the MUSA area” got only one
Council vote. However, trail connectivity on the Parks Commission work plan approved last meeting was
rated as a Priority 1 (highest priority). Another Priority 1 from the approved Parks Commission work plan
is “reassess funding priorities as needed” through updating the Capital Improvement Plan. Is that similar
to goal 2 in the council work plan?
Perhaps a more realistic goal related to long term planning and financing would be to increase the CIP to
10 years or more and identify operating expenses related to new additions (i.e. more parks and trails). This
would help cover the utility item as well as maybe the pavement management item in addition to the parks
item noted above. Planning 50 years out is likely too big of a leap from our current 5 year plan and not
something seen in many other cities but maybe something we work toward over time in incremental steps,
i.e. all department CIPs out 10 years in 2023, 15 years in 2024, etc.
Lastly, what feedback does council have to help us understand what is being requested in goal 5? As I
mentioned at the goal setting session, I thought we had done those things. Council has been receiving
quarterly dashboard for a year now. The city also began participating in the state performance measurement
program. With respect to 5 year plans, those seem to be included in each department audit we’ve completed
as shown in the implementation recommendations sections. We’ve been using those as we develop annual
budgets (adding staff, increasing technology use in building dept., etc.) and I’ve used them in setting
individual goals for department heads in their performance reviews.
FISCAL IMPACT:
TBD
OPTIONS:
1) Adopt the goals identified in the draft work plan
2) Amend the list and then adopt the goals in the draft work plan
3) Table discussion until the March work session
4) Do not adopt goals for 2023-24
RECOMMENDATION:
“Motion to amend goal(s) …… and then adopt the goals identified in the draft 2023-24 work
plan.”
OR
“Motion to postpone until the March work session.”
ATTACHMENTS:
• Draft 2023-24 Work Plan
City of Lake Elmo
2023-2024 Strategic Planning and Goal Setting Report
____________________________________________________
PROCESS
On January 24, 2023, the Lake Elmo City Council and Staff Leadership Team convened its biennial goal setting and
strategic planning session to review progress on previous goals and establish new targets for the organization in 2023-
2024.
The process built upon the strategic planning foundations established in previous years and focused primarily on
examining the present status of the City and organization to develop a workplan for Council and staff consistent with the
Mission and Values Statements. The participants engaged in discussion around a series of questions to examine the
areas of strength and weakness, along with potential impacts and opportunities on the horizon. This report will reaffirm
the Mission and Values Statement established in previous strategic planning processes and recap the goals as outlined
for 2023-2024.
The City Council will now consider the results of the session through the process of adopting its 2023-2024 Strategic
Plan. This report contains a summary of the session and outlines the outcomes in the form of a work plan to guide the
City moving forward.
MISSION AND VALUES STATEMENTS
The mission statement is the first part of the organizational statement that addresses the manner in which the City will
conduct its business. The process of working towards the vision and core strategies is important work and it is the
mission that outlines how the City will perform its operations. It is a commitment to the community and statement of
clarity for staff regarding the method in which the organization seeks to act.
Lake Elmo Mission Statement
The mission of the City of Lake Elmo is to provide planned, quality public services
in a fiscally responsible manner in partnership with our community.
Supporting the Mission of the City, previous strategic planning sessions resulted in the development and adoption of
organizational values statements. These statements are adopted values that affirm the manner in which the City
expects to perform and identify its long-term priorities.
The following values are fundamental to the City of Lake Elmo’s success and the fulfillment of our mission:
Ethics and Integrity – We believe that ethics and integrity are the foundation of public trust and confidence and that all
meaningful relationships are built on these values.
Visionary Leadership and Planning – We believe that the very essence of leadership is to be visionary and innovative
while planning for the future.
Excellence and Quality in the Delivery of Services – We believe that service to our residents is our reason for being and
commit to delivering services in a professional, cost-effective, and efficient manner.
Fiscal Responsibility – We believe that fiscal responsibility and prudent stewardship of public funds, both short-term
and long-term, are essential for citizen confidence in government.
Open and Honest Communication – We believe that open and honest communication is paramount for an involved
citizenry and fosters a positive working environment for employees.
Respect for the Individual – We believe that citizens we serve are to be treated with the utmost respect and deserve the
best treatment the City can provide.
Community Engagement – We believe that creating and fostering a community with engaged, active, and informed
stakeholders is necessary for a healthy city.
Professionalism – We believe that continuous improvement and innovation is the mark of a professional organization
and we are committed to applying this principle to the services we offer and development of employees.
Accountability - We believe in decision-making processes that are based on facts, data, and the prioritization of
community interests above the individual.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
One of the primary activities of the session was conducting an environmental scan of the City and organization. This
activity is designed to consider the present state of the community from a variety of perspectives. In a large group
setting, participants were asked to consider its strengths, challenges, areas where the City has momentum, and explore
trends and issues that face the City in the coming years. The scan provided the basis for the group’s efforts later in the
work session to develop the goals that will guide the organization in the coming years.
In its first assessment activity, the group was asked to consider all of the things that identify as strengths of Lake Elmo,
both as a City and the organization itself. Participants were encouraged to think of projects, services, actions, and
policies. After discussing the strengths, participants turned their attention towards reviewing City and organizational
areas that need improvement. These items are areas that presently challenge the organization and City. The third
assessment area of discussion was around the actions that are presently underway that provide for organizational
momentum. The group brainstormed areas where the City had opportunities based on current conditions and actions.
Following the assessment of its strengths, challenges and areas of momentum, the group moved on to the final
brainstorming activity - anticipating emerging trends or issues that may impact the City. Forecasting potential external
changes or impacts is a key step in the process to help leadership anticipate pressures and opportunities that may arise.
To guide this process, the participants followed a STEP model of analysis, thinking about trends and external impacts in
the areas of socio-cultural, technical, economical, and political. Thinking about the ongoing opportunities and
challenges in each of these areas provides a variety of important perspectives for the City in the coming years.
The results of the environmental scan have been provided as an appendix to this report.
SHORT-TERM GOALS
The primary focus of the 2023-2024 goal setting session was to develop a short-term goals platform and workplan to
guide the organization in the coming years. Participants were offered the opportunity to present draft goals that
addressed any of the following objectives - previous goals that had yet to be fully accomplished, goals to address
weaknesses, opportunities, or potential impacts discussed during the assessment process, or other goals that individual
members viewed to be important for the City. The process encouraged the brainstorming of SMART goals - specific,
measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (1-3 years) - and objectives that would support the core strategies and
vision.
Following the brainstorming process, a prioritization process was used to develop the following list of high priority and
priority goals. Participants were given the ability to choose a limited number of brainstormed goals as their top
priorities. As each participant’s choices were collected, the draft goals were bunched into three categories. The
categories and prioritization followed these guidelines:
● High Priority Goals - goals that were identified by a majority of the Council as top priority and also received
support from City Staff.
● Priority Goals - goals that fell short of a Council majority but were identified as a top priority by at least two
members of the Council and multiple members participating in the session or two or more staff members.
● Other Goals - goals that did not have an initial priority ranking by more than one member. (Included as an
appendix to the report.)
Proposed 2023-2024 Short-Term Goals
High Priority
1. Update the Water Supply Plan - reflect new PFAS findings, strive to have one additional well, develop
policy(ies) related to clean water and water management, and reduce irrigation/peak levels of community
usage
2. Develop a comprehensive financial and management plan for parks - facilities, land, amenities and uses - to
guide prioritization and decision-making
3. Explore ways to increase non-property tax revenues, including consideration of franchise fees
4. Develop a sustainable approach to execute the work of the Commissions - increase public participation and
community engagement in decision-making
5. Finance and implement dashboards - implement a 5-year operation plan by department
Priority
6. Produce and take action on RFP to develop 180 acres of City land
7. Complete Pavement Management Plan
8. Move into and become fully-functional in City Center (including Washington County Sheriff’s Department)
9. Establish vision/goal for a multi-use community space
NEXT STEPS
The next step in the goal setting process is to work within each of these short-term goals to develop action plans and the
establishment of benchmarks to measure progress. One of the discussion items during the workshop involved the
identification of measurables, or benchmarks, to effectively evaluate the City’s accomplishment of each goal. Developing
measurable outcomes for each goal will also help in the development of action plans to reach the desired outcome. The
goals should then be revisited from time-to-time as an accountability measure for both the Council and staff.
Additionally, finding ways to integrate the goals into the organizational processes also helps to develop success. Building
on the methods in which Lake Elmo has been successful in the past is recommended, along with exploring new methods
of keeping the goals on the forefront of the leadership team’s efforts. It was an honor to assist your team in the process
of establishing its Strategic Plan for the coming years.
Respectfully submitted,
Phil Kern
Facilitator
Appendix
City of Lake Elmo 2023 Strategic Planning and Goal Setting Report
Environmental Assessment Outcomes
Strengths Challenges
Quality staff and director-level personnel Staffing and tight job market
Council - diverse backgrounds allowing for better
decision-making Hard to fill volunteers spots (Commissions, etc.)
Organization is less volatile and focused Water, water, water
Knowledge set amongst staff Supply chain issues, ripples it causes
Staff/Council have become more flexible in decision-making Increased costs for goods, products
New Lake Elmo Connect group
Public expectation of services, amenities (coming from larger
communities)
More positive community action, engagements
Culture challenge - differences/conflict between service expectations,
taxes, etc.
Big strides in use of tech for community engagement Culture challenge - workforce, volunteering, pay expectations
Infrastructure, investments have been made with growth Keeping up with demand, usage for fields
Basic services providing space for activities Prioritizing goals/vision in Comprehensive Plan
Population, people are looking to be involved Financing compared to goals/demands
Community resources - affluence and positive traits Traditional finance policies not working
Low tax rate Channeling resources
Good financial position Building relationships with other institutions
Parks, Park Reserve Economic impacts (inflation) on development, City
Good, strong public safety commitment Attracting commercial development
Directors, staff working together well
Community expectations v. Financial impacts, not having that community
conversation
Growing professionalism Getting to learn, operate City Center
Communication between Council & Staff Fire Paid-on-call working through issues with FT staff
Growth, increasing cost of Public Safety
County Cost Participation - increased costs
Trends, Challenges, Opportunities Momentum
Remote work - both impacts on the workforce and
employer considerations I-94 Commercial interest
PFAS Regulations - Feds start regulating (?)Water Tower going up
Cultural changes in families, such as screen time and
changes in ways of interaction Work with legislators, engaged (water issues, etc.)
Changes in laws - Cannabis, impacts of law changes Public perception, council positive action
Economic impacts - recession possibility Connect Lake Elmo group
Increasing reliance on Emergency Services - people
staying in the community as they age EDA - Community Development role
Development/Growth/Density changes PS actions Working through natural growing pains
Changes in laws - employment, paid leave People and groups are increasing what they invest
White Bear Lake water issue
Council support for adding new positions, equipment,
materials
PFAS funding (?)Staff proposing only community-beneficial things
Aging facilities/infrastructure Utilizing technology, doing more with less
How we use technology Program audits at Department level
Security-related to technology Available land
Swings in housing development patterns/demand for
type
Changes in how the public communicates
Decrease in cable subscribers - Cable Commission,
impacts on operations, cost
Changes in energy regulations
CC S Short-Term Goal
5 4
Update water supply plan - reflect new PFAS findings, strive to have one additional well, develop policy/ies related to clean
water/water management, reduce irrigation and reduce levels of peak community usage
5 3
Develop a comprehensive financial and management plan for parks - facilities, land, amenities, uses - to guide
prioritization/decision-making
3 2 Explore ways to increase non-property tax revenues, including consideration of franchise fees
3 0
Develop a sustainable approach to execute the work of Commissions - increase public participation, community engagement
in decision-making
3 0 Finance and implement dashboards and implement 5-year operational plan by department
2 2 Produce RFP and develop 180 acres of City land
2 3 Complete Pavement Management Plan
2 3 Move into and become fully functional in City Center - City and Washington County
2 0 Establish vision/goal for a multi-use community space
1 0 Review/Update Utility Management Plan, including cost/schedule of replacement of utilities
1 1 Update Assessment Policy
1 2 Utilitize technology to streamline building/fire permitting, embrace electronic filing
1 0 Improve connectivity of existing trails and identify ares where devleopment isn't likely to connect within the MUSA area
0 0 Develop alternative fuel system for vehicles
0 2 Assess and plan to meet Public Safety needs - Police, Fire, EMS
0 4 Actively pursue commercial and industrial development along I-94 corridor