Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023 Priority ItemsCity of Lakeville Administration Memorandum To: Mayor and City Council From: Justin Miller, City Administrator Date: January 21, 2023 Subject: 2023 City Council Priority Items As the City Council discusses issues to address in 2023, staff has compiled a list of potential ideas. It is not staff’s intent to discuss each of these items in detail, but council may want to indicate which items should be focused on this year. Once a list is agreed upon, staff will begin scheduling them for future work sessions, meetings, and staff resources. 1) Park Referendum Implementation • With the successful approval of the $38 million park bond referendum, staff and council will need to be diligent in delivering projects that were approved over the next few years. Antlers Park will begin construction in 2023, with planning/design for Avonlea Park starting this year as well. 2) Downtown Redevelopment • As downtown continues to be a destination for our community, there are opportunities for even more improvements. The Alternative Learning Center, Lakeville Mall, post office relocation, and parking lot improvements are all areas where investments might be worthwhile to explore. Another part of this discussion may be how to improve on the efforts of the Downtown Lakeville Business Association. 3) CR 50/I-35 Interchange Legislative Initiative • This project has moved forward in the past year with funding by the state for preliminary design. That process is ongoing but continued focus at the state and federal level with our lobbyist will still be needed to secure construction funding. 4) Fire Department Staffing Model • The council has already spent considerable time on this topic, and a grant application is in process that will hopefully secure funding for three years of transition costs to a full-time/paid-on-call hybrid department. Additionally, a facility needs assessment will soon be underway to prepare for the new staffing model. 5) CR 70/I-35 Interchange Development • This interchange has significant development/redevelopment opportunities but may require some sort of city involvement to improve the area and make it a more appealing entryway to the city. It is also likely that the City will be asked to financially participate in infrastructure improvements with the Tower Crossing/Watertower Place proposal on the northeast corner of the intersection. 6) Finance/Utility Billing/HR Software Update • With the approval of a contract for the new system, implementation of the software package will begin this year. 7) Housing Policy • As the city continued to grow, we also continue to see demand for various housing types (ownership, condo, rental, etc.). We also know that there continues to be discussions at the state level about affordability and local control over zoning ordinances. Staff continues to seek clarity on the council’s desires for rezoning policies, especially as it relates to workforce and higher density housing. Programs such as land trusts, first-time homebuyer programs, loans and grants have all been implemented by cities across the country and may be an area the council wants to discuss. A housing study is being completed and will be presented to the council in Spring 2023. Other possible topics could include rental licensing and a dedicated HRA levy towards housing-related issues. 8) Water Treatment Facility Expansion Discussion • Staff presented alternatives to the council for an upcoming treatment plant expansion. Another component of this discussion could include providing enough expansion capacity for a high-water manufacturing user. Staff will be continuing to present details on these plans later in the year. 9) Use of Opioid Settlement Funds • The council recently approved documents joining the State of Minnesota’s opioid litigation. Funds have started to arrive, and the council may want to explore uses for these 10) Envision Lakeville Update • Funds were included in the 2023 budget for a community survey and Envision Lakeville update. Council should discuss how elaborate of a process we should go through with this every-five-year update, including the community survey (and possibly a business survey). 11) Public Safety Training Facility • Council recently approved working with Oertel Architects to develop a pre- submittal package in preparation for updating our bonding bill request. Considerable effort will be needed on the legislative front, and if successful, even more work will be needed to bring the project online. 12) Command Vehicle • The city currently has a trailer that was used as a “command vehicle” or at other large-scale events. Police and Fire Staff would like work towards looking at something more practical for a multi-use vehicle. This would likely involve selling some current assets and looking at grants or other funding sources. 13) Home Surveillance System Partnership • This partnership would allow residents with home surveillance systems to register with the City and allow the LPD to connect to their home security video data using Cartegraph/ArcGIS (Survey 123 platform). Video data could be accessed by the LPD if a call for service was made in the neighborhood. Data is stored and accessible to officers/detectives through a dashboard. As calls for service/crimes are reported, officers could access the dashboard to see which homes in the area have cameras that may have captured footage. This partnership can potentially help increase the number of cases solved. The cities of Blaine and Cottage Grove are currently using a similar system already. 14) Franchise Fees for Street Improvements • Franchise fee revenue can serve as a source for funding a dedicated City service. Franchise fees have become a more common and desirable alternative to property and sales taxes for funding street maintenance in the absence of other funding mechanisms. 15) City Wide Pedestrian Crossing Safety Review • This project would conduct a City wide initiative to survey and identify high- volume and/or essential crossing locations, and potentially recommend public safety improvements. Currently staff receives comments from residents concerned about a particular pedestrian crossing. This project would be proactive and try to identify pedestrian crossings that would warrant pedestrian safety enhancements or improvements 16) Annexation Strategy • As townships on the east and west of the city have incorporated (Empire and Credit River), annexation possibilities have become more limited (likely only Eureka Township properties). The council may want to discuss how future annexation requests are handled. 17) Advisory Commissions Schedules • While some advisory commissions have time-sensitive schedules (like the planning commission), others sometimes struggle to have meaningful agendas on a month-to-month basis. Staff would like to discuss with the council the idea of moving some groups to an every-other-month schedule. 18) Meeting formats/locations • Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, work sessions have been held in the council chambers and all meetings are streamed online for remote visitor participation. Staff would like to discuss these two items, as well as a potential new conference room, with the council. 19) Lakeville Grove Cemetery • The ownership/management of Lakeville Grove Cemetery is tenuous. If abandoned, the city may be left to take control. Efforts have been made in the past to find private owners, but the council may want to review options for this cemetery on the edge of downtown Lakeville.