Minutes - Council Work Session - 04/24/2023 - Special Strategic Planning

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City Administrator Hagen stated that he can ask if there are other cities that have ever done anything like this. Mayor Kuzma emphasized keeping in mind that Ramsey is a growing community and they are not a City that is already built out. He stated that in Ramsey they are continually growing and the City already runs pretty efficiently and he does not see where this would pay off as there is not a lot of excess items in the budget that could be cut out. Finance Director Lund stated that it comes down to more of being efficient than cost savings. She gave the example of the e-licensing permits and how this is more efficient for the residents but there is still a cost that went into this. She stated that there is now Tungsten in the accounts payable which saves a lot of Staff time as everything is now electronic, but there is a cost with this service. Mayor Kuzma used the example of the body cameras for the police officers, which is a cost but good for the City. Councilmember Woestehoff shared that he liked that they added an effective and efficient organization higher in the City’s objectives as it ties into all of this. He stated that there are probably areas that could be looked at where there could be potential for long term investments. He stated that these things are worth exploring but having it as an overall objective helps guide the organization better. Councilmember Specht asked if there needs to be an action plan along with this. City Administrator Hagen stated that this can be approached one of two ways, either by looking at this as a growing community and seeing what they can expect, or looking internally to see where they can improve and finding costs savings that may require an upfront cost. Councilmember Riley stated that something like this is likely done regularly anyway but he asked if they can analyze who the City purchases things from and how they decide what they purchase. Councilmember Olson reiterated that there are important decisions that are made based on the growth of the City and how they are investing and accommodating that growth. He noted that things can be done cheap and quick and they will not last or they can invest more upfront for lasting value. Councilmember Musgrove stated that the Lower Rum River is bringing all of their permits online. She asked if this has anything to do within the City and if there are other processes that could go online as well. City Administrator Hagen stated that there is a lot of stuff that is done online, such as all building permits and development applications. He added that they are working on looking at more of an online tool to let the residents know about potholes. He stated that there are ways to eliminate phone calls and emails. He said that a lot of what they are already doing is all online. He asked if City Council Special Work Session /April 24, 2023 Page 19 of 21