Memo- Draft #4 Tom Allen Proposal
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I Office of the City Managerl
Memorandum
To:
From:
Date:
Subject:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
Steven C. Mielke, City Manager
September 24, 1999
Draft No.4, Tom Allen Proposal
Tom Allen and City Manager Steve Mielke have met to review the discussion that was
held about 30 days ago by the Council concerning its desires for long-term planning.
Attached is draft No.4 of Tom Allen's proposal. Mr. Allen will be in attendance at the
Council work session to discuss this proposal with the Council and to look for
authorization to proceed.
If you have specific questions prior to the work session, please contact Mr. Allen
directly, or Jim Genellie who will be at the work session in place of Steve Mielke.
Mayorccdraft4allenprop
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ALLEN
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ASSOCIATES
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DRAFT #4
4749 Coventry Road East
Minnetonka. MN 55345
DRAFT #4
DRAFT #4
TO: Hopkins City Council
FROM: T om Allen, Allen & Associates
SUBJECT: Proposal for creating a community wide shared vision
DATE: September 28, 1999
This proposal is submitted at your request and is based upon conversations with the council and
Steve Mielke, city manager. It sounds like the community is pleased with its work over the last
10 years to redevelop the downtown. While the downtown area needs continuing development
and commitment, the council seems to be asking itself: "What comes next?" There is some
agreement in the council that attention should be shifted to neighborhoods, but there is not yet
consensus about what that means or what action to take. This has resulted in the council's
request for proposals from outside resources to support a strategic planning process.
There seems to be agreement among council members that this visioning process should:
Be community and council driven with active participation from the staft: boards, and
commissions.
Insure active participation and commitl;11ent by as many citizens and diverse interests
from across the community as possible.
Proposed results/or phase one -Assessment: (participants will achieve the following
objectives)
Evaluation of community and city government effectiveness. Proposed questions:
"What's present and missing in the community of Hopkins as an attractive place
to live, work, and do business?"
"What's present and missing in the effectiveness of community leadership?
(citizens, city council, boards and commissions, city staff: business community,
religious community, schools, social services, service clubs, etc..)
"What values do community members clearly uphold in the way they live, work,
and do business? Are there any important values missing?"
"What's present and missing in city government's services to the community?"
"What would it take to make this planning process so compelling that you, as a
citizen, would want to participate? What level of commitment would you be
willing to make? Would you be willing to help recruit other citizens and under
what circumstances?"
"What's present and missing in the working relationships among staft: council,
and boards and commissions?" (Question for council, staff: boards, and
commissions only)
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FAX 612-988-9350
PHONE 612-988-9332
E-mail: AllenAsc@aol.com
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Proposed results for phase one - continued
2. Agreement among city council members and staff to a visioning process that will result in
community wide commitment. (internal team building process)
3. Agreement among city council members and staffregarding the respective roles they will
play in the visioning process. (internal team building process - "What does it mean to
have this visioning process be community and council driven? How are the roles of
council and staff in this process similar to or different from the roles played in other
initiatives, and why?" - consideration of the Carver government model.
Proposed results for phase two - Community wide commitment to a direction and its
implementation: (participants will achieve the following objectives)
1. Community wide commitment to a vision and mission for Hopkins for the next 10 years.
2. Commitment to community goals, priorities, and values.
3. Agreement on community action plans.
4. Agreement on 10 year roles for city council, boards and commissions, staff: community
leaders, and residents. (internal team building process. consideration of the Carver
government model)
Action plan to achieve phase one results: Assessment
1. Agree on project parameters. (in process)
2. Conduct separate focus group sessions with city council, staff: elected representatives to
county and state, boards and commissions, business community, religious community,
schools, social service agencies and those they serve, service clubs, arts community, 2
maximum mix neighborhood groups, and youth.
3. Develop a written summary of community and city government effectiveness and a
proposed process for achieving phase two results.
4. Facilitate separate sessions with city council and staff to prepare for joint session of
council and staff
5. Facilitate a joint session of staff and council to evaluate written summary, commit to
phase two (yes/no), and agree upon roles. (internal team building process..)
Action plan to achieve phase two results: Facilitation of community wide commitment to a
direction and its implementation.
A formal proposal of action steps to be taken in phase two will be submitted as part of the phase
one summary report. Serious consideration will be given to the use of some type of large scale
event involving large numbers of community members in the room at the same time in order to
make decisions.
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Investment:
Your investment in consulting fees for this project will be @ $125. per hour, plus travel and out
of pocket costs.
Phase one - assessment
Phase two - facilitation of community wide commitment
$8,625.
To be submitted at end of
phase one.
Estimated $5,000.- $30,000.
This investment also assumes the support of city staff for communication and coordination.
Related client references:
1. City of St. Louis Park - Charlie Meyer, city manager and Jim Brimeyer, city council
member - city manager evaluation and team building.
2. City ofMinnetonka - Dave Childs, city manager and Janis Callison, council member-
open space preservation task force community listening sessions.
3. Hopkins Business and Civic Association - Nora Davis, president - strategic planning.
4. Minneapolis area synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America - Bishop David
Olson - visioning process for 175 congregations.
5. Minnesota Council of Churches ... Peg Chemberlin, executive director - visioning process
across multiple religious denominations.