HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-03-04 Work Session Meeting Packet
Meeting location:
Edina City Hall
Community Room
4801 W. 50th St.
Edina, MN
City Council Work Session Meeting Agenda
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
5:30 PM Accessibility Support:
The City of Edina wants all residents to be comfortable being part of the public process. If you need assistance in the way of hearing amplification,
an interpreter, large-print documents or something else, please call 952-927-8861 at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting.
1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. Meeting Topics
3.1. Community Engagement Opportunities and Strategic Alignment
4. Adjournment
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d
ITEM REPORT
Date: March 4, 2025 Item Activity: Discussion
Meeting: City Council
Agenda Number: 3.1
Prepared By: MJ Lamon, Special Projects & Engagement
Manager
Item Type: Report & Recommendation Department: Administration
Item Title: Community Engagement Opportunities and Strategic Alignment
Action Requested:
None.
Information/Background:
The Budget Work Plan includes a project titled, Refine Community Engagement Methods. Staff has
been working on reviewing community engagement practices to focus on engagement opportunities
outside of the Board & Commission process. Additionally, at last year's retreat we also discussed
strategic alignment related to boards and commissions. There was a request to discuss more broadly
other methods of community engagement. This session is an opportunity for staff to give an brief
update and for Council to discuss further their goals and priorities.
Resources/Financial Impacts:
None.
Relationship to City Policies:
Community Engagement Strategy
Supporting Documentation:
1. Staff Presentation
Page 2 of 16
EdinaMN.gov
Engagement Opportunities/Priorities
Update on Strategic Alignment
Follow up from 2024 Council retreat
Page 3 of 16
History
FUTURE
•What is on
the horizon?
2020 Budget
Values
•City council
establishes
values
2019 Race &
Equity
Division
•Work plan
started
•Position
created
Better
Together
Edina
•Launched
January of
2019
2018 Budget
Pillars
•City council
establishes 4
pillars
2018
Community
Engagement
Division
•Strategy
developed
•Adoption of
IAP2
•Position
created
2016 - 2018
Race & Equity
Task Force
•Race &
Equity
Implementati
on Report
•Position
recommendat
ion
2012-2014
Neighborhood
Connections
Program
•45
neighborhood
s
•Policy
Development
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How did we get here?
Budget Work
Plan
•Refine
Community
Engagement
Methods: The
city is
reviewing
community
engagement
practices
Council Retreat
•Goal
Alignment:
Adjust work
plan process
to strategically
align with
Vision/Council
goals.
City Manager
Work Plan
•Lead a
creative effort
to reform the
current
procedures
used to
recruit,
interview and
select
residents for
the City’s
advisory
boards and
commissions.
Values
Viewfinder
•Decision
making tool
for the
inclusion of
the City’s
values in
action items.
Page 5 of 16
Budget Work Plan Initiative
Refine Community Engagement Methods
The city is reviewing community engagement practices to
focus on engagement opportunities outside of the
Board & Commission process.
Page 6 of 16
Community
Engagement
Civic Involvment
Resident Action
Resident-driven actions to
influence or improve the
community
Residents create change
through personal and collective
action
voting, advisory boards &
commissions, community
comment
Public
Participation
Input for
Decisions
Structured opportunities for
residents to provide input that
influences city decisions
Decisions reflect community
needs and priorities
open houses, surveys, forums,
BTE
Connections
Foster
Relationships
Building lasting relationships and
cultivate trust through
collaboration.
Long-term connections make
residents feel heard, valued and
included
programming, one-on-one,
knowledge sharing, listen
Definition
Examples
A.K.A
Outcome
s
Page 7 of 16
What are we doing? Current Activity
Boards & Commissions
Task Forces
Better Together Edina
Neighborhood Associations
Edina U: Government 101
Apartment Manager Coalition
Multi-Cultural Advisory Committee
Volunteer Edina
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What we know - Data
Volunteer Trends in 2022
•42% indicated increased
interest in short-term
volunteerism in the past year
•57% indicated that volunteers
seem increasingly busy
•35% indicated increased
interest in virtual volunteering
Source: MAVA Post-Pandemic Volunteerism Study, Trends & Strategies for Volunteer Engagement in 2023
and Beyond
Other increases (2021-2022):
•Interest in using workplace
skills
•Interest in helping the local
community
•Interest in evening and
weekend volunteering
•Interest in volunteering with
friends and family
•Older volunteers aging out
•Interest in student internships
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Reflection & Discussion
•With limited resources, we can’t do everything—but we can be strategic.
When we talk about expanding engagement, what aspects are most important
to you?
Prioritizing Engagement: What Matters Most?
•When we look at who participates in local government today, who are we
missing?
Rethinking Engagement: Who’s Missing?
•What is working? What is not working?
•What are some alternative ways residents could contribute meaningfully in
shorter, more flexible ways?
Beyond Long-Term Commitments: What Could Work?
Page 10 of 16
EdinaMN.gov
Strategic Alignment
Council Retreat 2024
Page 11 of 16
Objectives
Align work
with City
Council’s
vision
Enhance
budget
integration
Improve long-
term planning
Strengthen
Prioritization
Enhance
Transparency
&
Communicatio
n
Page 12 of 16
Past Version
Page 13 of 16
Operationa
l Plans
Strategic
Priorities &
Policy
Document
s
Guiding
Vision
Vision to Action
Vision Edina Budget Values Comprehensive
Plan
Commission
Work Plans – 2
years
Department
Work Plans – 2
years
City-wide Goals
– 2 years
Budget – 2
years
Other Plans
Capital
Improvement
Plan – 6 years
Budget Work
Plan – 2 years
Budget Pillars
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Commission Work Plan Timeline
Page 15 of 16
Commission Work Plan Changes
•Moved to two-year work plans
•Divided commissions into two groups
•Repurposed joint work sessions
•Refocused for a more collaborative work plan development and strategic alignment
Joint Work Session Expectations
Purpose The purpose of the joint work session with city council is to have a
focused discussion around the development of a two-year work
plan. Work plan initiatives should be in alignment with the city’s
strategic goals.
Council’s
Role
Provide direction on initiatives for the development of the commission’s
work plan while considering overarching strategic goals.
Staff’s Role Provide feedback on initiative discussions and consider
resource/financial impacts, project overlap and scope of work.
Commission’
s Role
Provide input on community needs and concerns to inform the
discussion on work plan initiatives.
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