Agenda - Planning Commission - 05/05/2011

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Engineering • Planning • Environmental • Construction April 7, 2011 Mr. Tim Gladhill, Senior Planner City of Ramsey 7550 Sunwood Drive NW Ramsey, Minnesota 55303 Re: Proposal to Provide Planning Services for the City of Ramsey Dear Mr. Gladhill: 701 Xenia Avenue South Suite 300 Minneapolis, MN 55416 Tel: 763-541-4800 Fax: 763-541-1700 The City of Ramsey has established a vision that states "without compromising private property rights and needs of future generations, Ramsey will evolve through citizen driven, collaborative processes that respect the balance and connectivity between its unique urban, rural and natural environments." Often times, planners working for communities seem to get trapped in a "small window view" or "project window" and forget to look out and see how these things create and shape the larger image. They seem to focus on the puzzle pieces and not the picture on the puzzle box. By establishing this vision for collaboration and sustainability, your community has already begun to look at the picture on the puzzle box. A partnership with WSB & Associates, Inc. will assist you in establishing long-range plans to ensure that current planning and development projects have a positive impact for the future of your community. In preparing the information provided in this proposal, we have highlighted a few clear differentiators between WSB and our competition. • WSB is a planning and engineering company focused on the needs of municipalities. WSB currently serves more than 50 communities, the State of Minnesota, and numerous counties in varying planning and engineering capacities. The service areas that we have added to WSB over the past 15 years have all been related to expanding our expertise, and to providing more complete services to the municipalities we serve. Through this, we have developed the people and processes required to provide better ideas and the best solutions to municipal planning issues. You are our focus and you will see that in our attention to your needs. • Our proposed Planner, Kelsey Johnson, is the right fit to assist the City of Ramsey. We are confident that Kelsey is the right fit to assist the City of Ramsey's planning staff, based on our understanding of your needs. Kelsey's experience working with Cities both as a staff City planner and as a consultant City planner have provided her with the unique skills to ensure that planning decisions can be practically applied. Kelsey has provided successful leadership in communities experiencing growth, those concerned with the preservation of natural/cultural amenities, and those focused on areas of redevelopment, all of which are issues facing the City of Ramsey and its residents. Minneapolis • St. Cloud Equal Opportunity Employer P:\Ramsey\Planning Serv,ces - 137-110\Cover Letter - Ramsey - 137-110.doc