03.03 - Community Growth Proposal

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L. OR July 30, 2007 City of Pequot Lakes 8200 County Road 116 Pequot Lakes, MN 55340 Dear Mayor and City Council, CommuNiTYGROWTH I N S T I T U T E We have appreciated the opportunity to work with the City of Pequot Lakes over the last six years. There has been a lot of change, both for the City and for our organization, in that time. We are excited about the opportunity to continue to work with you and are happy to offer this proposal to assist you in preparing the 2008 budget for the Planning Department. As you consider options for next year, there are at least three aspects of our service that we feel are important to highlight: 1. A Focus on Small Towns. Planning in fast - growing small towns is not the same as planning in urban or suburban areas. The issues are very different, and so should be the solutions. Our Planning Team works only in communities such as Pequot Lakes, a specialty that gives us a unique and effective perspective. 2. Our Commitment to an Open and Transparent Process. Part of operating a community- oriented planning department is ensuring that the process of planning is open, transparent, and accessible to everyone. We understand that planning decisions can seem complex, but our Planning Team has experience in simplifying issues and communicating with the public. Our web site is a community information portal, where timely reports, meeting minutes, ordinances, plans, and even meeting audio are available for everyone. Routine email alerts help us fulfill our promise to provide easy community access to planning information and processes. 3. Our Understanding of Pequot Lakes. While longevity should not be the sole basis to retain our services, it nevertheless gives us a full and unique perspective on planning within the community. We have worked with four different administrations in the City and assisted with the processing of hundreds of applications and dozens of violations. We have written the City's Comprehensive Plan, Downtown Plan, East Twin Lake Plan and are finishing the TH 371 Study Group Report. We have written the City's land use ordinance and hold all of the digital mapping files that comprise the future land use and zoning maps. This wealth of resource is a tremendous and irreplaceable asset to the City. In addition to our Brainerd office, our organization has offices in Alexandria and Minneapolis. We have grown our staff to include a number of specialists and created a robust approach to community support. Our Planning Team is equipped with the skills and experience you need in a planning department. Please feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss this proposal further. Sincerely, COMMUNITY GROWTH INSTITUTE Charles L. Marohn, Jr., PE President, Planner, Professional Engineer LisaBeth Barajas Vice - President, Planner J