Agenda - Council Work Session - 05/10/2011

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Our experience in the planning and design of active, healthy places will benefit you with more thoughtful, unique planning services. Firm Profile Landform is a multi -disciplinary consulting firm, founded in 1994 and based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 2009, we corporately restructured and brought in Robert Schunicht, who joins Darren Lazan in partnership of the firm. We offer a full range of site design, planning and engineering services. Our professional resources include landscape architects, planners, urban designers, civil engineers and land surveyors for a total of nearly 20 professional staff. We are committed to client service, design quality, principles of sustainability and an innovative approach to site design. Landform is organized into studios, each with their own expertise and area of specialization and experience. We shape our project design and delivery process to anticipate the needs of our clients based on an in-depth understanding of their project type or market. Each studio offers a fully integrated and interdisciplinary design process from Site to Finish°. Within the studios, project teams bring together the professionals with the specific expertise and the experience needed to meet their clients' project objectives. Professional services include: • planning • landscape architecture • sustainable design • LEED° design/management • development management • urban design and architecture • civil engineering • land survey • environmental coordination • master planning Our team offers you: • a team leader with proven experience working in communities to address their unique needs. • a team leader with personal knowledge of Ramsey and the surrounding area. • a team experienced in leading public processes to gather meaningful and significant input. • a team which has demonstrated success in keeping projects moving forward while maintaining a high level of stakeholder and community involvement. • a team with strong analytical skills. • a team with strong graphic, mapping and GIS skills. Conflict of Interest/ Landform is currently working for the City HRA as the Development Manager for The Multiple Roles COR. We believe that this experience is an advantage to the City because our team is already familiar with the City process, City Code and Comprehensive Plan. We do not believe that the planning services anticipated by the RFP create any conflict of interest. However, we do know that it is important to ensure transparency in the process. Therefore, we would recommend that any land use application for a development proposal in The COR be reviewed by City staff rather than the Landform consulting planner. While the review of a land use application must be based only on the facts of the application and does not give the planner discretion in their review, we believe this separation would be important to maintain transparency and avoid any perception of impropriety.