101821 Work Session Meeting Packet
CITY COUNCIL
WORK SESSION MEETING
New Hope City Hall, 4401 Xylon Avenue North
Northwood Conference Room
Monday, October 18, 2021
6:00 p.m. ‐ dinner
6:30 p.m. ‐ meeting
Mayor Kathi Hemken
Council Member John Elder
Council Member Andy Hoffe
Council Member Michael Isenberg
Council Member Jonathan London
1. CALL TO ORDER – October 18, 2021
2. ROLL CALL
11. UNFINISHED & ORGANIZATIONAL BUSINESS
11.1 Dialogue with Human Rights Commission
11.2 Discussion regarding HRG programs and recommended 2022 rates
11.3 Update on Performance Measurement Report and SMART goals
11.4 Update on Economic Development Report
11.5 Community Development Department update
11.6 Discussion regarding 2022 enterprise and utility fund budgets/discuss 2022 utility
rates
11.7 Discuss swim meet rental rates
11.8 Discussion regarding the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for non‐represented
employees in 2022 and the city’s monthly contribution towards insurance
coverage for 2022
11.9 Discussion regarding modifying the structure of the Community Development
department and the HR/Administration department by upgrading two positions
12. OTHER BUSINESS
13. ADJOURNMENT
I:\RFA\POLICE\2021\Work Sessions\HRC Dialogue\11.1 Q ‐ Work Session HRC Dialogue 2021.docx
Request for Action
October 18, 2021
Approved by: Kirk McDonald, City Manager
Originating Department: Police
By: Tim Hoyt, Director of Police
Agenda Title
Dialogue between City Council and Human Rights Commission
Requested Action
The City Council has requested the opportunity to meet with each commission individually during a 2021
work session environment for an exchange of information. The HRC’s last dialogue at a council work session
was on December 16th, 2019. Due to the ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic, there was no dialogue in 2020.
Policy/Past Practice
The Council discussed the frequency of commission dialogues and updates and agreed to request one work
session dialogue and one council meeting update per year for each commission to report on activities.
Background
The Human Rights Commission has been invited to attend the October 18th work session to discuss the
commission’s activities and to hold a dialogue between the Council and commissioners regarding the
commission’s activities and assignments.
The Human Rights Commission currently has ten of ten authorized members presently serving on the
commission. The Human Rights Commission conducts a variety of educational activities, assists and guides
citizens, and serves in an advisory capacity to the City Council. The Human Rights Commission has a
bias/hate crime response plan to assist victims of this crime.
Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at New Hope City Hall.
Discussion topics include:
2021 Accomplishments
2022 Goals and Objectives
Attachment
Human Rights Commission PowerPoint Presentation
Agenda Section
Work Session
Item Number
11.1
Human Rights CommissionCity Council Work SessionOctober 18, 2021
New HopeHuman Rights Commission“The Human Rights Commission advises the City Council on human relations and civil rights issues…and recommends the adoption of such policies or actions needed to provide for full equal opportunity in the community.”
Current State Capacity for ten members who serve two year terms; including two high school students & a senior citizen advisory position Currently fully staffed with tenMeetings are held monthlyPolice chief acts as liaison
Current CommissionersChair Donna MeyerCo-Chair Kendra CurrySecretary Trista RehnkeHeather FruenHeaven ShawJennifer ToavsAllison IsenbergMindy LondonDanielle SaimaZachary Snabes
2020 & 2021 AccomplishmentsComplete Count Committee to assist in the 2020 Census Commission Recruitment Sunnyside Park Sponsorship Partnership with other community groups to clean unsponsored parksAttendance at State HRC meetings
2020 & 2021 AccomplishmentsAdvised on Just Deeds & Restrictive Covenants ProjectBe a Light in the NightPolice In-Service Updated HRC Informational BrochureAdded Open Forum to Monthly Agenda Participation in City & Police Department Events
2021 SubcommitteesCommunity ConversationsLGBTQ PartnershipMarketing & AwarenessColors of the World Home Ownership
I:\RFA\City Manager\2021\HRG Organics Collection\WS 101821\11.2 Q ‐ HRG Programs 2022 rates.docx
Request for Action
October 18, 2021
Approved by: Kirk McDonald, City Manager
Originating Department: City Manager
By: Kirk McDonald, City Manager
Agenda Title
Discussion regarding HRG programs and recommended 2022 rates
Requested Action
Staff requests the Council have a brief discussion regarding HRG (Hennepin Recycling Group) programs and
2022 rates. Tim Pratt, Hennepin Recycling Group Administrator, will be in attendance at the meeting. A $.25
per household/per month increase is recommended for 2022 due to decreased funding from Hennepin
County and an increase in recycling contract costs and curbside bulky waste collection costs. There was no
rate increase for 2021 and the rate was increased by $.10 from $3.65 to $3.75 per household/per month for
2020.
Policy/Past Practice
The Council reviews and discusses programs and rates for services on an annual basis during the budget
process in the fall. If rate adjustments are recommended for utility or enterprise fund operations (water,
sewer, storm sewer, street lighting and recycling) for the following year, the City Council usually considers
and approves adjustments in December in conjunction with the approval of the final budget with the new
rates becoming effective the next year.
Background
As the City Council is aware, New Hope is a member of the HRG along with the cities of Crystal and
Brooklyn Center. I have requested Tim Pratt, HRG administrator and Brooklyn Park staff member, to attend
the work session to review HRG program and discuss 2022 rates. Tim has prepared the attached presentation,
which he will review with Council, as well as the following items:
The HRG Board approved the 2022 HRG budget at their June 10 meeting and recommended a $.25
increase in the per household/per month recycling fee for 2022 due to decreased funding from Hennepin
County and an increase in the collection and disposal of bulky waste cleanup program items. There was
no recycling rate increase for 2021; the rate was increased by $.10 per household/per month in 2020.
2022 is a curbside bulky waste cleanup year for New Hope and Crystal and HRG is recommending that
load limits for the 2022 curbside bulky waste cleanup be instituted to limit the amount that can be placed
at the curb.
In 2018 Hennepin County Board adopted a mandate that all cities with more than 10,000 residents had to
provide curbside residential organics recycling collection by January 1, 2022, and New Hope modified its
ordinances to require refuse haulers to offer organics collection by that date. The New Hope licensing
application has been modified and haulers must indicate on the application that they offer organics
collection. Haulers may charge extra for the service and HRG will provide residents an incentive to sign
up for the service paying 50% of the first year of organics collection up to $100.
Agenda Section
Work Session
Item Number
11.2
Request for Action, Page 2
County is reducing amount of SCORE funding each city receives for traditional curbside recycling and
using funding to increase organics recycling incentive fund, which reimburses cities based on number of
residents who subscribe to curbside organics recycling collection. The current funding policy expires at
the end of 2021 and a new policy adopted. Proposed policy is expected to decrease funding for traditional
recycling again in 2022.
Domestic demand for recyclables continues to increase as the economy recovers from the pandemic, and
HRG is beginning to receive revenue shares from sale of recyclables. Due to the instability of the market,
that revenue is not being included in revenue projections.
HRG is completing the third year of a five‐year contract with Waste Management for recycling services.
In July 2021, the rate increased from $2.53 per household per month to $2.65 per household per month.
There is no price increase in the final years of the contract which expires June 30, 2023.
The new on‐line ReCollect platform that provides reminders to residents about collection day and
provides an on‐line disposal guide will continue for 2022.
Recycling grants to cities will remain at $5,000 per year, similar to 2021.
Contract includes free recycling to city facilities and special events (farmers market, city festival, corn
feed) and pilot project for parks.
Summary and Rate Recommendation
The HRG/Solid Waste proposed budget for New Hope was distributed previously with your budget
notebooks. The Solid Waste Management budget provides every other week recycling services for single‐
family households, duplexes, townhouses and apartment complexes in the city with seven or less units. The
budget includes contractual costs for collection of recyclable materials, special materials collection, container
replacement, yard waste costs, recycling costs at city facilities and administration by Brooklyn Park. This
budget includes New Hope’s portion of the HRG contract costs.
Breakdown of 2022 Recycling Fees
Proposed fee of $3.75 per household per month
$2.60/hh/mo. Curbside recycling contractual costs
+$1.25/hh/mo. Curbside clean‐up costs
+$0.50/hh/mo. Yard waste contractual costs
+$0.19/hh/mo. Brooklyn Park Administrative costs
+$0.10/hh/mo. Special material drop off costs
+$0.05/hh/mo. Internal recycling grants
______ +$0.05/hh/mo. New Hope Administration costs_______
$4.74/hh/mo.
______ ‐$0.74/hh/mo. Hennepin County Grant______________
$4.00/hh/mo.
Request for Action, Page 3
The rate history over the past ten years is as follows:
2010 $3.45 per household/per month
2011 $3.55 per household/per month
2012 $3.55 per household/per month
2013 $3.55 per household/per month
2014 $3.55 per household/per month
2015 $3.55 per household/per month
2016 $3.55 per household/per month
2017 $3.65 per household/per month
2018 $3.65 per household/per month
2019 $3.65 per household/per month
2020 $3.75 per household/per month
2021 $3.75 per household/per month
2022 $4.00 per household/per month – Recommended
Attachments
HRG 2022 Budget Presentation and Memo
New Hope 2022 Solid Waste Management Budget
New Hope Licensing Requirements for Rubbish Haulers in 2022
Champlin Recycling Rate
I:\RFA\City Manager\2021\Performance Measurement Report & SMART Goals\11.3 Q ‐ WS Performance Measurement Report & SMART Goals 10‐18‐21.docx
Request for Action
October 18, 2021
Approved by: Kirk McDonald, City Manager
Originating Department: Community Development
By: Jeff Alger, Community Development Specialist;
Kirk McDonald, City Manager
Agenda Title
Update on Performance Measurement Report and SMART goals
Requested Action
Staff requests to present the 2021 Performance Measurement Report and SMART goals document and
authorization to publish the report on the city’s website.
Policy/Past Practice
In an effort to better measure and continually improve overall levels of service and quality of life, the city
developed the Performance Measurement Report and SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic,
and Timely) goals document. The Performance Measurement Report compares top tier indicators, which
capture the state of the city, while SMART goals track objectives set forth by department heads. Staff updates
each of the reports annually to present to the City Council.
Background
At the request of the City Council, the Performance Measurement Report and SMART goals documents were
developed by staff and published in November of 2015. The Performance Measurement Report is a
cumulative summary report compiled from various sources, primarily the city services survey, an annual
paper and web‐based survey. The objective of a SMART goal is to tell exactly what the city is striving for,
why it is important, who is involved, where it is going to happen, and which attributes are important. It is
said to have a much greater chance of being accomplished as compared to a general goal. In developing the
initial SMART goals, staff collaborated with department heads to compile a list of recommended goals based
on the various sections of the 2016 budget. It was noted at the June 20, 2016, work session that there would
not be repercussions if SMART goals were not completed, which allowed department heads to set goals that
were intended to challenge their department and staff.
In August of 2016, the reports were combined into a single document, which was presented to the City
Council and published on the city’s website. The report was most recently presented to the City Council in
September of 2020. The 2021 Performance Measurement Report includes data from 2016‐2020. Some
departments have also established new SMART goals that have been incorporated.
Performance Measurement Report
The Performance Measurement Report was expanded in 2019 to include data from similar cities for several
top tier indicators that were not previously included. This included traffic accident rates, police response
times, recreation participation and attendance, website traffic, and meeting viewership. One of the challenges
that continues to exist is the frequency at which other cities administer surveys. The cities of New Hope and
Crystal administer surveys annually; however, the cities of Golden Valley, New Brighton, and Richfield
administer surveys less frequently. This makes a comparative analysis between similar cities difficult.
Agenda Section
Work Session
Item Number
11.3
Request for Action, Page 2
The following updates have been made to the 2021 Performance Measurement Report:
Community Safety & Security
Safety
o 2020 data for New Hope, Crystal, and Richfield
Crime Rates
o 2020 data for New Hope, Crystal, Golden Valley, New Brighton, and Richfield
Traffic Accident Rate
o 2020 data for New Hope, Golden Valley, New Brighton, and Richfield
Police Response
o 2020 data for New Hope, Crystal, Golden Valley, New Brighton, and Richfield
Emergency Services
o 2020 data for New Hope, Crystal, Golden Valley, New Brighton, and Richfield
Code Enforcement Services
o 2020 data for New Hope
Fire Protection
o 2020 data for New Hope and Crystal
Public Service Delivery & Community Sustainability
City Services/Quality of Life
o 2020 data for New Hope, Crystal, and Richfield
Creditworthiness
o 2020 data for New Hope, Crystal, Golden Valley, New Brighton, and Richfield
Financial Management
o 2020 data for New Hope
Financial Condition
o 2020 data for New Hope
Property Values
o 2020 data for New Hope, Crystal, Golden Valley, New Brighton, and Richfield
Employee Retention
o 2020 data for New Hope
Workers’ Compensation
o 2020 data for New Hope
Environmental Stewardship
o 2020 data for New Hope, Crystal, Golden Valley, New Brighton, and Richfield
General Government Infrastructure Condition
City Roads
o 2020 data for New Hope and Crystal
Pavement
o 2020 data for New Hope
Road Snowplowing
o 2020 data for New Hope and Crystal
Water Utility Infrastructure
o 2020 data for New Hope, Crystal, Golden Valley, New Brighton, and Richfield
Request for Action, Page 3
Water Quality
o 2020 data for New Hope and Crystal
Sanitary Sewer
o 2020 data for New Hope and Crystal
Sewer Utility Infrastructure
o 2020 data for New Hope, Crystal, Golden Valley, New Brighton, and Richfield
Stormwater Management
o Eliminated ease of getting place to place indicator and replaced with stormwater management
o 2019 and 2020 data for New Hope
Attractive, High Quality Neighborhoods & Business Districts
Development Activity
o 2020 data for New Hope, Crystal, Golden Valley, New Brighton, and Richfield
Recreation Programs & Facilities
o 2020 data for New Hope, Crystal, and Richfield
Recreation Participation & Attendance
o 2020 data for New Hope, Crystal, Golden Valley, New Brighton, and Richfield
City/Neighborhood Appearance
o 2020 data for New Hope and Crystal
Public Communication & Community Involvement
Distribution of Information
o 2020 data for New Hope
Website Traffic
o 2020 data for New Hope and Crystal
Meeting Viewership
o 2020 data for New Hope, Crystal, and Golden Valley
Comparative Analysis to Similar Cities
Tax Rate
o 2020 data for New Hope, Crystal, Golden Valley, Champlin, Hopkins, and Brooklyn Center
Debt Per Capita
o 2020 data for New Hope, Crystal, Golden Valley, Champlin, Hopkins, and Brooklyn Center
Response Rate
o 2020 data for New Hope, Crystal, and Richfield
SMART Goals
The 2021 version of the report includes 24 new goals. There were nine goals that appeared in the 2020 report
and expired (goal was to be completed by 2019). These goals have been removed from the document. Many
SMART goals set objectives for three to five years from the date of publication and are “on track” for
completion in the future. Data for 2015‐2020 is included within the report. The following status updates are
included within the document for each of the SMART goals:
Completed: The SMART goal was completed before its deadline (color‐coded green in document).
On track: The SMART was met in previous years and is on track for completion; however, it must
continue to be met in future years (color‐coded green in document).
Request for Action, Page 4
In progress: The SMART goal was not met in previous years; however, additional time is allowed for
the goal to be completed in future years (color‐coded purple in document).
Not completed: The SMART goal was not completed before its deadline (color‐coded red in
document). Explanations for goals that were not completed are inserted within the document, when
appropriate.
Newly added: The SMART goal was newly implemented for the most recent report (color‐coded blue
in document).
The total number of goals for each status category is as follows:
Completed On track In progress Not completed Newly added Total
2016 8 24 10 12 N/A 54
2017 7 23 9 10 12 61
2018 17 16 11 10 27 81
2019 9 25 14 8 8 64
2020 14 13 12 14 24 77
Changes in the status of anticipated outcomes (on track changing to not completed, for example) or newly
implemented SMART goals include the following:
General Fund
City Manager implemented new goal to “coordinate with department heads to ensure an average of
$500,000 per year in grants or outside funding sources for city programs over the next five years.”
City Manager implemented new goal to “submit at least three Minnesota GreenStep Cities best
practice actions for review per year over the next three years.”
Finance implemented new goal to “maintain bond rating of at least AA over the next five years.”
Finance implemented new goal to “conduct unmodified audit on prior year’s financial statements
with clean findings annually over the next five years.”
Assessing implemented new goal to “increase total city taxable property market value by $50 million
per year over the next five years.”
Elections implemented new goal to ”achieve at least 55% voter turnout rate for gubernatorial races
and at least 80% voter turnout rate for presidential races over the next six years.”
Planning implemented new goal to “increase median household value by at least 3% per year over the
next five years.”
Public Safety
Public Safety goal to “complete a minimum of eight inter/intra‐jurisdictional traffic details over the
next three years” changed from on track to not completed. Traffic details were put on hold in 2020 due
to limited interactions with the public as a result of the pandemic and police staffing levels.
Reserves/Explorers goal to “maintain a minimum staffing level of four police explorers per year over
the next three years” changed from on track to not completed. The program was put on hold in 2020 due
to the pandemic.
Reserves/Explorers goal to “complete at least 33 community education and outreach programs per
year over the next three years” changed from on track to not completed. The program was put on hold
in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Request for Action, Page 5
Fire & EMS goal to “complete a minimum of 30 Home Safety Surveys annually over the next five
years” changed from on track to not completed. The surveys were put on hold in March of 2020 due to
the pandemic.
Fire & EMS goal to “exceed the district firefighter minimum training requirement of 44 hours
annually by an average of 44 hours per firefighter per year (88 hours total) for the next five years”
changed from on track to not completed.
Fire & EMS implemented new goal to ”obtain an average of $50,000 in grants, reimbursements, and
donations annually over the next five years.”
Streets
Streets implemented new goal to “maintain an average Pavement Rating Index of at least 80 over the
next five years.”
Streets implemented new goal to “update pavement management plan annually over the next five
years.”
Parks & Recreation
Recreation implemented new goal to “offer eight special events per year over the next five years.”
Recreation implemented new goal to “average $15,000 per year in donations, grants, and sponsorships
over the next five years.”
Recreation implemented new goal to “produce three In Motion program brochures annually over the
next five years.”
Parks implemented new goal to “replace minimum of one playground structure per year over the
next four years.”
Parks implemented new goal to “crack fill, resurface, or rebuild a minimum of one court surface per
year over the next five years.”
Parks implemented new goal to “replace three park name signs per year over the next three years.”
Special Revenue Fund
Economic Development Authority implemented new goal to “attract at least 10 new businesses per
year over the next five years.”
Solid Waste Management implemented new goal to “Maintain 80% or greater recycling participation
rate over the next five years.”
Solid Waste Management implemented new goal to “average 450 pounds recycled per household per
year over the next five years.”
Capital Projects Fund
Park Infrastructure implemented new goal to “increase levy by 3% per year over the next five years to
increase funds available for park improvements.”
Street Infrastructure implemented new goal to “utilize GIS data during capital project construction to
track daily activity and expedite record planning process.”
Enterprise Funds
Golf Course implemented new goal to “increase clubhouse rentals by 3% per year over the next four
years.”
Ice Arena implemented new goal to “increase ice hours used for open skate and open hockey by 3%
Request for Action, Page 6
per year over the next four years.”
Ice Arena implemented new goal to “increase open skating attendance by 3% per year over the next
four years.”
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council accept the 2021 Performance Measurement Report and SMART goals
document and authorize publication of the report on the city’s website.
Attachments
City of New Hope Performance Measurement Report & SMART Goals (September 1, 2021)
PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
& SMART GOALS
CITY OF NEW HOPE, MINNESOTA
SEPTEMBER 1, 2021
In an effort to better measure and continually improve overall levels of service and quality of
life, the city of New Hope developed the Performance Measurement Report and SMART goals
document. The Performance Measurement Report compares top tier indicators, which capture
the state of the city, while SMART goals track Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and
Timely objectives set forth by department heads.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
OVERVIEW & HISTORY............................................................................................................................3
PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT............................................................................................4
COMMUNITY SAFETY & SECURITY.............................................................................................................5
PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY & COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY...............................................................10
GENERAL GOVERNMENT INFRASTRUCTURE CONDITION....................................................................14
ATTRACTIVE, HIGH QUALITY NEIGHBORHOODS & BUSINESS DISTRICTS .........................................20
PUBLIC COMMUNICATION & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.................................................................24
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS TO SIMILAR CITIES.........................................................................................26
SMART GOALS.......................................................................................................................................27
GENERAL FUND.........................................................................................................................................28
PUBLIC SAFETY ..........................................................................................................................................32
STREETS......................................................................................................................................................35
PARKS & RECREATION...............................................................................................................................36
SPECIAL REVENUE FUND..........................................................................................................................37
CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND.........................................................................................................................38
ENTERPRISE FUNDS...................................................................................................................................39
INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS.......................................................................................................................41
PAGE 2
OVERVIEW & HISTORY
CITY OF NEW HOPE OVERVIEW & HISTORY
LOCATION
The city of New Hope is a suburb located northwest
of Minneapolis with strong neighborhoods, an
abundance of parks and recreational opportunities,
excellent schools, and great shopping nearby. The
city has easy access to the entire Twin Cities area
with major arterials of Highway 169, Highway 100,
Interstate 694, and Interstate 394 all nearby.
POPULATION (2020 CENSUS)SIZE/AREA YEAR FORMED
21,986 5.1 square miles 1953
BUSINESSES JOBS SHOPPING CENTERS
480 11,080 5
SCHOOL DISTRICT SCHOOLS PARKS/ACREAGE
Robbinsdale Area (281)5 18/200
HISTORY
In the early 1900s, New Hope was a farming-rich
community. The area was settled as part of Crystal
Lake Township and became the home for many
family farms. As housing developments spread west
from Minneapolis in the 1930s, the residents of Crystal Lake Township began the movement to
incorporate the township. In 1936, the city of Crystal was incorporated. Forming a city, though,
was not supported by all residents in the township. The rural residents in the western half of
the township broke away from the city of Crystal and formed their own township. The resistant
residents, mostly farmers, were unhappy about paying taxes for projects such as street lighting
and sanitary sewer. The name the farmers selected for their new township was a reflection of
the time, New Hope.
Many residents along the New Hope-Crystal border formed groups and requested to be
annexed by Crystal in order to receive what were the most modern city services at the time.
Others, however, were happy to be part of New Hope township and remained separate from
Crystal. Therefore, pockets of New Hope residents were created along the eastern boundary.
By the early 1950s, the rapidly developing township of New Hope chose the fate it had eluded
just over 15 years earlier. In 1953, New Hope incorporated as a city to prevent losing more of
its land and residents to Crystal via annexation. This move was again opposed by the farming
community of New Hope, but housing developments between 1936 and 1953 had made farmers
a minority in New Hope.
When the township was incorporated, it had 600 residents. The city grew rapidly and was home
to over 2,500 people by 1958. This rapid population growth continued through the 1960s, and by
1971, there were 24,000 residents in New Hope. The population of the community has declined
slightly since 1971.
PAGE 3
PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
The city of New Hope Performance Measurement Report is a cumulative summary report
compiled from various sources, primarily the City Services Survey, an annual paper and
web-based survey, and the Morris Leatherman Company Survey, an extensive professional
community-wide phone survey. SMART goals that appear within the report are denoted with a
light bulb symbol (💡).
CITY OF NEW HOPE, MINNESOTA
SEPTEMBER 1, 2021
COMPARISON OF TOP TIER INDICATORS
COMMUNITY SAFETY & SECURITY
CITY OF NEW HOPE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
1. SAFETY (CITIZEN RATING)
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Very or somewhat safe 93%91%92%93%92%
Somewhat or very unsafe 7%8%7%7%8%
Unknown/Blank 1%2%1%1%0%
PAGE 5
COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES 2016
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Very or somewhat safe/Excellent or good 93%77%N/A N/A N/A
Somewhat or very unsafe/Fair or poor 7%21%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown 1%1%N/A N/A N/A
Comparison data was compiled from reports submitted by each individual city to the state as part of the City Services Survey or
Morris Leatherman Company Survey. “N/A” signifies that no data was reported.
2017
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Very or somewhat safe/Excellent or good 91%82%N/A 86%N/A
Somewhat or very unsafe/Fair or poor 8%18%N/A 14%N/A
Unknown 2%0%N/A 0%N/A
2018
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Very or somewhat safe/Excellent or good 92%84%N/A N/A N/A
Somewhat or very unsafe/Fair or poor 7%16%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown 1%0%N/A N/A N/A
2019
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Very or somewhat safe/Excellent or good 93%82%N/A N/A N/A
Somewhat or very unsafe/Fair or poor 7%18%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown 1%0%N/A N/A N/A
2020
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Very or somewhat safe/Excellent or good 92%83%N/A N/A 78%
Somewhat or very unsafe/Fair or poor 8%18%N/A N/A 22%
Unknown 0%0%N/A N/A 0%
Data for citizens’ rating of safety in the community from 2016-2020 was compiled from the City Services Survey, an annual paper
and web-based survey hosted by the League of Minnesota Cities as part of the city’s participation in the state’s Performance
Measurement Program.
CITY OF NEW HOPE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
2. CRIME RATE
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Part I crimes 583 581 682 611 600
Part II crimes 814 628 721 680 503
Crime rate data for 2016-2020 was compiled by the city’s police department. Part I crimes include murder, rape, aggravated
assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, and arson. Part II crimes include other assaults, forgery/counterfeiting,
embezzlement, stolen property, vandalism, weapons, prostitutions, other sex offenses, narcotics, gambling, family/children
crime, DUI, liquor laws, and disorderly conduct.
PAGE 6
COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES 2016
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Part I crimes 583 518 515 545 997
Part II crimes 814 925 571 628 1,283
Comparison data was compiled from reports posted on official city websites or requested and supplied directly by city staff.
2017
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Part I crimes 581 613 508 624 1,007
Part II crimes 628 847 753 628 1,289
2018
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Part I crimes 682 551 456 591 868
Part II crimes 721 786 623 556 1,332
2019
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Part I crimes 611 666 490 473 864
Part II crimes 680 753 538 538 1,143
2020
New Hope Crystal1 Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield1
Part I crimes 600 268 633 651 679
Part II crimes 503 665 482 546 1,031
Group A crimes N/A 712 N/A N/A 868
Group B crimes N/A 274 N/A N/A 213
1 The cities of Crystal and Richfield moved to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) on September 1, 2020.
Part I and Part II crimes include data from January 1, 2020-August 31, 2020. Group A and Group B crimes include data from
September 1, 2020- December 31, 2020. Group A offense categories include 52 offenses within 24 crime categories. Group
B offenses include 10 crime categories. The change in recording methods makes comparing data between the two systems
difficult. When multiple offenses take place, each offense is now tracked in NIBRS. Previously, only the highest offense was
tracked. Additionally, there is no way to combine or compare groups of data.
3. TRAFFIC ACCIDENT RATE
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Accidents 428 422 411 432 334
Accidents per 1,000 population 21.04 20.75 20.21 21.24 16.42
Traffic accident data for 2016-2020 was compiled by the city’s police department.
COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES
CITY OF NEW HOPE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
PAGE 7
2016
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Accidents per 1,000 population 21.04 12.91 18.16 14.82 24.95
2017
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Accidents per 1,000 population 20.75 16.67 17.97 12.72 26.14
2018
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Accidents per 1,000 population 20.21 17.65 18.84 15.38 26.54
2019
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Accidents per 1,000 population 21.24 15.08 14.82 17.67 25.46
2020
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Accidents per 1,000 population 16.42 12.64 9.87 12.49 15.39
Comparison data was compiled from reports submitted by each individual city to the state as part of the Performance
Measurement Program or requested and supplied directly by city staff.
4. POLICE RESPONSE
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Priority 1 call response time (average minutes)4.34 4.32 4.36 4.35 4.03
Traffic accident data for 2016-2020 was compiled by the city’s police department.
COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES 2016
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Priority 1 call response time (average minutes)4.34 N/A N/A N/A 3.71
2017
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Priority 1 call response time (average minutes)4.32 N/A N/A N/A 3.69
2018
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Priority 1 call response time (average minutes)4.36 N/A N/A N/A 4.04
2019
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Priority 1 call response time (average minutes)4.35 N/A 2.23 4.02 4.02
2020
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Priority 1 call response time (average minutes)4.03 N/A 2.80 5.07 4.01
Comparison data was compiled from reports submitted by each individual city to the state as part of the Performance
Measurement Program or requested and supplied directly by city staff.
CITY OF NEW HOPE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
5. EMERGENCY SERVICES
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Calls for service 795 979 972 1,097 983
Calls per 1,000 population 39.09 48.13 47.79 53.94 48.33
Emergency services data for 2016-2020 was compiled by the West Metro Fire-Rescue District. Calls for service include fire,
hazardous conditions, target hazards, EMS, rescue, weather, police assistance, service, good intent, and false alarms, amongst
others.
PAGE 8
COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES
2016
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Calls per 1,000 population 39.09 31.46 36.67 14.45 114.31
Comparison data was compiled from reports posted on official city websites or requested and supplied directly by city staff.
2017
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Calls per 1,000 population 48.13 39.64 31.38 14.40 121.52
2018
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Calls per 1,000 population 47.79 36.93 29.23 13.70 118.23
2019
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Calls per 1,000 population 53.94 37.88 36.03 17.80 125.21
2020
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Calls per 1,000 population 48.33 35.26 35.54 15.05 126.35
6. CODE ENFORCEMENT SERVICES (CITIZEN RATING)
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Excellent or good 45%N/A N/A N/A N/A
Fair 16%N/A N/A N/A N/A
Poor 9%N/A N/A N/A N/A
Too tough N/A 7%7%7%8%
About right N/A 47%53%58%63%
Not tough enough N/A 36%34%34%28%
Unknown/Blank 30%10%6%1%1%
Data for citizens’ rating of the quality of code enforcement services from 2016-2020 was compiled from the City Services Survey,
an annual paper and web-based survey hosted by the League of Minnesota Cities as part of the city’s participation in the state’s
Performance Measurement Program. Potential responses to the survey were changed in 2017 to better correlate with how the
survey question was worded. “N/A” signifies that no data was reported.
CITY OF NEW HOPE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
7. FIRE PROTECTION (CITIZEN RATING)
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Excellent or good 68%67%79%80%78%
Fair or neutral 2%2%17%18%19%
Poor 0%0%1%1%1%
Unknown or blank 30%31%4%2%1%
PAGE 9
Data for citizens’ rating of the quality of fire protection services from 2016-2020 was compiled from the City Services Survey,
an annual paper and web-based survey hosted by the League of Minnesota Cities as part of the city’s participation in the state’s
Performance Measurement Program.
COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES 2016
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 68%61%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 2%10%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 0%2%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 30%27%N/A N/A N/A
Comparison data was compiled from reports submitted by each individual city to the state as part of the City Services Survey or
Morris Leatherman Company Survey. “N/A” signifies that no data was reported.
2017
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 67%66%N/A 97%N/A
Fair or neutral 2%4%N/A 3%N/A
Poor 0%1%N/A 0%N/A
Unknown or blank 31%29%N/A 0%N/A
2018
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 79%71%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 17%3%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 1%0%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 4%26%N/A N/A N/A
2019
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 80%73%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 18%3%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 1%1%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 2%23%N/A N/A N/A
2020
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 78%73%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 19%5%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 1%1%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 1%22%N/A N/A N/A
CITY OF NEW HOPE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
8. CITY SERVICES/QUALITY OF LIFE (CITIZEN RATING)
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Excellent or good 87%84.5%81%81%81%
Fair or neutral 10%10.5%16%17%16%
Poor 1%1%1%1%1%
Unknown or blank 3%4%2%1%2%
PAGE 10
Data for citizens’ rating of the overall quality of city services from 2016-2020 was compiled from the City Services Survey, an
annual paper and web-based survey hosted by the League of Minnesota Cities as part of the city’s participation in the state’s
Performance Measurement Program.
COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES 2016
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 87%62%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 10%27%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 1%8%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 3%3%N/A N/A N/A
Comparison data was compiled from reports submitted by each individual city to the state as part of the City Services Survey or
Morris Leatherman Company Survey. “N/A” signifies that no data was reported.
2017
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 84.5%78%N/A 91%N/A
Fair or neutral 10.5%14%N/A 9%N/A
Poor 1%4%N/A 0%N/A
Unknown or blank 4%4%N/A 0%N/A
2018
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 81%76%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 16%15%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 1%4%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 2%5%N/A N/A N/A
2019
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 81%73%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 17%17%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 1%5%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 1%5%N/A N/A N/A
2020
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 81%76%N/A N/A 87%
Fair or neutral 16%16%N/A N/A 13%
Poor 1%4%N/A N/A 0%
Unknown or blank 2%4%N/A N/A 0%
PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY & COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY
CITY OF NEW HOPE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
9. CREDITWORTHINESS
PAGE 11
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Bond rating 💡AA AA AA AA AA
The city’s bond rating for 2016-2020 was determined by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services. Standard & Poor’s rating definitions
state that “an issuer rated ‘AA’ has very strong capacity to meet its financial commitments and differs from the highest-rated
issuers only to a small degree.” The rating reflects an assessment of various factors for the city, including strong economy (an
improvement from 2016); very strong management with “strong” financial policies; strong budgetary performance, with an
operating surplus in the general fund; very strong budgetary flexibility; very strong liquidity; weak debt and contingent liability
profile; and a strong institutional framework score.
COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES 2016
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Bond rating AA AA2 AA1 AA AA+
Comparison data was compiled from reports posted on official websites for each city. The AAA rating represents minimum
credit risk and signifies that the insurer has extremely strong capacity to meet its financial commitments. It is the highest rating
assigned by Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s. Moody’s AA1 rating and Standard & Poor’s AA+ rating are the
second highest ratings assigned by each agency and indicate a slightly higher rating as compared to Standard & Poor’s AA rating
and Moody’s AA2 rating.
2017
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Bond rating AA AA2 AA1 AA AA+
2018
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Bond rating AA AA2 AA1 AA AA+
2019
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Bond rating AA AA2 AA1 AA+AA+
2020
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Bond rating AA AA2 AA1 AA+AA+
10. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Unmodified audit on financial statements 💡
Unqualified financial audits for 2016-2020 and unmodified financial audits for 2020 were performed by Malloy, Montague,
Karnowski, Radosevich & Co., P.A.
11. FINANCIAL CONDITION
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Property taxes (general fund)$8,954,626 $9,541,667 $9,971,064 $10,297,018 $10,422,823
Personnel costs (general fund)$7,429,564 $7,771,859 $8,156,899 $8,634,285 $8,696,425
Ratio of tax revenues to personnel costs 1.21 1.23 1.22 1.19 1.19
Property tax payment rate 99.48%99.40%99.40%99.15%99.20%
Financial condition data for 2016-2020 was compiled by the city’s financial consultant, Abdo, Eick and Meyers, LLP, as a part of
the city’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.
💡SMART Goal
💡SMART Goal
CITY OF NEW HOPE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
PAGE 12
12. PROPERTY VALUES
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Taxable market value 💡$1,535,054,114 $1,697,092,365 $1,831,436,951 $2,021,382,123 $2,177,389,934
Percent change in taxable market value 7.28%10.56%7.92%10.37%7.72%
Data for taxable market values of properties in New Hope for 2016-2020 was determined by Hennepin County. Taxable market
value for 2016 was payable in 2017, value for 2017 was payable in 2018, etc.
COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES 2016
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Taxable market value $1,535,054,114 $1,482,067,331 $3,271,878,353 $2,058,438,500 $2,897,764,130
Percent change in taxable market value 7.28%10.67%5.63%6.81%8.49%
Data for taxable market values was compiled from comprehensive market value reports posted on county websites.
2017
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Taxable market value $1,697,092,365 $1,637,892,494 $3,523,108,955 $2,233,653,900 $3,079,159,709
Percent change in taxable market value 10.56%10.51%7.68%8.51%6.26%
2018
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Taxable market value $1,831,436,951 $1,780,685,897 $3,842,319,483 $2,417,354,100 $3,421,012,095
Percent change in taxable market value 7.92%8.72%9.06%8.22%11.1%
2019
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Taxable market value $2,021,382,123 $1,995,358,954 $4,136,243,370 $2,568,417,900 $3,688,345,783
Percent change in taxable market value 10.37%12.06%7.65%6.25%7.81%
2020
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Taxable market value $2,177,389,934 $2,089,227,330 $4,325,815,780 $2,760,181,800 $3,861,992,678
Percent change in taxable market value 7.72%4.70%4.58%7.47%4.71%
13. EMPLOYEE RETENTION
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Turnover rate 💡10.7%9.4%6.5%5.4%11.8%
Employee turnover rate data for 2016-2020 was compiled by the city’s human resources department.
💡SMART Goal
💡SMART Goal
14. WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Number of insurance claims 28 20 41 19 41
Experience modification rate 💡1.30 1.40 1.08 1.05 0.92
Insurance claims and Experience Modification Rate (EMR) data for 2016-2020 was compiled by the city’s human resources
department. The EMR gauges the past cost of injuries and future chances of risk, impacting the cost of the city’s worker
compensation insurance premiums. The industry benchmark average EMR is 1.0. An EMR of less than 1.0 effectively reduces
the premium paid, where an EMR greater than 1.0 increases the premium paid. The EMR for 2020-2021 is calculated using 2016,
2017, and 2018 data.
💡SMART Goal
CITY OF NEW HOPE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
PAGE 13
15. ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
The Minnesota GreenStep Cities Program is a voluntary challenge, assistance, and recognition program that helps cities
achieve their sustainability and quality-of-life goals. This free continuous improvement program, managed by a public-private
partnership, is based upon 29 best practices comprised of 175 best practice actions. The program recognizes cities for their
accomplishments by assigning a step level ranging from 1 to 5, which is determined by Minnesota GreenStep Cities.
COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES
Comparison data was compiled from the Minnesota GreenStep Cities’ website.
2016
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Minnesota GreenStep Cities rating Step 3 Step 2 Step 1 Step 2 Step 2
2017
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Minnesota GreenStep Cities rating Step 3 Step 2 Step 2 Step 2 Step 2
2018
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Minnesota GreenStep Cities rating Step 3 Step 2 Step 3 Step 3 Step 2
2020
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Minnesota GreenStep Cities rating Step 3 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 3
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Minnesota GreenStep Cities step level Step 3 Step 3 Step 3 Step 3 Step 3
Best practices completed 18 21 24 24 25
Best practice actions completed 💡70 76 83 88 91
2019
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Minnesota GreenStep Cities rating Step 3 Step 3 Step 4 Step 4 Step 3
💡SMART Goal
CITY OF NEW HOPE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
16. CITY ROADS (CITIZEN RATING)
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Excellent or good 63%76%70%66%64%
Fair or neutral 30%20%23%31%32%
Poor 6%4%2%3%3%
Unknown or blank 1%0%5%1%1%
PAGE 14
Data for citizens’ rating of city roads from 2016-2020 was compiled from the City Services Survey, an annual paper and web-
based survey hosted by the League of Minnesota Cities as part of the city’s participation in the state’s Performance Measurement
Program.
COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES 2016
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 63%63%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 30%25%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 6%12%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 1%0%N/A N/A N/A
Comparison data was compiled from reports submitted by each individual city to the state as part of the City Services Survey or
Morris Leatherman Company Survey. “N/A” signifies that no data was reported.
2017
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 76%75%N/A 63%N/A
Fair or neutral 20%19%N/A 30%N/A
Poor 4%5%N/A 7%N/A
Unknown or blank 0%0%N/A 0%N/A
2018
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 70%73%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 23%23%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 2%4%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 5%0%N/A N/A N/A
2019
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 62%70%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 31%23%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 6%7%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 1%0%N/A N/A N/A
2020
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 64%71%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 32%23%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 3%6%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 1%0%N/A N/A N/A
GENERAL GOVERNMENT INFRASTRUCTURE CONDITION
CITY OF NEW HOPE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
17. PAVEMENT
PAGE 15
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Pavement condition rating 💡75 (good)76 (good)76 (good)76 (good)80 (good)
Data for pavement condition ratings from 2016-2020 was compiled by the city engineer.
18. ROAD SNOWPLOWING (CITIZEN RATING)
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Excellent or good 84%84%80%78%81%
Fair or neutral 10%12%15%18%16%
Poor 4%2%4%4%2%
Unknown or blank 2%2%1%0%1%
Data for citizens’ rating of the quality of snowplowing of city streets from 2016-2020 was compiled from the City Services Survey,
an annual paper and web-based survey hosted by the League of Minnesota Cities as part of the city’s participation in the state’s
Performance Measurement Program.
COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES 2016
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 84%43%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 10%35%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 4%17%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 2%6%N/A N/A N/A
Comparison data was compiled from reports submitted by each individual city to the state as part of the City Services Survey or
Morris Leatherman Company Survey. “N/A” signifies that no data was reported.
2017
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 84%69%N/A 81%N/A
Fair or neutral 12%19%N/A 12%N/A
Poor 2%9%N/A 7%N/A
Unknown or blank 2%3%N/A 0%N/A
2018
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 80%63%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 15%23%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 4%11%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 1%3%N/A N/A N/A
2019
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 78%65%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 18%21%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 4%13%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 0%1%N/A N/A N/A
2020
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 81%69%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 16%20%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 2%10%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 1%1%N/A N/A N/A
💡SMART Goal
CITY OF NEW HOPE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
PAGE 16
19. WATER UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Water main breaks 19 12 24 14 18
Water main break data for 2016-2020 was compiled by the city’s public works department.
COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES 2016
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Water main breaks 19 9 14 28 16
Comparison data was compiled from reports submitted by each individual city to the state as part of the City Services Survey or
requested and supplied directly by city staff.
2017
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Water main breaks 12 13 11 14 11
2018
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Water main breaks 24 12 17 21 12
2019
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Water main breaks 14 10 14 15 10
2020
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Water main breaks 18 7 28 15 11
CITY OF NEW HOPE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
PAGE 17
20. WATER QUALITY (CITIZEN RATING)
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Excellent or good 88%90%86%87%88%
Fair or neutral 7%6%12%11%10%
Poor 2%2%1%1%1%
Unknown or blank 3%2%1%1%1%
Data for citizens’ rating of the dependability and quality of the city water supply from 2016-2020 was compiled from the
City Services Survey, an annual paper and web-based survey hosted by the League of Minnesota Cities as part of the city’s
participation in the state’s Performance Measurement Program.
COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES 2016
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 88%85%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 7%9%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 2%1%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 3%5%N/A N/A N/A
Comparison data was compiled from reports submitted by each individual city to the state as part of the City Services Survey
or Morris Leatherman Company Survey. “N/A” signifies that no data was reported. The cities of New Hope, Crystal, and
Golden Valley are members of the Joint Water Commission (JWC), a joint powers board that was formed in 1963 with the intent
of providing its member cities with a secure, reliable, cost-effective water supply. The JWC purchases water from the city of
Minneapolis, which draws its water supply from the Mississippi River in Fridley, where it is treated and purified.
2017
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 90%89%N/A 53%N/A
Fair or neutral 6%6%N/A 29%N/A
Poor 2%3%N/A 18%N/A
Unknown or blank 2%2%N/A 0%N/A
2018
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 86%91%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 12%6%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 1%2%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 1%1%N/A N/A N/A
2019
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 87%87%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 11%9%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 1%2%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 1%2%N/A N/A N/A
2020
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 88%85%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 10%9%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 1%4%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 1%3%N/A N/A N/A
CITY OF NEW HOPE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
PAGE 18
21. SANITARY SEWER (CITIZEN RATING)
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Excellent or good 84%86%80%81%80%
Fair or neutral 6%5%16%17%18%
Poor 1%1%1%1%1%
Unknown or blank 10%8%3%1%1%
Data for citizens’ rating of the dependability and quality of the city sanitary sewer service from 2016-2020 was compiled from
the City Services Survey, an annual paper and web-based survey hosted by the League of Minnesota Cities as part of the city’s
participation in the state’s Performance Measurement Program.
COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES 2016
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 84%70%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 6%11%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 1%7%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 10%12%N/A N/A N/A
Comparison data was compiled from reports submitted by each individual city to the state as part of the City Services Survey or
Morris Leatherman Company Survey. “N/A” signifies that no data was reported.
2017
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 86%82%N/A 77%N/A
Fair or neutral 5%6%N/A 20%N/A
Poor 1%0%N/A 3%N/A
Unknown or blank 8%12%N/A 0%N/A
2018
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 80%84%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 16%5%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 1%1%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 3%10%N/A N/A N/A
2019
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 81%80%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 17%6%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 1%2%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 1%11%N/A N/A N/A
2020
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 80%82%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 18%7%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 1%0%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 1%11%N/A N/A N/A
CITY OF NEW HOPE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
PAGE 19
22. SEWER UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Blockages 0 0 0 1 2
Blockages per 1,000 connections (5,400 total).000 .000 .000 .185 .370
Sewer blockages data for 2016-2020 was compiled by the city’s public works department.
COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES 2016
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Blockages per 1,000 connections .000 1.000 .000 .000 .278
Comparison data was compiled from reports submitted by each individual city to the state as part of the Performance
Measurement Program or requested and supplied directly by city staff.
2017
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Blockages per 1,000 connections .000 1.000 .267 .169 .000
2018
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Blockages per 1,000 connections .000 1.000 .401 .674 .000
2019
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Blockages per 1,000 connections .185 .375 .267 .169 .000
2020
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Blockages per 1,000 connections .370 .375 .401 .337 .000
23. STORMWATER MANAGEMENT (CITIZEN RATING)
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Excellent or good N/A N/A N/A 70%72%
Fair or neutral N/A N/A N/A 26%25%
Poor N/A N/A N/A 3%2%
Unknown or blank N/A N/A N/A 1%1%
Data for citizens’ rating of the quality of stormwater management from 2019-2020 was compiled from the City Services Survey,
an annual paper and web-based survey hosted by the League of Minnesota Cities as part of the city’s participation in the state’s
Performance Measurement Program. “N/A” signifies that no data was reported.
ATTRACTIVE, HIGH QUALITY NEIGHBORHOODS & BUSINESS
DISTRICTS
CITY OF NEW HOPE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
24. DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Permits issued 2,607 2,652 2,441 2,459 2,536
Fees collected 💡$602,391 $867,289 $506,883 $452,267 $513,900
Valuation of work 💡$37,740,765 $71,895,249 $46,952,876 $38,288,981 $27,832,249
PAGE 20
COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES 2016
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Permits issued 2,607 2,757 4,809 2,586 4,993
Fees collected $602,391 $386,630 $1,748,350 $881,527 $973,395
Valuation of work $37,740,765 $11,466,999 $107,880,740 $29,340,095 $75,795,522
Comparison data was requested and supplied directly by city staff.
2017
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Permits issued 2,652 2,808 5,013 2,335 5,185
Fees collected $867,289 $432,094 $3,096,448 $941,559 $902,259
Valuation of work $71,895,249 $17,035,179 $276,995,856 $41,167,266 $116,226,763
2018
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Permits issued 2,441 2,562 4,801 2,087 5,384
Fees collected $506,883 $447,303 $1,799,150 $469,215 $1,326,046
Valuation of work $46,952,876 $13,912,369 $99,562,730 $17,164,550 $189,452,625
2019
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Permits issued 2,459 2,833 4,840 2,215 4,971
Fees collected $452,267 $477,399 $1,633,690 $1,425,085 $2,336,391
Valuation of work $38,288,981 $26,654,088 $88,061,211 $85,540,662 $242,383,630
2020
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Permits issued 2,536 2,751 4,172 2,533 5,756
Fees collected $513,900 $360,128 $1,242,105 $1,493,157 $1,469,468
Valuation of work $27,832,249 $9,465,930 $49,665,715 $86,595,657 $153,378,020
Permit data for 2016-2020 was compiled by the city’s community development department.
💡SMART Goal
CITY OF NEW HOPE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
PAGE 21
25. RECREATION PROGRAMS & FACILITIES (CITIZEN RATING)
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Excellent or good 74%73%75%74%72%
Fair or neutral 10%8%22%24%24%
Poor 1%2%1%1%1%
Unknown or blank 16%17%2%1%2%
Data for citizens’ rating of the quality of city recreational programs and facilities from 2016-2020 was compiled from the
City Services Survey, an annual paper and web-based survey hosted by the League of Minnesota Cities as part of the city’s
participation in the state’s Performance Measurement Program.
COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES 2016
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 74%61%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 10%19%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 1%14%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 16%7%N/A N/A N/A
Comparison data was compiled from reports submitted by each individual city to the state as part of the City Services Survey or
Morris Leatherman Company Survey. “N/A” signifies that no data was reported.
2017
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 73%71%N/A 70%N/A
Fair or neutral 8%19%N/A 26%N/A
Poor 2%5%N/A 4%N/A
Unknown or blank 17%6%N/A 0%N/A
2018
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 75%72%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 22%17%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 1%5%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 2%6%N/A N/A N/A
2019
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 74%71%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 24%15%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 1%6%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 1%8%N/A N/A N/A
2020
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 72%72%N/A N/A 81%
Fair or neutral 24%18%N/A N/A 17%
Poor 1%5%N/A N/A 2%
Unknown or blank 2%5%N/A N/A 0%
1 Survey separated questions for recreation programs and recreation facilities.
CITY OF NEW HOPE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
26. RECREATION PARTICIPATION & ATTENDANCE
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Participants in recreation programs 💡23,717 25,043 25,604 23,598 10,504
Pool attendance 19,755 18,761 Closed Closed Closed
Pool passes 665 657 Closed Closed Closed
Golf rounds 💡20,375 18,662 17,800 16,837 26,553
Open skating attendance 💡1,728 1,962 2,204 2,594 1,055
Ice hours rented 💡3,567 4,030 4,151 4,202 2,984
PAGE 22
Recreation program participant data for 2016-2020 was compiled by the city’s parks and recreation department.
COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES 2016
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley1 New Brighton Richfield
Pool attendance 19,755 26,769 N/A N/A 46,615
Pool passes 665 812 (family)N/A N/A N/A
Golf rounds 20,375 N/A 16,364 22,072 N/A
Open skating attendance 1,728 N/A N/A N/A 3,423
Ice hours rented 3,567 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Comparison data was requested and supplied directly by city staff. “N/A” signifies that the city does not operate a pool or golf
course or ice arena.
2017
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley1 New Brighton Richfield
Pool attendance 18,761 27,098 N/A N/A 36,288
Pool passes 657 626 (family)N/A N/A 1,856
Golf rounds 18,662 N/A 15,556 19,675 N/A
Open skating attendance 1,962 N/A N/A N/A 4,796
Ice hours rented 4,030 N/A N/A N/A N/A
2018
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley1 New Brighton Richfield
Pool attendance Closed 30,350 N/A N/A 42,480
Pool passes Closed 2,276 (ind.)N/A N/A 1,840
Golf rounds 17,800 N/A 15,723 18,128 N/A
Open skating attendance 2,204 N/A N/A N/A 4,673
Ice hours rented 4,151 N/A N/A N/A N/A
2019
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley1 New Brighton Richfield
Pool attendance Closed 26,631 N/A N/A 43,560
Pool passes Closed 2,024 (ind.)N/A N/A 1,961
Golf rounds 16,837 N/A 16,430 16,893 N/A
Open skating attendance 2,594 N/A N/A N/A 4,448
Ice hours rented 4,202 N/A N/A N/A 5,702
2020
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley1 New Brighton Richfield
Pool attendance Closed Closed N/A N/A Closed
Pool passes Closed Closed N/A N/A Closed
Golf rounds 26,553 N/A 25,879 23,473 N/A
Open skating attendance 1,055 N/A N/A N/A 1,842
Ice hours rented 2,984 N/A N/A N/A 3,524
💡SMART Goal
1 Data from par 3 golf course only, does not include rounds at 18-hole regulation course.
CITY OF NEW HOPE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
PAGE 23
27. CITY/NEIGHBORHOOD APPEARANCE (CITIZEN RATING)
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Excellent or good 78%82%79%79%80%
Fair or neutral 20%15%20%19%18%
Poor 2%2%1%1%1%
Unknown or blank 0%1%0%1%1%
Data for citizens’ rating of the overall appearance of the city from 2016-2020 was compiled from the City Services Survey, an
annual paper and web-based survey hosted by the League of Minnesota Cities as part of the city’s participation in the state’s
Performance Measurement Program.
COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES 2016
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 78%50%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 20%43%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 2%7%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 0%0%N/A N/A N/A
Comparison data was compiled from reports submitted by each individual city to the state as part of the City Services Survey or
Morris Leatherman Company Survey. “N/A” signifies that no data was reported.
2017
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 82%69%N/A 82%N/A
Fair or neutral 15%26%N/A 19%N/A
Poor 2%4%N/A 1%N/A
Unknown or blank 1%0%N/A 0%N/A
2018
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 79%63%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 20%31%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 1%6%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 0%0%N/A N/A N/A
2019
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 79%65%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 19%30%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 1%5%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 1%0%N/A N/A N/A
2020
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Excellent or good 80%66%N/A N/A N/A
Fair or neutral 18%28%N/A N/A N/A
Poor 1%5%N/A N/A N/A
Unknown or blank 1%0%N/A N/A N/A
CITY OF NEW HOPE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
28. DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION (CITIZEN RATING)
PAGE 24
Data for citizens’ rating of the quality of communication/distribution of information from 2016-2020 was compiled from the
City Services Survey, an annual paper and web-based survey hosted by the League of Minnesota Cities as part of the city’s
participation in the state’s Performance Measurement Program.
PUBLIC COMMUNICATION & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
29. WEBSITE TRAFFIC
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Unique visitors 115,356 98,049 91,165 102,583 99,161
Website data for 2016-2020 was compiled by the city’s communications department.
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Excellent or good 78%77%77%72%71%
Fair or neutral 16%19%20%24%25%
Poor 1%2%3%3%3%
Unknown or blank 5%2%1%1%1%
COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES 2016
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Unique visitors 115,356 98,839 N/A N/A N/A
Comparison data was requested and supplied directly by city staff.
2017
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Unique visitors 98,049 90,037 N/A N/A N/A
2018
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Unique visitors 91,165 91,105 N/A N/A N/A
2019
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Unique visitors 102,583 96,539 N/A N/A N/A
2020
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Unique visitors 99,161 101,832 N/A N/A N/A
CITY OF NEW HOPE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
PAGE 25
30. MEETING VIEWERSHIP
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Online views of city meetings 1,197 1,429 803 555 1,796
Online viewership data for 2016-2020 was compiled by CCX Media, the organization that broadcasts city meetings. Viewership
numbers include city council, economic development authority, and planning commission meetings as well as candidate
forums and state of the city events. A technical problem prevented Northwest Community Television from gathering data from
November and December 2018, therefore viewership data for those two months is not included in the total.
COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES 2016
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Online views of city meetings 1,119 1,184 1,234 N/A N/A
Comparison data was requested and supplied directly by CCX Media.
2017
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Online views of city meetings 1,429 1,220 1,169 N/A N/A
2018
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Online views of city meetings 803 584 1,016 N/A N/A
2019
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Online views of city meetings 555 503 1,509 N/A N/A
2020
New Hope Crystal Golden Valley New Brighton Richfield
Online views of city meetings 1,796 1,159 2,550 N/A N/A
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS TO SIMILAR CITIES
31. TAX RATE
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
New Hope1 57.41%59.93%58.59%67.99%67.09%
New Hope without street infrastructure levy2 48.57%51.43%50.29%59.23%57.725%
Crystal 53.21%50.36%50.42%48.77%47.86%
Golden Valley 54.45%56.11%55.15%53.78%53.40%
Champlin 44.28%43.00%41.19%39.61%39.56%
Hopkins 65.58%64.49%67.83%71.70%70.75%
Brooklyn Center 73.29%71.90%68.43%71.86%66.60%
Tax rate data for 2016-2020 was compiled by the city’s financial consultant, Abdo, Eick and Meyers, LLP, from the county rate
cards.
1 New Hope’s total tax capacity rate does not take into account that New Hope does not levy special assessments for street
infrastructure improvement projects.
2 Removing New Hope’s street infrastructure levy from the tax capacity rate puts it on an equal playing field with neighboring
communities. The city funds street infrastructure improvement projects through its annual street infrastructure levy with the
cost of street improvements spread across all taxpaying properties.
32. DEBT PER CAPITA
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
New Hope 1,160 2,040 2,448 2,605 2,094
Crystal 696 884 760 668 553
Golden Valley 2,965 4,134 2,808 3,938 2,913
Champlin 404 184 164 143 452
Hopkins 2,812 3,518 3,797 4,055 4,467
Brooklyn Center 1,663 1,757 1,921 1,954 1,977
Debt per capita data for New Hope from 2016-2020 was compiled by the city’s financial consultant, Abdo, Eick and Meyers, LLP,
as a part of the city’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.
33. RESPONSE RATE
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
New Hope 646 632 679 610 839
Crystal 89 530 362 399 389
Golden Valley N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Richfield N/A N/A N/A N/A 673
New Brighton N/A 330 N/A N/A N/A
All comparison data was compiled from reports submitted by each individual city to the state as part of the City Services Survey.
“N/A” signifies that no survey was conducted.
CITY OF NEW HOPE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REPORT
PAGE 26
SMART GOALS
The city developed SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely) goals in 2016
based on sections of the annual budget. The objective of a SMART goal is to tell exactly what is
expected, why it is important, who is involved, when it is going to happen, and which attributes
are important. Such goals have a much greater chance of being accomplished as compared to
general goals.
CITY OF NEW HOPE, MINNESOTA
SEPTEMBER 1, 2021
ESTABLISHED BETWEEN 2015 & 2020
GENERAL FUND
CITY OF NEW HOPE SMART GOALS
CITY MANAGER
Goal: Coordinate with department heads to ensure an average of $500,000 per year in grants or
outside funding sources for city programs over the next five years.
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
$647,126 $280,597 $2,266,459 $505,403 $320,789
Status: Completed. The city received an average of $804,075 per year in grants or outside funding
sources between 2016 and 2020. This does not include $1,653,393 in CARES Act funds that were
awarded to the city to assist with the impact of COVID-19 in 2020. The Minnesota Legislature
approved a request by the city for $2 million to help pay for a new 50-meter outdoor pool in
2018.
PAGE 28
Goal: Complete or improve star rating for three or more best practices through the Minnesota
GreenStep Cities program in 2020.
Status: Completed. In 2020, the city received credit for one new best practice, three new best practice
actions, and increased its star rating for an additional two best practice actions. Newly completed
actions from 2020 included the use of energy efficient and environmentally friendly technology,
equipment, and building materials in the construction of the new police station/city hall, a
stormwater treatment and draintile system at the new police station/city hall, and the installation
of water bottle filling stations inside of the building. Other actions included a Safe Routes to
School grant for a temporary installation at the intersection of Boone and 62nd avenues, near
Meadow Lake Elementary, the reuse of appliances from a city-acquired scattered site housing
property, and the establishment of solar energy system regulations allowing for roof and ground
mounted solar energy systems. City staff also initiated a plastics recycling program for staff at city
hall. The city has completed 91 best practice actions, which ranks third amongst 141 participating
cities in total number completed.
2019 2020
88 91
Goal: Coordinate with department heads to ensure an average of $500,000 per year in grants or
outside funding sources for city programs over the next five years.
Status: New for 2021.
Goal: Submit at least three Minnesota GreenStep Cities best practice actions for review per year over
the next three years.
Status: New for 2021.
CITY OF NEW HOPE SMART GOALS
PAGE 29
FINANCE
Goal: Increase bond rating from AA to AA+ in the next five years.
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
AA AA AA AA AA AA
Status: Not completed. The city’s bonds are rated by Standard and Poor’s (S&P) and remained stable at
“AA” in 2020, signifying that the city has very strong capacity to meet its financial commitments
and is just two rankings below the highest-rated AAA issuers. The city’s financial consultant
developed and implemented a Comprehensive Financial Management Plan in 2016. The plan
includes a debt management plan, revenue management, capital assets, and an update to
the investment policy. City staff also published an economic development report, which was
submitted with the financial management plan in an effort to increase the city’s bond rating. In
2017, S&P recognized these efforts by improving the city’s “Management” score from “Strong” to
“Very Strong,” which is the highest value assigned by S&P for this portion of the rating, but the
overall rating did not change. According to S&P, if the city’s economic indicators improve to a level
commensurate with higher rated peers and the debt profile improves, a higher rating is possible.
The economic indicators used by S&P include per capita income in the city relative to the nation
and the market value of property in the city on a per capita basis. While these factors are largely
outside the city’s control, continued redevelopment efforts can help contribute to movement on
these measures.
Goal: Conduct unqualified/unmodified audit on prior year’s financial statements with clean findings
annually over the next five years.
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
1 finding 0 findings 0 findings 0 findings 0 findings
Status: Not completed. MMKR completed unqualified/unmodified audits on financial statements from
2016 to 2020. The 2016 audit revealed that certain vendor claims were not paid within the time
frame required by state statute. The issue from 2016 was corrected and future audits revealed no
findings.
Goal: Maintain bond rating of at least AA over the next five years.
Status: New for 2021.
Goal: Conduct unmodified audit on prior year’s financial statements with clean findings annually over
the next five years.
Status: New for 2021.
ASSESSING
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
$1,430,939,117 $1,535,054,114 $1,697,092,365 $1,831,436,951 $2,021,382,123 $2,177,389,934
Goal: Increase total city taxable property market value by $50 million per year over the next five years.
Status: Completed. Taxable property market value for the city increased by $104 million (7.28%) between
2015 and 2016, $162 million (10.56%) between 2016 and 2017, $134 million (7.92%) between 2017
and 2018, $190 million (10.37%) between 2018 and 2019, and $156 million (7.72%) between 2019
and 2020. Overall, taxable property market value for the city has increased by 52.17% since 2015.
Goal: Increase total city taxable property market value by $50 million per year over the next five years.
Status: New for 2021.
CITY OF NEW HOPE SMART GOALS
PAGE 30
ELECTIONS
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
80.31%N/A 74.51%N/A 83.47%
Goal: Achieve at least 55% voter turnout rate for gubernatorial races and at least 80% voter turnout
rate for presidential races over the next five years.
Status: Completed. The city had an 80.31% voter turnout rate for the 2016 presidential election, a
74.51% turnout rate for the 2018 gubernatorial election, and an 83% turnout rate for the 2020
presidential election. No elections were held in 2017 or 2019.
COMMUNICATIONS
Goal: Write and coordinate distribution of 12 In the Pipeline utility bill inserts annually over the next
three years.
Status: On track. In the Pipeline was distributed monthly with 2019 and 2020 city utility bills.
2019 2020 2021
12 12 TBD
Goal: Execute more than 100 reader board updates annually over the next three years.
Status: On track. The reader board at 42nd and Xylon avenues was updated 134 times in 2020. The sign
includes information on upcoming meetings, events, and fundraisers, city programming, city
facilities, emergency notifications, job openings, and general information.
Goal: Write and coordinate distribution of four In Touch newsletters annually over the next three years.
Goal: Achieve at least 55% voter turnout rate for gubernatorial races and at least 80% voter turnout
rate for presidential races over the next six years.
Status: New for 2021.
2020 2021 2022
134 TBD TBD
Status: Not completed. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city’s website and social media
accounts were utilized as the primary means of communication with residents. For this reason,
three newsletters were distributed in 2020.
2020 2021 2022
3 TBD TBD
Goal: Update the city’s website with news features 100 times annually over the next three years.
Status: On track. The news and features section of the website was updated 137 times in 2020.
2020 2021 2022
137 TBD TBD
Goal: Increase the city’s social media following by 15% annually over the next three years.
Status: Not completed. The number of people following the city’s Facebook and Instagram pages
increased by 12.2% between 2019 and 2020, just short of the 15% goal.
Goal: Increase traffic to the city’s website by 10% annually over the next three years.
Status: Not completed. The number of website sessions increased by 4.9% between 2019 and 2020.
2019 2020 2021 2022
3,474 3,897 TBD TBD
2019 2020 2021 2022
150,594 151,329 TBD TBD
CITY OF NEW HOPE SMART GOALS
PAGE 31
HUMAN RESOURCES
2019 2020 2021
5.4%11.8%TBD
Goal: Maintain full-time employee turnover rate of 12% or below over the next three years.
Status: On track. The full-time employee turnover rate increased from 5.4% in 2019 to 11.8% in 2020.
Goal: Maintain or decrease average historic Experience Modification Rate (EMR) from 2013-2017 for
2018-2022.
2013-2017 2018-2022
1.33 1.07
Status: On track. The city’s Experience Modification Rate (EMR) was 1.08 in 2018 and 1.05 in 2019. An
EMR gauges the past cost of injuries and future chances of risk, impacting the cost of the city’s
worker compensation insurance premiums. The industry benchmark average EMR is 1.0. An EMR
of less than 1.0 would effectively reduce the premium paid, where an EMR greater than 1.0 would
increase the premium paid. The EMR for 2019-2020 is calculated using 2015, 2016, and 2017 data.
PLANNING
Goal: Increase population as reported by the 2010 census by at least 3% by the 2020 census.
2010 2020
20,339 21,986
Status: Completed. The city’s population increased by 1,647 residents, or 8.10%, between 2010 and
2020. The decennial census determines the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of
Representatives and is used to adjust or redraw electoral districts based on where populations
have increased or decreased. The results also inform decisions about allocating hundreds of
billions of dollars in federal funding to communities across the country.
Goal: Increase median household value by at least 3% over the next five years.
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
$188,500 $196,000 $213,000 $229,000 $244,000 $257,000
Status: Completed. Median household value for the city increased by 3.98% between 2015 and 2016,
8.67% between 2016 and 2017, 7.51% between 2017 and 2018, 6.55% between 2018 and 2019,
and 5.33% between 2019 and 2020.
Goal: Increase median household value by at least 3% per year over the next five years.
Status: New for 2021.
CITY OF NEW HOPE SMART GOALS
PAGE 32
PUBLIC SAFETY
PUBLIC SAFETY
Goal: Complete a minimum of 70 hours of department-wide training per year over the next three years.
Status: On track. Officers receive a minimum of 60 hours of training per year. Each year the department
receives additional training in de-escalation, implicit bias, and individual administrative and/or
tactical training.
2019 2020 2021
80+ hours 80+ hours TBD
Goal: Complete a minimum of eight inter/intra-jurisdictional traffic details over the next three years.
Status: Not completed. In 2019, Officer Kaitlyn Baker participated in several details, some of which took
place in New Hope. The details were put on hold in 2020 due to limited interactions with the
public as a result of the pandemic and police staffing levels.
2019 2020 2021
8 On-hold TBD
RESERVES/EXPLORERS
Goal: Maintain a minimum staffing level of eight active police reserves per year over the next three
years.
Status: On track. The reserve unit continues to recruit and train staff.
2019 2020 2021
8 9 TBD
Goal: Maintain a minimum staffing level of four police explorers per year over the next three years.
Status: Not completed. In 2019 there were four explorers who achieved statewide recognition for their
work. The program was put on hold in 2020 due to the pandemic.
2019 2020 2021
5 On-hold TBD
Goal: Complete at least 33 community education and outreach programs per year over the next three
years.
Status: Not completed. Community services continues to find innovative ways to provide services for
residents. The program was put on hold in 2020 due to the pandemic.
2019 2020 2021
35 On-hold TBD
CITY OF NEW HOPE SMART GOALS
PAGE 33
FIRE & EMS
Goal: Attract a minimum of 50 firefighter candidates each year recruiting takes place over the next 10 years.
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
47 N/A 54 N/A N/A TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD
Status: Not completed. The West Metro Fire-Rescue District had 47 applicants in 2016, nearly reaching its
goal of 50, and hired 11 recruit firefighters. In 2018, there were 54 applicants with 10 recruits hired.
No recruiting took place in 2017 or 2019. Recruiting planned for 2020 did not take place due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Goal: Receive $50,000 in grants, reimbursements, and donations annually over the next five years.
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
$42,526 $91,067 $50,214 $136,156 $240,632
Status: Not completed. The West Metro Fire-Rescue District averaged $112,119 in grants, reimbursements,
and donations over the next five years, but did not receive at least $50,000 each of those years.
In 2020, $240,632 was received in grants, reimbursements, and donations. That included $30,000
in donations, two training reimbursements from the Minnesota Board of Fire Training and
Education (MBFTE) for $6,792, $593.86 from Hennepin County for participating in a radiation
emergency training, $9,901 in reimbursements from the city of Becker for mutual aid response
for a fire at the Northern Metal Recycling Plant in February, and $193,345 CARES reimbursement
from the cities of Crystal and New Hope.
Goal: Complete a minimum of 30 Home Safety Surveys annually over the next five years.
Status: Not completed. The West Metro Fire-Rescue District completed 41 Home Safety Surveys in
2019, 18 of which were in New Hope. The surveys were put on hold in March of 2020 due to
the pandemic. The voluntary program is a free service for residential homeowners in which
firefighters evaluate for hazards by completing a room-by-room walk-through of the home.
If a hazard is found, the firefighter provides recommendations on how to correct the issue.
Firefighters check all smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors to verify they are properly
located and functioning correctly. If needed, they will provide and install new smoke and CO
detectors. The Home Safety Survey takes about an hour to complete. If the homeowners’ family is
present, firefighters will discuss escape planning, meeting places, and sleeping with closed doors.
The Home Safety Survey also provides fire extinguishers, a night-light/flashlight, a cooking timer,
and a fire safety booklet.
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
41 3 TBD TBD TBD
Goal: Exceed the district firefighter minimum training requirement of 44 hours annually by an average
of 44 hours per firefighter per year (88 hours total) for the next five years.
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
141 77 TBD TBD TBD
Status: Not completed. In 2020, 58 West Metro Fire-Rescue District firefighters each averaged 77 hours of
training. The nine POC apprentice firefighters each averaged 133 hours of training, including FAO
hours.
Goal: Obtain an average of $50,000 in grants, reimbursements, and donations annually over the next
five years.
Status: New for 2021.
CITY OF NEW HOPE SMART GOALS
PAGE 34
PROTECTIVE INSPECTIONS
Goal: Perform at least 600 code compliance investigations annually over the next five years.
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2020
955 1,147 1,546 1,419 971 TBD
Status: On track. City inspectors have completed an average of 1,208 code compliance investigations per
year between 2016 and 2020.
ANIMAL CONTROL
Goal: Maintain average number of goose nests in city from 2016-2018 at same level for 2019-2021.
2016-2018 2019-2021
7.33 4.50
Status: On track. There were five nests recorded in 2019 and four nests recorded in 2020, lower than the
average number recorded between 2016 and 2018.
Goal: Collect $1,500,000 in permit fees between 2019 and 2021.
Status: In progress. The city generated $966,167 in permit fees between 2019 and 2020.
2019 2020 2021
$452,267 $513,900 TBD
Goal: Generate $100,000,000 in value of work for permits issued between 2019 and 2021.
Status: In progress. Total valuation of work completed in city in 2019 and 2020 was $65,897,015.
2019 2020 2021
$38,064,766 $27,832,249 TBD
CITY OF NEW HOPE SMART GOALS
PAGE 35
ENGINEERING
Goal: Input new assets into asset management program relative to infrastructure projects upon project
completion and availability of record drawings.
Status: In progress. Data from 2019 has been uploaded, with the exception of the ongoing City Center
project. Data from 2020 will be uploaded in 2021. The City Center data will be uploaded in 2021
as well. Additionally, a new asset management program is currently being developed and should
be live by the end of 2021.
STREETS
Goal: Dedicate engineering and public works staff time to inflow and infiltration (I&I) investigation.
Status: In progress. Suspected infiltration areas have been investigated by staff and projects to reduce I
and I have been completed in 2020 and identified for 2021.
STREETS
Goal: Increase Pavement Rating Index for city roads over the next five years, while maintaining an
average of 70 or higher.
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
75 76 76 76 80
Status: Completed. The city’s Pavement Rating Index on local streets increased from 75 in 2016 to 80 in
2020 upon completion of several infrastructure and maintenance projects. It is expected that the
rating will continue to increase as several pavement projects are planned over the next five years.
Goal: Update pavement management plan annually over the next five years.
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Status: On track. A 10-year pavement management plan was created in 2016. The plan extends through
2030 and is updated annually.
Goal: Maintain an average Pavement Rating Index of at least 80 over the next five years.
Status: New for 2021.
Goal: Update pavement management plan annually over the next five years.
Status: New for 2021.
CITY OF NEW HOPE SMART GOALS
PAGE 36
PARKS & RECREATION
RECREATION
Goal: Offer eight special events per year over the next five years.
Status: New for 2021.
PARKS
Goal: Replace minimum of one playground structure per year over the next five years.
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
1 1 1 1 1
Status: Completed. In 2016, the playground at Northwood Park was replaced. The playground structure
at Fred Sims Park was replaced in 2017. In 2018, the playground at Sunnyside Park was replaced.
Jaycee Park was replaced in 2019. In 2020, the playground at Begin Park was replaced.
Goal: Average $15,000 per year in donations, grants, and sponsorships over the next five years.
Status: New for 2021.
Goal: Produce three In Motion program brochures annually over the next five years.
Status: New for 2021.
Goal: Replace minimum of one playground structure per year over the next four years.
Status: New for 2021.
Goal: Crack fill, resurface, or rebuild a minimum of one court surface per year over the next five years.
Status: New for 2021.
Goal: Replace three park name signs per year over the next three years.
Status: New for 2021.
CITY OF NEW HOPE SMART GOALS
PAGE 37
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (EDA)
Goal: Facilitate the construction or renovation of an average of four scattered site single-family homes
per year between 2019 and 2021.
SPECIAL REVENUE FUND
2019 2020 2021
3 4 TBD
Status: In progress. Staff has developed a proactive approach to engage potential sellers of distressed
and/or functionally obsolete properties in an effort to secure purchase contracts before homes
are offered on the open market. In 2019, three EDA projects were completed, with new homes
being sold to private owners. This included demolition and rebuild projects at 7215 62nd Avenue
North and 7311 62nd Avenue North and new construction at 3856 Maryland Avenue North,
parkland that was previously owned by the city of Crystal. In 2020, four EDA projects were
completed with new homes being sold to private owners. This included demolition and rebuild
projects at 5201 Oregon Avenue North, 5355 Oregon Avenue North (lot split with one of two
new homes sold in 2020), and 6027 West Broadway. A rehabilitation project was also completed
at 3924 Utah Avenue North. Five additional projects are on track to be completed by the end of
2021, including demolition and rebuild projects at 8720 47th Avenue North, 4637 Aquila Avenue
North, 4215 Louisiana Avenue North, and 5353 Oregon Avenue North (second home). A Habitat
for Humanity rehabilitation project is also scheduled to be completed. Projects will be included
in the count upon completion and sale of the home. Since the scattered site housing program
was re-instituted in 2014, the acquisition of distressed single-family homes and vacant lots has
resulted in the construction or rehabilitation of 25 homes (some currently in progress).
Goal: Attract at least 15 new businesses per year over the next five years.
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
31 26 17 26 31
Status: Completed. An average of 26 new businesses opened per year between 2016 and 2020.
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
Goal: Maintain 80% or greater recycling participation rate over the next five years.
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
92%92.5%91.2%92.4%92.2%
Status: Completed. The city achieved a recycling participation rate greater than 91% for each of the last
five years. The participation rate includes all residential properties, up to eight units, located in
the city.
Goal: Average 450 pounds recycled per household per year over the next five years.
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
592 pounds 519.6 pounds 564.2 pounds 430.5 pounds 471.8 pounds
Status: Completed. The city averaged 515.6 pounds of material recycled between 2016 and 2020.
Goal: Maintain 80% or greater recycling participation rate over the next five years.
Status: New for 2021.
Goal: Average 450 pounds recycled per household per year over the next five years.
Status: New for 2021.
Goal: Attract at least 10 new businesses per year over the next five years.
Status: New for 2021.
CITY OF NEW HOPE SMART GOALS
PAGE 38
PARK INFRASTRUCTURE
Goal: Increase levy by 3% per year over the next five years to increase funds available for park
improvements.
CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
$304,880 $314,026 $323,450 $333,150 $349,800 $367,290
Status: Completed. The park infrastructure levy increased by at least 3% each of the last five years. An
additional amount has been levied for the ice arena each of the last four years, for a total of
$400,000 in 2020.
STREET INFRASTRUCTURE
Goal: Reconstruct or mill and overlay streets as proposed in five-year Capital Improvement Plan.
Status: In progress. A total of 0.47 miles were fully reconstructed and 3.69 miles of street were milled or
reclaimed and overlaid. In addition, 2.31 miles of street were crack repaired and 2.22 miles were
seal coated and fog sealed. The .06 mile road and golf course parking lot were crack sealed, seal
coated, and fog sealed. In total, 8.75 miles of streets were improved in 2020.
Goal: Increase resident awareness of projects in the next five years.
Status: Completed. Construction websites have been maintained for all major construction and
infrastructure projects in the city, including live updates for seal coat and fog seal activities that
impacted resident traffic.
Goal: Utilize GIS data during capital project construction to track daily activity and expedite record
planning process.
Status: New for 2021.
Goal: Increase levy by 3% per year over the next five years to increase funds available for park
improvements.
Status: New for 2021.
CITY OF NEW HOPE SMART GOALS
PAGE 39
SANITARY SEWER
ENTERPRISE FUNDS
Goal: Implement inflow and infiltration (I&I) program for private residences in the next five years.
Status: In progress. Target areas were identified for projects that were completed in 2020. Staff is
currently working with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency on identifying and implementing a
private inflow and infiltration (I&I) program.
Goal: Implement two-year sewer lining contracts and increase feet per year installed of lining.
Status: On track. City and engineering staff are studying infiltration patterns to increase the effectiveness
of sewer lining in targeted areas. The 2020 and 2021 areas were bid together as one project
in an area known to have high infiltration amounts. The 2020 portion of this project has been
completed.
WATER
Goal: Exercise 5% of water valves annually over the next five years.
Status: On track. In 2020, city staff exercised 75 of the city’s water shut-off valves, or 6.7%. Exercising the
valves ensures that they remain operational in case of emergency water breaks. Staff also tracks
and logs any necessary maintenance while exercising the valves. Staff originally intended to
exercise 10% of valves per year, but the goal was reduced to 5% in 2019.
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
10.6%5.7%6.7%TBD TBD
STORM WATER
Goal: Improve water quality in Northwood Lake in the next five years.
Status: In progress. In 2019 Bassett Creek Watershed evaluated Northwood Lake for a variety of
environmental indicators. Phosphorus, chlorophyll, and water clarity improved from the last
measurements taken in 2017.
Goal: Database Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) and inventory public and private
systems in the next two years.
Status: In progress. All new public and private systems will be entered into the city’s MS4 database. Public
systems have been entered and cataloging of private systems will be completed in 2020.
Goal: Improve water quality in both the Shingle Creek and Bassett Creek watershed districts.
Status: In progress. Projects were implemented in both watershed districts in 2019.
Goal: Locate and catalog 20% of all residential service valves annually over the next five years.
Status: Not completed. When digitizing public works records, staff discovered that many property files
do not have accurate information regarding the location of water shut-off valves in relation to a
home. In 2020, staff had planned to dedicate seasonal workers to completing this goal but due to
the COVID-19 pandemic, no seasonal workers were hired. This impacted staff’s ability to complete
the valve exercising program and the residential service location program.
CITY OF NEW HOPE SMART GOALS
PAGE 40
STREET LIGHTING
Goal: Replace aging city-owned lighting infrastructure on 42nd Avenue and convert to LED in 2018.
Status: Completed. The lights along 42nd Avenue were replaced in 2019.
Goal: Conduct improvements with the county at the signal lighting system at Boone and 42nd avenues.
Status: In progress. The lighting system is scheduled to be replaced in the spring of 2021.
GOLF COURSE
ICE ARENA
Goal: Increase number of golf rounds purchased in 2018 by 3% per year from 2019-2021.
Status: Not completed. The number of rounds purchased between 2018 and 2019 decreased by 5.41%;
however rounds between 2019 and 2020 increased by 57.71%.
2018 2019 2020 2021
17,800 16,837 26,553 TBD
Goal: Increase ice hours used for open skate and open hockey by 3% per year over the next four years.
Goal: Increase clubhouse rentals by 3% per year over the next four years.
Status: New for 2021.
Status: New for 2021.
Goal: Increase open skating attendance by 3% per year over the next four years.
Status: New for 2021.
CITY OF NEW HOPE SMART GOALS
PAGE 41
CENTRAL GARAGE
INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS
Goal: Evaluate goals and needs for potential central garage expansion in 2018.
Status: In progress. Engineering and design of the expansion began in the spring of 2019.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Goal: Recycle 20% of desktop/laptop computers each year in conjunction with the five-year
replacement schedule.
Status: On track. In 2020, 20.7% of the city’s desktop/laptop computers were replaced. This number is
expected to decrease in 2021 due to moving primarily to laptops in 2020 with CARES funding and
the current price of hardware.
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
20.7%TBD TBD TBD TBD
I:\RFA\COMM DEV\2021\Work Session\10‐18‐21 Economic Development Report\11.4 Q ‐ WS Economic Development Report 10‐18‐21.docx
Request for Action
October 18, 2021
Approved by: Kirk McDonald, City Manager
Originating Department: Community Development
By: Jeff Alger, Community Development Specialist;
Jeff Sargent, Director of Community Development
Agenda Title
Update on Economic Development Report
Requested Action
Staff requests to present the 2021 Economic Development Report and authorization to publish the report on
the city’s website.
Policy/Past Practice
The city’s Economic Development Authority promotes and facilitates business development and housing
redevelopment activities. As part of the city’s ongoing effort to increase its bond rating, staff developed the
Economic Development Report and Comprehensive Financial Management Plan in 2016. In 2017, Standard &
Poor’s (S&P) recognized these efforts by improving the city’s “Management” score from “Strong” to “Very
Strong,” which is the highest value assigned by S&P for this portion of the rating, but the overall bond rating
did not change. According to S&P, if the city’s economic indicators improve to a level commensurate with
higher rated peers and the debt profile improves, a higher rating is possible. The economic indicators used by
S&P include per capita income in the city relative to the nation and the market value of property in the city
on a per capita basis. While these factors are largely outside the city’s control, continued redevelopment efforts
can help contribute to movement on these measures. The city’s bonds remained stable at “AA” between 2018
and 2021, signifying that the city has very strong capacity to meet its financial commitments and is just two
rankings below the highest‐rated AAA issuers.
Background
In 2015, the city sold $10 million in bank‐qualified bonds for the City Center infrastructure/streetscape
improvements and the 2016 Northwood South infrastructure improvements. Two bond rating reports were
completed by S&P, both of which reaffirmed the city’s long‐term AA/stable rating. The report indicated that
if the city were able to improve its debt and contingent liability score and demonstrate and sustain improved
economic indicators, the rating could be raised, which would be helpful in issuing additional debt in the
future.
In an effort to increase the city’s bond rating, the city’s financial consultant, Abdo, Eick & Meyers (AEM),
recommended that a formalized debt management policy be implemented and that an Economic
Development Report be created. In 2016, AEM produced a Comprehensive Financial Management Plan,
which incorporates a debt management plan, and city staff developed the Economic Development Report.
City staff updates the report each year. The Economic Development Report highlights redevelopment projects
throughout the city from the previous year and the tools that are in place to promote development activity.
The report was also utilized in 2017, when bonds were issued for the new police station/city hall construction
project, in 2019, when bonds were issued for the swimming pool complex, and in 2021, for refinancing of ice
arena conservation bonds. Although the city has not reached its goal of improving its bond rating to AA+,
implementation of the debt management policy and continued publication of the Economic Development
Report will assist in efforts to improve that rating the next time the city issues bonds.
Agenda Section
Work Session
Item Number
11.4
Request for Action, Page 2
The following updates have been made to the 2021 Economic Development Report:
Business & Assistance Programs
2020 update for Open to Business
2020 data for new businesses
Planning & Development
2020 permit count, fees collected, valuation data, and graph
Narratives and photos for major development projects
Housing
2020 CEE loan data
2020 Hennepin County loan data
2020 scattered site housing data, graph, photos, and projects in progress
2020 property value data and graph
2020 median household value data and graph
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council accept the 2021 Economic Development Report and authorize
publication of the report on the city’s website.
Attachments
Economic Development Report (September 1, 2021)
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REPORT
CITY OF NEW HOPE, MINNESOTA
SEPTEMBER 1, 2021
The New Hope Economic Development Report highlights redevelopment projects throughout
the city from the previous year and the tools that are in place to promote development activity.
The city’s Economic Development Authority promotes and facilitates business development and
housing redevelopment activities.
OVERVIEW & HISTORY
CITY OF NEW HOPE OVERVIEW & HISTORY
LOCATION
The city of New Hope is a suburb located northwest
of Minneapolis with strong neighborhoods, an
abundance of parks and recreational opportunities,
excellent schools, and great shopping nearby. The
city has easy access to the entire Twin Cities area
with major arterials of Highway 169, Highway 100,
Interstate 694, and Interstate 394 all nearby.
POPULATION (2020 CENSUS)SIZE/AREA YEAR FORMED
21,986 5.1 square miles 1953
BUSINESSES JOBS SHOPPING CENTERS
480 11,080 5
SCHOOL DISTRICT SCHOOLS PARKS/ACREAGE
Robbinsdale Area (281)5 18/200
HISTORY
In the early 1900s, New Hope was a farming-rich
community. The area was settled as part of Crystal
Lake Township and became the home for many
family farms. As housing developments spread west
from Minneapolis in the 1930s, the residents of Crystal Lake Township began the movement to
incorporate the township. In 1936, the city of Crystal was incorporated. Forming a city, though,
was not supported by all residents in the township. The rural residents in the western half of
the township broke away from the city of Crystal and formed their own township. The resistant
residents, mostly farmers, were unhappy about paying taxes for projects such as street lighting
and sanitary sewer. The name the farmers selected for their new township was a reflection of
the time, New Hope.
Many residents along the New Hope-Crystal border formed groups and requested to be
annexed by Crystal in order to receive what were the most modern city services at the time.
Others, however, were happy to be part of New Hope township and remained separate from
Crystal. Therefore, pockets of New Hope residents were created along the eastern boundary.
By the early 1950s, the rapidly developing township of New Hope chose the fate it had eluded
just over 15 years earlier. In 1953, New Hope incorporated as a city to prevent losing more of
its land and residents to Crystal via annexation. This move was again opposed by the farming
community of New Hope, but housing developments between 1936 and 1953 had made farmers
a minority in New Hope.
When the township was incorporated, it had 600 residents. The city grew rapidly and was home
to over 2,500 people by 1958. This rapid population growth continued through the 1960s, and by
1971, there were 24,000 residents in New Hope. The population of the community has declined
slightly since 1971.
PAGE 2
SUMMARY OF ACTIVITY
CITY OF NEW HOPE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REPORT
The city of New Hope’s Economic Development Authority (EDA) promotes and facilitates business
development activities. It considers proposals on a case-by-case basis and utilizes a broad base of public
financing options. Membership of the EDA is identical to that of the New Hope City Council. Council members
are appointed to the commission for terms concurrent with the City Council terms and the mayor acts as
president of the authority. The city manager serves as the executive director. The city employs various
resources to help businesses grow and reach their goals.
BUSINESSES & ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
Local commercial and industrial businesses are extremely important to the city. The City Council has
undertaken programs and initiatives to address both commercial and industrial properties. These programs
focus on:
• Retaining existing businesses.
• Assisting with expansions.
• Attracting new businesses to vacant available buildings.
• Attracting new construction to a limited number of available vacant sites.
• Improving communication with businesses and responding more effectively to business concerns and
inquiries.
BUSINESS SUBSIDY PROGRAM
The city’s business subsidy program addresses policies related to the use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF),
tax abatement, and other business assistance programs for private development. It serves as a guide
in reviewing applications requesting business assistance. All projects must meet mandatory minimum
approval criteria and the level of assistance is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Assistance can cover
project costs as allowed for under Minnesota Statutes. The EDA considers using a business assistance tool
to assist private developments in circumstances in which the proposed private project meets one of the
following uses:
• Provides a diversity of housing not currently provided by the private market.
• Provides a variety of housing ownership alternatives and housing choices.
• Promotes affordable housing for low- or moderate-income individuals.
• Promotes neighborhood stabilization and revitalization by the removal of blight and the upgrading in
existing housing stock in residential areas.
• Removes blight and encourages redevelopment in the commercial and industrial areas of the city
in order to encourage high levels of property maintenance and private reinvestment in those areas;
including façade improvement.
• Increases the tax base of the city to ensure the long-term ability of the city to provide adequate services
for its residents, while lessening the reliance on residential property tax.
• Retains local jobs, increases the local job base, and provides diversity in that job base.
• Increases the local business and industrial market potential of the city.
• Encourages additional unsubsidized private development in the area, either directly or through
secondary “spinoff” development.
• Offsets increased costs of redevelopment over and above the costs that a developer would incur in
normal development.
• Accelerates the development process and achieves development on sites that would not be developed
without this assistance.
PAGE 3
CITY OF NEW HOPE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REPORT
PAGE 4
LOAN PROGRAMS
The city has partnered with the lending center at the Center for
Energy and Environment (CEE) to offer a convenient one-stop service
that provides commercial and non-profit property owners in New Hope
access to a comprehensive array of financing and rehabilitation services.
The CEE Loan Program provides financing to New Hope businesses making cost-effective, energy efficiency
improvements. Nonprofit organizations that are interested in reducing their energy costs are eligible to
apply for funds through the CEE to help finance energy-efficient projects implemented in properties owned
and/or occupied by nonprofit entities.
OUTSTANDING BUSINESS AWARD PROGRAM
The city’s Outstanding Business Award Program was initiated in 2006 to recognize contributions by
businesses to the local community. The purpose of the award program is to recognize businesses for
noteworthy accomplishments such as expanding or improving a building or property, creating new jobs for
New Hope residents, reaching a milestone year in business, or providing outstanding community service.
Nominations are accepted quarterly for the award.
BUSINESS NETWORKING GROUP
The New Hope Business Networking Group was started by New Hope business owners in 2010 to create an
open forum for networking within the city. The group is open and free to all New Hope business owners.
The Business Networking Group meets regularly at one of the participating businesses. The city is also a
long-time member of the TwinWest Chamber of Commerce.
OPEN TO BUSINESS
Open to Business is a partnership between New Hope and the
Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD), an
association of nonprofit community development organizations
serving the Twin Cities. With the help of a matching grant from
Hennepin County, the city works with MCCD to provide business
consultation services and financial advice to small local business
owners and aspiring business owners. The program offers help in
several areas, including:
• Business plan assistance
• Financial management
• Bookkeeping set-up and training
• Loan packaging
• Real estate analysis
• Marketing assistance
• Strategic planning
• Professional referrals
Entrepreneurs can meet with a business advisor one-on-one over Zoom or in person by scheduling an
appointment. Open to Business facilitated one direct loan of $12,035 in 2016, and two direct loans of
$100,000 and $25,000 leveraging over $1,000,000 in outside capital in 2017. In 2018, one loan was facilitated
and approved through the program. Open to Business provided services for three new businesses and
one existing business in 2019. To prevent defaults and abandoned commercial spaces in 2020, multiple
municipalities received emergency CARE Act funds from the U.S. Treasury. Open to Business helped
DEED and Hennepin County design a one-time forgivable loan program for businesses that were forced
to close and did all of the underwriting and disbursements. During this time, Open to Business advisors
also continued to provide technical assistance and advisory services for over 50 metro area communities,
helping four New Hope businesses navigate funding resources.
CITY OF NEW HOPE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REPORT
PAGE 5
EMPLOYMENT
There are approximately 480 commercial/industrial/service businesses in the city, 31 of which opened in
2020. These businesses account for approximately 10,360 jobs in the city. The city’s 15 largest employers,
which are listed below, account for nearly 4,900 of those jobs.
MAJOR EMPLOYERS
Employer Products/Services New Hope-Based Employees
(Total Employees)
Independent School District 281 Education 791 (1,852)
Hy-Vee Grocery & convenience store 632
Minnesota Masonic Home/
North Ridge Care Center Skilled nursing care facility 560
St. Therese Home of New Hope Skilled nursing care facility 544 (1,117)
Horwitz Mechanical contractor 345
Padagis Pharmaceutical and medicine
manufacturing 323
Intermediate District 287 Education 266 (943)
City of New Hope Government agency 262 including seasonal staff
YMCA Health club 228
Liberty Diversified International Stationery supplies 200
Parker - Hannifin Oildyne Division Hydraulic component production 172
Dakota Growers Pasta Company Macaroni & spaghetti 159
Waymouth Farms, Inc.Salted & roasted nuts & seeds 150
Good Samaritan Society Skilled nursing care facility 136
Avtec Warehousing & metal finishing 102
CITY OF NEW HOPE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REPORT
PAGE 6
PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT
The city continues to see sustained growth and development as major redevelopment projects come to
fruition. Overall development activity has increased steadily in recent years and the city anticipates that
growth will continue over the next several years.
DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY
From 2016-2020, $222,710,120 of reinvestment was approved in the city through construction permits. The
city is striving to increase momentum to continually increase the tax base, while providing the highest level
of services to residents, businesses, and property owners. Building permits for the construction of a new
city center aquatic center and community theater were issued in 2019, accounting for nearly $18 million
of the $38 million in work for the year. The large increase in valuation of work in 2017 can be attributed to
IronWood, a 182-unit luxury apartment project valued at $43 million.
DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY BY YEAR
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Permits issued 2,607 2,652 2,441 2,459 2,536
Fees collected $602,391 $867,289 $506,883 $452,267 $513,900
Valuation of work $37,740,765 $71,895,249 $46,952,876 $38,288,981 $27,832,249
VALUATION OF WORK
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
$10,000,000
$20,000,000
$30,000,000
$40,000,000
$50,000,000
$60,000,000
$70,000,000
$80,000,000
CITY OF NEW HOPE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REPORT
PAGE 7
The following planning and development activities occurred in the last year:
Windsor Ridge
SVK is constructing 32 new single-family homes on an 8.7-acre undeveloped site that was owned by the
city for many years. In the fall of 2018, the city received six proposals from four developers for the site.
After careful consideration, SVK was selected as the preferred developer for the site. SVK is in the process
of building the homes on 65-foot wide lots. The estimated sale prices for the homes ranged from the mid-
$300,000’s to the low $400,000’s. At the end of 2020, 11 homes had sold for an average price of $407,000.
All were either under construction or completed as of the summer of 2021 and it is anticipated that all
homes will be completed and sold by the end of 2021. The city of Crystal is also developed another three
lots just east of project.
CITY OF
CRYSTAL
CITY OF NEW HOPE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REPORT
PAGE 8
Police Department & City Hall
A new police department and city hall for
the city of New Hope was completed in
2019. The City Council approved a bid from
Terra General Contractors for $14.78
million in December of 2017 for the new
building. The sale of $18.435 in general
obligation capital improvement plan bonds
at the interest rate of 2.6339% was also
approved to pay for project.
The city began working with a consultant in
2013 to review the space needs of the
police department and city hall, identify
deficiencies of the existing building, and
determine if an updated and expanded or
new police station and city hall facility was
needed. In September 2015, a space
needs citizen’s task force recommended that a new police station and city hall be constructed to replace
the existing facility. The task force evaluated several potential sites for the building and considered soil
boring information. In September 2016, the task force recommended that the new municipal building be
constructed on the civic center site where the existing swimming pool is located, due to the fact that the
pool also needed to be replaced. In January 2017, the city entered into a five-phase contract for design and
construction services with Wold Architects and Engineers for the new police station and city hall. In August
2017, the City Council approved design development phase plans and authorized Wold to proceed to the
next phase of the design process – the preparation of construction documents. A groundbreaking for the
building took place on January 5, 2018, and the building was substantially completed in July 2019.
The new 66,000-square foot building provides much needed space for the police department and addresses
many deficiencies of the previous city hall. It has more than twice the square footage of the previous building,
most of which is in the police station/garage and public areas in city hall. It also resolved deficiencies of
the previous building, such as a leaky roof, an HVAC system in poor condition, an inadequate electrical
system, and exterior maintenance issues. The new police station includes a larger lobby with adequate
seating and two adjacent interview rooms to provide privacy for victims, as well as a secure location to
talk with suspects. It includes improved facilities for officers such as a larger roll call room equipped with
technology, individual workstations, and ample locker room facilities. There are larger, more secure areas
for the storage of evidence and records, and a 31-stall underground heated garage large enough to store
all police squads. The new city hall provides additional public space, including two large meeting rooms
equipped with technology and designed to adapt to a variety of uses, and two small conference rooms
between three staff counters. The council chambers has been specifically designed to televise meetings
and accommodate overflow crowds.
CITY OF NEW HOPE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REPORT
PAGE 9
New Hope Aquatic Center
Plans for a new outdoor aquatic facility and
other improvements within Civic Center
Park started in early 2017. Construction on
the complex started in April of 2018. The
approximate cost of the project was $19.5
million. For the pool part of the project, the
city received a grant from the state for $2
million, a Hennepin Youth Sports Facility
Grant for $250,000, and a Minnesota
Swimmers Grant for $40,000. The new pool
facility includes a bathhouse with
concession stand, a 50-meter, eight-lane
pool, diving boards, drop slide and floatable
water obstacle course, a current channel,
vortex pool, two body slides, shallow water
area with zero depth entry and play feature,
water walk area, and shade structures. The
bather load for the new facility is 1,233 people and the pools hold a total of more than 700,000 gallons of
water. A June 2020 opening was planned, but postponed until June 20 due to COVID-19. Other improvements
within Civic Center Park include a new outdoor performance center with terraced seating, a picnic pavilion,
skate park, trails, trail lighting, and an additional parking lot.
Pocket Square Cocktail Lounge
A. Davis Distillery was granted a conditional use permit in January 2020 to open a microdistillery and
cocktail room at 7530 Quebec Avenue North. When Pocket Square Cocktail Lounge opened in April of
2021, it became one of the first cocktail rooms in the northwest suburbs. The microdistillery serves hand-
crafted cocktails and small 750 ml bottles
of handmade liquor. It serves primarily
vodka, gin, and rum, all of which are
produced on-site. While food is not served
at the facility, customers are encouraged
to order from local restaurants and food
trucks often operate in the parking lot.
The microdistillery is open on Thursday-
Saturday with the option of renting out the
space for special events on Sunday.
CITY OF NEW HOPE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REPORT
PAGE 10
Twin City Garage Door
Twin City Garage Door completed a $500,000
remodel and expansion of their office and
showroom at 5601 Boone Avenue North. The
colorful, innovative design showcases Twin City
Garage Door’s products and includes working
examples throughout the project showroom. The
full-service garage door company has three
locations in the Twin Cities. They provide overhead
garage door installation and repair services, as well
as garage door opener and electrical control device
services for commercial, industrial, and residential
properties.
Furniture Industries
Plans were approved for Furniture Industries, Inc.
to expand their building at 3101 Louisiana Avenue
North in June of 2020. The 15,000-square foot
expansion was intended to provide additional
warehouse space for the growing business. It
required approval of a conditional use permit and
two variances. The project was delayed after the
business determined that the site and proposed
expansion would not meet the growing needs of
their operations in the future.
ORIJIN STONE
ORIJIN STONE, a direct-to-trade natural stone
wholesaler, relocated their operations and staff of
28 employees to New Hope in October of 2020. The
business is known for its innovation in the stone
industry, premium quality, and exclusive natural
stone products from around the world. After
purchasing the vacant 110,000-square foot building
at 5100 Boone Avenue North in February of 2020,
ORIJIN STONE constructed a state-of-the-art custom
fabrication facility for natural stone. The renovated
space includes a new showroom, remodeled office
space, and a reconfigured warehouse. Interior
improvements to the building included new skylights
and roofing, mechanical and heating systems,
plumbing and bathrooms, breakrooms, overhead
doors, cranes, windows and doors, concrete
flooring, and significant repairs to the building.
Exterior upgrades included the construction of a
new 32-stall parking lot, new lighting and fencing,
structural repairs, and painting of the building. The
family run business started in 2011 and the new
location will allow for continued growth and
expansion.
CITY OF NEW HOPE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REPORT
PAGE 11
HOUSING
LOAN PROGRAMS
Loans and financing for home improvement projects are available to residents of New Hope through the
Center for Energy and Environment and Hennepin County.
Center for Energy and Environment
The city has partnered with the lending center at the Center for Energy and Environment (CEE) to offer
a convenient one-stop service that provides residential property owners in New Hope access to a
comprehensive array of financing and rehabilitation services. The Low Interest Loan Program provides
loans and funds to homeowners to make improvements to their properties. An Emergency Deferred Loan
is also available for homeowners that have emergency improvement needs but do not qualify for other
home improvement loan or grant programs. The program is funded with Economic Development Authority
(EDA) funds. The following loans/subsidies/leveraged funds have been issued to New Hope residents
through CEE since 2016:
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Loans/Subsidies/
Leveraged Funds 5 9 4 4 5
Amount $46,096 $78,682 $71,438 $68,091 $71,822
Hennepin County
Hennepin County’s Home Rehab Program enables income-qualified residents to request loans that address
basic safety, maintenance, and health concerns, as well as home improvements. Loans up to $30,000 at
0% interest are available to residents of New Hope. No monthly payments are required and the loans may
be forgiven after 15 years if residents continue to live in and own their home. The program is funded with
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds allocated to Hennepin County through the Department
of Housing and Urban Development. The following loans have been issued to New Hope residents through
Hennepin County since 2016:
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Loans 1 1 1 1 1
Amount $30,000 $6,840 $12,600 $28,965 $30,000
CITY OF NEW HOPE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REPORT
PAGE 12
SCATTERED SITE HOUSING
Over the years, the city has utilized its Economic Development Authority (EDA) to acquire several properties
as part of the Scattered Site Housing Program. The primary focus of the program is to target distressed
single-family properties throughout the city, with the goal of improving residential neighborhoods. The
program currently emphasizes two primary activities: demolition and rehabilitation. When homes are
demolished, the vacant lot is sold to a builder for the construction of a new single-family home. Homes
that are rehabilitated are sold on the open market with no income restrictions. The following scattered site
housing projects were completed and sold over the last year:
Address Previously
Assessed Value Sale Price Percent
Increase Project Type
3924 Utah Ave N $202,000 $375,000 86%Rehabilitation
5201 Oregon Ave N $163,000 $408,320 151%Demolition &
rebuild
5355 Oregon Ave N $75,000 $389,921 420%Demolition, lot
split & rebuild
6027 West Broadway $115,000 $350,000 204%Demolition &
rebuild
SCATTERED SITE HOUSING PROJECTS
$50,000
$100,000
$150,000
$200,000
$250,000
$300,000
$350,000
$400,000
$450,000
3924 Utah Ave N 5201 Oregon Ave N 5355 Oregon Ave N 6027 West Broadway
Previously Assessed Value Sale Price/New Value
CITY OF NEW HOPE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REPORT
PAGE 13
5201 Oregon Ave N - Before 5201 Oregon Ave N - After
7215 62nd Ave N - Before
SCATTERED SITE HOUSING
3924 Utah Ave N - Before 3924 Utah Ave N - After
PAGE 13
7215 62nd Ave N - Before
5355 Oregon Ave N - Before 5355 Oregon Ave N - After
6027 West Broadway - Before 6027 West Broadway - After
CITY OF NEW HOPE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REPORT
SCATTERED SITE HOUSING
In addition to these completed projects, there are six other scattered site projects under construction or in
progress as of when this report was published and are listed below. Homes sold in 2021 will be included in
the 2022 Economic Development Report.
• Demolition, lot split, and rebuild at 5353 Oregon Avenue North (one of the two new homes sold in
2020 and is included in this report and the other sold for $385,750 in 2021).
• Demolition and rebuild at 4215 Louisiana Avenue North (new home sold for $435,000 in 2021).
• Rehabilitation with Habitat for Humanity at 8720 47th Avenue North (project underway).
• Demolition and rebuild at 4637 Aquila Avenue North (builder selected, new home projected to sell for
$445,000).
• Demolition and rebuild at 5213 Pennsylvania Avenue North (builder selected, new home projected to
sell for $485,000).
• Demolition and rebuild at 3611 Louisiana Avenue North (city’s bid accepted at sheriff’s sale).
PROPERTY VALUES
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Taxable market
value $1,535,054,114 $1,697,092,365 $1,831,436,951 $2,021,382,123 $2,177,389,934
Percent change 7.28%10.56%7.92%10.37%7.72%
PROPERTY VALUES
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
$400,000,000
$800,000,000
$1,200,000,000
$1,600,000,000
$2,000,000,000
$2,400,000,000
$2,800,000,000
PAGE 14
CITY OF NEW HOPE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REPORT
PAGE 15
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD VALUES
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Median
Household Value $196,000 $213,000 $229,000 $244,000 $257,000
Percent change 3.98%8.67%7.51%6.55%5.33%
HOUSEHOLD VALUE
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
$50,000
$100,000
$150,000
$200,000
$250,000
$300,000
$350,000
I:\RFA\COMM DEV\2021\Work Session\10‐18‐21 CD Brainstorming Session\11.5 Q ‐ WS CD Brainstorming Session 10‐18‐21.docx
Request for Action
October 18, 2021
Approved by: Kirk McDonald, City Manager
Originating Department: Community Development
By: Jeff Alger, Community Development Specialist;
Jeff Sargent, Director of Community Development
Agenda Title
Community Development Department update
Requested Action
Staff requests a discussion with the City Council regarding various redevelopment opportunities and program
objectives throughout the city.
Policy/Past Practice
Each year, the Community Development Department has a discussion with the City Council during a work
session to share and exchange ideas regarding project goals for the department.
Background
Scattered Site Housing Program
The city’s scattered site housing program continues to thrive since it was reinstituted in 2014. The acquisition
of distressed single‐family homes and vacant lots has resulted in, or will result in the construction or
rehabilitation of 25 homes (some currently in progress).
Single‐family homes acquired 19
Vacant lots acquired 1
Single‐family homes acquired by
Habitat for Humanity
1
Total acquired 21
New build 1
Demolition and new build 17
Lot split and new build (2nd home) 4
Total new homes 22
Rehabilitation 3
Total new/rehabilitated homes 25
Since the beginning of 2021, the following Scattered Site Housing activities have taken place:
The new home at 5353 Oregon Avenue North that was built by Great Buy Homes sold for $385,750 in
March of 2021. The home at 5355 Oregon Avenue North had previously sold for $389,921 in November
of 2020. The home that previously occupied both lots was demolished in November of 2018.
The new home at 4215 Louisiana Avenue North that was built by Great Buy Home sold for $435,000
in July of 2021. The building that previously occupied the lot was demolished in July of 2020.
Construction began on a new home at 4637 Aquila Avenue North by Great Buy Homes in September
of 2021. The home that previously occupied the lot was demolished in June of 2021. The new home
will be completed this winter and is projected to sell for $445,000.
Agenda Section
Work Session
Item Number
11.5
Request for Action, Page 2
Construction began on a new home at 5213 Pennsylvania Avenue North by Donnay Homes in October
of 2021. The home that previously occupied the lot was demolished in May of 2021. The new home
will be completed this winter and is projected to sell for $485,000.
Rehabilitation work began on the Habitat for Humanity home at 8720 ‐ 47th Avenue North in June of
2021. The project is nearing completion.
After the EDA submitted the high bid of $155,000 at the March 1, 2021, Sherriff’s Sale of 3611 Louisiana
Avenue North, redemption took place on the foreclosed property and an investor purchased the home
for $205,000. The EDA was repaid for the bid plus a percentage of legal fees and related expenses along
with interest for the six months the funds were held. The city had an appraisal completed in January
of 2021, which estimated the value of the home at $170,000.
In addition the aforementioned scattered site projects, there are several other potential and/or future projects
currently in progress:
The city attorney has been in contact with the law firm handling the foreclosure at 5802 Boone Avenue
North and will be keeping staff apprised of the situation.
The owners of 4965 Winnetka Avenue North have agreed to sell the property to the city upon locating
a new home, pending approval by the EDA. The property is a candidate for a demolition, lot split, and
rebuild project. If acquired, the parcel is large enough to split into two lots without a variance to
accommodate the construction of two new homes.
Staff mailed letters to the owners of 29 single‐family homes expressing interest in purchasing their
properties as part of the scattered site program. Staff usually receives a few responses when sending
such letters.
Prices for single‐family homes in New Hope, including distressed properties, continue to rise. The median
household value for homes in New Hope has increased from $188,500 to $257,000 between 2015 and 2020
(increase of 36% over five years, average of 7.2% per year). The most the city has paid for a demolition and
rebuild project is $170,000, in February 2021. Staff reviews homes listed for sale in the city multiple times per
week. MLS records indicate that aside from the city’s purchase in February of 2021, no single‐family homes
have sold for less than $205,000 in 2021. Two single‐family homes sold for less than $200,000 in 2020 ($175,000
and $195,000). If the EDA would like to continue pursuing demolition and rebuild projects, it may be
necessary to pay up to $200,000, or more, for some of the lowest‐valued homes in the city, as that is what the
market is currently commanding. As previously mentioned, the city had an appraisal completed on 3611
Louisiana Avenue North, which estimated the value of the home at $170,000 as of January 2021. The home
was purchased in September for $205,000.
If the EDA does not want to pay $200,000 or more for demolition and rebuild projects, staff could shift its
focus to other areas such as rehabilitation projects and/or housing assistance programs. The city has been
involved with three rehabilitation projects since 2017, one of which was led by Habitat for Humanity.
Expenses associated with rehabilitation projects tend to be lower, as the city can control costs. At the same
time, some might argue that rehabilitation projects are less impactful on neighborhoods as compared to
demolition and rebuild projects. Newly constructed homes also tend to be valued higher than homes that are
rehabilitated. Most of the homes that are good candidates for rehabilitation are being purchased and
renovated through the private sector. Staff must consider if the city can do a better job than the private sector,
and if it is the best use of EDA funds and staff time when pursuing such projects. Another option, which was
Request for Action, Page 3
researched in 2018, would be using Scattered Site Housing funds for housing assistance programs. The
attached memorandum from November 13, 2018, outlines various options.
Redevelopment Efforts
A redevelopment opportunity may exist at 7349 ‐ 62nd Avenue North, just east of West Broadway on 62nd
Avenue North. The property, known as Lincoln Manor, has been the source of several illegal activities in the
recent past, resulting in multiple police calls and interactions with the tenants. There are 16 townhomes (two
buildings with six units and one building with four units) on the 1.37‐acre parcel. Each of the townhomes is
valued at $97,000 by Hennepin County, bringing the combined total to $1,552,000. The property was last
purchased in 2017 for $1,470,000. The Uniform Relocation Assistance Act and Real Property Acquisition
Policies Act of 1970 require that cities pay moving expenses and possibly rent differences for a certain period
if residents are displaced. In the past, the city attorney has suggested hiring a relocation expert to assist with
the service. Staff could learn more about the specifics in the future by scheduling a meeting with the city
attorney and/or a relocation services company. There are 11 single‐family homes located directly east of the
Lincoln Manor, and a gas station to the west of the property. Compass Pointe, which is across West Broadway,
east of the gas station, was constructed in 2014 on a 1.67‐acre parcel of land. Options for Lincoln Manor might
include another high‐density residential project or the construction of three new single‐family homes.
Recently, there has also been some interest from a developer in redeveloping the Winnetka Mall property
(Unique Thrift Store). Negotiations between the developer and the property owner stalled, as a purchase price
for the property couldn’t be agreed upon. Staff will continue to pursue this property as a priority for
redevelopment should the opportunity present itself.
Staff has had conversations with St. Therese regarding the complete renovation of their campus. Over the next
several years, St. Therese will be renovating their entire property in three different phases. The goal is to
provide larger and more modern living spaces for the residents. For example, St. Therese currently has 482
total units on their campus, which includes all apartment and nursing home units. When the project is
complete, there will be 408 units total on the campus. St. Therese is looking to start construction by the second
quarter of 2022, so they will be applying for the necessary land use permits within the next couple of months.
Local Housing Incentives Account (LHIA)
LHIA helps expand and preserve affordable ownership and rental housing for communities in the Twin Cities
7‐County metropolitan region who are enrolled in the Livable Communities Act (LCA) program. In 2021,
there was $4.5 million in grant funding for those communities that received a grant. More funds would be
available for communities in 2022. Other program details include the need of a 100% local match on any grant
money received, and a three‐year grant term.
Eligible costs include:
Gap financing costs, including land acquisition (single family projects included)
Property (structure) acquisition
Demolition
Site preparation (e.g. water, sewer, roads)
General construction/structural additions
Alterations and rehabilitation
Interior and exterior finishing
Request for Action, Page 4
Roofing
Electrical, plumbing, and/or heating and ventilation
The use of these funds is much like the use of Community Development Block Grant funds that staff has used
for Scattered Site Housing projects in the past. If staff were to use LHIA funds, the resulting homebuyer would
have to meet income qualifications, which could be up to 115% of the Average Median Income (AMI). Since
this is a competitive grant program, preference would be given to applications that cater to homeowners at or
below 60% AMI, or rental projects where tenants are at or below 30% AMI. Representatives from the
Metropolitan Council stated that although the grant process is competitive, they have rarely not awarded
some sort of funding to cities that apply.
Housing Inspections
During the COVID‐19 pandemic, the city suspended all rental housing inspections. On July 27, 2020, the
inspectors once again began performing in‐person interior inspections on all single‐family homes. At that
time, inspections were limited to single‐family Point‐of‐Sale, single‐family rental and Business Use Certificate
of Occupancy permits. The focus on single‐family inspections allowed the city to get further caught up on
these types of inspections, but forced multi‐family buildings to wait. Since COVID restrictions have been
lifted, the inspectors have resumed multi‐family housing inspections. A breakdown is as follows:
One and Two‐Family Rental Licenses – Currently, there are 481 active rental licenses for the 2021‐2022
rental year. Of those, 415 (86.2%) have completed, or are in the process of completing the required
inspections.
Multi‐Family Rental Licenses – Currently, there are 256 active rental licenses for the 2021‐2022 rental
year. Of those, 130 (50.8%) have completed, or are in the process of completing the required
inspections.
Pertaining to single‐family rental units, there are currently 481 licenses for one‐ and two‐family dwelling units.
This includes rented condos and twinhomes with individual PIDs. Staff tracks the number of single family
rental conversions on a monthly basis, and so far in 2021, there have been 16 single‐family homes that have
converted from owner‐occupied to rental, and 8 single‐family homes that have converted from rental back to
owner‐occupied.
Code Enforcement
The Housing/Code Enforcement Inspectors have been busy responding to neighborhood complaints that
come in via phone, email and the city website. The initiation of the abatement ordinance, which allows staff
to tow inoperable vehicles and remove non‐compliant outdoor storage items, has been beneficial in
addressing unsightly issues in a relatively short amount of time. The Community Development Department
has also been working very closely with the Police Department in targeting troubled areas throughout the
city, and this plan of action will continue in the future.
CEE Renewal
The contract with the Center for Energy and Environment (CEE) to offer housing loan/grant programs to
New Hope residents expires at the end of 2021. Staff will be preparing a resolution extending the contract
through the end of 2024 to be considered by the Economic Development Authority (EDA) in November. The
city has seen an increase in activity since reducing interest rates earlier this year. As of the end of
Request for Action, Page 5
September, eight loans valued at $113,668 had been issued in 2021. This includes three city loans for
$24,143 and five other loans for $89,525.
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 YTD
Loans/Subsidies/Leveraged Funds 5 9 4 4 5 8
Amount $46,096 $78,682 $71,438 $68,091 $71,822 $113,668
Attachments
Housing Assistance Programs Memorandum (November 3, 2018)
Local Housing Incentives Account (LHIA) handout
I:\RFA\City Manager\2021\Budget 2022\WS 101821\11.6 Q ‐ 2022 Enterprise and utility fund budgets utility rates.docx
Request for Action
October 18, 2021
Approved by: Kirk McDonald, City Manager
Originating Department: City Manager
By: Kirk McDonald, City Manager
Agenda Title
Discussion regarding 2022 enterprise and utility fund budgets/discuss 2022 utility rates
Requested Action
Staff requests to discuss the 2022 enterprise and utility fund budgets, and 2022 utility rates. Representatives
from AEM will be present to assist with the discussion. The director of public works will be present for the
review and discussion of the utility fund budgets, i.e., street lights, storm sewer, water, and sewer. The
director of parks and recreation and recreation facilities manager will be present for the review and
discussion of the golf course and ice arena budgets.
Policy/Past Practice
The Council reviews and provides feedback/direction on the enterprise and utility fund budgets and rates on
an annual basis.
Background
Attached is a memo from AEM providing an overview of the fund status for each of the enterprise and utility
funds. The original proposed budgets for these funds are in your budget notebooks. The directors from the
respective departments will outline significant changes in the budgets from 2021. A brief summary of the
budgets is as follows:
Utility Fund Budgets
Sanitary Sewer – On December 31, 2020, the sanitary sewer utility fund had a cash balance of $1,400,403. The
City Council approved a 5% rate increase for 2021. A 4% rate increase is recommended for 2022 to meet
ongoing capital needs and to keep pace with the rate increases approved by the Metropolitan Council. The
overall budget for 2022 increases by $204,829 from the 2021 budget. There is an increase of $132,500 for 2022
infrastructure improvements and other increases are for wages/benefits, central garage charges and
repairs/other contractual. The sewer treatment charge from Metropolitan Council Environmental Services is
only increasing .65% or $12,688 due to a decrease in metered flow which could be attributed to
inflow/infiltration improvements.
Water – On December 31, 2020, the water fund had a cash balance of $2,345,370. A 5% rate increase was
implemented in 2021 and 4% rate increase is recommended for 2022 to meet ongoing capital needs and to
keep pace with the rate increases approved by the Joint Water Commission. The overall budget for 2021
increases by $1,324,204 from the 2021 budget. The major increase is the water infrastructure improvements
planned for 2022 in the amount of $1,309,550. There is an $86,929 increase in the city’s portion of the Joint
Water Commission budget, which includes water purchases from Minneapolis (3.2% increase) and JWC
funded capital improvements. Other increases are for wages/benefits, central garage charges and IT. There
are decreases in depreciation expense and bond interest payments.
Agenda Section
Work Session
Item Number
11.6
Request for Action, Page 2
Also, staff previously discussed potentially discontinuing the emergency water fee in 2022, however upon
conducting further research it shows that only $1.9 million has been collected from the fee and the original
loan to the water fund was $2.5 million. Therefore, staff recommends leaving the fee in place for several more
years (approximately $300,000 is collected from the fee each year).
Storm Water – On December 31, 2020, this fund had a cash balance of $1,024,563. A 5% rate increase was
implemented in 2021 and a 4% rate increase is recommended for 2022 to meet ongoing capital needs. The
overall budget for 2022 decreases by $139,054 due to a $162,500 in 2022 scheduled infrastructure
improvements. There are increases for wages/benefits, central garage charges and repairs/other contractual.
This budget includes minor increases in member assessments for the Shingle Creek Watershed Management
Commission (+ $253) and Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission (+ 623).
Street Lighting – On December 31, 2020, this fund had a cash balance of $70,904. A 5% rate increase was
implemented in 2021 and a 5% rate increase is recommended for 2022 to meet ongoing capital needs. The
overall budget for 2022 increases by $3,094. A rate increase is needed to save for future capital projects and to
offset Xcel Energy rates increases.
Golf Couse and Ice Arena Budgets
Similar to previous years, surveys of surrounding metro area golf courses and ice arenas have been
completed and attached for reference purposes.
Golf Course – On December 31, 2020, this fund had a cash balance of $214,545. The overall budget is a
decrease of $22,431 compared to the 2021 budget. Revenue is projected to increase by $17,500 due to facility
rental fees, golf cart rentals, an increase in league fees and concession sales. Revenues also include a $10,000
increase in green fees; staff is recommending a $.50 increase for adult and senior rounds, along with a small
increase in punch cards, season passes and concession sales.
Expenses are estimated to decrease $4,931. There are increases for personnel costs, general liability insurance,
repairs and other contractual for tree removal, credit card fees and water/sewer. There are decreases in IT
charges and central garage charges; no purchases are planned for 2022. The budget includes $54,000 for
capital improvements, including clubhouse update, new cart parking area, golf car lease and miscellaneous
equipment.
Ice Arena – The cash balance of the Arena fund as of December 31, 2020 was $800. Cash held with fiscal agent
for the principal due on the 2011A facility bonds as of December 31, 2019 and 2020 was $1,358,401 and
$1,560,053, respectively. The projected operating cash balance at the end of 2022 is $393,544, which assumes
an interfund loan from temporary financing to cover major infrastructure improvements. This estimate is
based on the 2021 and 2022 budgets for operations and capital and has been adjusted to account for the
revised debt service amounts per the 2021A refunding of the 2011A lease revenue bonds, ($220,000 in 2021
and $245,000 in 2022).
The overall budget for 2022 shows a $580 increase in revenues and a decrease of $551,814 in expenses
compared to 2021. The decrease in expenses is mostly due to fewer capital improvements. Staff is proposing
an increase in the prime ice rental rate from $220 to $225/hour effective fall of 2022 which provides a $10,000
increase in revenue. Other minor revenue increases include locker room facility rental, live streaming and
building operations credit. There is a $12,500 decrease in interest income due to the closing of the bond trust.
Request for Action, Page 3
The main expense increase is for personnel costs, with minor increases/decreases in other line items. Capital
expenses for 2022 include $210,000 to replace dasher boards and glass in the north rink and $50,000 for
HVAC upgrades. The dasher boards replacement is proposed to be funded with a loan from the temporary
financing fund.
Attachments
AEM Enterprise Fund Summary Memo
Utility and Enterprise Fund Budget Narratives
Draft 2022 Utility Rates Recommendation
Ice Arena/Golf Course Rate Surveys
October 6, 2021
AEM Memo
Utility and
Enterprise
Fund
Budget
Narratives
Draft
2022
Utility Rates
Golf Course
and
Ice Arena
Rate Surveys
I:\RFA\P&R\POOL\2021\2022 Swim Meet Rates\11.7 Q ‐ Swim Meet Rental Discussion.docx
Request for Action
October 18, 2021
Approved by: Kirk McDonald, City Manager
Originating Department: Parks & Recreation
By: Susan Rader, Director of Parks & Recreation and
Mark Severson, Recreation Facilities Manager
Agenda Title
Discuss swim meet rental rates
Requested Action
Staff requests that the City Council discuss the swim meet rental rates for the 2022 swim season.
Policy/Past Practice
Past policy and practice has been to provide the Council with updates on fees and receive input and
feedback.
Background
During the review of the 2022 Aquatic Park budget, staff briefly discussed the swim team rental fees for 2022.
At the time, Council requested information regarding the fees that other pools are charging for swim meets.
Three other regional meets were held the same weekend as the meet held at the New Hope Aquatic Park.
Staff reached out these facilities for their fee information.
Location Rate Type of Facility Size of Meet
University of MN $428/hour, plus staff Indoor Larger event
Rochester $250/hour, plus staff Indoor Similar size event
Mankato No reply Indoor
In addition to the facilities used for the regional meets, throughout the year, smaller meets are held at school
facilities or swim team facilities.
New Hope’s 50‐meter pool is unique as a location for a swim meet, as it is located outdoors and it is part of
an aquatic park, with an emphasis on open swim.
Staff is recommending that the rates for the regional swim meet be raised to $265/hour for 2022 and another
increase considered for 2023.
Attachments
Summary of 2021 revenues and 2022 rate options
Agenda Section
Work Session
Item Number
11.7
2021
hrs gate based on weekend average
weekend revenue 230.00$ 36 8,280.00$ 17,100.00$
charged NHCP ($230/hr*36 hours)
staff costs (2,826.00)$ (6,594.00)$
and payroll costs (11.55%)(326.40)$ (761.61)$
(1) MOD; (1) guest services; (4) lifeguards
Revenue minus staff costs 5,127.60$ 9,744.39$ ($4,616.80)
Amount needed to cover revenue and staff 12,896.80$
358.24$ per hour for 36 hours to break even based on 2021 wages
For 2022…
Hourly Charge % increase rate hrs rental revenue loss*
4.3%240.00$ 36 8,640.00$ (4,256.80)$
15.2%265.00$ 36 9,540.00$ (3,356.80)$ staff recommended
26%290.00$ 36 10,440.00$ (2,456.80)$
56.5%360.00$ 36 12,960.00$ 63.20$
*based on 2021 wages
Daily Charge
Friday 12-8 p.m. 8
Saturday 6 a.m.-8 p.m.14
Sunday 6 a.m.-8 p.m.14
36 Hours
rate hrs
240.00$ 8 1,920.00$
14 3,360.00$
14 3,360.00$
36 8,640.00$ *additional hours at $240/hour
rate hrs staff recommended
265.00$ 8 2,120.00$
14 3,710.00$
14 3,710.00$
36 9,540.00$ *additional hours at $265/hour
rate hrs
290.00$ 8 2,320.00$
14 4,060.00$
14 4,060.00$
36 10,440.00$ *additional hours at $290/hour
rate hrs
360.00$ 8 2,880.00$
14 5,040.00$
14 5,040.00$
36 12,960.00$ *additional hours at $360/hour
I:\RFA\HR & Admin Svcs\Human Resources\2021\Worksessions\10182021 Worksession\11.8 Q Wages & City Contribution 2022.docx
Request for Action
October 18, 2021
Approved by: Kirk McDonald, City Manager
Originating Department: HR & Admin Services
By: Rich Johnson, Director
Agenda Title
Discussion regarding the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for non-represented employees in 2022 and the
city’s monthly contribution towards insurance coverage for 2022.
Requested Action
Wages: Staff is proposing Council approve a 3.0% COLA for non-represented employees in 2022. This across-
the-board increase would apply to all non-union employees, including the city manager. If the City Council is
supportive, this item will be placed on the December 14 council agenda meeting to be approved at the same
time as when the 2022 budget is acted upon.
City Contribution Towards Insurance: Staff is requesting that Council increase the city’s monthly insurance
contribution for 2022 by the following:
Monthly Increase: Monthly Contribution Total
Single $95.00/month $1,016.00
Employee + 1 $155.00/month $1,381.00
Family $176.00/month $1,542.00
The city’s open enrollment period for 2022 is scheduled to take place October 29 – November 16, 2021, therefore
staff is seeking direction from the City Council at this time regarding setting the city contribution for 2022. If
the City Council is receptive to staff’s recommendation, this item will be brought forward to the October 25
council meeting for formal approval.
Policy/Past Practice
Wages: It has been the past practice of the city to provide all employees (both represented and non-
represented) with similar wage increases. The city’s collective bargaining agreements with LELS #77, LELS
#273, and Local 49 each include a 3% COLA adjustment for 2022.
City Contribution Towards Insurance: It has been the city’s practice over the past several years to split the
premium increase 50/50 between the city and employee. Historically, monthly increases have ranged from $0
(2005, 2012 and 2013,) to $175 (2010) per month. The monthly increases for 2021 were $18 for single, $39 for
employee + 1, and $46 for family coverage.
Agenda Section Work Session
Item Number
11.8
Request for Action, Page 2
In summary, the proposed 2022 city contribution per month would be as follows:
Employees:
who elect single coverage will receive a maximum of $1,016/month
who elect employee plus one coverage will receive $1,381/month
who elect family coverage will receive $1,542/month
who were hired prior to November 1, 2009, are on the city’s personal leave program and waive health
coverage, would receive $753/month
Background
Wages: The average of the increases budgeted by New Hope’s 12 comparable cities at this time is 2.81%.
Also, although not used as part of New Hope’s comparable group, WMFRD and CCX Media each have
budgeted for a 3.0% COLA in their 2022 budgets. A 3% increase for New Hope’s mayor and council
members is also included in the 2022 budget.
City Contribution Towards Insurance: In July 2019,) the city went out for bid on all of its insurance coverages
(health, dental, life, short-term disability, long-term disability and voluntary life). Due to the city’s health
insurance usage running below projections and the competitive marketplace, the city received a very
competitive offer by HealthPartners. This offer resulted in a reduction of overall health premiums by 12.7%.
Additionally, as HealthPartners was working to expand their book of business in providing dental insurance,
they offered the city an additional 2% reduction in health insurance premiums if the city agreed to move its
dental coverage from Delta Dental to HealthPartners Dental. This proposal was reviewed and supported by
the insurance committee as well as the city manager and the city moved to HealthPartners Dental in 2020. As
part of this agreement, the city would receive no increase in dental premiums for two years and a 9% cap in
health insurance premiums for 2021. Although the city’s usage justified the maximum increase of 9% for 2021,
due to discontinuation of the Affordable Health Care tax on premiums, the 9% increase was reduced by
approximately 2.6%, resulting in an overall increase of 6.4% to health insurance premiums for 2021. The city’s
portion of the 6.4% increase (3.2%) was included in the 2021 budget. The city had a 9% cap in premiums for
2022 as well, and during discussions with HealthPartners, they indicated a required increase of 1.6%.
However, in negotiating with HealthPartners, they offered the city no increase in health premiums for 2022 if
the city were to commit to remain with HealthPartners in 2023 and 2024 with a 9% cap for each year. This was
presented to the insurance committee and was supported by the majority of the committee.
HealthPartners has served as the city’s health insurance provider since 2009, and 18 of the past 22 years. Staff
feels this has been a positive, mutually beneficial relationship and looks forward to it continuing.
Over the past several years, the City Council has been dedicated to ensuring the wage and benefits offered by
the city are competitive, with the goal of being approximately average in comparison to our twelve
comparable cities. However, until 2019, adjustments had not been made to the city contribution in relation to
our comparable cities. In preparation for 2019, staff shared with the City Council how in recent years the
city’s monthly contribution towards insurance had fallen in relation to the city’s 12 comparable cities,
however due to the cost of bringing New Hope’s city contribution up to the average of its comparable cities
all at once being prohibitive, the City Council agreed to increase the city contribution by the “typical” increase
(one-half of the premium increase) as well as an additional amount equal to one-half of the amount that New
Hope had fallen behind its 12 comparable cities in both 2019 and 2020.
Request for Action, Page 3
As discussed last year, the city contribution amount had again fallen in comparison to the city’s 12
comparable cities contribution towards insurance, and although staff did not recommend any increase in
addition to the “typical” increase for 2021, staff is now recommending the city include the initially projected
increase for 2022 (1/2 of the 9% cap, or 4.5% of the premium) as well as make up one-half of the amount the
city is below its comparable cities contribution and plan to make up the remainder of the deficiency in 2023.
Funding
The cost to implement these changes is included in the proposed 2022 budget.
Attachments
New Hope’s Wage Increase History
Comparable Cities Contribution Towards Health Insurance for 2020 and 2021
City Contribution and Insurance Plans History 2011 – 2021 and 2022 (Proposed)
City of New Hope Health Insurance Premium Rates 2021
City of New Hope Health Insurance Premium Rates 2022 (DRAFT)
G:\City Manager\Human Resources\Compensation\Wage Increase History.docx
CITY OF NEW HOPE
WAGE INCREASE HISTORY
LELS
Officers
49ers Non-Union LELS
Supervisors
AFSCME IAFF
1984 5.00% 5.00% 7.00%
1985 5.00% 5.00% 4.75%
1986 4.50% 4.00% 4.50%
1987 4.00% 3.00% 4.50%
1988 4.00% 3.50% 3.50%
1989 3.75% 3.50% 4.00%
1990 4.00% 4.00% 4.50%
1991 4.00% 6.00% 1 4.00%
1992 2.75% 2.75% 2.75%
1993 2.75% 2.75% 2.75% N/A N/A
1994 3.00% 3.00% 2.75% 3.00% 3.00%
1995 3.00% 3.00% 3.25%2 3.00%2 3.00%
1996 2.90% 2.90% 2.90% N/A N/A
1997 3.30% 2.90% 2.00%3
1998 3.00% 3.20% 2.25%4 N/A
1999 3.00% 3.00% 2.25% 3.00%5
2000 3.00% 3.00% 2.25% 3.00%6
2001 3.50% 3.00% 3.00% 3.50%7
2002 3.50% 3.00% 3.50% 3.50%
2003 3.50% 3.50% 3.50% 3.50%
20048 1.5%+1.5% 2.3% 2.3% 1.5%+1.5%
20059 3.0% 3.0% 2.0%+2.0% 3.0%
200610 2.0%+1.0% 2.0%+1.0% 2.0%+1/0% 2.0%+1.0%
2007 3.0% 3.0% 3.0% 3.0%
2008 3.0% 3.0% 3.0% 3.0%
2009 (8)1.5%+1.5% 3.0% 1.5%+1.5% 1.5%11
2010 0% 0% 0% 0%
2011 1% 1% 1% 1%
201212 1% Mkt. Adjust. Mkt. Adjust. 1%
2013 1% 0% 0% 1%
2014 2% Mkt.+ 2% 2% 2% 2%
2015 2% 2% 2% 2%
2016 2.5% 2.5% 2.5% 2.5%
2017 Mkt + 2.5% COLA 2.5% 2.5% 2.5%
2018 2.5% 2.5% 2.5% + Mkt13 2.5%
201914 3.0% 3.0% 3.0% 3.0%
2020 3.0% Mkt + 3.0% COLA 3.0%
2021 3.0% 3.0% 3.0% 3.0%
1Out-of-class pay eliminated. Implemented single classification with step system. Movement based upon training, service, and performance.
26.25% non-union and 6.00% AFSCME for part-time employees.
3New Compensation Plan, 2% minimum, 10% maximum, opportunity for 1% lump sum performance pay.
4Continuing with 1% lump sum performance pay.
5Sergeants 3.0%; Captains new position.
6Sergeants 3.0%; Captains 4.0%.
7Sergeants 3.5%; Captains 4.6%.
81.5% January + 1.5% July.
92.0% January + 2.0% July.
102.0% January + 1.0% July.
11Sergeants and Captain received 1.5% in July, however also increased steps in the wage progression as well as added longevity pay at 8 years
(Sgt.) and 10 years (Capt.).
12Market adjustment was due to 2010 Compensation Study conducted by Springsted, implemented in 2012.
13On 5/14/18 Non-Union Non-Exempt and Non-Union Exempt employees received 1.5% and 2.5% market adjustments respectively. On
12/10/18, Non-Union Non-Exempt and Non-Union Exempt employees received an additional market rate adjustment to total 3% and 5%
respectively for the year to implement the 2017 Compensation Plan Update which was approved by the city council on April 23, 2018.
14On 1/7/2019 all regular NH employees are scheduled to receive a 3.0% COLA due to a proposed 3.0% COLA for non-union employees and
“me-too” clauses in each of the three labor agreements granting Local 49, LELS #77, and LELS #273 the same COLA as any another group.
New Hope's Comparable Cities Contribution Towards Insurance for 2020 and 2021
G:\City Manager\Human Resources\INS\2022 Renewals\2021 Contributions\NH's Comparable's City Contribution 2020 & 2021 06112021
Single 1+1 Family Single 1+1 Family
Brooklyn Center 1,261.00$ 1,261.00$ 1,261.00$ 1,320.00$ 1,320.00$ 1,320.00$
Columbia Heights1 955.00$ -1,095.00$ 1,015.00$ 1,315.00$
Crystal 897.00$ 1,418.00$ 1,766.00$ 961.50$ 1,483.00$ 1,932.00$
Fridley2 763.71$ 1,244.19$ 1,763.92$ 833.45$ 1,335.71$ 1,877.26$
Golden Valley 1,477.00$ 1,477.00$ 1,477.00$ 1,568.80$ 1,568.80$ 1,568.80$
Hopkins 974.51$ 1,594.51$ 1,633.40$ 1,077.59$ 1,769.63$ 1,801.70$
New Brighton3 954.83$ 1,504.72$ 1,676.48$ 1,018.36$ 1,557.25$ 1,735.88$
Richfield 921.50$ 1,312.00$ 1,435.00$ 950.00$ 1,342.00$ 1,472.00$
Robbinsdale 1,110.00$ 1,210.00$ 1,210.00$ 1,175.00$ 1,325.00$ 1,325.00$
South St. Paul4 929.30$ 1,391.00$ 1,516.00$ 1,162.63$ 1,354.00$ 1,516.00$
West St. Paul5 981.56$ 1,210.60$ 1,606.15$ 981.56$ 1,210.60$ 1,606.15$
White Bear Lake6 631.33$ 1,220.67$ 1,461.67$ 649.33$ 1,279.67$ 1,511.67$
WMFRD7 (not a comparable)827.85$ 1,013.69$ 1,418.83$ 919.61$ 1,207.48$ 1,623.01$
Average of Comparables 988.06$ 1,349.43$ 1,491.80$ 1,059.44$ 1,413.24$ 1,581.79$
(85.06)$ (162.43)$ (171.80)$ (138.44)$ (187.24)$ (215.79)$
New Hope 903.00$ 1,187.00$ 1,320.00$ 921.00$ 1,226.00$ 1,366.00$
1) Columbia Heights' contribution includes $60/month to Single and Family HSAs.
2) Fridley's contribution includes $50.00/month to Single, 1+1 and Family HSAs
3) New Brighton's contribution includes $125/month to Single HSAs and $191.67/month to 1+1 and Family HSAs
4) South St. Paul's contribution includes 233.33/month to Single HSAs and $125/month to 1+1 and Family HSAs
5) West St. Paul's contribution includes $166.67/month to Single HSAs and $308.33/month to 1+1 and Family HSAs
6) White Bear Lake's contribution includes $58.33/month to Single HSAs and $116.67/month to 1+1 and Family HSAs
7) WMFRD's contribution includes $41.67/month to Single HSAs and $83.33/month to 1+1 and Family HSAs (they are a "small group" and contribution varies accoding to age, etc.)
2020 2021
History of City Contribution and Insurance Plans 2011 - 2021 and 2022 (Proposed)
G:\City Manager\Human Resources\INS\2022 Renewals\City Contribution History 2011-2021
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2020 2021 2022
(Proposed)
2021 to
2022
1/2 of the
Premium
Increase
Proposed
City
Contribution
AdjustmentProjected
Premium
Increase
per Month
2021 to 2022 2021 to 2022
Insurance Provider HP HP HP HP HP HP HP HP HP HP HP HP HP
High Family Medical 1656 1707 1598 1351 1525 1545 1583 1624 1770 1883 1597 1699 1852
1+1 High Medical 1472 1378 1164 1314 1332 1365 1400 1526 1623 1377 1465 1597
Single High Medical 590 654 612 518 584 592 607 622 678 722 612 651 710
Mid Family Medical
(HIGH DEDUCTIBLE)1285 1351 1264 1068 1181 1386 1420 1457 1574 1674 1423 1514 1650 $136 $68 $108 $176
1+1 Mid Medical 1165 1090 922 1019 1195 1225 1256 1357 1444 1227 1305 1422 $117 $59 $96 $155
Single Mid Medical 458 518 485 410 453 531 544 558 603 642 545 580 632 $52 $26 $69 $95
Low Family Medical 1174 1124 1052 890 1004 1209 1239 1271 1385 1474 1292 1375 1499
1+1 Low Medical 969 907 767 865 1043 1068 1096 1194 1271 1114 1186 1292
Single Low Medical 418 431 403 341 385 463 475 487 531 565 495 527 574
Family Dental*94 97 101 104 106 106 111 111 111 111 115 115 120
1+1 Dental*71 74 76 78 78 81 81 81 81 77 77 80
Single Dental*36 37 38 40 40 40 42 42 42 42 38 38 40
City Contribution (One
CC offered 2000 to 2009)
Family 875 900 900 900 970 1073 1090 1109 1175 1273 1320 1366 1542 $1,542
1+1 825 825 825 885 973 988 1004 1061 1146 1187 1226 1381 $1,381
Single 700 725 725 725 750 789 795 802 827 875 903 921 1016 $1,016
Total
Proposed
City
Contribution
for 2022
C:\Users\rjohnson\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\Content.Outlook\M3EVK52B\2021 Insurance Rates Revised Formatting 8/11/2021 10:22 AM
24 pay periods
Annual
Single
Coverage
Employee + 1
Coverage
Family
Coverage
Single
Coverage
Employee + 1
Coverage
Family
Coverage
City Contribution $921.00 $1,226.00 $1,366.00 $460.50 $613.00 $683.00
High Deductible A (Non-embedded & Creditable) - CG 349 $1,500/$3,000 $651.20 $1,465.16 $1,699.27 $325.60 $732.58 $849.64
High Deductible B (Embedded & Creditable) - CG 347 $2,800/$5,600 $580.02 $1,304.99 $1,513.50 $290.01 $652.50 $756.75
High Deductible C (Embedded & Creditable) - CG 348 $4,000/$8,000 $526.92 $1,185.53 $1,374.96 $263.46 $592.77 $687.48
HealthPartners Dental Insurance
Distinctions 6 $38.35 $76.69 $115.04 $19.18 $38.35 $57.52
$750.00 $62.50 $31.25
$1,400.00 $116.67 $58.33
$2,000.00 $166.67 $83.33
Single* - Total Contribution Maximum is $3,600 $2,850.00 $237.50 $118.75
Family or 1+1*$7,200.00 $600.00 $600.00 $300.00 $300.00
*Age 55+ add $1,000 to annual HSA maximum = $4,500 single; $8,000 1+1 or family
Flex & Deferred Comp Maximums Same for all coverages Same for all coverages
Flex Medical $2,750.00 $229.17 $114.58
Flex Limited (Dental and Vision Only) $2,750.00 $229.17 $114.58
Dependent Care $5,000.00 $416.67 $208.33
Deferred Comp $19,500.00 $1,625.00 $812.50
Deferred Comp Age 50+ $26,000.00 $2,166.67 $1,083.33
HSA Additional Contribution Maximums
HSA City Contribution with Single Coverage
HSA cont. from city cont. for FTVS & FTPL11 single coverage is half of
single medical deductible ($1,500=$750; $2,800=$1,400; $4,000=$2,000)
City of New Hope Health Insurance Premium Rates
PREMIUM per MONTH PREMIUM per PAY PERIOD
HealthPartners Medical Insurance (Group 10734)
Waive (FT Emp on PL hired prior to 11/2009) = Month $658.00; PPP $329.00
Effective January 1, 2021
G:\City Manager\Human Resources\INS\2022 Renewals\Open Enrollment for 2022\2022 Insurance Rates with WATERMARK 10/14/2021 6:42 AM
24 pay periods
Annual
Single
Coverage
Employee + 1
Coverage
Family
Coverage
Single
Coverage
Employee + 1
Coverage
Family
Coverage
City Contribution $1,016.00 $1,381.00 $1,542.00 $508.00 $690.50 $771.00
High Deductible A (Non-embedded & Creditable) - CG 349 $1,500/$3,000 $651.20 $1,465.16 $1,699.27 $325.60 $732.58 $849.64
High Deductible B (Embedded & Creditable) - CG 347 $2,800/$5,600 $580.02 $1,304.99 $1,513.50 $290.01 $652.50 $756.75
High Deductible C (Embedded & Creditable) - CG 348 $4,000/$8,000 $526.92 $1,185.53 $1,374.96 $263.46 $592.77 $687.48
HealthPartners Dental Insurance
Distinctions 6 $39.69 $79.37 $119.07 $19.85 $39.69 $59.54
$750.00 $62.50 $31.25
$1,400.00 $116.67 $58.33
$2,000.00 $166.67 $83.33
Single* - Total Contribution Maximum is $3,650 $2,900.00 $241.67 $120.83
Family or 1+1*$7,300.00 $608.33 $608.33 $304.17 $304.17
*Age 55+ add $1,000 to annual HSA maximum = $4,650 single; $8,300 1+1 or family
Flex & Deferred Comp Maximums Same for all coverages Same for all coverages
Flex Medical $2,850.00 $237.50 $118.75
Flex Limited (Dental and Vision Only) $2,850.00 $237.50 $118.75
Dependent Care $5,000.00 $416.67 $208.33
Deferred Comp $20,500.00 $1,708.33 $854.17
Deferred Comp Age 50+ $27,000.00 $2,250.00 $1,125.00
HSA Additional Contribution Maximums
HSA City Contribution with Single Coverage
HSA cont. from city cont. for FTVS & FTPL11 single coverage is half of
single medical deductible ($1,500=$750; $2,800=$1,400; $4,000=$2,000)
City of New Hope Health Insurance Premium Rates
PREMIUM per MONTH PREMIUM per PAY PERIOD
HealthPartners Medical Insurance (Group 10734)
Waive (FT Emp on PL hired prior to 11/2009) = Month $753.00; PPP $376.50
Effective January 1, 2022
I:\RFA\HR & Admin Svcs\Human Resources\2021\Worksessions\10182021 Worksession\Q Reorganizing the CD & HR-Admin. Depts..docx
Request for Action
October 18, 2021
Approved by: Kirk McDonald, City Manager
Originating Department: HR & Admin Services
By: Rich Johnson, Director
Agenda Title
Discussion regarding modifying the structure of the Community Development department and the
HR/Administration department by upgrading two positions.
Requested Action
Staff is proposing to upgrade the community development assistant position to a community development
coordinator/management analyst position due to assistance being provided to the city manager’s department
by re-implementing the community development coordinator/management analyst position. The community
development assistant position is an exempt position in grade 12 of the compensation plan. The community
development coordinator/management analyst position would be an exempt position in grade 14. This was
verified by Ann Antonsen of Baker TiIly (formerly Springsted, Inc.) when this position was initially created in
2019. This position would be filled by elevating the existing community development assistant into this role.
Staff is also proposing to upgrade the human resource coordinator position to a human resource/information
technology coordinator position due to increased IT responsibilities The human resource coordinator position
is a non-exempt position in grade 13 of the compensation plan. Staff also requested Ann Antonsen of Baker
TiIly to evaluate this new position and she has indicated it would be exempt and in grade 15. This new position
would be filled by elevating the existing human resource coordinator who continues to assume additional
duties in both human resources and technology areas.
If the City Council is supportive, these items will be brought to the city council in December as part of the 2022
compensation plan. Both of these position changes would go into effect January 3, 2022.
Policy/Past Practice
At various times, department structures and positions are reviewed and evaluated to ensure the city’s needs
are being met in the best manner possible. Several times over the years staff has brought proposed changes to
the Personnel Board and to the City Council resulting in new or different positions. For example, in 2005 the
city moved from having two accounting technicians to one accounting technician and one accountant. In 2010
the office support specialist at public works (0.5 FTE) and the utility billing position at city hall (1.0 FTE) were
combined and moved to public works. In 2013, the human resources manager position was elevated to the
director of human resources and administrative services. In 2018, the community development assistant was
elevated to a community development coordinator/management analyst position, and in 2019 when one of
the two accounting technicians was promoted to accountant.
Agenda Section Work Session
Item Number
11.9
Request for Action, Page 2
Background
In addition to their traditional role, the current community development assistant has taken on additional
duties and will continue to take on a greater role working with the city manager and city clerk. Some recent
examples include ordinance updates (tobacco, animal, trash and organics), licensing fee analysis, assistance
on city-wide issues such as inflow/infiltration point of sale inspections, maintenance of noise walls, city
services survey, etc. This modification is included in the 2022 budget where 10% of this position’s wages and
benefits is allocated to the city manager’s budget.
The current human resources coordinator has also taken on additional duties, both human resources and
information technology related. He will continue to take on a greater role working with Solution Builders and
other vendors. As a result, the reclassification of this position includes job responsibilities which will involve
attending bi-weekly meetings with Solution Builders, and expanding their role by providing general work
direction for onsite technicians. There would also be an opportunity for the HR/IT coordinator to work with
the director of human resources and administrative services on developing annual budgets (both HR &
IT). This modification is included in the 2022 budget where 10% of this position’s wages and benefits is
allocated to the information technology budget.
Both of the above-mentioned changes were discussed at the September 20 work session. They have also been
discussed with the Personnel Board where they were unanimously supported.
Funding
Both of these changes are included in the proposed 2022 budget.