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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council - 05/04/2021 - Workshop APPROVED MINUTES CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP & OPEN PODIUM TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021 CITY CENTER 5:00 – 6:25 PM, HERITAGE ROOMS 6:30 – 7:00 PM, COUNCIL CHAMBER CITY COUNCIL: Mayor Ron Case, Council Members Kathy Nelson, Mark Freiberg, PG Narayanan, and Lisa Toomey CITY STAFF: City Manager Rick Getschow, Police Chief Greg Weber, Fire Chief Scott Gerber, Public Works Director Robert Ellis, Community Development Director Janet Jeremiah, Parks and Recreation Director Jay Lotthammer, Administrative Services/HR Director Alecia Rose, Communications Manager Joyce Lorenz, City Attorney Maggie Neuville, and Recorder Katie O’Connor Workshop - Heritage Rooms I and II (5:30) I. EDEN PRAIRIE FOUNDATION UPDATE Mark Weber, Executive Director of the Eden Prairie Community Foundation (EPCF), presented an update. He stated EPCF has primarily been seen as a grant maker which historically has been the case. They also help with advocacy and aim to make systemic change. The EPCF strategic plan creation started a little more than a year ago. The strategic plan focuses on four major initiatives: helping with hardship, being a hub, uniting on diversity, and increasing their capacity. Financial support and volunteers help them achieve their goals and the change they want to see. Weber presented more in depth on helping with hardship. In the short-term they have identified two areas they would like to make a difference: affordable housing and unemployment. In regards to affordable housing, they have an idea for an affordable housing coalition. The idea is being studied by the EPCF, but they envision it as a way to convene different entities in the community to create a community-wide effort. This concept is modeled after an initiative facilitated by the Rochester Area Community Foundation. EPCF would help facilitate the coalition. The housing alliance, within the coalition, would be made up of people who are experts and passionate about affordable housing. The housing alliance would look at the Housing Task Force recommendations to see where to help in those efforts. This would involve input from the City and recommendations to the City. Another component of the coalition would be the leadership council. This would include the corporate community. Corporate donors of $50,000 or more would work collaboratively with the Housing Alliance on recommendation but control their own funds. The City would be another component of the housing coalition, but they are also doing their own work towards affordable housing. Their role would be providing advice and welcoming input from the coalition. This concept would need board of director approval, but he is hopeful this could begin in the next couple of months. Getschow noted he had conversations with Weber prior to this meeting and felt it was a good idea and fit well with the work the City has been doing. It would be helpful to have greater community efforts. Weber noted the EPCF has run this City Council Workshop Minutes April 20, 2020 Page 2 idea by the Rochester Area Community Foundation, City Staff, and some members of the Housing Task Force for input on this initiative. Nelson noted the City has been requesting affordable units in perpetuity. If funds are being used to help assist with rental of units, it may not be helpful without being in perpetuity. People are displaced once the units are no longer affordable which is problematic. Weber added raising the amount of money it would take to make a big difference is a challenge. It is uncertain what type of support they will receive from the corporate community, but it is worth a try. Freiberg stated he can see how the concept could work. There has to be thought put into the messaging surrounding affordable housing and the work they plan to do. The work has to be welcomed. Nelson noted people have been receptive to the term work-force housing but sometimes associate affordable housing with only section 8 housing. Lotthammer presented on the strategic plan concept of being a hub. The EPCF would like to play the role of being the connector. The Hub volunteer team consists of Thomas Achartz, Molly Koivumaki, Susan Leddick, Holly Link, Astrid Mozes, Jay Lotthammer, and Mark Weber. They are a dedicated team of community members. 80 civic groups, community organizations, volunteers, and foundations have been identified. Similar groups have been grouped together. The two groups they are piloting are youth organizations and civic groups and businesses. Koivumaki is working as an ambassador to connect with civic groups and businesses organizations including A.M. Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, Lioness Club, Lions Club, Noon Rotary, Optimists Club, and Women of Today. Koivumaki is working to identify a liaison from each group to stay connected with and communicate what is happening with the EPCF, what efforts the EPCF can help with, and what their groups needs are. Link is working on connecting with ten community organizations specifically supporting youth. The playbook is what is being developed with both Koivumaki and Link’s input. It outlines what the Foundation wants to learn and share. The goal is to develop more ambassadors to connect with other community groups and to have regular contact between ambassadors and liaisons. Weber stated the information collected from the many community organizations is valuable. There is a gap in knowledge and sometimes residents are not aware of what organizations exist. With a technology platform or an online directory, this could potentially help fill the gap in knowledge. The user could select a category and it would connect them with organizations. Toomey inquired if this directory could be linked to GuideStar. Weber stated he recognizes there might be some duplication. Other places such as the Senior Center and Eden Prairie Schools have similar lists. He believes the resource list could be kept up-to-date with the liaison and ambassador relationship. Nelson inquired if the resources would be available in other languages. Weber responded one of the functions EPCF is looking into is a Google translator plug in. This would allow website visitors to select the language they would like it translated in. Nelson inquired about providing a list of volunteer opportunities for those who are interested. Weber responded they do want to increase volunteerism and provide a list of opportunities as it is frequently requested. Weber stated in regards to next steps they are continuing to roll out the pilot programs with the ambassadors. They are getting closer to making a decision on a technology platform to City Council Workshop Minutes April 20, 2020 Page 3 share valuable information. They will have a full roll-out of the ambassador-liaison program, and they will need more ambassadors in the future. They hope to increase the value of being part of the hub for the organizations. There may be opportunities to incentivize being a member of the hub in the future. There is still a lot left to do, but they are on their way. Toomey inquired if someone is running a non-profit but is not registered with the state would they be able to connect with the EPCF to get connected to the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. Weber replied yes. They have been a fiscal sponsor for organizations. While working on becoming a non-profit, EPCF has served as their 501c3. The benefit of the hub is to help inform the public about this value. Toomey inquired if they will continue to distribute grants while focusing on being a hub. Weber responded yes. EPCF will continue to be a grant maker. The grant making may be influenced by the priorities in their strategic plan. Narayanan thanked Weber for the update and praised the work EPCF is doing. Getschow inquired about an event EPCF sponsored, pre-COVID, with many nonprofits connecting. Weber responded the Give Gathering was an event for volunteers to connect with non- profits. They collaborated with the Parks and Recreation Department and Eden Prairie Schools and hope to continue to host this event next fall. Freiberg noted the event is a great idea. Toomey expressed her thanks for Weber and the work of EPCF. Weber mentioned the EP Gives event. The event is free to register and raises a lot of funds for their grant making. Open Podium - Council Chamber (6:30) II. OPEN PODIUM A. MARILYNN TORKLESON – MILLER SPRING Marilynn Torkleson, 8956 Braxton Drive, stated she is a master water steward for the Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District. She has been studying soil. Eden Prairie already does not do a good job with stormwater and runoff. The National Resources Conservation Service provides guidelines for healthy soil. During construction, healthy soil is damaged and organic matter is destroyed. Eco systems will be destroyed with this project. B. REBECCA PROCHASKA – MILLER SPRING Rebecca Prochaska, 15781 Porchlight Lane, stated she spoke at the Planning Commission. If you look around at the site, everything is an adjacent preserved bluff area apart from what has been developed in the north and east. It is an important bird site. There are significant trees that will be cut down. The watershed will be impaired. She moved to Eden Prairie many years ago and thinks the City has been irresponsible with its development. It has not done environmental studies when doing development. City Council Workshop Minutes April 20, 2020 Page 4 C. MUGDHA HALBE – MILLER SPRING Mugdha Halbe, 9899 Switch Grass Lane, stated there is concern that the creek is already suffering, and the development will not do what they need to do to protect the water. The City natural waters are already suffering, and we do not want to harm our environment. We need answers to the potential impacts. III. ADJOURNMENT