Preconference Session

Keynote Speaker, Karith Foster

IGR Legislative Update

Mobile Tours

  • Partnering for Wellness: Hermantown Essentia Wellness Center

    John Mulder, city administrator, City of Hermantown

    Hermantown’s Essentia Wellness Center is a multipurpose space that serves its community with childcare, wellness clinic services, a YMCA gym, swimming pool and community center. When the city began to discuss the idea of a wellness center in 2011, they knew it would take partners. During this tour you will get to see the Essentia Wellness Center and learn how the city came to acquire the property; how they identified the needs of the community, including meeting a day care need with space for over 100 kids; learn how the project was funded; and find out how various partnerships make this space work.

    Materials:

    Essentia Wellness Center Presentation (pdf)

  • Climate Adaptation and Resilience Along Lake Superior

    Jim Filby Williams, director, Department of Property, Parks and Libraries, City of Duluth; Rob Hurd, construction projects supervisor, City of Duluth; Mike LeBeau, senior project manager, CR-Building Performance Specialists

    Learn how cities can work with federal and state partners to incorporate climate adaptation and resiliency in public projects. Hear from Duluth leaders to learn how the city has worked with federal and state partners to methodically reimagine and reconstruct several miles of shoreline infrastructure to better withstand future Lake Superior storms.

    Materials:

    Climate Adaptation and Resilience on Lake Superior (pdf)

  • Duluth Residential Development Showcase

    Highlights include Riverwest, a development on the former Riverside Golf Course that is anticipated to hold 100 individual housing units, and Zenith Apartments, an adaptive re-use development of a historic school building. You’ll learn how the city has navigated decisions on funding, design and land use, and partnerships, and learn how these projects have impacted the housing pipeline in the city.

    Materials:

    Duluth Residential Development Showcase (pdf)

Educational Sessions Bank A

  • City Festivals: Your Ticket to Safe and Local Fun!

    Moderator: Marc Dunker, loss control field consultant, League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust

    Panelists: Jason Eikam, sergeant, Duluth Police Department; Phil Kern, city administrator, Delano; James Miller, executive director, Willmar Chamber of Commerce

    Many cities have festivals and celebrations to foster community, celebrate local culture, and create a sense of belonging for residents. But going from idea to execution takes a lot of planning and coordination. Join representatives from Delano, Duluth, and Willmar to learn how they successfully manage their city festivals. From partnering with local businesses and managing volunteers to coordinating public safety, traffic control, and regulatory best practices, this panel will give you the tools to plan a successful event your community can be proud of!

    Presentation slides for City Festivals (pdf)

  • Is Your City Ready for Redevelopment?

    Jupe Hale, senior director of municipal services, WSB; Duane Poppe, Mayor & Managing Principal, City of Osseo & Lee & Associates, Inc.; Derrick LaPoint, President & CEO, Downtown Moorhead, Inc.

    This session will examine the risks and realities behind the “If you build it, they will come” mindset in city development planning. While growth can be beneficial, it’s crucial for cities to evaluate whether they are truly prepared to support sustainable development. Attendees will explore the potential pitfalls of premature infrastructure investment, including financial strain, environmental impact, and the challenges of attracting long-term residents and businesses. You’ll gain tools and strategies for assessing development readiness, balancing growth with community needs, and making data-driven decisions to ensure lasting value and resilience in urban planning.

    Materials:

    Presentation slides for Is Your City Ready for Redevelopment (pdf)

  • Taxes, Taxes, Taxes!

    Dan Tienter, Municipal Advisor, Ehlers; Kelly Horn, Senior Fiscal Consultant, Ehlers

    Join us for a deep dive into the various taxes collected by cities, including property tax, local sales tax, and lodging tax. Follow the city’s levy through the property tax statement to see how rates are calculated and what factors influence them. Explore how local sales tax can fund city projects and hear an update on legislative changes. Finally, gain insight into the lodging tax — where it applies, how its collected, and how funds can be used. 

    Materials:

    Presentation slides for Taxes, Taxes, Taxes (pdf)

  • Planning and Funding Stormwater Resilience in Duluth

    Ryan Granlund, utility programs coordinator, Duluth

    The City of Duluth, rich with water resources, is traced by more than 240 miles of streams and lies along the shorelines of Lake Superior and the St. Louis River Estuary. This presentation will explore how Duluth plans, funds, and implements large-scale stormwater management projects. Learn how the city was able to secure Minnesota Pollution Control Agency grants for stormwater resilience upgrades in two watersheds. These projects, which were informed by engineering analysis and community input, include stormwater infrastructure to protect the Central Hillside neighborhood against increasingly frequent and intense stormwater flows and site-specific drainage improvements in the Lincoln Park neighborhood.

    Materials:

    Presentation slides for Planning and Funding of Stormwater Resilience in Duluth (pdf)

Educational Sessions Bank B

  • Training the Civic Pipeline

    Ben Martig, city administrator, Northfield; Lynette Peterson, city clerk, Northfield; Dan Mahli, city manager, Moorhead; Mike Rietz, assistant city manager, Moorhead; Kelly Kuntz, communications coordinator, Moorhead

    Have you thought about how to prepare and train your community members in what a city does, how it operates and what it takes to serve in a city role? Join representatives from Northfield and Moorhead who are taking unique approaches to training community members on all things city! Learn about the Moorhead Citizen and Government Academy, a program that teaches residents about city operations, as well as a program in Northfield that provides training to individuals running for city council. See how these efforts lead to more informed candidates stepping in to commission and council roles.

    Materials:

  • Taking (and Paying for!) Climate Action

    Erica Bjelland, GreenStep program associate coordinator, GreenStep Cities/Minnesota Pollution Control Agency; Kristin Mroz, GreenStep Cities and Tribal Nations co-director, GreenStep Cities/Minnesota Pollution Control Agency; Jason Ludwigson, sustainability coordinator, LaCrescent; Minette Saulog, sustainability coordinator, St. Anthony Village, Catherine Kemp, program manager, Great Plains Institute

    Climate change is no longer a far-off possibility. Minnesotans across our state are seeing its devastating effects right now — and it will get worse. Luckily, cities can all be a part of the solution. Addressing climate change presents us with a historic opportunity to strengthen our economy, improve our health, and create a more resilient Minnesota for everyone. Hear about the Gold Leaf Challenge, a new, flexible climate action GreenStep program, and how Minnesota communities are thinking about and funding climate action amidst a changing political climate.

    Materials:

    Presentation slides for Taking and Paying for Climate Action (pdf)

  • Big Organizational Culture in Small Cities

    Al Roder, city administrator, Byron; Elizabeth Howard, city administrator, Pine Island

    We know small cities are great places to work – but how can we convince others of that? And once we get them in the door, how can we encourage them to stay? Learn how the cities of Pine Island and Byron are tackling recruitment and retention issues by focusing on their employees and workplace culture. Hear how they decreased turnover, built trust across siloed departments, focused on supervisors, and included their city councils in building a strong foundation. These cities are creating strong cultures without a lot of resources, and they want to share how your city can do it, too!

    Materials:

    Presentation slides for Big Organizational Culture in Small Cities (pdf)

  • YOU and the Power of Personal Communications

    Paul Omodt, owner and principal, Omodt & Associates Critical Communications LLC

    Person-to-person communication is the most effective form of communication, yet we often overlook our ability to harness and take advantage of its power. This session focuses on the YOU of communicating: You Own Understanding (YOU). YOU aligns the power of you as a communication delivery system. Learn how to build the best messages with impact, making messaging more strategic and influential as a result.

    Materials:

    Presentation slides for YOU and the Power of Personal Communications (pdf)

  • Active Listening: The Difficult Conversation Superpower

    Aimee Gourlay, Collaboration Services Manager, League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust; Todd Prafke, City Administrator, Saint Peter; Kathy Lund Dean, Professor of Management & Ethics, Gustavus Adolphus College

    This session covers how active listening builds trust and relationships and helps us understand where others are coming from. We will give examples how active listening can demonstrate interest and respect in a city context – at work, between council members, and with the public.  A simple but impactful exercise will demonstrate how active listening looks and works in practice.

    Materials:

    Presentation slides for Active Listening – The Difficult Conversation Superpower (pdf)

Educational Sessions Bank C

  • Shifting Cultures: Prioritizing Well-being in Public Safety

    Terry Stier, police chief, Belle Plaine; Zack Bonnema, assistant fire chief, Chaska; Justin Sherwood, fire chief, Bemidji; Scott Kent, police chief, Alexandria

    In this dynamic panel discussion, hear from three public safety leaders who are challenging the status quo and redefining what it means to care for themselves, their teams, and their communities. Explore how police and fire departments are taking action to prioritize the well-being of their personnel by identifying critical gaps, implementing innovative solutions, and shifting the narrative and culture around mental fitness and physical health.

    There are no materials for this presentation.

  • Big Projects, Small Communities: Infrastructure Success Stories from Medicine Lake and Alpha

    Bill McNaughton, council member, Medicine Lake; Dave Hutton, senior project manager, SEH; Brent Kavitz, associate and project manager, SEH; John Ingebretson, Public Works, Alpha; Kelly Soucek, City Clerk, Alpha

    This session will showcase two small cities that demonstrate the power of perseverance, strategic planning, and local government collaboration. Learn about the City of Medicine Lake’s (pop. 441) recent $7.4 million infrastructure upgrade to install public water system for fire protection and well replacement, and street reconstruction using Complete Streets concepts for enhanced safety. Hear how the city collaborated with partners, and how the project was funded without raising taxes or special assessments. Also, discover how the City of Alpha (pop. 97) is replacing its water treatment and distribution systems with USDA and EPA funding, highlighting that even the smallest communities can achieve big goals.

    Materials:

    Presentation slides for Big Projects, Small Communities – Infrastructure Success Stories (pdf)

     

  • Sandstone Workforce Housing: A Case Study in Persistence and Adaptive Re-Use

    Kathy George, city administrator, Sandstone; Meghan Elliott, principal, Jillpine; Zach Tabatt, vice president for economic opportunity, Initiative Foundation; Peter Spartz, mayor, Sandstone; Valerie Palmer, EDA president, Sandstone; Randy Riley, council member, Sandstone; Julena Rahier, council member, Sandstone

    Join city leaders and developers from Sandstone to hear how they turned a former school building dating back to 1901 in to 32 workforce housing units. This session will share the timeline of the project, the pitfalls and the successes, as well as the funding ups and downs for how this community added much needed workforce housing, while also preserving a treasured historic building in the community. Learn how to navigate and fund an adaptive re-use project for your city.

    There are no materials for this session.

  • Communicating Critical Information to All Residents

    Julie Long, city engineer, Bloomington; Garett Flesland, police chief, Brooklyn Center; Brad Phenow, communications manager, Faribault

    Every city department shares vital information, but some residents still miss out. How can we effectively connect with those who are hard to reach or have different communication needs? Join a police chief, city engineer, and communications manager as they explore strategies to make messaging more accessible. Learn how they are testing different platforms, multilingual communication, and in-person outreach as ways to meet people where they are and engage all residents. This session will leave you inspired to try new approaches for ensuring everyone receives critical city information.

    Materials:

    Presentation slides for Communicating Critical Information (pdf)

  • ROW, ROW, ROW Your Right of Way

    Trisha Duncan, director of Minnesota community relations & gas business development, Xcel Energy; Kyle Hartnett, assistant research manager and staff attorney, League of Minnesota Cities

    Minnesota energy service providers have a statutory obligation to provide safe, adequate, and efficient electric and natural gas service to the public at just and reasonable rates. To assist with this obligation, state law allows utilities to use public rights-of-way subject to reasonable regulation. This session will explore the general authority of cities to regulate the use of the public rights of way and why cities enter franchise agreements. Xcel Energy will explain how franchise agreements between cities and utility providers work, and how to make the process run smoothly for both parties.

    Materials:

Educational Sessions Bank D