Chaska commission outlines strategic plan draft, pilots split meeting format

Commission staff presented a condensed strategic-plan summary on April 23, asking commissioners to confirm priorities that emerged during earlier work sessions. The draft focuses on public education about the commission's role, collecting public input to guide priorities, leveraging partnerships for events and improving communications and social-media outreach.

Staff said the next steps are to gather community input over the summer and assemble a detailed strategic plan for completion in time for 2027. Commissioners debated meeting cadence and proposed alternating brief formal meetings with dedicated work sessions so subcommittees can meet in the same evening to expedite planning while preserving public-meeting rules.

Several commissioners said the proposal could increase productivity but flagged staff capacity limits; staff warned that some administrative functions rely on the same personnel across multiple subcommittees. The commission agreed to pilot the split meeting format at the next meeting and to reserve roughly 15 minutes for a guest speaker aligned with the next month's focus.

Commissioners also reviewed an invitation from Marissa Nordling (River City Days organizer) asking the commission to help organize a culturally inclusive opening ceremony; commissioners discussed shifting from a booth to event support or recruiting volunteers for the ceremony.

The commission scheduled its next regular meeting for May 28, 2026.