Agenda - Council - 10/24/2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

transit in the Governor's office. She stated that she also worked as the Planning Director for Hennepin County prior to joining the Governor's office. She also provided a summary of her experience in the private sector before transitioning into public employment. She stated that her background provides her with a lot of different aspects of planning that she brings with her which helps her to think about how the built environment and infrastructure provide economic development opportunities. She stated that tonight she noticed the importance of partnerships within the City and that she believes that the only way things will be successful is if that is done together; leveraging the strengths of each other. She noted the two other members of the Met Council and the staff members that were present tonight for the tour. 2.02: Proclaim October as Community Planning Month Mayor Strommen stated that October is community planning month and noted that Community Development Director Gladhill will provide a brief update. She noted that a proclamation resolution is on the consent agenda tonight for formal adoption. Community Development Director Gladhill provided background information on national community planning month. He reviewed the Ramsey land use planning spectrum which includes long range planning, current planning, and zoning administration. He stated that the City puts emphasis on public engagement in both planning and implementation, noting that several hundred have participated in person, online, and over the telephone to provide their input. He stated that the City has partnered with the University of Minnesota's resilient communities program to assist with the Comprehensive Plan and Strategic Plan processes. He stated that the City has been working on The COR vision plan for the past two years to balance the long-term vision of the City with the market. He stated that the next community workshop is scheduled for October 26th at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. He stated that the City has been very successful in the housing portion of the plan for The COR and somewhat successful in the office portion. He noted that the retail element has struggled behind because of the changing retail market right now. He stated that staff feels that the other elements of The COR which have been successful will help to bring in that retail market, noting that the City continues to aggressively market for that element. He noted that a number of topics are included in the agenda tonight in different stages of review. He stated that the City has been the busiest that it has been in more than 15 years in terms of development, and with half the number of staff that the City previously had. He stated that there have been proactive steps to better serve the residents in terms of zoning administration. He stated that the rental housing program was developed with input from both landlords and tenants. He stated that the electronic building permit system has been a success and helps to make the process more efficient, noting that the plan review timeframe has been cut in half. He thanked Planning Intern Henderson, noting that this is his last week with the City, and advised that he has done a great job in his time with the City. He hoped that the City would have the ability to partner with him on other opportunities in the future. He also thanked the members of the Boards and Commissions that donate their time to contribute to the City and the planning process. City Administrator Ulrich recognized Community Development Gladhill for his contribution to the City and to the other groups that he contributes to as well as his leadership abilities. City Council / October 10, 2017 Page 3 of 14