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Residents criticize outreach and urge more transparency in proposed Mendota Heights municipal campus project
Summary
Residents told the City Council they were unaware of major design options and urged broader community outreach after an open house for a proposed Municipal Campus project; speakers called for clearer disclosure of prior plans and better measurement of resident engagement.
MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn. — Several residents told the City Council on Feb. 4 they felt the city had not sufficiently informed the community about a proposed Municipal Campus project and questioned the scope and presentation of the International Code Services (ICS) assessment shared at the open house.
City Administrator Cheryl Jacobson reviewed the project process and the recent open house. Residents including Scott Van and Rob Meyer said the open house drew roughly 100 people and did not adequately present previously reviewed options; Van asked why three plans previously reviewed by the council in October were not on display at the open house. Meyer suggested the city set a target outreach rate or mail details to every household to improve participation.
Speakers disputed some of the ICS assessment language, saying routine maintenance items (roof replacement, carpeting, mice remediation) were presented as urgent needs. Van and others proposed alternatives such as renovating the existing City Hall and building a new police facility on the ball field rather than pursuing a full new campus.
City staff said the record of prior reviews and the project timeline are available and that an Oversight Committee has strong resident interest; administrators asked for input on outreach methods. The exchange concluded without a formal council decision to alter the process.
What’s next: Council and staff will continue project outreach and oversight; residents asked for clearer disclosure of prior plan options and suggested broader direct notifications to the community.
