Agenda - Council Work Session - 06/12/2018

Home

WSB 701 Xenia Avenue South l Suite 300 l Minneapolis, MN 55416 l (763) 541-4800 June 7, 2018 Honorable Mayor and City Council Attn: Kurt Ulrich, City Administrator City of Ramsey 7550 Sunwood Drive NW Ramsey, MN 55303 Re: Proposal for Communications Plan for the Development of Franchise Fees Dear Mayor and Council Members: WSB & Associates, Inc. is pleased to provide you with the following proposal for services related to a proposed Communications Plan that will assist the City with informing its residents, boards, commissions, and councils of the ways in which a franchise fee could be utilized by the City as a funding method for maintaining the City's streets. The City of Ramsey currently maintains 175-miles of paved streets, which is one of the largest assets of the City. City Council and staff recognize the importance of pavement management to reduce the long-term cost of maintaining this asset and the challenges of identifying consistent and sustainable funding for this purpose. A franchise fee program offers many advantages over traditional methods of funding and has been implemented successfully by many cities for this purpose. WSB successfully assisted with the implementation of a franchise fees program in the City of Rogers in 2015, and are currently undergoing the process in the City of Princeton. We understand the steps that are necessary to create a successful program, including identifying the needs/program along with the required funding for the needs/program, evaluating other methods of funding and providing comparison, developing a communication plan for the City to follow, and coordinating with the private utility companies to obtain necessary user information to determine the projected revenue. Each step of the process is important and our experience will provide the City of Ramsey with a guide to the process for the implementation of franchise fees. Ramsey has previously developed a program for this funding approach and has much of the information, albeit a few years old. This information will be very helpful in streamlining our approach and role in that phase of the project. If the City chooses to move forward in following this communication plan, there are a series of implementation steps that would need to be performed. This proposal does not include engaging the utility companies at this time. WSB has a strong history of providing communications solutions for projects, plans, and sensitive political issues. All our projects involve some level of communication needs, and this demand is increasing. Recently, the City of Minnetonka hired WSB communications staff to help them lead community engagement and navigate a difficult trail project through the public process. WSB has also helped Mahtomedi through a collaborative communication process with key stakeholders on a controversial, neighborhood sewer project. Another applicable example is that WSB staff provided support for several bond referendum projects, including a parks infrastructure referendum in Coon Rapids and Eden Prairie (both of which were successful). Our communications team includes planners, communication specialists, and technical leads to increase the likelihood of successful projects. The scope of services as described in this proposal is based on discussions with City staff: PROPOSED SERVICES & SCHEDULE The following tasks will be completed as part of a proposed six (6) month communications plan for the consideration of franchise fees: Phase 1 - (Month 1) Building a legacy — your legacy. Equal Opportunity Employer I wsbeng.com