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Home My WebLink About05-26-2015 Council Work Session Packet City Council Work Session Tuesday, May 26, 2015 Orono City Council Chambers AGENDA 1. Goals (35 Minutes) 2. Street Funding Discussion (35 Minutes) 3. City Administrator Verbal Update (15 Minutes) 4. Memo of Understanding (MOU) for City Administrator (5 Minutes) 5. Intergenerational Conversation Draft Report (5 Minutes) 6. Spirit of the Lakes Parade (5 Minutes) 7. Future Work Session Topics (5 Minutes) Upcoming Work Sessions June 22, 2015  Budget and Goals  Compensation Study Draft Report Work Session Topics or Requests Annual:  Budget and Goals: part of June, all of July, August and October.  City Administrator & Police Chief update (3 times per year for 15 minutes)  Joint Planning Commission/Park/Council meeting for check-in/direction (done 11/5/14) Additional topics:  Emerald Ash Borer (LL)  Sewer Connection Fees Policy (MG)  Jennifer Munt from the Met Council (LM)  Marina licensing (MG)  Permit exception criteria for lots less than 2 acres (DW/AP) Page 1 of 30 Previous Work Session Topics April 27, 2015  Street Funding Discussion (45 Minutes)  Sprint Lease Buyout Analysis (5 Minutes)  Development Connection Fees for Northern Utility Extension (15 Minutes)  Met Council Population/Housing Projections (10 Minutes) March 23, 2015  Marking City Lake Accesses / Fire Lanes  Temporary Signs  Whalen Access Letter (10 Minutes)  Zoning Code Amendment – Duplex Lot Splits  Special Event Permits (10 Minutes)  Social Host Ordinance  Public Safety Open House Page 2 of 30 MEMORANDUM TO: ORONO CITY COUNCIL FROM: JESSICA LOFTUS, CITY ADMINISTRATOR SUBJECT: GOALS DATE: MAY 26, 2015 A very preliminary set of goals are attached for your discussion. Documentation from the goal setting session with staff is also attached for your information. Page 3 of 30 Goal Must do Nice to do Not this year Budget ? Budget Reinstate an annual fixed budget program for sealcoating and M&O Increase road maintenance budget for 2016 to protect our assets Continue to focus on maintaining all city assets and include rehab/repair/replacement in CIP Maintain all current services and programs with a flat levy or nominal increase Aim for 2% maximum tax increase in 2016 Navarre Begin to explore the idea of apartment/condo use in Navarre Continue to focus on improvements in Navarre and set goals for mixed use. Navarre "missing" Sidewalk Add'l Navarre initiatives to continue making it a focal point. Maybe TIF to help with upgrading Clean up and repair city land/ public space. Ex: muniLot, ROW corners, screening dumpsters, bowling lot Continue working with the County on the 15/19 intersection Explore a special fall clean up day for the Navarre area American Flags/ Christmas decorations Holiday lighting for Navarre Organization Undertake a careful review of the compensation study, develop a plan of action, and implement Consider a pay increase for Mayor, maybe City Council Find additional ways to automate the City Hall which may lower employee costs Encourage employees to set up a continual process of having the best vetting/competitive bidding Continued Organization review. Ex: utility clerk .8, consider reduced or outsourced? Others opting for flexibility? Improve relationships on City Council thru retreats or training Roads Increase miles of road construction slated for 2016 Improve our process for improving, repairing, replacing roads Explore giving private roads the options of combining maintenance work with nearby city road projects Controlled intersection at Old Cry Bay and 12 in the morning -such as no turn on red and enforced Study parking sticker concept like Wayzata. Ex: Orono residents get "free" sticker and Non-residents pay What Should Be Accomplished in 2015-2016? Guidance on using the ratings below. Must do Nice to do Not this year  activities that are required by law, contract or agreement  not essential services nor key support for essential services  not necessary to provide essential services  include or support essential services that serve many citizens  would service a major group of citizens  serves a small population or need  can be ongoing or new activities  would facilitate improved operations or interactions  is not time-sensitive  the things that will take up most of the resources (time, $, people)  can be ongoing or new activities  can be ongoing or new activities  would set the stage for future activities Page 5 of 30 What Should Be Accomplished in 2013-2014? Goal Must do Nice to do Not this year Budget ? Comp Plan & Code Updates Begin Comp Plan process Comp Plan: Lay out an action plan for implementation in 2016, and 2017 Understand current housing mix, needs, locations for various densities. Determine role the city in addressing blight. Make a commitment to affordable housing Small-lot conversation for "small" projects Continue to update code Streamline the permitting process for the city - maybe appoint a committee of citizens/business Projects Drill second North well Consider an on site Daycare for the growing Staff with young families to help keep employees Brush pile Develop plan and budget for Community Center in the next 5 years (seniors, teen center, arts/theater) Cooperative Efforts Wayzata Fire contract Focus on building relationships with new partners and strengthing those with old Active partner in Lake Minnetonka community addressing threats to our waterways, land, and quality of life Complete plan for 112 Turnback Technology Complete Cloud backup Consider providing Council a city computer and phone for city use only (for "transparency", data requests) Parks Continued Park Commission support Guidance on using the ratings below. Must do Nice to do Not this year  activities that are required by law, contract or agreement  not essential services nor key support for essential services  not necessary to provide essential services  include or support essential services that serve many citizens  would service a major group of citizens  serves a small population or need  can be ongoing or new activities  would facilitate improved operations or interactions  is not time-sensitive  the things that will take up most of the resources (time, $, people)  can be ongoing or new activities  can be ongoing or new activities  would set the stage for future activities Page 6 of 30 Guidance on using the ratings below. Must do Nice to do Not this year  activities that are required by law, contract or agreement  not essential services nor key support for essential services  not necessary to provide essential services  include or support essential services that serve many citizens  would service a major group of citizens  serves a small population or need  can be ongoing or new activities  would facilitate improved operations or interactions  is not time-sensitive  the things that will take up most of the resources (time, $, people)  can be ongoing or new activities  can be ongoing or new activities  would set the stage for future activities Page 7 of 30 Page 8 of 30 Page 9 of 30 Page 10 of 30 MEMORANDUM TO: CITY COUNCIL FROM: ADAM T. EDWARDS, PE SUBJECT: STREET FUNDING DISCUSSION DATE: MAY 26, 2014 ______________________________________________________________________________ References: City of Orono Pavement Management Plan, adopted October 27, 2014. City of Orono 2015 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) City of Orono 2015 Budget List of Exhibits: A. Road Maintenance for the Next 10 Years 1. Issue. Currently the City’s street rebuilding and maintenance requirements exceed funding. 2. Background. For some time the City of Orono has struggled as to how to come up with annual funds to maintain its road/street infrastructure. The 2015 Budget does include $65,800 for pavement maintenance which is sufficient for potholing, signs and winter maintenance. For 2015 City provided $69,700 for contracted street maintenance of which $53,403 was designated for Seal Coating the Casco Point Streets. The Pavement Management Fund (PMF) has $0 and there is $1.27M available through the MSA Funds. The amounts budgeted and available are considerably less that the averages of $540,000 for maintenance and $947,000 for reconstruction budgeted for in our surrounding communities. More importantly the recourses available are significantly below the amount required to properly maintain the city’s streets. In the past, the City has funded street reconstruction projects through the sale of bonds and has applied leftover general fund amounts towards street maintenance projects. This has resulted in the disproportionally large number of streets in disrepair and the inability for the Staff to plan for and execute a maintenance plan to protect and extend the life of these valuable assets. a. Pavement Planning. The City developed a Pavement Management Report (PMR in 2006 (updated in 2011) that provided a summary of the condition and rehabilitation recommendation for all of Orono’s roadways. The PMR did not provide any recommendation for prioritizing any of the roads and did not lay out any sort of funding plan to cover the costs. In October 2014 the City adopted a Pavement Management Plan (PMP) which does provide prioritization of road maintenance as well as a description of funding sources. The PMP is used to inform the City’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) which does provide specific priorities specific roads to receive maintenance or reconstruction out to 5 years and identifies a funding requirement in general categories out to 20 years. The 2015-29 (CIP) adopted on December 8, 2014, plans for annual expenditures for street seal coating of $254,000 and annual expenditures for mill & overlay and reconstruction of ~$1,400,000 beginning in 2015. b. Staffing and Action to Date. In the Fall of 2013, the City Council directed Staff to develop options for funding annual street reconstruction and maintenance. In response, the City Engineer conducted a study to include querying surrounding communities about how they provide funding for annual street maintenance and reconstruction. In March of 2014, he presented options to the City Council. Council requested staff to analyze funding options against several scenarios. The scenarios were then presented at the May 27, 2014 working session. The Council directed Staff to bring back more information on franchise fees and to present an option for road maintenance in the 2015 General Fund Page 11 of 30 Budget. In August 2014, council directed staff to add $30K to the roads maintenance budget for 2015. On October 27, 2014 the council adopted the PMP. At the April 27, 2015 Work Session the Council directed me to provide a by year maintenance and reconstruction plan for the next five years. 2. Maintenance and Reconstruction Plan. Exhibit A shows how the maintenance and reconstruction activities would occur over the next 10 years. This represents all of the activities outlined in the Pavement Management Plan with one exception. I replaced the seal coating projects for higher volume roads with a thin overlay process. Thin overlays are more expensive but more durable and are required less frequently than seal coating. The methodology I used to distribute the work over time was to first place the streets with the lowest PCIs early in each category; then to evenly distribute costs across years; and finally to group work geographically; and then distribute. 3. Funding Options. At the April 27, 2015 Work Session the council was presented with four funding methods available to address annual street reconstruction and maintenance, General Fund Allotment (Tax Levy); Bonding, Assessments and Utility Fees. As result of the meeting I continued to explore options for funding road maintenance and reconstruction using General Funds (Tax Levy). After distributing the requirements over time, the additional required resources as $550,000/ yr for Maintenance and $500,000/yr for Reconstruction. The first table below shows the impact of these costs on the Levy. At the April 27, 2015 meeting some council members expressed a willingness to consider a $ 400,000/yr increase for maintenance. The second table shows the impact of that on the levy. $400,000/yr is roughly enough to cover mill and overlays but not any chip sealing or thin overlay maintenance. Tax Levy Impacts of Fully Funding Street Maintenance & Reconstruction Requirements Type of Street Work Annual Cost ($) Levy Increase (%) Tax Rate Increase (Percentage Points) Tax Impact on $250K Home Tax Impact on $546K Home (Median) Tax Impact on $1M Home Tax Impact on $2M Home Maintenance 550,000 11.53% 2.02 $47 $100 $227 $480 Reconstruct 500,000 10.48% 1.84 $43 $91 $207 $436 Total 1,050,000 22.00% 3.86 $90 $191 $434 $916 Tax Levy Impacts Partially Funding Street Maintenance & Reconstruction Type of Street Work Annual Cost ($) Levy Increase (%) Tax Rate Increase (Percentage Points) Tax Impact on $250K Home Tax Impact on $546K Home (Median) Tax Impact on $1M Home Tax Impact on $2M Home Maintenance 400,000 8.38% 1.47 $34 $73 $165 $349 Reconstruct 500,000 10.48% 1.84 $43 $91 $207 $436 Total 900,000 18.86% 3.31 $77 $164 $372 $785 4. Recommendation. I recommend that Orono develop a method / policy for funding both road reconstruction and maintenance in time to be included in the 2016 budget process. The method must include a dependable source of resourcing in order to allow for predictability and advanced planning. Request: Discussion and direction on how to provide reliable funding for the City’s streets as part of the 2016 and beyond budget processes. 2 Page 12 of 30 2016-2020 Road Maintenance & Improvement Plan 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 MSA Reconstruct •Watertown Rd. (Phase 2) •Fox St. (Willow to Brown) MSA Mill & Overlay • Leaf St. • Willow Dr. (Watertown to Fox) Reconstruct •Watertown Rd. (W/ Long Lake) •West Lafayette •Fox St. (Old Crystal Bay to Willow) •Fox St. (Brown- Orono Orchard) •Tonka Ave •Forest Arm Ln. • Garden Lane • East Lake St. •Windjamer Mill and Overlay •Chevy Chase Rd. Tamarack Dr. •Hunter Dr. •Dickenson St. •Northern Ave. •Casco Circle •Glendale Ave •Forest Lake Ldg. •Wildhurst Tl. •Livingston Ave •Navarre Ave •Park Ln. •Minnetonka Highlands •Kelly Parkway •Briar St •Eileen St. •Lafayette Ridge Ct. •Lyman Ave. •Minnetonka Ave. •Smith Ave. •Togo Rd. Chip Seal Cherry Avenue Cherry Place Concordia Street Corral Road Elmwood Avenue Fagerness Point Road Fairview Cottage Lane Fox Ridge Road Grandview Avenue Loma Linda Avenue North Arm Lane Park Drive Railroad Avenue Spruce Place Webb Street Orchard Beach Place Highwood Lane Linden Lane Maple Place Minnie Avenue Highwood Road Ferndale Road West Arbor Street Barrett Avenue Carman Road Kelly Avenue Lakeview Avenue Lydiard Avenue Lydiard Circle Old Beach Road Pheasant Road Prospect Avenue Spates Avenue Heritage Drive Heritage Lane Crystal Avenue Shevlin Drive Webber Hills Road Willowbrook Drive Chippewa Lane Cygnat Pl. Oak Street Park Avenue Turnham Road Partenwood Lane Partenwood Road Country Club Road Crestview Avenue Dahl Road Dickey Lake Drive Elm Street Lakeview Terrace Birch Lane Bederwood Road High Lane Linden Avenue Stubbs Bay Road North West Lake Street Rest Point Circle Rest Point Road Ferndale Green Myrtlewood Road Dakota Avenue Long Lake Boulevard Bohns Point Road Wear Circle Wear Lane North Old Long Lake Road Spring Hill Road Bohns Point Lane Bracketts Point Road Elm Lane Farview Lane Hackberry Hill Maple Lane Lyric Avenue Crystal Place Crystal Bay Road Page 13 of 30 2020-2024 Road Maintenance & Improvement Plan 2021 2022 2023 2024 MSA Reconstruct MSA Mill & Overlay or Thin Overlay • Brown Rd North • Willow Dr. (Watertown to Fox) • McCulley Rd. Reconstruct • East Long Lake Rd. • Lyric Avenue • TBD • TBD Mill and Overlay Or Thin Overlay • Garden Ct. • Orchard Park Rd. • Rest Point Ln. • Tonkaview Ln. • Vine Pl. • Bayview Pl. • Forest Lake Dr. • Kenwood Way • Navarre Ln. • Olive Ave. • Townline Rd. • North Arm Dr. • Orono Orchard • Willow Dr. (Fox – Brown) • Willow Dr. (RR to Watertown) •Willow Dr. (6-Medina) • Ferndale Road North Chip Seal Casco Point Road Dunwoody Avenue Carman Street Caroline Avenue Casco Avenue Casco Cove Road Ethel Avenue Frederick Street Ivy Place Cherry Avenue Cherry Place Concordia Street Corral Road Elmwood Avenue Fagerness Point Road Fairview Cottage Lane Fox Ridge Road Grandview Avenue Loma Linda Avenue North Arm Lane Park Drive Railroad Avenue Spruce Place Webb Street Orchard Beach Place Highwood Lane Linden Lane Maple Place Minnie Avenue Highwood Road Ferndale Road West Arbor Street Barrett Avenue Carman Road Kelly Avenue Lakeview Avenue Lydiard Avenue Lydiard Circle Old Beach Road Pheasant Road Prospect Avenue Spates Avenue Heritage Drive Heritage Lane Crystal Avenue Shevlin Drive Webber Hills Road Willowbrook Drive Chippewa Lane Cygnat Pl. Oak Street Park Avenue Turnham Road Partenwood Lane Partenwood Road Country Club Road Crestview Avenue Dahl Road Dickey Lake Drive Elm Street Lakeview Terrace Birch Lane Bederwood Road High Lane Linden Avenue Stubbs Bay Road North West Lake Street Rest Point Circle Rest Point Road Page 14 of 30 Pavement Management Fund $0 $200,000 $400,000 $600,000 $800,000 $1,000,000 $1,200,000 $1,400,000 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Expenditures Reconstruct Maintenace -Mill and overlay Maintenance - Seal Coat $- $100,000 $200,000 $300,000 $400,000 $500,000 $600,000 $700,000 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Pavement Management Fund Balance PMF Balance Page 15 of 30 Municipal State Aid $0 $200,000 $400,000 $600,000 $800,000 $1,000,000 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 MSA Mill and Overlay MSA Reconstruct $0 $100,000 $200,000 $300,000 $400,000 $500,000 $600,000 $700,000 $800,000 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 MSA Funds Balance MSA Funds Balance Page 16 of 30 MEMORANDUM TO: ORONO CITY COUNCIL FROM: JESSICA LOFTUS, CITY ADMINISTRATOR SUBJECT: MEMO OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) FOR CITY ADMINISTRATOR DATE: MAY 26, 2015 A draft memo of understanding (MOU) regarding a 30 hour week for the City Administrator has been prepared for the Council’s review. Upon your input the MOU can be placed onto an upcoming Council agenda for action. Page 17 of 30 MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING THIS AGREEMENT, is entered into by and between the CITY OF ORONO ("City"), and JESSICA LOFTUS ("Employee"). RECITALS WHEREAS, the City currently employs Employee as its City Administrator. WHEREAS, the Parties have previously entered into an Employment Agreement dated November 23, 2009, and have effected subsequent amendments. WHEREAS, Employee has requested a temporary 25% reduction in hours to accommodate work-life balance. NOW, THEREFORE, the City and Employee agree as follows: 1. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Memorandum shall be effective as of October 23, 2015. 2. NORMAL WORKING HOURS. Employee’s regular work week shall be reduced to thirty (30) hours. Employee shall work during normal business hours Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, at her discretion, in an amount adding up to at least thirty (30) hours per week. To the extent possible, employee’s regular work week will not include work on Wednesdays. It is understood that the scheduling of some meetings on Wednesdays may be unavoidable. If Employee’s attendance is required at Wednesday meetings, Employee may absent herself from the office during normal working hours in consideration of actual time spent at Wednesday meetings. 3. ADDITIONAL WORKING TIME. Notwithstanding the terms of Paragraph 2, it is understood that the position of city Administrator requires attendance at occasional evening and weekend meetings. It is understood by Employee that additional compensation and compensatory time shall not be allowed for such additional expenditures of time. 4. SALARY REDUCTION. Employee’s salary shall be reduced by twenty-five percent (25%) of the current rate. 5. REDUCTION IN BENEFIT ACCRUAL. Employee’s accumulation of benefits, including vacation and sick leave, shall be reduced by twenty-five percent (25%) of the current accrual rates. Employee’s monthly automobile allowance shall be reduced by twenty-five percent (25%). 6. OTHER TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT. All other terms and conditions of employment not specifically mentioned in this Memorandum shall remain in place and effective for the duration of this agreement. 1 Page 19 of 30 7. TERM/RENEWAL. The term of this Memorandum shall be one (1) year from the Effective Date. This Memorandum may be renewed for two (2) additional one (1) year terms upon mutual written agreement of the parties. In the event of nonrenewal or expiration of this contract, Employee will resume a standard schedule under the Employment Agreement and subsequent amendments. 8. REVIEW. Within six (6) months of the Effective Date, the City will review and evaluate the efficacy of this agreement. 9. TERMINATION BENEFITS. A reduction in pay and benefits pursuant to this agreement shall not constitute “termination” or a reduction in salary or other financial benefits under Paragraph 14 of Employee’s Employment Agreement and shall not trigger payment of termination benefits. Similarly, Employer’s termination of or failure to renew this agreement shall not constitute “termination” and shall not entitle Employee to termination benefits. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have approved and executed this Memorandum on the dates shown by their signatures. CITY OF ORONO Date: BY: Its ________________ Date: BY: Its ________________ EMPLOYEE: Date: Jessica Loftus 2 Page 20 of 30 MEMORANDUM TO: ORONO CITY COUNCIL FROM: JESSICA LOFTUS, CITY ADMINISTRATOR SUBJECT: INTERGENERATIONAL CONVERSATION DRAFT REPORT DATE: MAY 26, 2015 Orono residents Jim Gambone and Stu Ackman hosted an intergenerational conversation on April 9th about the future of Orono. They have submitted a draft report for your review and comment (attached). Page 21 of 30 DRAFT---DRAFT---DRAFT--- On Thursday evening, April 9th, 2015, 63 people representing six generations living or working in Orono gathered at City Hall in Orono to discuss the future of the city. While the generational groups were not equally represented as we had hoped, we should find better ways to recruit sufficient participants in future dialogues. The Digital (youngest) and Civic (most mature) generations were least well represented and the three middle generations were well represented: Diversity/Gen-X., Boomers, and the Adaptive/Mediating. Following a dinner where mixed generations sat with each other and got to know other residents who live or work in Orono, we formed one large Circle of Generation--from Digital through Civic. Each generation gave a quick reaction to hearing the word “Orono.” The following Wordle™ figure illustrates the responses with larger sized letter showing more replies: Then, participants sat with members of their own generation and listened to each other discuss and reflect on a series of questions asked by facilitator, Dr. James Gambone. The major purpose of this exercise was to have each generation listen respectfully to each other. The group was guided by 3 rules for all cross- Page 22 of 30 generational conversations: Be respectful, be caring and be cooperative for the rest of the evening. Dr. Gambone said he had done some research on what experts think are some of the most important qualities of life a small town like Orono should have moving into the future. Questions and brief descriptions included: What are the strengths of Orono as a village and what are its weaknesses? Positive Negative Acreage No community in your neighborhood No sidewalk and no biking (digital) No sidewalks or lights (adult liked) Large lot sizes and space But not connected Schools No central focal point Kids go to West Tonka schools so feel disconnected to rest of Orono Diversity in schools according to income (people think all kids are privileged but untrue) Lack of racial diversity in schools No bike access to play with other kids No sense of community No downtown Dispersed geographically from each other so complacency and hard to build community Nature, beauty, environmental concern in neighborhood Winter, isolation, Long Lake not our city Navarre like a neighborhood, can make a difference not connected to Baker Park? Small town with the sophistication of a city Navarre is no man’s land (kid comment) Pride Orono like an illegitimate child Think of SW Minneapolis as a standard, parks, trails, community, neighbors Highest wealth in state with lowest taxes Highest wealth in state with lowest taxes Lake and views Little or no Public access to Lake Minnetonka Arts Center From high school and later you feel you won’t come back because is a community…? “Is Orono a City or something else? Page 23 of 30 Navarre and Spring Park are cities” We have it made- Orono is already successful Building blocks of community are people walking on sidewalks Protective of our acreage is both positive and negative Protective of our acreage is both positive and negative Sense of Neighborhood Proud of trails and we should invite people to use them We have worked outside of the city and came here and Orono was a place that was too protective Could you describe what your sense of place is in here in Orono? Do you have a sense of pride, belonging, and being part of a community that shares responsibilities and provides support through formal and informal social networks? Some people say that one of the important qualities of life in a small town is a sense of vitality, having a direction and promoting an energy that someone coming into our community could actually sense? How would you describe the energy or direction that Orono presents? What about our schools? Everyone who writes about quality of life in a small town talks about the importance of education. So first to students present, what do you think is the most important thing the school is doing for you right now? And if you had the ability to change something tomorrow by just saying it, what is one thing you would change in your school? Parents and a middle school teacher were asked the same two questions. What about civic engagement? This gathering tonight is one example of civic engagement. How would you describe your engagement with the city and decision making in general? Here is a brief summary of what came out of this part of the conversation based on the questions above. Some overall “takeaways” from the first hour were that people wanted connections and to feel more a part of a community. However this was difficult because there is no recognized central gathering place- like a community center- in Orono. Many people said they don’t identify themselves as Orono because their mailing addresses list other cities like Mound, Wayzata, and Excelsior and because there are even different zip codes in Orono. The Digital generation group didn’t feel connected for an additional reason: children who live in Orono might not attend Orono public schools because part of the City is in the West Tonka School District. Everyone felt our schools are a Page 24 of 30 strong and attractive feature of the community and need to be promoted more strongly. Younger people added the fact that the distance between some homes, and the lack of sidewalks, or even bike lanes for children and youth to safely and independently visit friends, makes it more difficult to be in contact with neighbors or school friends. Older participants added that not having sidewalks was an attractive feature for some residents. There was general consensus that we live in a pretty special environment with the lakes , wetlands, the trials, our parks, and what is left of the Big Woods. There was also a common feeling among all generations that these resources needed vigilant protection. Finally, another significant takeaway was there are many creative and reflective citizens from all generations who live, work, play, retire or go to school in Orono. People found the intergenerational conversation a place where they could gather and discuss issues in a respectful manner; and even work together across generations to offer some recommendations to city leaders. And this brings us to the second half of the evening, the small intergenerational groups of problem solvers. Nine small groups made up of different generations spent time discussing two challenges below and here is a report on their findings- eliminating duplications. When they sat down in their small groups, they appointed one person to record and later report their ideas to the larger group. Everyone in the small group was asked to make a note of each of two challenges they were given. It was very important that everyone had a chance to say what they thought. Finally, the small group recommendations needed to be specific and concrete. They needed to be things anyone in the group could start working on tomorrow. Challenge 1 As we look to the future, Orono will need to attract younger families into the city, and also enable older residents to age in place rather than go into a facility. Please come up with two concrete ideas on how the city can better attract younger families, and how it can help older residents stay in their own homes. 1. Make it easier to create more affordable and higher density middle income housing – medium priced condos like Spring Park Mist. ($200,000 to $300,000) Some added to this idea by suggesting intergenerational housing for new families and for older folks who want to downsize. ( Stone Bay was presented as an example) Page 25 of 30 2. Another idea was a senior apartment complex was also proposed with amenities like a grocery store, transportation, and a community center. 3. Find affordable areas for younger families and make these available to realtors. 4. Is Orono really committed to diversity or to an image of exclusivity? 5. Another idea for promoting more intergenerational connections was a “public boat” that would go from Orono to Big Island and other lake locations giving access to areas for folks who do not own boats. 6. Helping to create more mobile services for older folks than is currently available. 7. Promote more connectivity- clean out the dome and have more activities for all generations located there. Have more social gatherings for citizens. Perhaps create seasonal traditions e.g. spring- flower planting; Summer- biking; etc. 8. Do a better job of marketing local benefits through city and community websites. Do co-marketing with Long Lake, Independence, Spring Park, etc. There are many attractions like Gale Woods Farm that Are very close to Orono and would be attractive to young and old alike. Find ways to better leverage the 3 Rivers Park District opportunities. 9. Consider easing zoning restrictions for mother-in-law additions to existing housing so older folks could age in place with support from family or friends. 10. Find ways for older folks to get breaks on taxes by providing services to the overall community like mentoring in schools, working at city hall, in elections etc. 11. Promote the best biking in the Twin Cities 12. Make sure parks are created with children in mind. 13. Have a more visible calendar of Orono (and surrounding community) events. 14. Promote family friendly restaurants. 15. Promote volunteer groups of neighbors to help and assist older residents. 16. Consider the Village movement for elders aging in place ( http://www.aarp.org/home-garden/housing/info-03-2010/fs177-new.html) 17. Open up the school facilities to all generations. 18. Create a city center with a real mix of activities for all generations or use vacant buildings to create more community gathering places. 19. Help incubate small businesses and home-based businesses. 20. Keep our schools strong and better publicize their strength 21. Create more non-traditional places to gather across the generations like farmers markets, Orono Days, Annual city picnic etc. 22. Work on Dial a Ride for older folks not being able to drive. 23. Include younger people on the Park Board. 24. Be known as a caring community. Challenge 2 Page 26 of 30 One of the criteria used nationally to determine a good quality of life in a small town is having a proactive policy to protect the overall environment, including lakes, trials, parks etc. If the city were to create and adopt a proactive environmental policy/mission statement, what words or phrases should be included in such a statement? Please come up with specific words or phrases that should be included in a city environmental policy/mission statement. 1. Strong land use restrictions 2. Energy conservation- some promoted the city lead in dark skies urging everyone to turn off unnecessary light at night. 3. Considering different zoning regulations for solar and wind power. 4. Emphasize sustainability and use selected city investments in parks and other environmental protection efforts. 5. Add a city voice to the Minnetonka Watershed 6. Publish electronically and otherwise a list of “best environmental practices’ so more residents can be educated on what are the best available tools to protect Orono’s environment. 7. Educate about and enforce Lake Usage regulations. 8. Kill Millfoil 9. Incorporate respect for history in protecting natural resources like Native American mounds, historic wetlands, the big forest, historic trees etc. 10. The use of the word balance in environmental policy. 11. Responsible and accountable use of existing natural resources. 12. “Adopting” parts of trails provides the opportunity for more personal responsibility. 13. Push organics and reclycling- more education-less regulation 14. Keep lot size les than 2 acres for new buildings 15. Less chemicals 16. Traffic safety 17. Eradication of buckthorn 18. A mission statement: Building tradition through nature and community. And “Live on the Wild side.” Page 27 of 30 MEMORANDUM TO: ORONO CITY COUNCIL FROM: JESSICA LOFTUS, CITY ADMINISTRATOR SUBJECT: SPIRIT OF THE LAKES PARADE DATE: MAY 26, 2015 The Orono Police Department leads the parade for Mound’s Spirit of the Lakes on Saturday, July 18th at 10 AM. The Council may want to discuss whether or not they’d like to participate by riding along in the parade. Page 29 of 30