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Regular City Council Meeting Monday,December 8,2014 Page 12 Councilmember McGehee questioned how the CEG saw its role in assisting and creating neighborhood associations versus those neighborhoods self-identifying and coming to the City for assistance; with one of those efforts top down and the other bottom up. Chair Grefenberg stated that he supported the bottom up method; and if the City Council approved the CEG moving forward, they had already held preliminary discussions with three neighborhood associations who had experienced working solo to-date. Chair Grefenberg suggested that a task force could bring back sug- gestions to the full commission; and offered his interest in coming back to the City Council with those recommendations for how the City Council could support neighborhood associations. Chair Grefenberg noted the excellent track record of the Cities of Edina and St. Louis Park in encouraging the formation of neighbor- hood associations. While neighborhood associations served as an excellent resource in communica- tion between the City and those neighborhoods, Mayor Roe noted other aspects that had nothing to do with the City. Mayor Roe advised that his number one rea- son for supporting the neighborhood association concept was to connect residents with each other in a smaller geographic area, and secondary to that first priority in their creation was to foster communication and receive their feedback from a city perspective. Mayor Roe opined that it made sense that the associations develop bottom up and self-identify; but noted the challenges and past experiences in at- tempting to get them going. Mayor Roe suggested that the role of the CEG may be to develop a list of best practices or to draft up options available as organiza- tional documents that interested residents could tap into to create a neighborhood association. Mayor Roe stated that such a role was what he was interested in see- ing; as well as ways to connect rental communities while recognizing some of the challenges with a more transient resident versus long-term residents. However, Mayor Roe suggested those long-term residents could serve as the core group for such an association. Mayor Roe stated that he wholeheartedly endorsed "Roseville U" and had heard nothing but positive things in the past; and suggested that it remain an option available to residents. Mayor Roe stated that he was fine with keeping the course as delivered in the past, or tweaking it,but either way to move forward with it. In conclusion, Mayor Roe noted that he heard no objections from individual City Councilmembers in the CEG moving forward with their identified priorities; and highlighted the City Council's expressed feedback and interest in pursuing and engaging renter residents and reinstating"Roseville U." Chair Grefenberg thanked the City Council for their feedback.