City Council Approves Focus Minneapolis - Strengthening City's Planning and Community Development

The Minneapolis City Council approved Focus Minneapolis - a major initiative aimed at making Minneapolis planning and community development functions more effective, responsive and accountable. The Council approved the resolution on an 11-2 vote on September 13.

Focus Minneapolis highlights:

Create an Office of Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) to oversee, coordinate and streamline all City planning and development activity; and incorporate the functions of the Minneapolis Community Development Agency into the department.
The City will begin the process by appointing an Interim Community Planning and Economic Development Director, who will serve jointly as Executive Director of the Minneapolis Community Development Agency.
Create a Development Services Department to make it easier for residents, businesses and developers to do business with the city. The city will evaluate which functions of the current Regulatory Services department to include in this new department by Jan. 1, 2003.
Establish housing and economic development as the City's top development priorities; and commit the City to setting specific, measurable goals during its strategic planning process this fall.
Strengthen management and decision-making processes to improve strategic planning and focus development activity on these development priorities.
Evaluate incorporation of functions of the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP), Regulatory Services and the Department of Health and Family Support into the CPED organizational structure. This evaluation process will commence by January 1, 2003 when the City Coordinator and Interim CPED Director will begin working with the affected agencies and departments to prepare, for Council consideration, recommendations regarding whether to incorporate functions of the NRP, Regulatory Services and the Department of Health and Family Support into the CPED organizational structure, as well as recommendations regarding long-term position of the CPED Office within the City's larger organizational structure.

For more information on the Focus Minneapolis initiative, please visit the City of Minneapolis Web site.

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