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HomeMy WebLinkAbout5. 7-31-2023ENVISION LAKEVILLE JOINT BOARDS/COMMISSIONS WORKSHOP MINUTES, July 31, 2023 Page 1 CITY OF LAKEVILLE ENVISION LAKEVILLE TASKFORCE MINUTES July 31, 2023 6:30 p.m. I. Welcome – Mayor Hellier Mayor Hellier welcomed the board, commission, committee, and taskforce members. He emphasized the importance of the Envision Lakeville process and thanked everyone for their willingness to participate in the discussion. II. Brief Overview – Envision Lakeville – Justin Miller, City Administrator City Administrator Miller thanked everyone for making time to attend the workshop. He provided background on Envision Lakeville and shared details on this year’s process. The 2023 Envision Lakeville update includes extensive input from the community and city staff, citywide surveys, an Envision Lakeville taskforce, and tonight’s meeting with the City Council’s advisory boards, commissions, and committees. He emphasized the importance of Envision Lakeville and its purpose to guide the city’s growth into the future. Mr. Miller welcomed and introduced Craig Rapp, Rapp Consulting Group. Mr. Rapp worked with Lakeville for the last ten years on various projects including the original Envision Lakeville report in 2013 and the five-year update in 2018. Mr. Rapp asked everyone to write their answers to two questions on an index card: • What do you like best about Lakeville? • What is the biggest challenge facing Lakeville in the next ten years? III. Lakeville Today Mr. Rapp started the discussion by stating that the Envision Lakeville process is guided by the idea of “One City - One Vision.” He shared the Envision Lakeville Community Values and Vision Statement. He discussed several of the horizon issues that the 2018 taskforce highlighted: • Understanding the makeup of the community – and how to plan for it • The community is becoming more diverse • Addressing the senior lifestyle. What is it, is the community prepared? • Workforce housing – a needed component of Lakeville’s economic development goals • Related to workforce housing, what about apartments? • Three school districts • School teachers, employees, and students can play a role moving forward • Boards and Commissions + SME’s + City departments to guide implementation • The highest priorities are safety and parks • Make vision engaging – bring document to National Night Out, schools, etc. The city completed the National Community Survey in 2013 and 2018. Several notable trends between 2013 and 2018 include: • Economy or Mobility issues – rated highly, no reduction in satisfaction • A bit more housing cost stress • Concern regarding availability of affordable, quality housing • Local participation down – religious/spiritual, public meetings, volunteering Mr. Rapp asked for input from the group on the strengths, challenges, opportunities, and limitations of Lakeville. Responses include: ENVISION LAKEVILLE JOINT BOARDS/COMMISSIONS WORKSHOP MINUTES, July 31, 2023 Page 2 a. Community Strengths, Advantages i. Safe and secure ii. Land and natural resources; location iii. Schools iv. Parks and lakes v. Identity and reputation vi. Strong core neighborhoods – those that have been here for a long time, well maintained vii. Airlake and I-35 viii. Actual downtown ix. Wide variety and popular events x. Strong business community xi. Diverse balance of commercial/industrial and residential properties xii. Cleanliness of city b. Community Challenges i. Traffic ii. Infrastructure to support growth iii. Retail options – increase volume iv. Restaurants v. Affordable housing vi. Green space – to serve the growth vii. Paying for stuff viii. Embracing our increasing diversity and making it visible on boards, commissions, and City Council ix. Future growth strain on services – parks; public safety x. External policies and mandates – legislation, Met Council xi. Maintaining the balance – keep it stable xii. Higher education – pursue college options xiii. School redistricting and growth; paying for it xiv. Maintaining integration of all residents/segments across the community xv. Keeping community cohesive – not splitting along geographic or school boundaries xvi. Public safety response to medical calls – increase coordination and planning between police, fire, ambulance xvii. School site location – work closely with school district to do it well xviii. Shifting from city of growth to maintaining (infrastructure, services) xix. Walkability – make improvements xx. Being careful to not overcommit as we reach full development xxi. Find ways to build what is needed but not lose best elements of small town xxii. Maintaining low taxes c. Opportunities i. Accommodate aging population ii. Time for long term financial planning iii. Invest in city staff iv. Ensure current quality of public safety v. Stay on top of remote work and related shifts in economy vi. Denser downtown – live, work, play vii. Build out of trails and parks viii. Broaden the people at the table ix. Maintain civic generosity (financial and time) d. Limitations i. Location – considered outer suburb ii. Traffic ENVISION LAKEVILLE JOINT BOARDS/COMMISSIONS WORKSHOP MINUTES, July 31, 2023 Page 3 iii. Mandates – other governments iv. Density – good and bad v. Money vi. Water treatment facility vii. Increasing impacts of climate change viii. No hospital e. Other Comments i. Rate of change increasing – faster than we realize ii. Add Housing Study results to taskforce deliberations iii. Make sure we get input and contributions from all areas/people in community iv. Prepare for post-growth future Mr. Rapp revisited the index card activity from the beginning of the meeting. a. What do you like best about Lakeville? o Quiet, crime free neighborhoods, ability to walk and bike with freedom o Small town feel o Big city that feels like small town o diversity and housing, community, natural resources, commercial/industrial to residential o Parks o Safe community o Sense of unity and community o Location o Community feel with close proximity to both downtowns and other suburbs o Small town feel o Sense of community o Lakeville public schools o Safe and secure, public safety o Quality place to make a home for my family, raise my children, safe place for all to participate in arts and athletics o Close to twin cities; wonderful parks, arts, etc. o Clean and well maintained o Our downtown, and that we actually have one o Welcoming community o Safe and stable community o Safety o People like/love living here o Convivence o Pan-O-Prog; lakes; downtown o Amount of diverse of landscape, lots of green space, housing, businesses, and industrial o Feel like small down with amenities of a large city b. What is the greatest challenge to Lakeville in the next 10 years? o Maintaining core; founding residents; senior housing options; senior events o Developing commercial areas while maintaining traffic o Balancing growth and public safety o Planning for fully developed community and financial stability o Utility infrastructure o Variety of housing options for different budgets o Youth access to schools o Finances related to patterns of growth o Supportive infrastructure as we grow; more retail needed ENVISION LAKEVILLE JOINT BOARDS/COMMISSIONS WORKSHOP MINUTES, July 31, 2023 Page 4 o Growing out gradually; ten plus years with be a growth to sustainability period o Growth and all associated challenges o Public safety o Quality Lakeville area public schools o Attracting quality commercial development o Preventing conflict as society gets more polarized o How to sustain/maintain growth o Right types of development, not just endless subdivisions o Managing growth while preserving natural resources and amenities; sense of welcoming o Managing growth o Aging population o Growth management and slowing of development o Housing o Growth o Meeting growth with fiscally responsible sense o Making sure we feel like a small town with community values while growing to be one of the largest cities in the state o Planned growth IV. Lakeville Tomorrow a. Envision Lakeville priorities – reactions Mr. Rapp asked the members to provide feedback on the five Community Values and whether they are still applicable. It was agreed that the five pillars continue to be relevant in guiding the city. V. Summing Up Mr. Rapp closed with explaining the next steps in the Envision Lakeville process. The taskforce will meet three more times in the coming months where they will review data and stakeholder input and the National Community Survey results. After discussing and deliberating, the taskforce will provide recommendations to the City Council to ensure the vision remains relevant as the city grows and develops. VI. Adjourn The meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m.