League of Minnesota Cities to Host Meeting on City Government

Looking warily at state and federal budget deficits, the League of Minnesota Cities is trying to figure out how to make city government more responsive and efficient.

At 7 p.m. Thursday at the , the LMC will host a meeting to help address the issue. The event—one of eleven dialogues about the philosophy and operations of city government—is part of the organization’s “Community Conversations” initiative.

The meeting will focus on Minnesota city governments in general, not just Northfield’s. In an effort to ground its advocacy in ordinary Minnesotans’ perspectives, the LMC seeks to rouse residents’ opinions about city government services and the values that guide them.

“Our hope is that this project—by virtue of the fact that we will have spent a good deal of time in thoughtful discussion with somewhere between 800 and 1,000 Minnesotans—will provide a new way forward, so that cities can have some confidence in the direction they pursue,” said Mary Zindren, Director of Communications and Strategic Initiatives at the LMC.

Rhonda Pownell, Northfield’s councilwoman at-large and a director at the League, said that the state’s $5 billion deficit has driven the LMC to reevaluate city governments’ daily operations.

“Everyone’s taking a look to see how we can do things better and more efficiently,” she said.

Zindren warned that cities will face difficult decisions in the coming years.

“Cities across the state of Minnesota are facing very difficult financial constraints, and they’re going to have to make tough choices about what services are offered,” she said.

Just as Northfield has its own particular challenges, it offers a unique area for the League to do research. The city was one of eleven selected from a pool of 39 applicants.

The city’s diverse demographics, academic institutions and active citizenry make it a valuable place to study public policy, said Pownell.

“I think our community loves this sort of thing. We're strong collaborators—people who really enjoy getting involved in these things and giving input,” she said.

“The hispanic community has increased in number, and it's a great opportunity to hear from them,” Pownell added.

Oddly enough, local government officials won’t be welcome at the meetings. After an LMC pilot showed that attendees often deferred to city officials (rather than voice their own opinions), the organization changed their strategy.

“We want a really honest opinion. We want to hear from the people,” said Pownell.

The Archer House meeting will come after three smaller discussions run by Northfield organizations. Carleton College, Growing Up Healthy, and Village on the Cannon are all hosting smaller sessions in the lead-up to next Thursday’s event.

WANT TO ATTEND THE COMMUNITY CONVERSATION?
WHERE: The Archer House
WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday
WHO: Everyone is welcome, but the league discourages public officials from attending.