Spotted: Around the 2017 LMC Annual Conference—Wednesday, June 14

All signs point to a successful first day at the League of Minnesota Cities Annual Conference! City officials from around the state arrived in Rochester for pre-conference workshops, a tour of development in Rochester, opening keynote speakers from The Second City Works, and more. Some highlights:

Before the Annual Conference kicked off, the 2016-17 LMC Board of Directors met to take care of some League business and pose for a group photo. (Photo credit Todd Myra Photography)

What are key tools city officials can use to communicate with their communities? League communications staffer Danielle Cabot reviewed the pros and cons of different ways to reach out to their constituents with newly elected officials during Wednesday’s advance training pre-conference. (Photo credit LMC staffer Jenna Kramer)

Big Lake City Administrator Clay Wilfahrt fielded questions during the "21st Century Policing Challenges" pre-conference workshop. His advice when working with people who have different methods of approaching a project? “Find points of common ground you can move forward on, because that’s where you build trust.”(Photo credit LMC staffer Jenna Kramer)

Just what does the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust do? Underwriting Manager Liam Biever reviewed the basics of LMCIT with city clerks from around the state during the 2017 Clerks' Orientation Conference, which is happening in conjunction with the Annual Conference this year. (Photo credit LMC staffer Jenna Kramer)

“Yes, and…” Keynote speakers Kelly Leonard and Robyn Scott, from The Second City Works, demonstrated how improvisation skills can improve relationships and create stronger ideas by using simple phrases such as ‘yes, and.’ (Photo credit League staffer Jenna Kramer)

"The more we make someone else look good, the better leaders we are.” City officials joined Kelly Leonard and Robyn Scott to show how listening to our colleagues and working together to build ideas create better leaders. (Photo credit LMC staffer Jenna Kramer)

Celebrating 14 years of being mayor! Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede waited in line for Wednesday’s Rochester’s Honkers game where he was honored for being the city’s 44th mayor. Ardell also threw out the first pitch at the game, and Governor Mark Dayton also named June 14 Ardell Brede Day. (Photo credit LMC staffer Jamie Oxley)


Are you enjoying this year's conference in Rochester? Share your own highlights in the comments below!

Spotted: Drumroll Please! Annual Conference On Its Way

The prize drum for this year's Annual Conference raffle is safe on the truck! League staff, OK mostly Greg VanWormer and Mike Demorrow from tech services, loaded up all the ingredients for a great 2017 Annual Conference in Rochester. All signs point to this being an informative, innovative, and yes, fun, gathering of local government leaders from across the state. We'll see you in Rochester!

Photo credit goes to League staffer Danielle Cabot

Spotted: Poolside Fun in Andover

OK, so they’re not really at the pool just for fun—they have a job to do!

But these guys, Erick Sutherland on the left and Steve Landau on the right, have a lot to celebrate. Sutherland is the recreational facilities manager for the city of Andover, and Landau is the director of health living with the YMCA. Together, their organizations are partners in the Andover YMCA Community Center, an attractive recreation destination that residents were clamoring for. You could call the partnership a smashing—nope—a splashing success!

Andover’s combo community center and Y is an example of a “P3,” a public-private partnership. P3s and the role they can play in cities are spotlighted in the May-June issue of Minnesota Cities magazine: The Public-Private Partnership Advantage. Dive in!  

Photo credit goes to Angela Jimenez

Data is Beautiful! An Annual Conference Session Preview

A tech dispatch from Mel Reeder, chief information officer at the League:

"Data is beautiful," as the saying goes. What does this mean? Government entities have a lot of public data. Until recently, this data just piled up in files, maps, and computer storage systems. But with today’s technology tools, city data can now be mined for all sorts of valuable and beautiful outcomes. The opportunities are endless.

Two points come to mind when I think about beautiful data: is it usable and who should get it?

Of course, it’s usable, right? Not necessarily. It doesn’t help to dump all that data on your city website either in gobbledygook form or worse, a gobbledygook pdf. Data is no good if it cannot be handled, broken down, and put together in different ways by others. Data needs to be indexed and sorted in a way that the public and city staff can interpret and then “mash-up” for their own analysis.

This leads to my second point. Who should have access to this data? Answer: everyone! By posting public data it provides everyone a chance to use it, be creative and even create beautiful data. Yes, beautiful! Online communities are popping up all over the world. These coders and data analysts want to use and display your data in new and exciting ways. By providing the data, you promote creativity. (See some beautiful examples below!)

How does this relate to you? The League of Minnesota Cities Annual Conference is just around the corner, and we have lined up a treat for you. Speakers from the MN Geospatial Information Office and MN Office of Broadband will be presenting Using Data in City Planning & Decision Making. Attend this educational session on Thursday, June 15 from 10:15-11:15 a.m. to get ideas about deploying Border-to-Border broadband in your city, using data from other cities, and most importantly, sharing data with your community so it can be used by others to create a smart and connected city. 

 And the eye-candy examples, as promised:

This beautiful data can be found on www.informationisbeautiful.net here:

www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/mountains-out-of-molehills

This beautiful data can be found on www.census.gov here:

https://www.census.gov/dataviz/visualizations/025/

Grundhoefer's Career of Service Honored with Amdahl Award

Tom Grundhoefer was general counsel of LMC
from 1996 to February of 2017.

Who did Minnesota cities turn to when they needed expert advice on legislation and judicial rulings? Tom Grundhoefer. Who approached every situation—no matter how ugly or messy it got—with a calm demeanor, common sense and thoughtfulness? Tom Grundhoefer. Who exemplified what it meant to be a committed public attorney to the highest degree? Tom Grundhoefer.

Because of these accomplishments, Grundhoefer, former general counsel of the League of Minnesota Cities (LMC), has posthumously received the Douglas K. Amdahl Public Attorney Career Achievement Award from the Minnesota State Bar Association-Public Law Section.

The Amdahl Award recognizes public attorneys who go above and beyond the call of duty, and anyone who knew Grundhoefer would attest that he fit this description to a T.

Grundhoefer—affectionately referred to as just “Tom G.” around the League—first was hired as a research assistant for the League in 1980 while he was a student at William Mitchell College of Law. From 1982 to 1986, he worked in private practice before returning to the League as a staff attorney. In 1996, he was promoted to general counsel of LMC and the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust. He was also a leader in the city attorney community and served as counsel to the Minnesota City Attorneys Association and on the board of directors for the International Municipal Lawyers Association.

Grundhoefer’s four decades of public service came to a close after he unexpectedly died in February. But the lasting impression he had on those around him and his legacy of unfaltering service will live on in the public attorney and local government communities.

Grundhoefer’s colleagues included the following in their nomination letter:

“Whoever you were, whoever you represented, or whatever title or position you had or didn’t have, you left Tom’s presence feeling listened to and respected. Feeling ‘served.’” They went on to say, “Tom’s commitment to serve others stands out as a shining example of a public law career well served—a government lawyer to emulate.”

Why LMC Board Members Decided to Serve MN Cities—And How You Can, Too

Not only do members of the League of Minnesota Cities Board of Directors love their own cities, but they also take pride in lending a hand to all member cities around the state—large, small, north, south, you name it.

Being on the LMC Board gives them an opportunity to give back to the local government community, and you have the chance to help lead Minnesota cities and the League now, too!

LMC board members come from different backgrounds and community sizes, but they all agree on one thing: they value their role on LMC's Board of Directors.

The League is now accepting applications from city officials who also want to lead Minnesota local governments to success by taking on the board's responsibilities to prepare cities and the League for the future.

Applications are due May 26, so check out more information about the selection process, and see what prompted a few of the League’s current board members to bid for a seat on the LMC Board of Directors:

“I wanted to be on the LMC Board because this board should demonstrate the diversity of our great state.  I wanted to voice my opinion representing small-town life in Minnesota.  As someone who grew up in St. Paul and has lived in the south, north, and western part of this state, I believe we are stronger when we encourage all voices to be heard.” – Sue Hilgert, mayor of Olivia, MN

“Way back in the early 1990s, I started my professional career at the League of Minnesota Cities and had the opportunity to get to know the Board of Directors. I watched how they worked with each other, how they interacted with staff, and how they provided leadership in tough situations. I realized that if I ever had the chance to serve and lead as those folks did, I would.” – Tim Busse, councilmember of Bloomington, MN

“I wanted to be on the LMC board for the opportunity to work with and learn from some incredible individuals, to be a part of leading one of the most important organizations in the state, and to learn more about giving cities a voice and ensuring that our voice is heard.” – Tina Rennemo, city clerk-treasurer of Baudette, MN

“I wanted to give back to an organization that has provided so much for me in expanding my career as a city manager. All board members that I have worked with have a strong passion for their individual cities as well as the League of Minnesota Cities, which makes it a high-energy board.” – Mike Mornson, city manager of Hopkins, MN

“I wanted to be on the LMC Board because I have the opportunity to collaborate and exchange ideas with some of the best and brightest in the field. Being part of the League at this level has made me a better leader and manager, and has allowed me to give back to an organization that I hold in high regard.” – Mark Casey, city manager of St. Anthony Village, MN

“We have all likely been in a meeting where someone suggests, 'calling the League.' LMC has earned that reputation for being 'someone to call' by developing relationships and serving as a trusted information resource for its members. I’m hoping to contribute, in part, to the LMC’s continued advocacy of Minnesota cities.” – Brent Mareck, city manager of Carver, MN

The League’s board members know that their own cities benefit when all Minnesota cities—from Baudette to Bloomington—work together to strengthen the entire state and make sure all Minnesota voices are heard. Remember, applications are due May 26, and candidates will be interviewed by a Nominating Committee on June 14 at the Annual Conference in Rochester.

Thank You, City Clerks!

Municipal Clerks Week is coming to a close and League staff want to say THANK YOU to all Minnesota city clerks for the work you do to keep cities operating at their best. Your dedication benefits everyone who lives, works, and plays in Minnesota.

If you're not familiar with the work of city clerks in Minnesota, here are just a few of the duties that clerks may perform in Minnesota cities:

• Election administration
• Agenda preparation
• Meeting minute-taking
• Records retention 
• Financial management
• Ordinance and resolution maintenance
• Historical records preservation
• Permit processing
• Data practices compliance

... And of course, in many Minnesota cities the clerk is the primary administrator!

That kind of to-do list makes being a city clerk both a rewarding career and a big responsibility. So again, we want to say "thank you" for your work, this week and every week of the year. We see the difference you make in your communities every day.