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THE MINNETONKA RECORDER

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Date: Tuesday, September 9, 2025 at 5:00 AMActual: Tuesday, September 9, 2025 at 5:00 AM

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AgendaAnalysis ready

Published Tuesday, September 9, 2025

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## Agenda ## City of Minnetonka ## City Council Study Session Monday, May 11, 2026 ## 6:00 PM ## Community Center - Minnehaha Room 14600 Minnetonka Blvd. 1.Call to Order 2.Introductions/Roll Call 3.Business Items: A.2026 community survey results B.2027 budget kick-off C.June study session topics 4.Adjournment The purpose of a study session is to allow the city council to discuss matters informally and in greater detail than permitted at formal council meetings. The council may provide direction to staff but does not make formal decisions at study sessions. Members of the public are welcome to attend and listen, but the council does not take comments from the public. 1 ## City Council Agenda Item 3.A Meeting of May 11, 2026 Title:2026 community survey results ## Report from:Sarissa Seracki, Senior Management Coordinator ## Submitted through:Erik Nilsson, City Attorney ## Moranda Dammann, Assistant City Manager ## Mike Funk, City Manager ## Presenter:Sarissa Seracki Senior Management Coordinator and Peter ## Leatherman, Morris Leatherman Company Action Requested:Informational. ## Summary Statement The purpose of this agenda item is to inform the city council of the 2026 community survey results. Peter Leatherman, from the Morris Leatherman Company, will present the findings and conclusions from the 2026 community survey. ## Strategic Plan Relatability ## Community Inclusiveness The community survey results align with desired outcome 6.1 "all people feel welcome and engaged" under Community Inclusiveness. The city surveys residents on quality of life, creating a welcoming community, treating residents with respect and fairly and providing services to those of all backgrounds. ## Background Each year the city contracts with a professional survey firm to conduct a statistically valid telephone survey of residents on a variety of topics of interest. These topics range from demographics, quality of life, city services, public safety, natural environment, development and redevelopment, city parks and recreational facilities, public transit issues, city government and staff, local authority and communication. Survey results are used to inform strategic planning and budgeting decisions, help set performance targets and strengthen community engagement. It is important for residents to have the opportunity to share their opinions. It is equally important for them to feel confident that their voices are being heard. Conducting a survey is a proactive approach to initiating and completing the communication loop with the community. The City of Minnetonka is evaluated according to how well they are achieving the strategic goals. Measuring ongoing progress ensures that they are responsive to the priorities of the community they serve. By receiving ongoing feedback from residents, the city can observe trends and track progress to guide policy-making and budgeting. Finally, it is anticipated these results will play a significant role in the upcoming budge…

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2026 Community Survey Results

2027 Budget Kick-off

June Study Session Topics

Full Document Analysis

Votes (3)

2026 community survey results

No formal decision or vote taken, as per study session rules. Item was informational, and council provided direction for future discussion.

Sarissa Seracki and Peter Leatherman presented the findings of the 2026 community survey, which gauged resident opinions on quality of life, city services, public safety, natural environment, and development. The survey helps inform strategic planning and budgeting. Key findings included high satisfaction with quality of life (96% excellent/good) and city services (e.g., Police 95%, Fire 94% excellent/good), but also highlighted concerns such as high taxes (21%), traffic congestion (14%), and lack of diversity (10%). Residents showed strong support for a half-cent sales tax for fire stations (82-83%), trail connections (81%), and Marsh upgrades (79%).

2027 budget kick-off

No formal decision or vote taken, as per study session rules. Council provided initial direction on 2027 budget priorities and levy.

Mike Funk and Darin Nelson presented the initial overview for the 2027 budget season, emphasizing its alignment with the city's strategic plan and financial strength. Discussions covered ongoing inflation pressures, facility improvement updates (fire stations, Marsh, community center, Williston Fitness Center), and potential financing options, including a local sales tax (pending legislative approval). The projected 2027 levy increase was reduced from 9% to approximately 7% due to a 2025 General Fund surplus. The session also introduced Priority-Based Budgeting (PBB) as a new tool to align resources with community priorities.

June study session topics

No formal decision or vote taken, as per study session rules. Council affirmed the upcoming topics.

Mike Funk presented an informational item outlining the agenda for the June 15, 2026 study session. The planned topics include the 2027 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and a review of the Purgatory Park off-leash dog area. This item serves to keep the council informed of upcoming discussions and allows for potential modifications to the work plan by a majority vote of council members.

Notable Quotes (10)

The purpose of this agenda item is to inform the city council of the 2026 community survey results.

— Sarissa Seracki, Senior Management Coordinator
2026 community survey results

The community survey results align with desired outcome 6.1 'all people feel welcome and engaged' under Community Inclusiveness.

— Sarissa Seracki, Senior Management Coordinator
2026 community survey results

Survey results are used to inform strategic planning and budgeting decisions, help set performance targets and strengthen community engagement.

— Sarissa Seracki, Senior Management Coordinator
2026 community survey results

How would you rate the quality of life in Minnetonka - excellent, good, only fair, or poor? EXCELLENT.............44% GOOD..................52% ONLY FAIR..............4% POOR...................0%

— Peter Leatherman, Morris Leatherman Company
2026 community survey results

This study session is the official kick-off to the 2027 budget season.

— Mike Funk, City Manager & Darin Nelson, Finance Director
2027 budget kick-off

The annual budget relates to desired outcome 1.1 'high level creditworthiness' by ensuring the city's continued strong fiscal management.

— Mike Funk, City Manager & Darin Nelson, Finance Director
2027 budget kick-off

The combination of reserves buying down the levy, refined operational forecasts and other programmatic changes has reduced the 2027 projected levy from 9 percent to approximately 7 percent, including 2.1 percent dedicated to implementing the public safety plan.

— Mike Funk, City Manager & Darin Nelson, Finance Director
2027 budget kick-off

Governments across the country are moving away from traditional, incremental budgeting toward strategic, community-focused budgeting that aligns resources with long-term goals and public priorities.

— Mike Funk, City Manager & Darin Nelson, Finance Director
2027 budget kick-off

This item is informational and is intended to provide the council with the upcoming study session agenda items and study session schedule.

— Mike Funk, City Manager
June study session topics

Unless modified by the city council, the 2026 study session work plan agenda items for June 15, 2026 are: 2027 Capital Improvement Program (CIP), Purgatory Park off-leash dog review.

— Mike Funk, City Manager
June study session topics

Ordinances & Resolutions (10)

2026 community survey resultsReport

Report detailing findings from the annual resident survey.

Strategic PlanPlan

Guiding document for city operations and budget decisions, emphasizing Community Inclusiveness and Financial Strength.

2027-2031 Capital Improvement Program (CIP)Plan

Multi-year plan for capital projects, to be reviewed at the June 15 study session.

Public Safety Master PlanPlan

Multi-year plan for public safety enhancements, including new firefighters and real-time operational center, impacting the 2027 budget.

2027 Financial Management PlanPlan

Attachment to the 2027 budget kick-off report, providing financial forecasts.

City Council Rules of ProcedureDocument

Governs council operations, including study session conduct and agenda item proposals.

2026 Study Session Work PlanPlan

Approved schedule of topics for City Council study sessions in 2026.

Minnetonka MemoNewsletter

Monthly city newsletter, primary source of information for many residents, considering a change to bi-monthly.

Minnetonka MattersWebsite

City website aimed at increasing community engagement and providing information.

MERIT program evaluationProgram

Program evaluation using community survey data, particularly for organizational component.

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