2027 Budget

Public safety should remain a top budget priority. The increase in shootings and violent incidents over the past year has been very concerning.
Invest in evidence-based resources needed to keep Edina safe for residents, families, and visitors. Expanded camera coverage, more patrols, improved lighting. Please consider using data to focus prevention efforts on locations and times where incidents are most likely to occur.

I am writing to express my strong support for dedicated funding for Strachauer Park (Project #P&R21039) in the city's CIP. As a vital gathering space for our community, strategic investment in this park directly benefits neighborhood safety, health, and connection, ensuring it remains accessible and responsive to local needs. Thank you for considering the following:

Prioritize Phase II Funding in 2027 under Project #P&R21039 for the replacement of the outdated shelter building to provide a safe, modern, and fully accessible facility for year-round community use.

Include Phase III in the 2027–2032 CIP to deliver key neighborhood amenities, including:
-Shade & Covered Amenities: Built shade structures and pavilions equipped with picnic tables, extra playground benches, and accessible drinking fountains (with bottle-refill stations).

-Dog Park: A dedicated, fenced space for safe off-leash exercise.

- Active & Winter Recreation: Upgraded walking trails, court improvements, and continued support for the hockey rink and sledding hill.

-Safety: Lighting and perimeter improvements to enhance overall park safety.

I am writing to express my strong support for dedicated funding for Strachauer Park (Project #P&R21039) in the city's CIP. As a vital gathering space for our community, strategic investment in this park directly benefits neighborhood safety, health, and connection, ensuring it remains accessible and responsive to local needs. Thank you for considering the following:
Prioritize Phase II Funding in 2027 under Project #P&R21039 for the replacement of the outdated shelter building to provide a safe, modern, and fully accessible facility for year-round community use.

Include Phase III in the 2027–2032 CIP to deliver key neighborhood amenities, including:
-Shade & Covered Amenities: Built shade structures and pavilions equipped with picnic tables, extra playground benches, and accessible drinking fountains (with bottle-refill stations).

-Dog Park: A dedicated, fenced space for safe off-leash exercise.
Active & Winter Recreation: Upgraded walking trails, court improvements, and continued support for the hockey rink and sledding hill.

-Safety: Lighting and perimeter improvements to enhance overall park safety.

I know some of the investments with the greatest impact are the ones that are hardest to measure: connections between neighbors and residents.

How do I know? I've co-founded and helped steward two Edina neighborhood associations over the past decade, have seen trust grow between myself and other neighbors with each interaction, and have read too much social science and human psychology than is probably healthy.

Everything gets easier when people know each other and are willing to work together. Snow gets shoveled, kids get watched, isolation gets noticed and interrupted, and disagreements get resolved without anyone calling a hotline.

That's why, as I look at this proposed budget against the City's own pillars, I'm struck by how much lands under Strong Foundation, Reliable Service, and Livable City … and how little lands under Better Together. It's great that some deferred maintenance will happen with Public Works and Lewis Park. But what about deferred investments in the social fabric of our City? If we mean what we say in the Values Impact for Engagement about building meaningful connections, that commitment should show up in dollars.

I'll also gently push back on the shape of comments I'm seeing so far. Most input I've read ask for something specific to one park, one facility, or one slice of the City. I've made similar requests before and they certainly aren't wrong – just a bit narrow. Big capital projects will always compete for headlines and hard-earned tax dollars. But the least expensive, highest-leverage investment available to any city is the relationships between the people living in it. That's one line item that benefits every person and neighborhood.

I'd love to see this budget fund the invisible infrastructure of social trust. For example, City staff capacity dedicated to neighborhood cohesion, low-barrier or free gathering spaces available to any resident, and support for resident-led connection efforts already happening across Edina. I could say more, but I honor the creativity and city-wide lens of the City Council.

Years from now, I don't want people to say they stayed in our City because of its facilities. I want them to say they stayed because of the neighbors and friends they couldn't imagine leaving behind.

Ditto this previous comment: "Please prioritize Strachauer Park's Master Plan Phase II 2027 funding (shelter building replacement) under Project #P&R21039, and consider adding Phase III (dog park, trails, courts, hockey rink, sledding hill, etc.) into the proposed CIP for 2027-2032.

Many individuals from Strachauer Park and Chowen Park as well as other park users from around the community (Strachauer Park is more than just a neighborhood node park) were extensively involved in the 2023 master planning process with the understanding that phases would be completed within a reasonable time period. Although Phase I’s installation of new playground equipment enhanced the park experience for some park users, there is still much work to be done to realize this park’s potential and make it a fully functional and welcoming place for all users — funding Phases II and III is vital.

Currently, both the Strachauer Park and Chowen Park neighborhoods have NO available public indoor gathering space within the boundaries of either neighborhood aside from a small warming house building that has been deemed "functionally obsolete" and falls well short of standards seen across the City, especially when compared to the larger/newer shelters at Pamela Park and Arden Park. Our neighborhood association has been an active steward of Strachauer Park, completing semi-annual park clean up days and hosting a summer social at the park. However, the lack of an indoor gathering space (on the scale that was included in the 2023 master plan) has hindered the ability of the neighborhood associations to plan and execute other types of neighborhood gatherings, thus limiting opportunities to engage neighbors and help facilitate connections and community-building.

I urge you to prioritize the funding of Strachauer Park Master Plan's Phase II funding, and consider adding Phase III into this upcoming CIP. Thank you!"

Please figure out the shooting at Yancy and by southdale mall and controlling the crime and violence in our city. I’ve lived here over half my life and I’ve never seen this sort of crime. Horrible and very concerning

PUBLIC SAFETY, SHOOTINGS - Looking ahead, investments that improve public safety, especially in “third places”, will be vital to the fabric of our community. There has been an increase of shootings in Edina, with 3 occurring since April 2026, the most recent occurring at a PARK (Yancey Park). This is tragic to see. This is not the Edina of 10 or 20 years ago, we need to adapt to today’s reality and fund additional police presence / look into what other cities have successfully done to stop this before it starts. The City cannot afford to lose public trust in shared community spaces. Edina is known for its great community spaces (schools, parks, libraries, sporting venues, etc.).

Please consider updating the Braemar golf course clubhouse. We golf there with our kids a couple times a week. The driving range, practice areas and courses are top-notch for a public course. Then you go into the clubhouse and are sent back many decades. The dining area looks like a old college study hall. There looks to be water issues downstairs with the fans always running. The restaurant is just bad. Prices are so high and the quality of food is terrible. They can't even salt or pepper there fries consistently. They need a new vendor or for the vendor to find new cooks.
An updated clubhouse could be such an asset to the city and used year-round for parties and meetings. Please consider this in the budget and work on it fast!

BRAEMAR GOLF COURSE CLUB HOUSE - Please prioritize funding approval to launch the planning & design phase for an updated clubhouse at Braemar GC, as its core framework is over 60 years old (1964). This initial investment will support the blueprints for meaningful community upgrades. These could include indoor golf simulators, a modern restaurant, and expanded banquet halls, to help capture 12-month event revenue. These upgrades will bring the clubhouse up to par with Braemar's world-class championship course, academy nine, and practice range. Braemar GC deserves to be celebrated and updated. Since redesign in 2019, it has won the ASGCA Design Excellence award (2019), the MGA Member Club of the Year award (2025), and consecutive GRAA Top 50 Public Range honors. Braemar CG’s operational success is led by top notch staff throughout, highlighted by a recent industry honor, Tommy Koehler (2026 GRAA national Growth of the Game). Looking ahead 5 to 10 years, this investment will yield significant positive impact on our city's quality of life and future growth by transforming the clubhouse into a year-round revenue generator.

Please prioritize the much needed Phase 2, and add Phase 3, of the Strachauer Park Master Plan (Project #P&R21039). The park facilities at Strachauer are decades behind other nearby parks (Arden, Pamela, etc) and have been officially deemed functionally obsolete. In addition, these projects would be a tremendously efficient use of funds given the over 1,000 households within walking distance (Strachauer and Chowen Neighborhoods). Help us bring this shared public amenity up to Edina’s standards.

I urge you to fund Phase 2 of the Strachauer Park Master Plan (Project #P&R21039). Neighborhood parks are important, particularly in neighborhoods lacking other public or commercial spaces. The Strachauer Park Master Plan was approved in July 2023, and Phase 1, the playground replacement, was completed in 2024. Phase 2, a new park building, is in the 2027 budget, and would be an amazing improvement to our neighborhood. Right now, we only have a tiny warming house for ice skaters that is unusable for any other kinds of activities. The planned park building would allow both Strachauer Park and Chowen Park residents to plan community activities and get-togethers year-round. In both neighborhoods, the only buildings (besides the sad little warming house) are houses and garages. We have no coffee shops, restaurants, or public meeting spaces other than the park property itself. Please fund this phase of the Master Plan. Please also include Phase 3 in the proposed CIP for 2027-2032. Thank you!

I believe the City is doing a marvelous job exploring and leading the way on sustainability issues. Please keep up the good work.
Just as the City is showing the way in designing a sustainable community, I believe we can do better in designing more beautiful and inspiring public places and spaces. City Hall and the new Library/Art center are excellent examples of what good design can be. Excellent design needs to be everywhere, all the time. Every time infrastructure is changed, repaired or replaced, ask the question "How could this be better"? From poetry cast into sidewalks to historical notes mounted on street corners, from light fixtures to stop signs, the opportunity exists to make Edina even more unique and beautiful. I believe the City is definitely on the right track; proof is visible all over town in the public landscaping, the boulevard and median plantings, the new park signs. It is a delight to see what a thoughtful, committed and visionary city can do.

I believe protecting our schools is priority ONE.
After that effort, the Parks, especially the neighborhood parks, are critical in maintaining the quality of life for all of us. They need to be beautiful, unique and well maintained. They are one of the few visible assets the City can control that directly affects property values and tax base.
And last, the insertion and completion of sound walls on the freeways are vital. The freeway edges are invitations to loss of neighborhood cohesion and livability.

I agree with Nicole - please prioritize Strachauer parks phase 2 and 3 in next years budget! I also would love to see continued emphasis on a mix of affordable housing across the city.

I would love to see car-free travel prioritized. This will benefit everyone including children as well as further our city’s sustainability. I would also love to see car free gathering spaces to foster community - (like closing one block of 50th street at 50th and France and make it pedestrian-only!)

Please prioritize Strachauer Park's Master Plan Phase II 2027 funding (shelter building replacement) under Project #P&R21039, and consider adding Phase III (dog park, trails, courts, hockey rink, sledding hill, etc.) into the proposed CIP for 2027-2032.

Many individuals from Strachauer Park and Chowen Park as well as other park users from around the community (Strachauer Park is more than just a neighborhood node park) were extensively involved in the 2023 master planning process with the understanding that phases would be completed within a reasonable time period. Although Phase I’s installation of new playground equipment enhanced the park experience for some park users, there is still much work to be done to realize this park’s potential and make it a fully functional and welcoming place for all users — funding Phases II and III is vital.

Currently, both the Strachauer Park and Chowen Park neighborhoods have NO avaialble public indoor gathering space within the boundaries of either neighborhood aside from a small warming house building that has been deemed "functionally obsolete" and falls well short of standards seen across the City, especially when compared to the larger/newer shelters at Pamela Park and Arden Park. Our neighborhood association has been an active steward of Strachauer Park, completing semi-annual park clean up days and hosting a summer social at the park. However, the lack of an indoor gathering space (on the scale that was included in the 2023 master plan) has hindered the ability of the neighborhood associations to plan and execute other types of neighborhood gatherings, thus limiting opportunities to engage neighbors and help facilitate connections and community-building.

I urge you to prioritize the funding of Strachauer Park Master Plan's Phase II funding, and consider adding Phase III into this upcoming CIP. Thank you!