CR 99-192 Strategic Planning/Visioning Process
September 30,1999
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Council Report 99-192
STRAGEGIC PLANNINGNISIONING PROCESS
Proposed Action
Staff recommends that the Council approve the following motion: Move that the Hopkins City
Council authorize the City Manager to sign a contract with Tom Allen for Phase I of a
visioning/strategic planning process.
Approval of this motion will result in Mr. Allen beginning Phase I of the process for creating a
community wide shared vision.
Overview
The City Council has had discussions with Mr. Tom Allen concerning the need for a
visioning/strategic planning process. This visioning process should be community and City Council
driven with active participation from the staff, boards, and commissions. The Council is also
interested in insuring the active participation and commitment by as many citizens and diverse
interests from the community as possible. Mr. Allen has done similar projects for the City of
Minnetonka, the HBCA, and several religious organizations.
Phase I of this process would include:
conducting focus group sessions with a variety of government, business, community, and
religious groups
developing a written summary of community and city government effectiveness and a proposed
process for achieving Phase II results
Facilitating a joint session of Council and staff to evaluate the written summary, commit to
Phase II, and agree upon roles.
The cost of Phase I would be $8,625. The funds would come from the City Council budget.
Supportina Information
Draft of Tom Allen's Proposal
/~(J. ~
Steve Mielke
City Manager
ALLEN
&
ASSOCIATES
4749 Coventry Road East
Minnetonka, MN 55345
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TO: Hopkins City Council
FROM: Tom Allen, The Organization Coach
SUBJECT: Proposal for creating a community wide shared vision
DATE: October 5, 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 statI: boards, and
commissions.
Insure active participation and commitment 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)
1. 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 statI: 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 miss~?"
"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 staff: council, and
boards and commissions?" (Question for council, statI: boards, and commissions
only)
FAX 612-988-9350
PHONE 612-988-9332
E-mail: AllenAsc@aol.com
Page 2
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 staff regarding 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 <.iifrerent 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 future. ("Vision
2020, the Perfect City"? - "What would compel you to want to live, work, and do business
in Hopkins 20 years from now?")
2. Commitment to community goals, priorities, and values.
3. Agreement on community action plans.
4. Agreement on long term roles for city council, boards and connnissions~ 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, youth, seniors, and former Hopkins elected officials.
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 ajoint 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
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direction and its implementation.
A forrilal proposal of action steps to be taken in phase two will be submitted as part of the phase
one sUJ:tlIIU:try 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 conununity wide connnitment
$9,125.
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.
Tom Allen
The Organization Coach
Steve Mielke
City Manager
City of Hopkins
Date
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