Agenda - Council Work Session - 10/03/2006

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Policy Considerations 30 A "bulge" in revenues will present the City with flexibility, but also some important policy choices. In particular, how debt is used, policies/approaches to setting tax rates. Ramsey as a "City of Choice" A council member in the group discussion mentioned that he moved to Ramsey because of relatively inexpensive land. He also said he wanted to make Ramsey a "city of choice" because of the amenities and the attractiveness of the community to prospective residents. Ramsey has begun that transition with the development of the Town Center, and will be have additional opportunities with the North Star line and an upgraded Highway 10. It was observed in our focus group that people move to a city not because of good government, but because of what good government can do. Safety, cleanliness, appearance and high quality services are the "curb appeal" elements of that choice. Citizen Input The current size of Ramsey allows the City Council and staff to have a good understanding of the needs and desires of residents, as well as their satisfaction level with the services provided. At a population of 50-60,000 this will become much more difficult. In almost all cases, communities that are viewed as having successful growth have found ways to systematically invite input from their residents. The methods used are satisfaction surveys, town meetings, neighborhood meetings, and community visioning processes. Many communities use all of the above methods in concert. It is vital to the credibility of the City's efforts to have opportunities for citizens to give their individual input. We know from numerous satisfaction surveys that politically stable cities have residents who feel they are listened to and valued. We do not mean to imply that controversy will be diminished; quite the opposite is likely. The more forums for discussion you provide, the more diversity of opinion you will receive. These arguments, however, will tend to debate the merits of one course of action versus another, and not about whether the City values the opinions of its citizens. Getting Ramsey's Message Out Communities experiencing rapid growth go through the best and worst of what local government is all about. Ramsey has the opportunity to make itself into a new community in appearance and style, and the options and excitement generated by the coming changes will be enjoyable and fulfilling. However„ changes in the status quo almost always elicit opposition. The forces of change in Ramsey have come quickly, and as a result, the staff resources devoted to getting the message out are limited by the need to deal, with immediate issues and work load. Our panel of administrators advised that communication with citizens during rapid growth is vital to maintain a community support group that will be the City of Ramsey — Organization Study and Review