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Thursday, March 01, 2012

Sakry reports, Nelson resigns her Ramsey administrative post to take a lead administrator job in Wayzata.

The last major resignation I recall in Ramsey's top-tier administration was James Norman, who left without such a promising new prospect. Circumstances differed, and with Nelson I expect most in Ramsey wish her well in her new situation.

This link, for the ABC Newspapers report.

______________UPDATE_______________
Strib reports, here. Below a screenshot from Wayzata's city website - with Nelson's hiring being their top news:

this link - or click the image to enlarge and read

____________FURTHER UPDATE____________
There was one other interesting item on the Wayzata website, prior news to Nelson's hiring, but I believe verbatim republished in the March 2012 "Portal," City of Wayzata's equivalent news sheet to the Ramsey Resident, this front page screen capture from the Portal, online here.


Please note the screenshot showing both Nelson's hiring reported, and reporting of a task force final report re a 10-year lakefront redevelopment study, the Portal item stating in part:

As part of their report, the Task Force recommended that the City hire an outside consulting firm to serve as a Process Manager for the community engagement process and to assist in drafting a Ten Year Lakefront Plan as the conclusion of the engagement process. City staff is now in the process of developing a request for proposal (RFP) for this Process Manager, with the goal having the City Council select a Process Manager by the end of May. In addition, staff is also pursuing various grant funding opportunities to assist with the community engagement process.

Nelson's experienced in grant pursuit, and in working with consultancies ranging recently from Tinklenberg's Highway 10 mapping to Landform's Town Center effort, [attempt at resuscitating the CORpse]. Those background skills are factors she will utilize in her job in Wayzata. It seems likely that Darren Lazan will assure that his firm gets an RFP copy and submits a proposal. It will be interesting to see which of the many consultacies [aka "sandburs"] gets Wayzata's business.

What with Michael Jungbauer's new Infinite Hydrologic Solutions, Inc. adventure having its registered office in Excelsior, and Nelson now moving to Wayzata, who's next to look at, for a full or partial Minnetonka Exit from Anoka County?

___________FURTHER UPDATE___________
Nelson's sandbur experience goes back to Fred Hoisington days before the start and end of the Town Center Task Force, with McComb Group doing its study, etc. Also, she was around for the last unfortunate hiring of Phil whats-his-name which led to the unfortunately botched and awful 2030 Comp Plan experience for City of Ramsey. The Hunt plan. The guy with the temple chimes - although he was not a city consultant, but she was there for that. All that. Len Levine, briefly. Full spectrum. Good, bad, ugly.

Of the consultants, Hoisington probably was the best of the bunch. By far.

Besides familiarity with a range of consultants and consulting styles, Nelson's seen differing administrative styles and council personalities, and seems able to distill knowledge and judgment, from experience. For instance, I expect she will be judiciously restrained in Wayzata in using the word "catalyst," and scrupulous in using any city issued credit card.

Nelson also was around for the reorganization (downsizing) about a year ago of City planning operations and practices, as reported here by Sakry, with the jury still out on such change - its current wisdom and whether wise in the future after the real estate market cycles back to boom times. Whenever that may be.