NRP Policy Board and the McKinsey Report I am posting this message In response to Paul Lohman's comments regarding Steve Brandt's article in the July 26, 2002 Star Tribune Metro/State section as well as those of others. I am a NRP Policy Board member for 2002 elected by neighborhood electors to represent the Protection category of neighborhoods. I also served during 2001 to fill an unexpired term when another member resigned.
The Policy Board received briefings from McKinsey consultants, including a presentation at its June 24, 2002 meeting. Subsequent to the briefing at the June 24 meeting, Policy Board members had an opportunity to ask questions about the McKinsey report of consultant Jack Dempsey and Deputy Mayor Fey. The Policy voted upon my motion and seconded by Byron Laher that the "the chair of the Minneapolis Neighborhood Revitalization Policy Board appoints a work team comprised of a majority of neighborhood representatives to review the recommendations of the McKinsey report and prepare a formal response for the Policy Board's consideration at its July 22, 2002 meeting." (NRP/PR#2002-08) Chair Diane Hofstede (Library Board) appointed a work team of Policy Board members including Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin, Julia Burman, Judy Schwartau, Ken Kelash, and Greg Bastien. Subsequently, additional input came from Ron Ravensborg, Carol Pass and myself. On July 22 a draft letter from the Policy Board to Mayor Rybak and City Council Members (the Mayor and President of the City Council are Policy Board members by virtue of their office) was on the meeting agenda for discussion. There was a great deal of productive and constructive dialogue during the meeting, at which Mayor Rybak, Council President Ostrow, Council Member Lane, Deputy Mayor Fey, County Commissioners McLaughlin, Dorfman, and Stenglein, Park Board Commissioner Solomon, State Representative Joe Mullery, and others were present. Mayor Rybak, prior to leaving the Policy Board meeting for another engagement, noted the valuable dialogue that had taken place at the meeting. I hope that interested persons will be able to read the letter approved by the Policy Board, as well as the meeting transcript that was attached under the motion adopted at the July 22 meeting. I recommend that the Mayor-City Council or NRP Chair Hofstede-Director Miller make the letter and meeting transcript available in electronic form to interested persons. In my view, the NRP Policy Board was obliged under its fiduciary responsibilities to comment on the McKinsey report within the official 45-day comment period. For the governing board of the NRP to have remained silent as to a report proposing sweeping changes affecting the NRP program would have been irresponsible. For example, these two points were addressed by the work team: 1) Issue of the NRP Brand: One might have inferred from McKinsey that the recognized and generally positively regarded by residents NRP "brand" was going to be abandoned in favor of the new "NCP--Neighborhood and Community Planning" label. Mayor Rybak indicated at the meeting that the "NRP" brand will continue in use. 2) Issue of the Neighborhoods' representation: McKinsey suggested establishment of a Neighborhood and Community Planning Policy Board combining elements of the Planning Commission and NRP Policy Board. At present there are 4 neighborhoods representatives (At Large, Protection, Redirection, Revitalization) on the NRP Policy Board; 5 neighborhoods representatives are proposed under NRP Bylaws revisions adopted by the Policy Board on April 22, 2002 and pending consideration by the Joint Powers jurisdictions. McKinsey called for 3 neighborhoods representatives on the proposed NCP Policy Board. Were we neighborhood representatives to have remained silent in view of this 25% proposed representation from current levels and 40% reduction from bylaws revisions? These and other issues and questions resulted in the Policy Board adopting without opposition (2 abstentions noted) the motion to direct this letter to Mayor Rybak and City Council Members. My position, expressed at the July 22 meeting, is that widely publicized community-wide meetings similar to those held for the NRP Phase II Framework should be conducted to inform Minneapolis residents and and to solicit feedback on the proposed neighborhood revitalization and planning and community development changes proposed by the McKinsey study. As the letter concluded, we look forward to continued dialogue on this subject AFTER the conclusion of the 45-day comment period. Jeffrey L. Strand, in my individual capacity as an NRP Policy Board Member Shingle Creek/4th Ward (disclosure: Board Chair/President of Shingle Creek N.A.) =================================== Message: 6 Date: Fri, 26 Jul 2002 10:15:34 -0500 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: Paul Lohman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [Mpls] Strib: Rybak reorganization met with skepticism I found Steve Brandt's article a little muddling. He writes: >Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak is encountering difficulty convincing some of >the city's most-ardent neighborhood activists of the wisdom of >reorganizing the city's planning and development functions. The "ardent neighborhood activists" he refers to are the members of the NRP Policy Board, and since the Policy Board would be eliminated should the McKinsey report's recommendations be followed, well, it's probably not too hard to understand their opposition. If you're wondering who's on the Policy Board look at this link: http://www.nrp.org/R2/AboutNRP/PB/PolicyBoard.html#Structure I wonder what the "average" neighborhood activist thinks about all of this? Basically I support much of what the McKinsey report is trying to do. I think it's bold and "outside the box," but I'm withholding judgement until there are more details. Lisa McDonald wrote awhile back that implementing the McKinsey report would be a difficult task. I agree and Brandt's article is a good example of why it will be difficult. How we get to the end point is going to be the interesting part. What it will look like should also be very interesting. Paul Lohman President, Lynnhurst Neighborhood Association _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
