Mission and Goals

In May 2011, the Minnetonka City Council revised the city’s mission, vision and strategic goals to help guide the city’s future priorities and policies. The mission, vision and strategic goals are listed below.

Mission

Our purpose is to provide the core public services our community residents and businesses rely upon in their daily lives, while striving to preserve and enhance the distinctive character that makes Minnetonka a special place to live.

Vision

Minnetonka will be the community of choice where people live, work, play and conduct business in a naturally beautiful environment.

Guiding Principles

  • We will focus on excellent customer service by striving to do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason.
  • We will set the standard for innovative leadership by forging collaborative partnerships, adopting new technologies and promoting effective service delivery.
  • We will foster open and inclusive communication to encourage community involvement, and to maintain the trust and respect of those we serve.
  • We will live our shared values of authentic communication, contagious enthusiasm, shared success, outcome focused teamwork, adaptable learning and innovation, and healthy human relationships.

Goals

Responsible stewards

We will be responsible stewards of the city’s physical assets, human capital and financial resources by:

  • Providing good value for the dollars entrusted to us.
  • Managing for the long-term to ensure the city’s ongoing ability to provide quality services at a reasonable price.
  • Sustaining core services and continuing infrastructure investments, while living within our means.

Natural environment

We will protect and enhance the unique natural environment of our community by:

  • Carefully balancing growth and development with preservation efforts that protect the highly valued water and woodland resources of our community.
  • Developing and implementing realistic long-term plans to mitigate threats to water quality, urban forests, and the unique natural character of Minnetonka.
  • Taking an active role in promoting energy and water conservation, sustainable operations and infrastructure, recycling and environmental stewardship.

Public safety

We will maintain quality public safety for our residents and businesses by:

  • Implementing appropriate recommendations in the Public Safety Management and Operations Study to address the evolving police, fire and emergency service needs of our community, including an aging and more diverse population.
  • Providing seamless, coordinated and integrated public safety services through common protocols and shared practices among departments and personnel.
  • Leading collaborative efforts with other agencies to cost-effectively provide quality public safety services, with an emphasis on coordinated technology, equipment and programs.

Transportation

We will work to meet the transportation needs of our residents and businesses by:

  • Providing and preserving a quality local street system, based on a financially sustainable plan for reconstruction and ongoing maintenance.
  • Collaborating with our state, regional and local partners in the timely development of shared highways and streets.
  • Actively participating in regional light rail planning and development to ensure that community needs and interests are served.
  • Pursuing shared sub-regional transit solutions with neighboring communities to improve service within the area.

Community development

We will support well-planned, responsible community development by:

  • Carefully balancing individual property rights with community-wide interests, while respecting the unique character of Minnetonka’s neighborhoods.
  • Initiating programs and policies that broaden housing choices to both meet the needs of our aging population and attract young residents.
  • Actively promoting the vitality of designated village centers, which integrate uses and connect people to commercial, residential, employment, and public activities.
  • Supporting business retention and expansion and attracting new businesses to help our private sector be economically competitive.

Recreation

We will provide excellent recreational amenities by:

  • Offering a full range of programs for people of all ages and ability levels.
  • Responsibly maintaining our parks, trails and recreational facilities, while fairly balancing user fees with general community support.
  • Renewing, expanding and maintaining a trail system to encourage outdoor recreation, and improve the connectivity and walkability of our community.