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1f Blue Cross Blue Shield Prevention Minnesota: Active Community Planning RFP #523 CITY OF CHANHASSEN 7700 Market Boulevard PO Box 147 Chanhassen, MN 55317 Administration Phone 952.227.1100 Fax: 952.227.1110 Building Inspections Phone: 952.227.1180 Fax: 952.227.1190 Engineering Phone: 952.227.1160 Fax: 952.227.1170 Finance Phone: 952.227.1140 Fax: 952.227.1110 Park & Recreation Phone: 952.227.1120 Fax: 952.227.1110 Recreation Center 2310 Coulter Boulevard Phone: 952.227.1400 Fax: 952.227.1404 Planning & Natural Resources Phone: 952.227.1130 Fax: 952.227.1110 Public Works 1591 Park Road Phone: 952.227.1300 Fax: 952.227.1310 Senior Center Phone: 952.227.1125 Fax: 952.227.1110 Web Site WW'/I.ci .chan hassen .mn. us MEMORANDUM TO: Todd Gerhardt, City Manager 44 *1,'" j . , j. ' t The City of Chanhassen . A growing community with clean lakes, quality schools, a channing downtown, thriving businesses, winding trails, and beautiful parks. A great place to live, work, and play. FROM: Kate Aanenson, AICP Community Development Director DATE: a-~ February 21, 2007 SUBJ: Blue Cross Blue Shield Prevention Minnesota: Active Community Planning RFP # 523 Attached is a letter from Carver County Public Health requesting that all cities in the county support a grant request from Blue Cross Blue Shield. The county is seeking a grant with funding up to $75,000. This grant would provide a resource to incorporate active living into the comprehensive plans of all communities in Carver County. In order to submit a strong application, the county is requesting a letter of support from each community. Attached is a draft letter of support as well as a memo for Carver County Public Health. Staff is requesting approval from the City Council to submit the letter of support. G:\plan\ka\city council\Blue Cross Blue shield letter.doc ~ ~ - CARVER COUNTY PUBUC HEALTH Government Center, Administration Building 600 East Fourth Street Chaska, MN 55318-2102 Phone: (952) 361-1329 Fax: (952) 361-1360 February 16, 2007 ~DA Carver County Community Development Agency 705 North Walnut Street Chaska, MN 55318 Phnnp' QC:;) -Ll.1R-771 c:; CARVER COUNTY Dear City Administrators and Planners: Together, Carver County Community Development Agency (CCCDA) and the Carver County Division of Public Health are applying for the BlueCross BlueShield Active Community Planning contract grant on behalf of the entire County, including all cities. This is being done with the support of Dave Drealan, Director of Land & Water Services and Paul Moline, lead planner for Carver County's 2030 Comprehensive Plan. The grant would allow us to incorporate active living principles into comprehensive planning with the help of technical assistance and funding up to $75,000. At the last Carver County and Cities Joint Planning Session on February 9th, we introduced this grant to you or your city representative. We have included a copy of the request for proposals (RFP) for your review and further information regarding this grant. An active living community provides opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to engage in routine daily physical activity. This community would also support policies and programs such as bicycle- and pedestrian- design, mixed-use development, ample recreational facilities, extensive and well-maintained sidewalks and bicycle routes, interconnected streets, locating schools in walkable neighborhoods, and funding and promoting active living programs. Land use, community design, and transportation planning have an impact on the health of communities in relation to disease and injuries, as well as quality of life and well being. In order to ensure a better quality of life and the sustainability of our communities in Carver County, it is important for planners and public health officials to collaborate on planning our communities. This grant is an opportunity for us to work together and make Carver County a better place to live, work and play. It also allows Carver County and all of its cities to be seen as a model to follow with regards to planning active living in such areas as Land Use, Natural Resources, Transportation, Housing, Economic Development, Parks, and Senior Planning. In order to submit a strong application we are asking that your city write a letter of support from the City Administrator that indicates support of active living in comprehensive planning. We have included a draft letter that you may use as a template in developing that letter. And if possible, we are asking that your city pass a resolution of support. In addition, we would also like to know what needs your community has regarding active living. For example, your community may benefit from a walkability study, facilitation of public input session, or other similar assessments or activities. If we are awarded this contract planning grant, all cities would benefit. There are essentially two options for the use of the assistance. The first option gives all cities the opportunity for technical assistance on incorporating active living principles into each of your plans and the use of grant dollars for joint activities. In the end, all Carver County Cities involved in the planning can benefit by the results. Benefits include, but are not limited to: - an increase in facilitated public input sessions for both the City and County regarding the Comprehensive Plans, - funding for needed studies and/or assessments county-wide which would directly benefit the comprehensive planning process (for example, walkability studies, and economic development and housing studies), - technical assistance, several tools, models and best practices for the integration of active living into the planning process and development of a Comprehensive Plan, - working together with other cities and county departments as a collaborative in Comprehensive Planning. February 16, 2007 If you already have your comprehensive plans complete or almost complete, your city will still benefit. All the information and/or studies obtained as a result of being awarded this grant will be available for use in amendments to your plan as well as your future City Comprehensive Plans. The second option also provides each city with the opportunity of technical assistance. In turn, it would provide each of you with a lump sum (amount unknown) of grant dollars. This allows you to allocate your portion of grant dollars as you see most useful, while following the requirement of the grant contract which requires that all grant dollars be spent for the use of incorporating active living principles into your comprehensive plans. Our next steps for this grant application process will be to call you to discuss any questions or concerns you may have and to seek the support of the County Commissioners and other key community members. After we have confirmed which option we plan to use and get support from those involved, we will submit the application by March 30th. Lastly, we would like to inform you of an opportunity to learn more about how municipalities and counties can integrate health into the comprehensive planning process through a workshop titled "Incorporating Health into Comprehensive Plans" which is being held on March 1, 2007 in Roseville. Topics will include the visioning process, elements and potential policy direction. The presentation will include intemational and national examples from Europe, Washington and California regarding the incorporation of health into land use, transportation and air quality. The target audience for this workshop includes planners, policy makers, consultants, traffic engineers and others interested. To reserve a space, contact Lisa Wittman at the City of Golden Valley at 763-593-3992 by February 26th. There is no cost to attend. The workshop will be held from 9:00am -12 noon. Please feel free to contact us with questions or concerns. You may reach Amy Van Eps at 952-448-7715 or Tracy Bade at 952-361-1329. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Tracy Bade, MPH Public Health Planner Amy Van Eps Economic Development Coordinator Attachments: RFP#523 Sample letter of support CITY OF CHANHASSEN 7700 Market Boulevard PO Box 147 Chanhassen, MN 55317 Administration Phone: 952.227.1100 Fax: 952.227.1110 Building Inspections Phone: 952.227.1180 Fax: 952.227.1190 Engineering Phone: 952.227.1160 Fax: 952.227.1170 Finance Phone: 952.227.1140 Fax: 952.227.1110 Park & Recreation Phone: 952.227.1120 Fax: 952.227.1110 Recreation Center 2310 Coulter Boulevard Phone: 952.227.1400 Fax: 952.227.1404 Planning & Natural Resources Phone 952.227.1130 Fax: 952.227.1110 Public Works 1591 Park Road Phone 952.227.1300 Fax: 952.227.1310 Senior Center Phone: 952.227.1125 Fax: 952.227.1110 Web Site www.ci.chanhassen.mn.us February 26, 2007 Mr. Jacob Bland Prevention Minnesota Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation PO Box 64560 St. Paul, MN 55164-9758 Re: Letter o'f Support for Blue Cross Blue Shield, Prevention Minnesota: Active Community Planning RFP #523 Dear Mr. Bland: As the City Manager for the City of Chanhassen, I fully support Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota's initiative to integrate active living principles into our city's planning by working with the Carver County Community Development Agency (CCCDA) and the Carver County Division of Public Health. I further support the idea of collaborative efforts between Carver County and it's cities to incorporate active living principles into city and county-wide comprehensive planning areas of land use, transportation, housing, economic development and parks just to name a few. The joint effort creates cohesiveness between the county and its municipalities which in turn make Carver County a better place for all to live, work and play. Our commitment to a healthy community is not new. . With the continued growth in the community, the city now has 34 parks and 55 miles of trails. . The city has the largest youth triathlon in the country, Miracles for Mitch, with over 700 children participating annually. . In the 2005 Community Survey, the highest rated characteristics of the city were air quality, overall appearance of the city, and ease of walking. . The city sponsors an annual5K Dave Huffman Memorial Race that draws over 350 participants of all ages. . The Chanhassen Senior Center provides a wide variety of health and wellness programs for the city's senior population. Our next step needs to include the use of active living principles in our future designs for Chanhassen. By doing so, we continue to make Chanhassen a desirable place to live, work and play. I look forward to this collaboration with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and ensuring the future health of Chanhassen residents, visitors and employees. Sincerely, Todd Gerhardt City Manager The City of Chanhassen . A growing community with clean lakes, quality schools, a charming downtown, thriving businesses, winding trails, and beautiful parks. A great place to live, work, and play. G:\plan\ka\city council\Blue Cross Blue Shield Letter of Support.doc