03. City Center Study Public Involvement Plan Review Staff Report
Date of Meeting: December 6, 2023
For: Honorable Mayor and Council
From: Kyle Morell, City Administrator
Subject: Scandia City Center Study Public Involvement Plan Review
Background:
Council approved participation in the City Center Study at their July 18 meeting and approved
the Cooperative Agreement between the City, County, and HKGi at their October 4 work
session. The first meeting of the Project Management team was held on October 26.
Discussion:
Jody Rader of HKGi and Sara Allen of Washington County are the project leaders for their
respective organizations. The Study also involves MnDOT and the DNR. One of the first steps
proposed by HKGi in their proposal was a Public Involvement Plan, which outlines the process
for engagement throughout the Study. The attached Public Involvement Plan is presented for
your review and comment. The Public Involvement Plan does not need Council approval but is
presented to ensure that it meets the scope of the project approved by the Council and
involves all possible stakeholders within the project area. Council comments will be
incorporated into the Public Involvement Plan, with the first web-based engagement materials
scheduled for a mid-December 2023 launch.
Recommendation:
Review the Public Involvement Plan and offer any comments or questions related to the scope
Attachments:
City Center Study Public Involvement Plan
1
Scandia City Center Study
Public Involvement Plan DRAFT 11/29/2023
Purpose
The purpose of the Public Involvement Plan (PIP) is to define the public engagement process that will
support the completion of the Scandia City Center Study. The PIP is centered on seeking inclusive
processes that encourage broad participation, as well as seeking ways to engage with community
members who may not typically find their way to a public meeting. Effective public engagement gathers
relevant information from various stakeholders and is able to guide the plan process and outcomes.
Potential side effects of a successful public engagement could be:
a) stronger community connections and shared understanding of difficult or taboo topics,
b) a foundation laid for future planning efforts and consensus building, and
c) enthusiasm and commitment by stakeholders and others to support the adoption and
implementation of the plan.
This Public Involvement Plan creates a framework for understanding who we need to hear from, how we
will follow-through with gathering feedback, and what tools or supporting materials are necessary in
order to communicate throughout the project. The Public Involvement Plan will be revisited at the start
of each phase of engagement to ensure continued relevancy throughout the planning process, and to
update with more detailed information as it becomes available. This document is intended to be
‘living’—open for adaptability as conditions change. This Plan is intended to provide a working outline of
events, meetings, and outreach activities to support the project. Some questions to return to as we
revise schedules, define events, etc:
1. Are there any difficult-to-reach or underserved stakeholder groups that will require
translation services or other accommodations to provide equitable access to engagement
opportunities?
a. Seniors
b. Renters / Residents of Oakhill Cottages Townhomes
2. What other considerations should be made for community engagement with this planning
study? Any suggestions or ideas that have worked well (or have not worked well) recently
for other projects?
a. See recently completed Parks and Recreation Plan (2023) for engagement methods
and results.
About the Project
Over the next year, our team will develop a multi-modal transportation planning vision for the City
Center of Scandia, with a focus on the future pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular movement to and
through the city center of Scandia, MN, with considerations for future phased projects and areas:
Gateway Trail Extension
Scandia Arts and Heritage Center
Scandia Elementary School (TH 97 and CR 52)
2
Scandia Commercial Area
Olinda Trail (CSAH 3) corridor
209th Street / Scandia City Hall area
This project is beginning at the end of October 2023 and is anticipated to be completed by end of August
of 2024, and no later than December 31st, 2024. Within this time, there are (6) primary tasks of the
work, some of which will overlap with each other. There are two phases of public involvement within
Task 2 – Public and Agency Involvement
1. Project Management
a. Kick-off meeting and Site Tour
b. PMT Meetings (8)
c. Bi-Weekly Staff Coordination Calls (20)
d. Internal team collaboration
e. Project Admin
2. Public and Agency Involvement
a. Phase 1: Gathering Ideas
b. Phase 2: Responding to Ideas
3. Vision
4. Transportation Mode Data Collection
5. Recommendations and Feasibility Review
6. Final Report and Study Closeout
Project Schedule (created October 2023)
3
Project Team
Consultants
HKGi will be serving as the prime consultant for the project. Primary points of contact for HKGi are:
Consultant Name Role/Title Email Phone Number
Jody Rader Project Manager, Landscape Architect jody@hkgi.com 612-220-8990
Gabrielle Grinde Principal-in-Charge, Landscape Architect gabrielle@hkgi.com 608-852-3370
Natalie Strait GIS/Analysis support, Planner natalie@hkgi.com
Aimee Hackett Graphics/engagement, Designer aimee@hkgi.com
Hannah Jonassen Graphics/engagement, Designer hannahj@hkgi.com
Brad Scheib Admin, Vice President brad@hkgi.com 612-252.7122
Jody will be the primary point of contact throughout the project and will be responsible for coordinating
meetings/schedules, trips to the study area, agendas, meeting notes, and will be responsible for QA/QC
items.
Items related to billing and invoicing should be directed to Jody Rader (jody@hkgi.com) and to Brad
Scheib (brad@hkgi.com).
Subconsultants
TC2 will be providing transportation analysis services for the project, primarily performing work under
Task 4 – Transportation Mode Data Collection. Primary points of contact for TC2 are:
Staff Name Role/Title Email Phone Number
Matt Pacyna Principal,
Transportation Engineer
mpacyna@transportationcollaborative.com 612-464-3800
Lance Bernard Planner lbernard@transportationcollaborative.com 320-420-7768
Dominic
Villanueva
Planner and Data
Analyst
dvillanueva@transportationcollaborative.com
Washington County and Scandia City Staff
Staff Name Role/Title Email Phone Number
Sara Allen Project Manager/Planner Sara.Allen@co.washington.mn.us 651-430-4363
Kyle Morell City Administrator k.morell@ci.scandia.mn.us 651-433-2274
Erin Clarkowski Engineering Erin.Clarkowski@co.washington.mn.us
Joe Gustafson Engineering Joe.Gustafsoni@co.washington.mn.us
Lyssa Leitner Planning Manager (as
needed)
Lyssa.Leitner@co.washington.mn.us
Kevin Peterson Engineering (as needed) Kevin.Peterson@co.washington.mn.us
Brenda “Bee”
Stignani
City Office Assistant,
Communications,
Parks/Rec Coordinator
b.stignani@ci.scandia.mn.us 651-433-2274
Washington County and Scandia City staff will provide technical and organizational guidance for the
project, as well as assist in coordination of meetings and community engagement. Staff will review and
4
comment on draft and in-progress deliverables, as well as provide guidance and assistance with
stakeholder/community engagement.
Bi-weekly coordination meetings (virtual/web conference) will be scheduled for Thursdays at
11am (Sara and Jody + others as needed)
HKGi will be responsible for sending out calendar invites and coordinating meeting logistics.
HKGI will coordinate virtual meetings (send out links, coordinate platform/presentation
materials).
HKGi will prepare agendas and distribute meeting notes.
Link to Washington County GIS mapping platform:
https://www.co.washington.mn.us/92/County-Maps
Link to City of Scandia website: https://www.cityofscandia.com/
The project page will be linked from the Washington County Public Works “Transportation
Projects” page, a tab will be created under “Scandia”.
o Link: https://www.co.washington.mn.us/474/Transportation-Projects
Identifying Communities and Involvement
The following are identified communities or stakeholder groups who will play a role in the development
of the study. The level of suggested participation is guided by the IAP2 Public Participation Spectrum.
Tier 1 Stakeholders (Involve/Collaborate)
This group of stakeholders will work directly with the consultant team throughout the process to ensure
that public concerns and aspirations are consistently understood and considered. This group will also
serve as decision-makers, provide guidance for preferred recommendations, and review draft plan
materials.
Organization / Title Name/Title Email Phone Meeting/Touchpoints
Project Management
Team
See Table Below Monthly Team Meetings
throughout
Scandia Heritage
Alliance
Susan Rodsjo,
Founder and
Board President
Scandiaheritagealliance@gmail.com 651-233-
0267
*Schedule one-on-one
meeting (on-site) at
Vision Task; follow up at
concept development
Scandia Elementary
School
Shannon Carufel *Schedule one-on-one
meeting (on-site) at
Vision Task 3; follow up
at concept development
Task 5
Scandia Mayor Christine
Maefsky
c.maefsky@ci.scandia.mn.us 651-433-
5112
Project updates through
Kyle
Scandia City Council Project updates through
Kyle
Washington Co
Commissioner
Fran Miron,
District 1
Commissioner
fran.miron@co.washington.mn.us 651-430-
6211
Communication through
Sara/Erin
5
Scandia City Engineer Ryan Goodman
(Bolton &
Menck)
mail@ci.scandia.mn.us 651-433-
2274
Schedule one-on-one
Teams meeting at
concept development
Task 5
Scandia City Planner TJ Hofer (Bolton
& Menck)
mail@ci.scandia.mn.us 651-433-
2274
Schedule one-on-one
Teams meeting at
concept development
Task 5
Project Management Team (PMT)
The Project Management Team (PMT) was assembled prior to the start of the project and includes key
agency representatives. The PMT will meet monthly (approximately) throughout the duration of the
project, and will play a key role in outreach and engagement activities.
Organization / Title Name/Title Email Phone
HKGi/Consultant Jody Rader, Project
Manager
jody@hkgi.com 612-220-
8990
Washington County
Planning
Sara Allen, Project Manager Sara.Allen@co.washington.mn.us 651-430-
4363
Washington County
Engineering
Erin Clarkowski
Joe Gustafson
Erin.Clarkowski@co.washington.mn.us
Joe.Gustafson@co.washington.mn.us
Scandia City
Administrator
Kyle Morell k.morell@ci.scandia.mn.us 651-433-
2274
MnDOT Kaare Festvog, East Area
Traffic Coordinator,
Regional HSIP, Traffic Safety
kaare.festvog@state.mn.us
MnDNR Nathan Moe, Parks/Trails
Gateway Extension
Nathan.Moe@state.mn.us
MnDOT (as needed) Adam Josephson, East
Manager
adam.josephson@state.mn.us
MnDOT (as needed) Ryan Coddington ryan.coddington@state.mn.us
Washington County (as
needed)
Lyssa Leitner Lyssa.Leitner@co.washington.mn.us
Washington County (as
needed)
Kevin Peterson Kevin.Peterson@co.washington.mn.us
TC2/Consultant (as
needed)
Matt Pacyna mpacyna@transportationcollaborative.com
612-464-
3800
Tier 2 Stakeholders (Consult/Invite)
This group of stakeholders will be specifically consulted, informed, and invited to participate in public
engagement events, and invited to provide comment on community surveys and online engagement
tools. An ‘open-door’ of communication will also be offered to these stakeholders, with an invitation to
contact County or City staff throughout the duration of the project to voice concerns, share ideas, or to
gain a better understanding of the project objectives. Communication will be via email, flyer notification,
and/or phone call.
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Organization /
Title
Contact
Name
Email Phone
Friends of Scandia
Parks and Trails
friendsscandiaparks@gmail.com
William O’Brien
State Park
Elizabeth
Nelson,
Naturalist;
Programming
Elizabeth.A.Nelson@state.mn.us
City of Scandia
Communications
Bee Stignani b.stignani@ci.scandia.mn.us 651-433-2274
Scandia Farmers
Market
Nohemi https://www.scandiafarmersmarket.com/about
812-327-7116
Elim Lutheran
Church
651-433-2723
Gammelgarden
Museum of
Scandia
Lynne
Blomstrand
Moratzka,
Director
director@gammelgardenmuseum.org 651-433-5053
Oakhill Cottages
Senior Community
Regional
Manager
Christine
Murrey
OakhillCottages@sheltercorp.com
cmurrey@sheltercorp.com
(651) 578-
2380
952-358-
5193
(Christine)
Cycling Scandia cyclingscandiamn@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/CylingScandia/about
Scandia-Marine
Lions Club
scandiamarinelionsclub@gmail.com
Scandia Riders
Saddle Club
https://www.facebook.com/groups/62307594835/members
Businesses
Dicken’s Pickins https://dickenspickins.com/about/
See https://dickenspickins.com/classes-events/
651-470-4706
Meister’s Bar and
Grill
MeistersBar@hotmail.com
https://www.meistersbar.com/
651.433.5230
Scandia Veterinary
Clinic
651-433-3666
Scandia Market &
Mercantile
https://www.facebook.com/scandiamarketandmercantile/ 651-433-2248
Apothecary’s
Daughter
Kirsten Libby kirstenlibby@gmail.com 651-470-5644
Landmark
Surveying
651-433-3421
Scandia Family
Dental
info@scandiafamilydental.com 651-43-2655
Keller Williams The
Brunfelts
Ross, Adam
Brunfelt
rossbrunfelt@KW.com
adambrunfelt@KW.com
651-433-3333
7
Leroux’s All Season
Lawn
http://www.lerouxsallseasonlawn.com/ 651-433-4668
The Scandia
Creamery
Michelle
Thompson
Munson
info@tstcreativecatering.com 651-433-4466
Scandia Heating
and A/C
651-433-5167
Federated Co-ops
Scandia Country
Store
https://www.federatedcoops.com/ 651-433-3227
Prairie
Restorations, Inc.
Garden Center
Temp closed; open 12/9 for native wreath workshop;
https://www.prairieresto.com/
651-433-1437
Scandia Tobacco 651-433-4145
Perebrooms
Computer Service
Scandia Olde
Towne Liquor
https://oldetowneliquorscandia.com/ 651-433-5845
Scandia Pizzeria https://scandiapizza.com/ 651-433-2869
Security State Bank
of Maine
https://www.themarinebank.com/contact.html 651-433-2265
The Grillium
Scandia
https://thegrillium.com/#contact 651-433-0143
Scandia Self
Storage
scandiaselfstorage@gmail.com 651-425-8842
Chisago Lakes
Mutual Insurance
Company
manager@clmic.com 651-433-4805
P N Products https://pnproducts.com/ 651-433-5501
Am-Tec Designs Shop: alex@am-tec.net 651-433-2339
CS Garage 651-433-0117
Also consider adding contacts for:
Residents / Neighborhood Groups
Active Living groups – pickleball club(?) bicycle club? Other hobby groups who meet or are
active within downtown?
General Communications and Outreach
Branding and logos:
HKGi to develop a project branding for document footers, etc.
8
o Use Scandia Dala Horse and Washington County Logos
o See Washington County Style and Brand Guide and [Scandia] Parks Signage Standards
2020
Project Website:
The project page will be linked from the Washington County Public Works “Transportation
Projects” page, a tab will be created under “Scandia”.
o Link: https://www.co.washington.mn.us/474/Transportation-Projects
Link to be posted on City of Scandia website to direct to County’s project site. Tentative Post
Schedule below
Date Milestone Notes
12/15/23 Project launch, Phase 1 engagement
launch
Coordinate with engagement materials
launch
Feb/March
2024
Phase 1 Engagement Summary
March/April
2024
Vision and Transportation Analysis
Report
May/June
2024
Phase 2 Engagement Launch Coordinate with engagement materials
launch
August 2024 Draft/Final Report
Typical Web Content to be provided by HKGi throughout the project process:
Maps of study area
Project Scope, schedule and background
9
Photos of area
Upcoming events / registration / RSVP
Draft documents/findings
Links to social pinpoint/survey items
Link to provide email/get involved link
CE Phase 1: Gathering Ideas
The first phase of community engagement will focus on the gathering of ideas, issues, and opportunities
from the broad community, as well as from the PMT.
Event/Tool Launch
Date or
Duration
Description
Social Pinpoint + survey
questions embedded
Mid Dec Interactive mapping tool with survey questions embedded
at specific locations.
Outreach Materials (Print) Mid Dec Flyers with QR code to web info, upcoming events
Outreach Materials for Web Mid Dec About the project, base map, project photos, links to
survey and social pinpoint, register for listening session
Outreach Email/Social Media Mid Dec Email flyer to businesses, etc.; social media blurbs for
City/County accounts
Listening Session (virtual) Mid-Feb Online event, to be advertised at Pop-up event
Pop-up event + walk tour Feb 4? Vinterfest (date TBD); coordinate with Bee at City
Social Pinpoint: Gather geographic/location ideas and concerns
Link to draft site: https://hkgi.mysocialpinpoint.com/scandia-city-center-study/map#/
Identify destinations / places to connect to
Identify barriers / challenges
Identify ideas for multi-modal connections
Explore questions that can be embedded at specific locations within the map
o Confirm ideas that came out of the Parks and Rec Plan.
Outreach Materials (Print):
Flyers with QR Code to website, announce pop-up/walk tour and listening sessions
Outreach Materials (Email/Social Media)
Email flyer to business contacts
Prepared social media messages
Listening Sessions:
Virtual date: Feb (after pop-up at Vinterfest)
Registration through project website (survey monkey link)
10
Mural board as tool for facilitating meeting
Pop-Up Event + Walking Tour/Audit
Booth at Vinterfest (Jan 26 -27, 2024)
Scheduled group study tour times – facilitated as a “Walkshop” to have conversations about
connections/mobility on-site during the event
Engagement Summary:
Graphic/text summary of events, participation, and feedback collected throughout Phase 1 of
engagement
To be presented to PMT, posted on the project website
CE Phase 2: Responding to Ideas
The second phase of Community Engagement will focus on collecting feedback from Scandia
stakeholders/residents on concept recommendations. Details of this phase of engagement to be
revisited in Spring/Summer of 2024. Initial ideas include the following:
Pop-up event
Project website update with draft recommendations
Open House
Targeted Stakeholder Meetings
Engagement Summary for Phase 2