A-4. League of MN Cities Conference Update, Councilman CampionLeague of Minnesota Cities (LMC) 2015 Annual Conference
June 24-26 — Duluth, MN — Dan Campion's Notes
General Notes from Conversations and Expo:
1. Mobile App that makes city website content more mobile friendly
a. Website: constituentconsultants.com
b. Contact: Elizabeth Elliott, W: 773-353-2905, C: 920-393-8851,
email: liz@constituentconsultants.com
c. Setup custom App for Chan for $1250 setup fee + $96/wk
d. Easy way for residents to stay up to date on current events/activities, plus a way
for residents to submit feedback on items such as complaints (e.g., road repair
requests, etc.) and resident surveys
2. GreenStep Cities
a. Website: greenstep. pca. state. mn. us/
b. Four of our KFS comparison cities are participating (Cottage Grove, Rosemount,
Farmington, and Elk River), along with neighboring cities such as Eden Prairie,
Minnetonka, and Victoria.
c. Advantages of participating include:
i. Best practice recommendations for cost -savings, energy reduction and
innovation
ii. Claim credit for initiatives already implemented, invite citizen/business
participation
iii. Special Interest paid to GeenStep Cities
iv. Access 40 hrs consultant help (MSP metro) student interns
v. Learn from other cities
vi. 1 -stop Shop for the most up-to-date action resources
d. I recommend that staff perform a cost/benefit analysis for joining the program.
3. Solar Panels on City Owned Buildings
a. Contacts:
i. Sun Share: Ken Bradley (Dir of Biz Dev), C: 651-238-5376,
email: ken __mysunshare.com, w: www.sunshare.com
ii. Novel Energy Solutions: Duane Hebert (COO), C: 507-961-33501
email: duane.hebert@D-novelenergy.biz, w: www.novelenergy.biz
iii. ten K Solar: Jim Losleben (Special Projects), C: 612-868-3031,
email: jlosleben@tenksolar.com
iv. CTS Group: Josh Cowdery, C: 920-393-885, e: jcowdery@
b. Consider adding solar panels to municipal buildings. Heard rule of thumb in
session on solar energy that a typical flat roof city building with solar panels
installed can expect to generate roughly 2/3 of the energy consumed by that
building.
Notes on Sessions Attended:
• Keynote "How Joy & Optimism Ignite the Best in All of Us"
O SPEAKER: Steven Gross, Life is Good Foundation — www.ligplavmakers.orq_,
email: steve@lifeisgood.com
o Great positive speech on making personal connections and approaching topics
from a positive perspective. Change statements that start with "I have to ..." to 661
get to ...".
O Steve will share his slides upon request.
• Session 1: "Getting to Yes Through Citizen Engagement "
o SPEAKR: Angie Bersaw (AICP) —Transportation Planner/Public Involvement
Coordinator— Bolton & Menk, Inc., email: angiebeCcD-bolton-menk.com
o Common Challenges:
■ Lack of Understanding (problem &solution)
■ Fear of Change &Unknown
■ Lack of Trust (Government &Individuals)
■ Perception of Fairness
■ Fear of Giving Up Control
o Suggestions for Carrying Out Public Project
■ Define the Problem
■ Educate Public on Considerations
■ Be Flexible
■ Be Reasonable &Transparent
o Public Involvement Techniques
■ Ask for email addresses and phone numbers from constituents
■ Try unique ways to engage public (e.g., bring a fire truck to affected area
and serve refreshments)
• Session 2: "How Can My City Get Involved with Community Solar Gardens?"
O SPEAKERS:
■ Trevor Drake — Project Coordinator — Great Plains Institute,
tdrake@gpisd.net
■ Peter Lindstrom — Mayor — Falcon Heights, email: plindstr!umn.edu
■ Kevin McCann — City Administrator — Gaylord, email:
kmccann(aD-exploregaylord.com
o Ask questions about possible engagements:
■ Are there subscription payments in addition to standard energy bill?
■ Is the contract specific to existing building locations?
O Items to research further:
■ Bulk residential purchasing can translate to deeper discounts for
residents installing solar panels.
■ Install solar panels on municipal buildings.
■ Solar covered parking lots or ramps.
■ Do we need an ordinance on solar gardens?
• Session 3: "Sustainable Infrastructure & Complete Streets"
o Patrick Hollister — Active Living Planner — Partnership 4 Health, email:
Patrick.hollister@co.clay.mn.us
O David Montgomery — Chief Administrative Officer — Duluth,
email:dmontgomery@duluthmn.gov
o John Shardlow — Senior Principal — Static Consulting, Inc., email:
iohn.shard low(a)-stantec.corn
O Sustainability: Our future is at Risk — Mitigate + Adapt to improve the future.
o Resiliency: That Future is Arriving — Adapt + Mitigate the Worst Impacts.
o Adding sustainable infrastructure can help to make cities more resilient.
o Examples include using more renewable energy, adding rain gardens, planting
more trees, and including trails and bicycle lanes with our streets to improve
environment.
o Programs and Outreach to Help Cities Increase Climate Resilience:
■ Minnesota GreenCorps
■ Local Energy Efficiency Program (LEEP)
■ Statewide campaign to be announced in July — financial support for
ENERGY STAR certification of buildings
■ Your resilient community — a traveling exhibit
■ Minnesota GreenStep Cities
• Greenstep Cities Breakfast + Awards Celebration + Special Guest Paul Douglas
O Paul Douglas — Media Logic Group — http://pauldouglasweather.com/
o New city members and cities that advanced steps in 2014 were recognized.
O Paul made a statement that the data on climate change is overwhelming and
should no longer be considered a republican or democrat issue. The bottom line
is that cities can take actions to become more resilient with plans for reacting to
natural disasters and sustainable infrastructure (see previous.
• Session: "How Developers Think"
O Mark Ruff — Senior Municipal Advisor/Director — Ehlers & Associates, email:
mruff(aD-ehlers-inc.com
o Development is a process of eliminating uncertainty.
o Discuss potential developments ahead of time (e.g., Comprehensive Plan, work
sessions) to come up with plans for how the city can be flexible with developers
that are in a rush.
o Attempt to be flexible if possible when it is obvious that a developer made a bad
decision, such as purchase of a property when the zoning was obviously
inappropriate.
Contact me if you have questions or comments:
Dan Campion
• Cell: 612-865-9729
• Email: dcampion@ci.chanhassen.mn.us