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Mounds View City Council June 12, 2023 Regular Meeting Page 13 1 MOTION/SECOND: Gunn/Meehlhause. To Waive the Reading and Adopt Resolution 9762, 2 Approving Public Information/Community Engagement Contract with Rapp Strategies, Inc. 3 4 Council Member Lindstrom understood the City had a lot of money invested in this project and 5 noted the City would be spending another $60,000 for lobbyists. He stated he was concerned with 6 the fact the rate for services was increased $1,000 per month. He anticipated spending $30,000 to 7 $50,000 on a digital campaign would not be worth it, given the fact the survey results show that 8 67% of Mounds View residents get their information through newsletters or word of mouth. He 9 was of the opinion the City could transmit this information through the venues Ms. Amundsen 10 suggested. He did not support spending $50,000 for someone else to print and mail letters. 11 12 Council Member Cermak agreed stating she believed this contract was a lot of money. She 13 indicated she liked having reading materials in hand and did not like having to read digital material. 14 She indicated a lot of money would be spent on this contract if all the City wants is print media 15 and not digital content. However, she also understood the City needed to reach all generations of 16 residents. 17 18 Council Member Gunn understood this was a great deal of money but after the City were to draft 19 and send mailings numerous mailings, this would begin to add up as well. She questioned how 20 much the City spent to mail the newsletter. Finance Director Beer stated this cost the City $4,200 21 per mailing. 22 23 Council Member Lindstrom questioned if the Council would be willing to suspend the relationship 24 with the lobbyists to cover the cost of this contract. 25 26 Council Member Gunn and Council Member Cermak did not support this action. 27 28 Acting Mayor Meehlhause stated the Morris Leatherman survey is showing that even with the 29 communication efforts the City has made, which included two special mailings, information in the 30 quarterly newsletter, plus the City Administrator holding six special meetings at the Community 31 Center the City was still not getting the word out. He reported Rapp Strategies has a 100% success 32 rate when working with cities that are looking for local sales tax authorization from their voters, 33 including Maple Grove. He was of the opinion sometimes money had to be invested in order to 34 determine if more money should be invested. He stated he supported the proposed expenditure 35 noting the Special Projects Fund had enough dollars to cover this expenditure. 36 37 Ayes — 3 Nay — 1 (Lindstrom) Motion carried. 38 39 H. Resolution 9766, Approval of the Sanitary Sewer Line Rehabilitation - CIPP 40 (Cured -in -Place -Pipe) Project. 41 42 Public Works/Parks and Recreation Director Peterson requested the Council approve the sanitary 43 sewer line rehabilitation (CIPP) project. He commented on a service collapse that occurred in 44 2022, noting the bidding process that was followed for this project and recommended approval of 45 the 2023 CIPP project. 46