07-12-2022 Agenda and PacketA.WORK SESSION
B.7:00 P.M. - CALL TO ORDER
C.APPROVAL OF MINUTES
C.1 Approve Economic Development Commission Minutes of June 14, 2022
D.GENERAL BUSINESS
E.ADMINISTRATIVE PRESENTATIONS
E.1 Review Economic Development Commissions from Other Communities
F.CORRESPONDENCE DISCUSSION
G.ADJOURNMENT
AGENDA
CHANHASSEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2022
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
1
Economic Development Commission Item
July 12, 2022
Subject Approve Economic Development Commission Minutes of June 14, 2022
Section APPROVAL OF MINUTES Item No: C.1
Prepared By Amy Weidman, Admin Support Specialist File No:
SUMMARY
BACKGROUND
DISCUSSION
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Economic Development Commission approve the June 14, 2022
Commission minutes.
ATTACHMENTS
June 14, 2022 Economic Development Commission Minutes
2
CHANHASSEN ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
JUNE 14, 2022
Chair Anderson called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Eric Anderson, Vice Chair David Kressler, Commissioners
Duke Zurek, Chris Freeman, and Stacy Goff.
MEMBERS ABSENT: None.
STAFF PRESENT: Bob Generous, Senior Planner.
PUBLIC PRESENT: None.
WORK SESSION: None.
Chair Anderson asked if there were any items for the work session.
Mr. Generous responded that the agenda was formatted to include that section, but that no items
were to be reviewed.
Commissioner Goff noted that the Economic Development Manager position had closed for
applications.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
APPROVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION MINUTES OF MAY 10,
2022.
Chair Anderson questioned whether a work session had been set up with City Council and the
Commission. He stated it was important that the Commission receive direction from City
Council on items that they were working on before they expended time and effort on projects
that would not go forward. He stated it could be done informally with City Council. Chair
Anderson said that he could contact someone by phone if that would help.
Mr. Generous explained that the Commission should prepare a specific item that they wanted to
pursue and then request that they get on the Council work session to discuss the items and
receive preliminary direction.
3
Economic Development Commission – May 10, 2022
2
Member Kressler moved, Member Zurek seconded to approve the Minutes of the
Economic Development Commission meeting dated May 10, 2022. All voted in favor and
the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 5 – 0.
DISCUSSION ITEMS: None.
ADMINISTRATIVE PRESENTATION:
1. 2040 Comprehensive Plan Land Use Discussion
Mr. Generous presented a PowerPoint on land uses within the City. He noted that the City has
guided all property within the community for different land uses as shown on the 2040 Land Use
Plan Map, Figure 2-10. The individual land use acreages are broken out in Figure 2 – 8, 2020-
2040 Land Use Comparisons. As part of the Transportation Chapter of the Plan, Table 6.2, City
of Chanhassen 2040 Population, Households, and Employment by TAZ, attempts to project
development trends within the City by Traffic Analysis Zones, Figure 6.2, TAZ Map. Figure 2-4,
Net Developable Residential Acreage 2020-2040, analyses the potential residential development
from 2020- 204 based on the available residential parcels at the minimum density for each of the
residential land uses. Figure 2-5, Potential Development Timeline, projects development
timeframes for various areas of the City by near term and long-term development expectations.
Figure 2-1B, Highway 61 Corridor Revised Land Use Guiding, show the intensification of future
development along Flying Cloud Drive with areas of Mixed use consisting of high density
residential and commercial uses, High Density Residential uses, and Medium Density
Residential uses along the corridor. Figure 2-11, Chanhassen Commercial Land Use Categories
and Mixed Use Land Use, shows the various commercial land use areas of the City: Central
Business District, Neighborhood/Convenience Commercial, Community Commercial,
Regional/Lifestyle Center, and Mixed Use land use area.
Commissioner Freeman stated that it did not appear that there was a lot of land available for
development. Had City Council looked at this?
Generous stated that City Council had adopted the Comprehensive Plan, but that it had not been
discussed recently.
Chair Anderson stated that a developer could request an amendment to the land use as part of
their development proposal.
Commissioner Zurek said that it was a lot of information and thanked staff for the presentation.
4
Economic Development Commission – May 10, 2022
3
2. Business Communication
Mr. Generous stated that as a part of the previous agenda and discussion regarding
communication about the residential SeeClickFix portal of the City’s website that staff looked
into efforts being discussed by the City to communicate with businesses. One item was the
voluntary registration of businesses being discussed by the public safety department, which
would provide information about businesses and contact information for public safety purposes.
Part of the information is general information on the type of business. Staff felt that it potentially
could be included as part of economic development communication efforts by the City with the
business’ permission. This voluntary registration was a program in Savage, Minnesota.
CORRESPONDENCE DISCUSSION: None.
Mr. Generous noted that the interviews for the Economic Development Manager begin next
week.
Commissioner Freeman asked if there were any studies on good economic development
commissions that were done. He wanted to know what was available and how other
communities use their economic development commissions.
Commissioner Zurek said that the commissioners would be willing to assist in the economic
development manager interviewing process.
ADJOURNMENT:
Commissioner Zurek moved, Commissioner Goff seconded to adjourn the Economic
Development Commission meeting at 8:25 p.m. All voted in favor 5 – 0.
Submitted by Bob Generous
Senior Planner
Prepared by Amy Weidman
Administrative Support Specialist
5
Economic Development Commission Item
July 12, 2022
Subject Review Economic Development Commissions from Other Communities
Section ADMINISTRATIVE PRESENTATIONS Item No: E.1
Prepared By Kate Aanenson, Community Development Director File No:
SUMMARY
The Economic Development Commission (EDC) requested that the Commission review other EDCs in
other communities to examine their roles and responsibilities.
Attached is an Excel spreadsheet which includes links to EDCs in comparable neighboring cities.
BACKGROUND
DISCUSSION
Some of the common areas of responsibilities of the EDC were:
Business appreciation activities
Regional marketing
Business needs and assessments
Research, review and recommendations on EDC issues:
Zoning ordinance (food trucks - the Commission recommended increasing the opportunity
to be in the city)
Review fees that impact businesses
Review the Comprehensive Plan
Provide input on policies that impact business
RECOMMENDATION
The EDC could start by gathering information on the marketing and networking done on behalf of the
City by the Chamber of Commerce and Buy Chanhassen. Executive Director of the Chamber, Darren
Noble, could share how they market the city and network with businesses as well as identify issues and
challenges they have discovered. Buy Chanhassen is a local group that is a member of the Southwest
Chamber of Commerce. They may also have information that would benefit the EDC.
6
In 2022, the City of Eagan contracted with the National Research Center to complete a national business
survey. The survey gives local businesses the opportunity to provide feedback about the community
characteristics and local government services that support the local economy. The report looks at six
key indicators:
Community amenities
Business climate
Employment opportunities and workforce support
Workforce readiness
Business growth
Governance
The City of Eagan survey is attached. If this is something the EDC would find valuable, they could
make a recommendation.
ATTACHMENTS
Comparable Cities EDCs
Chanhassen EDC
Eagan National Business Survey Results
Minnetonka EDAC Responsibilities
2022 Burnsville EDC Work Plan
2020-2023 Lakeville EDC Strategic Report
7
EDCs
Comparable Have
Shakopee No
Inver Grove Heights No
Savage Yes
Chaska No
Prior Lake Yes (EDA)
Shoreview Yes
Rosemount Yes (Port Authority)
Champlin No
Farmington Yes (EDA)
Neighboring
Eden Prairie No
Minnetonka Yes
Waconia No
Victoria No
Shorewood Yes
Other
Bloomington Yes (EDC and Port Authority) https://bloomington.in.gov/boards/economic-development https://www.bloomingtonmn.gov/port/port-authority
Mounds View Yes
Burnsville Yes
Lakeville Yes
Edina No
Saint Louis Park Yes (EDA)
Hopkins No
Woodbury Yes
https://www.farmingtonmn.gov/government/boards___commissions/economic_development_authority#:~:text=The%20Economic%20
Website
NA
NA
https://www.cityofsavage.com/government/commissions
City
NA
https://www.priorlakemn.gov/government/committees-commissions/economic-development-authority
https://www.shoreviewmn.gov/government/committees-and-commissions/economic-development-commission
https://lakevillemn.gov/430/Economic-Development-Commission#:~:text=The%20Economic%20Development%20Commission%20(EDC,
https://ci.rosemount.mn.us/110/Port-Authority
https://www.minnetonkamn.gov/government/boards-and-commissions/economic-development-advisory-commission
https://www.thinkshoreview.com/about/economic-development-commission
https://www.moundsviewmn.org/government/commissions/economic_development_commission_(edc)/index.php#:~:text=The%20EDC
https://www.burnsvillemn.gov/65/Economic-Development-Commission
https://www.stlouispark.org/government/boards-commissions/economic-development-authority
Note: EDAs were included when they met regularly and included non-council members in their membership.
https://www.woodburymn.gov/628/Economic-Development-Commission
8
9
10
2022 WORK PROGRAM
The EDC recommended that the work program be divided into two sections: Work Projects and Normal
Business Items (Tasks). The work projects will be a reasonable number of larger projects that will further
economic development opportunities within the community. The work projects will have multiple
components and inputs. Tasks will be continuing items that the EDC will undertake on an ad hoc basis.
Work Projects
1. Communication:
a. Develop communication mechanisms for feedback and surveys for developers, business
owners, and residents to understand and improve City interaction with the development
and business community.
b. Investigate what stakeholders believe are necessary to attract, expand and retain
businesses.
c. Work with the Economic Development Manager, when hired, to create partnerships and
communication avenues.
d. Cooperate and coordinate with Buy Chanhassen and the Southwest Area Chamber of
Commerce on promoting business retention, expansion and recruitment to Chanhassen.
2. Develop Vision:
a. Work with City Council and Planning Commission on a vision for economic
development in the community.
b. Review role of economic development in the City’s Strategic Plan.
c. Promote economic development incentives: financial, zoning, density, etc.
d. Work to establish the EDC as a credible and viable commission for the furtherance of
economic development in Chanhassen.
Tasks
a. Work with City staff to review City Code amendments relative to economic development
and make recommendations.
b. Continue education efforts including housing demand and trends, demographic statistics,
mixed use development, sustainable development, development trends, redevelopment
issues, transportation projects, senior-friendly cities, etc.
c. Participate in joint meetings/discussions with the City Council and other Commissions.
d. Review Carver County Community Development Agency (CDA) and other assistance
and resources available to Chanhassen businesses.
11
Eagan, MN
The National Business Survey
Report of Results
2022
Report by:
Visit us online!
www.polco.us
12
About The NBS™
The National Business Survey™ (The NBS) gives local businesses the
opportunity to provide feedback about the community characteristics and
local government services that help support the local economy. It was
developed by the survey experts from National Research Center (NRC) at
Polco.
Great communities are partnerships of the government, businesses in the
private sector, community-based organizations, and residents, all
geographically connected. With this report, the City of Eagan gains an
important perspective from its businesses across six core indicators of the
business environment in the community:
• Community amenities
• Business climate
• Employment opportunities and workforce support
• Workforce readiness
• Business growth
• Governance
This report provides the opinions of 126 business owners and managers of
the City of Eagan. Because the survey was intended to be taken by all
businesses in the community, no traditional margin of error was calculated.
However, because not all businesses responded, NRC recommends using
plus or minus ten percentage points as the “range of uncertainty” around
any given percent reported for the City as a whole. The full description of
methods used to gather these opinions can be found in the “Methods” tab.
No statistical weighting was performed.
How the results are reported
For the most part, the percentages presented in the following tabs represent the “percent positive.” Most commonly, the
percent positive is the combination of the top two most positive response options (i.e., excellent/good and very safe/somewhat
safe, etc.). On many of the questions in the survey respondents may answer “don’t know.” The proportion of respondents giving
this reply is shown in the full set of responses included in the tab “Complete data.” However, these responses have been removed
from the analyses presented in most of the tabs. In other words, the tables and graphs display the responses from respondents
who had an opinion about a specific item.
Comparisons to benchmarks
NRC’s database of comparative business opinion is comprised of business perspectives gathered in surveys from communities
whose business owners and/or managers evaluated the same kinds of topics on The National Business Survey. NRC adds the
latest results quickly upon survey completion, keeping the benchmark data fresh and relevant. Comparisons are made to the
entire database. Ratings are compared when there are at least five communities in which a similar question was asked. In each
tab, Eagan's results are noted as being "higher" than the benchmark, "lower" than the benchmark, or "similar" to the
benchmark, meaning that the average rating given by Eagan business owners and managers is statistically similar to or different
(greater or lesser) than the benchmark. Being rated as "higher" or "lower" than the benchmark means that Eagan's average
rating for a particular item was more than five points different than the benchmark.
The survey was administered during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time of challenge for many local governments. While we provide
comparisons to national benchmarks, it is important to note that much of the benchmark data was collected prior to the
pandemic. This may impact how your City's 2022 ratings compare to other communities’ ratings from the past five years.
Trends over time
Trend data for Eagan represent important comparison data and should be examined for improvements or declines. Deviations
from stable trends over time represent opportunities for understanding how local policies, programs, or public information may
have affected opinions. Changes between survey years have been noted with an arrow and the percent difference. If the
difference is greater than 11 percentage points between the 2019 and 2022 surveys, the change is statistically significant.
1 13
Methods
The National Business Survey was developed to provide communities an accurate, affordable and easy way to assess and local
business owners’ and managers’ perspectives about the economic environment of a community or district. Standardization of
common questions and survey methods provide the rigor to assure valid results.
Selecting survey recipients
All private sector businesses within the City of Eagan were eligible to participate in the survey. A list of all businesses within the
zip codes serving Eagan was purchased from InfoUSA. Each location was mapped and compared to the most current boundary file
for the jurisdiction and business addresses located outside of Eagan were removed from consideration. A total of 2,177
businesses were identified as being within the city limits of Eagan.
Conducting the survey
The 2,177 businesses received mailings beginning on January 6, 2022 and the survey remained open for six weeks. The first
mailing was a postcard inviting the business owner or manager to participate in the survey. The next mailing contained an
invitation letter with instructions, followed by a reminder postcard. All mailings included a web link for respondents to complete
the survey online.
About xx% of the 2,177 mailed invitations were returned because the business address was vacant or the postal service was
unable to deliver the survey as addressed. Of the remaining xx businesses that received the invitations to participate, 126
completed the survey, providing an overall response rate of 6%. The response rate was calculated using AAPOR’s response rate
#2* for mailed surveys of unnamed persons.
Because the survey was intended to be taken by all businesses in the community, no traditional margin of error was calculated.
However, because not all businesses responded, NRC recommends using plus or minus ten percentage points as the “range of
uncertainty” around any given percent reported for the city as a whole.
Analyzing the survey
Responses from the surveys completed on Polco were downloaded. Range checks as well as others forms of quality control were
also performed. No statistical weighting was performed. No adjustments were made for design effects.
The survey datasets were analyzed using all or some of a combination of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), R,
Python and Tableau. For the most part, the percentages presented in the reports represent the “percent positive.” The percent
positive is the combination of the top two most positive response options (i.e., excellent/good, very safe/somewhat safe, and
essential/very important, etc.), or, in the case of resident behaviors/participation, the percent positive represents the proportion
of respondents indicating “yes” or participating in an activity at least once a month.
On many of the questions in the survey respondents may answer “don’t know.” The proportion of respondents giving this reply is
shown in the full set of responses included in the tab “Complete data”. However, these responses have been removed from the
analyses presented in the reports. In other words, the tables and graphs display the responses from respondents who had an
opinion about a specific item.
Contact
The City of Eagan funded this research. Please contact Joe Ellickson of the City of Eagan at jellickson@cityofeagan.com if you
have any questions about the survey...
Survey Validity
See the Polco Knowledge Base article on survey validity at https://info.polco.us/knowledge/statistical-vali
* See AAPOR's Standard Definitions for more information at
https://www.aapor.org/Publications-Media/AAPOR-Journals/Standard-Definitions.aspx
2 14
Highlights
Eagan businesses give high marks to the business climate in the city.
Nearly all business owners and managers surveyed (95%) said they were very or somewhat likely to recommend operating a
business in Eagan, to recommend working in Eagan to someone who asked, (98%), and to keep their business in Eagan for the
next five years (98%). These ratings were all higher than those given elsewhere across the nation.
Additionally, more than 9 in 10 business owners and managers felt that Eagan was an excellent or good place to do business and
a similar proportion gave the same evaluations to the overall economic health of Eagan, ratings that were also higher than the
national benchmarks. Further, about 8 in 10 businesses surveyed gave excellent or good reviews to the job City government does
at attracting new businesses, and about 7 in 10 favorably rated the City informing businesses of community issues and values,
communicating during City construction, welcoming business involvement, retaining existing businesses, and supporting or
creating new jobs. All of these ratings exceeded national averages and, where comparisons over time were available, were
similar to those given in 2019 except for the job Eagan government does at welcoming business involvement, which increased in
2022.
Business owners and managers appreciate the community amenities provided in Eagan.
The city as a place to visit, its overall image or reputation, cleanliness, and the overall appearance of Eagan were rated as
excellent or good by at least 92% of respondents; each of these were rated higher than the national benchmark. About 9 in 10
businesses gave positive scores to the overall quality of commercial development in Eagan, the quality and variety of shopping
opportunities, the quality of restaurants/places to eat, and the quality of service establishments. About 8 in 10 businesses said
that the vibrancy of the downtown or commercial areas, overall opportunity for business growth or expansion, and the variety of
restaurants and service establishments were excellent or good. These ratings also all surpassed those given in other
communities nationwide.
A question unique to Eagan asked businesses to indicate, from a provided list, which amenities in the city benefitted their
business and to select all that applied. About 8 in 10 respondents indicated that access to highways and arterials benefitted
their business, and about 6 in 10 felt the existing customer base and proximity to Minneapolis/St. Paul were benefits. About half
indicated that proximity to MSP Airport benefitted their business.
Many of the standard questions related to community amenities were new on the 2022 survey and comparisons over time were
not available for these items. However, where trends over time could be observed, ratings tended to remain stable from previous
survey iterations except for public places where people want to spend time, which decreased since 2019.
Business owners and managers in Eagan rate community supports for the workforce more highly than those
in other communities.
About 9 in 10 business owners and managers or more gave positive reviews to Eagan as a place to work and the quality and
variety of employment opportunities. About 8 in 10 favorably rated the availability of jobs that pay a livable wage. Thinking
about characteristics of the city that impact Eagan’s workforce, at least 8 in 10 gave excellent or good ratings to the quality of
the public school system at producing graduates that are both career-ready and college-ready, the variety of education/training
opportunities to build work skills, and the overall quality of education/training opportunities in the community. These
community aspects were all rated higher than the nation. Further, business owners and managers gave above-average marks to
the variety of housing options for Eagan workers (78% excellent or good), housing affordability for workers (56%), the cost of
living in the city (65%), and the quality of childcare available in Eagan (81%).
Eagan businesses continue to be pleased with City service delivery and with local government performance.
Virtually all City services received ratings from business owners and managers that were higher than those given in other
communities across the nation. At least 9 in 10 survey respondents gave excellent or good ratings to police services, the amount
of public parking in commercial areas, the ease of travel by car in Eagan, economic development, and the overall customer service
by Eagan employees, among others. Virtually all businesses (97%) gave high ratings to the overall quality of services provided by
the city. Finally, when asked to evaluate various aspects of local government performance, about 8 in 10 business owners or
managers surveyed gave favorable reviews to the value of services for taxes paid, the overall direction of the City, overall
confidence in Eagan government, generally acting in the best interest of the community, and being honest. These ratings were all
higher than the national averages and remained stable over time.
3 15
55%
Excellent
45%
Good
The overall quality of life in Eagan
Quality of life
A community with an excellent quality of life for those who live and work
there will be appealing to those wanting to start a new business and is
important in attracting and retaining good employees. A highly livable
community is attractive, accessible, and welcoming to all.
2015 2017 2019 2021
The overall quality of life in Eagan
Eagan as a place for children and families
Eagan as a place for older adults
Eagan as a place for young adults
97%96%100%
Higher
vs.
benchmark*
97%96%100%
Higher
vs.
benchmark*
98%
Higher
98%
Higher
73%
66%
96%
Higher73%
66%
96%
Higher
78%
Higher
78%
Higher
Please rate each of the following aspects of quality of life in Eagan.
(% excellent or good)
2015 2017 2019 2021
Recommend living in Eagan to someone who asks
96%
Higher
96%
Higher
Please indicate how likely or unlikely you are to do each of the following.
(% very or somewhat likely)
4 16
* Comparison to the national benchmark is shown. If no comparison is available, this is left blank.
Facets of livability
Characteristics such as natural amenities, safety, and design ensure
a community is attractive to businesses, their employees, and the
residents they serve. Communities that invest in their natural,
social, and built environment foster strong economies where people
want to live, visit, and spend time.
2015 2017 2019 2021
Overall economic health of Eagan
Overall quality of the transportation system (auto, bicycle,
foot, bus) in Eagan
Overall design or layout of Eagan's residential and
commercial areas (e.g., homes, buildings, streets, parks, e..
Overall quality of the utility infrastructure in Eagan (water,
sewer, storm water, electric, gas)
Overall feeling of safety in Eagan
Overall quality of natural environment in Eagan
Overall quality of parks and recreation opportunities
Overall health and wellness opportunities in Eagan
Overall opportunities for education, culture, and the arts
Residents' connection and engagement with their
community
95%94%97%
Higher
vs.
benchmark*
95%94%97%
Higher
vs.
benchmark*
89%94%75%
Higher
89%94%75%
Higher
87%84%87%
Higher87%84%87%
Higher
93%
Higher
93%
Higher
95%98%88%
Higher95%98%88%
Higher
94%94%96%
Higher94%94%96%
Higher
96%
Higher
96%
Higher
91%
88%
93%
Higher
91%
88%
93%
Higher
85%85%
83%
Similar
85%85%
83%
Similar
80%
74%
86%
Higher80%
74%
86%
Higher
Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Eagan as a whole.
(% excellent or good)
In Eagan's commercial areas during the day
In Eagan's commercial areas after dark
Please rate how safe or unsafe you feel:
(% very or somewhat safe)
5 17
* Comparison to the national benchmark is shown. If no comparison is available, this is left blank.
Facets of livabilityCharacteristics such as natural amenities, safety, and design ensurea community is attractive to businesses, their employees, and theresidents they serve. Communities that invest in their natural,social, and built environment foster strong economies where peoplewant to live, visit, and spend time.Overall economic health of EaganOverall quality of the transportation system (auto, bicycle,foot, bus) in EaganOverall design or layout of Eagan's residential andcommercial areas (e.g., homes, buildings, streets, parks, e..Overall quality of the utility infrastructure in Eagan (water,sewer, storm water, electric, gas)Overall feeling of safety in EaganOverall quality of natural environment in EaganOverall quality of parks and recreation opportunitiesOverall health and wellness opportunities in EaganOverall opportunities for education, culture, and the artsResidents' connection and engagement with theircommunityPlease rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Eagan as a whole.(% excellent or good)
2015 2017 2019 2021
In Eagan's commercial areas during the day
In Eagan's commercial areas after dark
97%97%96%
Similar
97%97%96%
Similar
86%
89%79%
Similar86%
89%79%
Similar
Please rate how safe or unsafe you feel:
(% very or somewhat safe)
6 18
Community amenities
When businesses choose where to locate and think about the potential for growth, they are highly influenced by community
infrastructure, local markets, and the quality of amenities that may help attract and retain employees.
2015 2017 2019 2021
Eagan as a place to visit
Overall image or reputation of Eagan
88%
85%
92%
Similar
88%
85%
92%
Similar
95%
92%100%
Higher
vs.
benchmark*
95%
92%100%
Higher
vs.
benchmark*
Please rate each of the following aspects of quality of life in Eagan.
(% excellent or good)
2015 2017 2019 2021
Cleanliness of Eagan
Overall appearance of Eagan
Public places where people want to spend time
Historical preservation in Eagan
Hotel and lodging options
Opportunities to attend cultural/arts/music activities
Quality of internet connection
Coverage of internet connection
99%98%99%
Higher
99%98%99%
Higher
97%97%98%
Higher
97%97%98%
Higher
89%94%78%
Higher
89%94%78%
Higher
70%
Similar
70%
Similar
81%
Higher
81%
Higher
62%
Similar
62%
Similar
84%
Higher
84%
Higher
85%
Higher
85%
Higher
Please rate each of the following in the Eagan community.
(% excellent or good)
Vibrancy of downtown/commercial areas
Overall quality of commercial development in Eagan
Overall opportunity for business growth and expansion
Opportunities for tourism
Quality of shopping opportunities
Variety of shopping opportunities
Quality of restaurants and places to eat
Variety of restaurants and places to eat
Quality of service establishments (e.g., salons, dry
cleaners, etc.)
Variety of service establishments (e.g., salons, dry
cleaners, etc.)
Please rate each of the following in the Eagan community.
(% excellent or good)
7 19
Community amenitiesWhen businesses choose where to locate and think about the potential for growth, they are highly influenced by communityinfrastructure, local markets, and the quality of amenities that may help attract and retain employees.Eagan as a place to visitOverall image or reputation of EaganPlease rate each of the following aspects of quality of life in Eagan.(% excellent or good)Cleanliness of EaganOverall appearance of EaganPublic places where people want to spend timeHistorical preservation in EaganHotel and lodging optionsOpportunities to attend cultural/arts/music activitiesQuality of internet connectionCoverage of internet connectionPlease rate each of the following in the Eagan community.(% excellent or good)
2015 2017 2019 2021
Vibrancy of downtown/commercial areas
Overall quality of commercial development in Eagan
Overall opportunity for business growth and expansion
Opportunities for tourism
Quality of shopping opportunities
Variety of shopping opportunities
Quality of restaurants and places to eat
Variety of restaurants and places to eat
Quality of service establishments (e.g., salons, dry
cleaners, etc.)
Variety of service establishments (e.g., salons, dry
cleaners, etc.)
86%91%82%
Higher
86%91%82%
Higher
91%
93%87%
Higher91%
93%87%
Higher
82%
Higher
82%
Higher
64%
Similar
64%
Similar
95%95%94%
Higher
95%95%94%
Higher
92%
Higher
92%
Higher
87%
Higher
87%
Higher
80%
Higher
80%
Higher
91%
Higher
91%
Higher
82%
Higher
82%
Higher
Please rate each of the following in the Eagan community.
(% excellent or good)
8 20
Business climate
A strong business climate can be described as one in which it is easy for
businesses to start and thrive. Such climates can improve the local economy,
increase employment and wages, and provide additional tax revenues to
support community livability.
51%
Excellent
42%
Good
6%
Fair
1%
Poor
Eagan as a place to do business
2015 2017 2019 2021
Eagan as a place to do business
92%91%94%
Higher
vs.
benchmark*
92%91%94%
Higher
vs.
benchmark*
Please rate each of the following aspects of quality of life in Eagan.
(% excellent or good)
2015 2017 2019 2021
Recommend working in Eagan to someone who asks
Recommend operating a business in Eagan to someone who
asks
Keep your business in Eagan for the next five years
98%
Higher
98%
Higher
97%
91%95%
Higher
97%
91%95%
Higher
97%
92%98%
Higher
97%
92%98%
Higher
Please indicate how likely or unlikely you are to do each of the following.
(% very or somewhat likely)
2015 2017 2019 2021
Informing businesses of community issues and values
Communicating during City construction (e.g., streets,
utilities, etc.)
Welcoming business involvement
Retaining existing businesses
Attracting new businesses
Supporting or creating new jobs
70%
65%
69%
Higher70%
65%
69%
Higher
72%
Higher
72%
Higher
73%
58%
75%
Higher73%
58%
75%
Higher
Please rate the job the Eagan government does:
(% excellent or good)
9 21
Business climateA strong business climate can be described as one in which it is easy forbusinesses to start and thrive. Such climates can improve the local economy,increase employment and wages, and provide additional tax revenues tosupport community livability.Eagan as a place to do businessEagan as a place to do businessPlease rate each of the following aspects of quality of life in Eagan.(% excellent or good)Recommend working in Eagan to someone who asksRecommend operating a business in Eagan to someone whoasksKeep your business in Eagan for the next five yearsPlease indicate how likely or unlikely you are to do each of the following.(% very or somewhat likely)Informing businesses of community issues and valuesCommunicating during City construction (e.g., streets,utilities, etc.)Welcoming business involvement
Retaining existing businesses
Attracting new businesses
Supporting or creating new jobs
69%
74%71%
Higher69%
74%71%
Higher
81%
77%
81%
Higher81%
77%
81%
Higher
69%
81%72%
Higher69%
81%72%
Higher
Please rate the job the Eagan government does:(% excellent or good)
10 22
Workforce support
Offering quality employment opportunities and the support
needed for residents to successfully access that work are critical
for a healthy and resilient local economy.
62%
Excellent
37%
Good
1%
Fair
1%
Poor
Eagan as a place to work
2015 2017 2019 2021
Eagan as a place to work
99%98%99%
Higher
vs.
benchmark*
99%98%99%
Higher
vs.
benchmark*
Please rate each of the following aspects of quality of life in Eagan.
(% excellent or good)
2015 2017 2019 2021
Quality of employment opportunities
Variety of employment opportunities
Availability of jobs that pay a livable wage
91%87%91%
Higher91%87%91%
Higher
89%
Higher
89%
Higher
81%
Higher
81%
Higher
Please rate each of the following in the Eagan community.
(% excellent or good)
2015 2017 2019 2021
Variety of housing options for people who work in Eagan
Affordability of housing for people who work in Eagan
Cost of living in Eagan
Quality of childcare
Affordability of childcare
Variety of transportation options for people who work in
Eagan
Ease of parking at workplaces
77%
79%78%
Higher77%
79%78%
Higher
56%
Higher
56%
Higher
65%
Higher
65%
Higher
81%
Higher
81%
Higher
Thinking about Eagan's workforce, please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Eagan.
(% excellent or good)
The quality of the public school system at producing
graduates who are career-ready
The quality of the public school system at producing
graduates who are college-ready
Access to institutions of higher education (colleges,
universities)
Access to trade schools
Variety of education/training opportunities to build work
skills
Affordability of education/training opportunities to build
work skills
Overall quality of education/training opportunities in your
community
Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Eagan as a place to develop job and workforce
skills.
(% excellent or good)
11 23
Workforce supportOffering quality employment opportunities and the supportneeded for residents to successfully access that work are criticalfor a healthy and resilient local economy.Eagan as a place to workEagan as a place to workPlease rate each of the following aspects of quality of life in Eagan.(% excellent or good)Quality of employment opportunitiesVariety of employment opportunitiesAvailability of jobs that pay a livable wagePlease rate each of the following in the Eagan community.(% excellent or good)Variety of housing options for people who work in EaganAffordability of housing for people who work in EaganCost of living in Eagan
Quality of childcare
Affordability of childcare
Variety of transportation options for people who work in
Eagan
Ease of parking at workplaces
81%
Higher
81%
Higher
43%
Similar
43%
Similar
52%
Higher
52%
Higher
95%
Higher
95%
Higher
Thinking about Eagan's workforce, please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Eagan.(% excellent or good)
2015 2017 2019 2021
The quality of the public school system at producing
graduates who are career-ready
The quality of the public school system at producing
graduates who are college-ready
Access to institutions of higher education (colleges,
universities)
Access to trade schools
Variety of education/training opportunities to build work
skills
Affordability of education/training opportunities to build
work skills
Overall quality of education/training opportunities in your
community
88%
Higher
88%
Higher
87%
Higher
87%
Higher
76%
Similar
76%
Similar
75%
Similar
75%
Similar
86%
Higher
86%
Higher
75%
Higher
75%
Higher
80%
Higher
80%
Higher
Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Eagan as a place to develop job and workforce
skills.
(% excellent or good)
12 24
Workforce readiness
Workforce readiness is the measure of how well a community’s employees’ education and skill levels align with current and
future labor market needs. Growing the economy, jobs, and wages often requires an investment in training programs as well as
community partnerships to help support residents as they seek to find new employment opportunities.
2015 2017 2019 2021
The educational qualifications
The skills needed
83%
Similar
83%
Similar
84%
Similar
vs.
benchmark*
84%
Similar
vs.
benchmark*
Thinking about your current employees and current employment options at your business, please rate to what extent
they possess the following.
(% fully or mostly)
2015 2017 2019 2021
Too many under-qualified employees/applicants
Too many overqualified employees/applicants
Lack of higher education opportunities (e.g., universities,
colleges)
Lack of trade schools and other adult training programs
Lack of quality public schools
Too many workers without a high school degree or
equivalent
Too few applicants/employees who do not speak a language
other than English (e.g., cannot speak Spanish)
Too few applicants/employees who speak a language other
than English (e.g., cannot speak English)
Lack of childcare opportunities
Lack of affordable, reliable public transportation
Lack of affordable, quality housing
Cost of living
Lack of community amenities to attract employees seeking
higher paying/higher skill level jobs
Failed drug tests
55%
Similar
55%
Similar
18%
Lesser
18%
Lesser
9%
Lesser
9%
Lesser
23%
Lesser
23%
Lesser
11%
Lesser
11%
Lesser
6%
Lesser
6%
Lesser
11%
Lesser
11%
Lesser
14%
Lesser
14%
Lesser
How much of a challenge, if at all, are the following to finding good employees in your community today?
(% major or moderate challenge)
13 25
Workforce readinessWorkforce readiness is the measure of how well a community’s employees’ education and skill levels align with current andfuture labor market needs. Growing the economy, jobs, and wages often requires an investment in training programs as well ascommunity partnerships to help support residents as they seek to find new employment opportunities.The educational qualificationsThe skills neededThinking about your current employees and current employment options at your business, please rate to what extentthey possess the following.(% fully or mostly)Too many under-qualified employees/applicantsToo many overqualified employees/applicantsLack of higher education opportunities (e.g., universities,colleges)Lack of trade schools and other adult training programsLack of quality public schoolsToo many workers without a high school degree orequivalentToo few applicants/employees who do not speak a languageother than English (e.g., cannot speak Spanish)
Too few applicants/employees who speak a language other
than English (e.g., cannot speak English)
Lack of childcare opportunities
Lack of affordable, reliable public transportation
Lack of affordable, quality housing
Cost of living
Lack of community amenities to attract employees seeking
higher paying/higher skill level jobs
Failed drug tests
14%
Lesser
14%
Lesser
19%
Lesser
19%
Lesser
19%
Lesser
19%
Lesser
22%
Lesser
22%
Lesser
40%
Lesser
40%
Lesser
12%
Lesser
12%
Lesser
5%
Lesser
5%
Lesser
How much of a challenge, if at all, are the following to finding good employees in your community today?(% major or moderate challenge)
14 26
Business Growth
Growth is a key indicator of both company- and
commnunity-level economic health.
Very positive
Somewhat positive
Neutral
Somewhat negative
Very negative
10%
29%
33%
21%
8%
What impact, if any, do you think the economy will
have on your business revenues in the next 6 months?
2015 2017 2019 2021
Over the PAST five years
Expected in the NEXT five years
64%
Similar
64%
Similar
78%
Similar
vs.
benchmark*
78%
Similar
vs.
benchmark*
Please rate the amount of growth in your company:
(% large or small increase)
2015 2017 2019 2021
What impact, if any, do you think the economy will have on
your business revenues in the next 6 months? Do you think..51%
67%39%
Higher51%
67%39%
Higher
What impact, if any, do you think the economy will have on your business revenues in the next 6 months? Do you
think the impact will be:
(% very or somewhat positive)
2015 2017 2019 2021
Is your business planning to hire in the next 6 to 12 months?59%
66%51%
Higher59%
66%51%
Higher
Is your business planning to hire in the next 6 to 12 months?
(% yes or not sure)
"Unskilled jobs" (these jobs do not require workers to have special training or skills - e.g.,
cashiers, farm laborers, grocery clerks, hotel workers)
"Semi-skilled jobs" (these jobs require some skill but do not require highly specialized skills -
e.g., truck drivers, typists)
"Skilled jobs" (these jobs require a comprehensive knowledge of the trade, craft or industry -
e.g., electricians, plumbers, law enforcement officers, administrative assistants)
"Highly skilled jobs" (these jobs require an advanced education or training - e.g., doctors,
lawyers, architects, financial consultants)
If you said "yes" or "not sure" to question 15 above, what types of jobs might you be adding? (Please check "yes" for all that
apply.)
(% yes)
15 27
Business GrowthGrowth is a key indicator of both company- andcommnunity-level economic health.Very positiveSomewhat positiveNeutralSomewhat negativeVery negativeWhat impact, if any, do you think the economy willhave on your business revenues in the next 6 months?Over the PAST five yearsExpected in the NEXT five yearsPlease rate the amount of growth in your company:(% large or small increase)What impact, if any, do you think the economy will have onyour business revenues in the next 6 months? Do you think..What impact, if any, do you think the economy will have on your business revenues in the next 6 months? Do youthink the impact will be:(% very or somewhat positive)Is your business planning to hire in the next 6 to 12 months?Is your business planning to hire in the next 6 to 12 months?(% yes or not sure)
"Unskilled jobs" (these jobs do not require workers to have special training or skills - e.g.,
cashiers, farm laborers, grocery clerks, hotel workers)
"Semi-skilled jobs" (these jobs require some skill but do not require highly specialized skills -
e.g., truck drivers, typists)
"Skilled jobs" (these jobs require a comprehensive knowledge of the trade, craft or industry -
e.g., electricians, plumbers, law enforcement officers, administrative assistants)
"Highly skilled jobs" (these jobs require an advanced education or training - e.g., doctors,
lawyers, architects, financial consultants)37%
58%
60%
46%
If you said "yes" or "not sure" to question 15 above, what types of jobs might you be adding? (Please check "yes" for all that
apply.)
(% yes)
16 28
Governance
The overall quality of the services provided by the local
government, as well as the manner in which these services are
delivered, form the backbone for the community in which
economies prosper.
* The percentage of positive responses is shown. Positive responses may differ by question (e.g. excellent/good, or very likely/somewhat likely).
** Comparison to the national benchmark is shown. If no comparison is available, this is left blank.
40%
Excellent
55%
Good
4%
Fair
Overall quality of services provided by The City of Eagan
2015 2017 2019 2021
Police services
Fire services
Crime prevention
Traffic enforcement
Street repair
Street cleaning
Street lighting
Snow removal
Sidewalk maintenance
Bus or transit services
Traffic flow on major streets
Amount of public parking in commercial areas
Ease of travel by car in Eagan
Ease of travel by bicycle in Eagan
Ease of walking in Eagan (path/sidewalk connectivity, etc.)
Traffic management during construction
Garbage collection
Recycling
Storm drainage
Power (electric and/or gas) utility
Utility billing
Land use, planning, and zoning
Building permits and inspections
Code enforcement (weeds, signs, etc.)
Economic development
Public information services
Emergency preparedness (services that prepare the community for
natural disasters or other emergency situations)
City-sponsored special events
Overall customer service by Eagan employees (police,
receptionists, planners, etc.)
95%97%95%
Higher
95%97%95%
Higher
99%100%99%100%
91%
93%86%
Similar91%
93%86%
Similar
91%92%85%
Higher
91%92%85%
Higher
86%88%83%
Higher
86%88%83%
Higher
90%91%86%
Higher
90%91%86%
Higher
83%
92%84%
Higher83%
92%84%
Higher
85%
94%81%
Higher85%
94%81%
Higher
88%90%77%
Higher
88%90%77%
Higher
66%
70%66%
Higher66%
70%66%
Higher
83%80%83%
Higher83%80%83%
Higher
92%91%93%
Higher
92%91%93%
Higher
92%88%95%
Higher92%88%95%
Higher
Please rate the quality of each of the following services in Eagan.
(% excellent or good)
The City of Eagan
The Federal Government
Overall, how would you rate the quality of the services provided by each of the following?
(% excellent or good)
The value of services for the taxes paid to Eagan
The overall direction that Eagan is taking
Overall confidence in Eagan government
Generally acting in the best interest of the community
Being honest
Please rate the following categories of Eagan government performance.
(% excellent or good)
17 29
GovernanceThe overall quality of the services provided by the localgovernment, as well as the manner in which these services aredelivered, form the backbone for the community in whicheconomies prosper.
* The percentage of positive responses is shown. Positive responses may differ by question (e.g. excellent/good, or very likely/somewhat likely).
** Comparison to the national benchmark is shown. If no comparison is available, this is left blank.
Overall quality of services provided by The City of EaganPolice servicesFire servicesCrime preventionTraffic enforcementStreet repairStreet cleaningStreet lightingSnow removalSidewalk maintenanceBus or transit servicesTraffic flow on major streetsAmount of public parking in commercial areas
Ease of travel by car in Eagan
Ease of travel by bicycle in Eagan
Ease of walking in Eagan (path/sidewalk connectivity, etc.)
Traffic management during construction
Garbage collection
Recycling
Storm drainage
Power (electric and/or gas) utility
Utility billing
Land use, planning, and zoning
Building permits and inspections
Code enforcement (weeds, signs, etc.)
Economic development
Public information services
Emergency preparedness (services that prepare the community for
natural disasters or other emergency situations)
City-sponsored special events
Overall customer service by Eagan employees (police,
receptionists, planners, etc.)
92%88%95%
Higher92%88%95%
Higher
73%
69%73%
Higher
73%
69%73%
Higher
76%82%
78%
Higher76%82%
78%
Higher
75%
Higher
75%
Higher
91%
92%89%
Similar91%
92%89%
Similar
86%
89%86%
Similar86%
89%86%
Similar
95%95%94%
Higher95%95%94%
Higher
95%95%96%
Higher
95%95%96%
Higher
91%
95%90%
Higher91%
95%90%
Higher
81%
86%79%
Higher81%
86%79%
Higher
80%
88%77%
Higher80%
88%77%
Higher
82%
83%81%
Higher82%
83%81%
Higher
89%
93%91%
Higher89%
93%91%
Higher
82%
73%
86%
Higher
82%
73%
86%
Higher
88%
85%88%
Higher
88%
85%88%
Higher
81%
84%80%
Higher81%
84%80%
Higher
92%
90%95%
Higher
92%
90%95%
Higher
Please rate the quality of each of the following services in Eagan.(% excellent or good)
The City of Eagan
The Federal Government
Overall, how would you rate the quality of the services provided by each of the following?
(% excellent or good)
The value of services for the taxes paid to Eagan
The overall direction that Eagan is taking
Overall confidence in Eagan government
Generally acting in the best interest of the community
Being honest
Please rate the following categories of Eagan government performance.
(% excellent or good)
18 30
GovernanceThe overall quality of the services provided by the localgovernment, as well as the manner in which these services aredelivered, form the backbone for the community in whicheconomies prosper.
* The percentage of positive responses is shown. Positive responses may differ by question (e.g. excellent/good, or very likely/somewhat likely).
** Comparison to the national benchmark is shown. If no comparison is available, this is left blank.
Overall quality of services provided by The City of EaganPolice servicesFire servicesCrime preventionTraffic enforcementStreet repairStreet cleaningStreet lightingSnow removalSidewalk maintenanceBus or transit servicesTraffic flow on major streetsAmount of public parking in commercial areasEase of travel by car in EaganEase of travel by bicycle in EaganEase of walking in Eagan (path/sidewalk connectivity, etc.)Traffic management during constructionGarbage collectionRecyclingStorm drainagePower (electric and/or gas) utilityUtility billingLand use, planning, and zoningBuilding permits and inspectionsCode enforcement (weeds, signs, etc.)Economic developmentPublic information servicesEmergency preparedness (services that prepare the community fornatural disasters or other emergency situations)City-sponsored special eventsOverall customer service by Eagan employees (police,
receptionists, planners, etc.)
Please rate the quality of each of the following services in Eagan.(% excellent or good)
2015 2017 2019 2021
The City of Eagan
The Federal Government
97%91%97%
Higher
97%91%97%
Higher
43%
60%44%
Similar43%
60%44%
Similar
Overall, how would you rate the quality of the services provided by each of the following?
(% excellent or good)
2015 2017 2019 2021
The value of services for the taxes paid to Eagan
The overall direction that Eagan is taking
Overall confidence in Eagan government
Generally acting in the best interest of the community
Being honest
78%
74%
77%
Higher78%
74%
77%
Higher
85%
88%81%
Higher85%
88%81%
Higher
81%
85%79%
Higher81%
85%79%
Higher
86%86%80%
Higher86%86%80%
Higher
87%88%82%
Higher
87%88%82%
Higher
Please rate the following categories of Eagan government performance.
(% excellent or good)
19 31
% positiveRankNumber ofcommunitiesPercentilePlease rate each of the
following aspects of
quality of life in Eagan.
Eagan as a place to work Higher
Eagan as a place to visit Similar
Eagan as a place to do business Higher
The overall quality of life in Eagan Higher
Eagan as a place for children and families Higher
Eagan as a place for older adults Higher
Eagan as a place for young adults Higher
Overall image or reputation of Eagan Higher
Please rate each of the
following characteristics
as they relate to Eagan as a
whole.
Overall economic health of Eagan Higher
Overall quality of the transportation system (auto, bicycle, foot, bus) in
Eagan Higher
Overall design or layout of Eagan's residential and commercial areas
(e.g., homes, buildings, streets, parks, etc.)Higher
Overall quality of the utility infrastructure in Eagan (water, sewer,
storm water, electric, gas)Higher
Overall feeling of safety in Eagan Higher
Overall quality of natural environment in Eagan Higher
10016199%
10010192%
10017194%
100171100%
1007198%
10014196%
1007178%
100151100%
10017197%
10010175%
10010187%
1007193%
10010188%
National benchmark tables
This table contains the comparisons of Eagan's results to those from other communities. The first column shows the comparison of
Eagan's rating to the benchmark. Eagan's results are noted as being “higher”, “lower” or “similar” to the benchmark, meaning that the
average rating given by Eagan residents is statistically similar to or different than the benchmark. The second column is Eagan's
“percent positive.” Most commonly, the percent positive is the combination of the top two most positive response options (i.e.,
excellent/good). The third column is the rank assigned to Eagan's rating among communities where a similar question was asked. The
fourth column is the number of communities that asked a similar question. The fifth column shows the percentile for Eagan's result --
that is what percent of surveyed communities had a lower rating than Eagan.
20 32
Please rate each of the
following characteristics
as they relate to Eagan as a
whole.
Overall feeling of safety in Eagan Higher
Overall quality of natural environment in Eagan Higher
Overall quality of parks and recreation opportunities Higher
Overall health and wellness opportunities in Eagan Higher
Overall opportunities for education, culture, and the arts Similar
Residents' connection and engagement with their community Higher
Please indicate how likely
or unlikely you are to do
each of the following.
Recommend living in Eagan to someone who asks Higher
Recommend working in Eagan to someone who asks Higher
Recommend operating a business in Eagan to someone who asks Higher
Keep your business in Eagan for the next five years Higher
Please rate how safe or
unsafe you feel:
In Eagan's commercial areas during the day Similar
In Eagan's commercial areas after dark Similar
Please rate each of the
following in the Eagan
community.
Cleanliness of Eagan Higher
Overall appearance of Eagan Higher
Vibrancy of downtown/commercial areas Higher
Overall quality of commercial development in Eagan Higher
Overall opportunity for business growth and expansion Higher
Opportunities for tourism Similar
Public places where people want to spend time Higher
Historical preservation in Eagan Similar
10012196%
1007196%
10010193%
10012183%
10010186%
1007196%
1007198%
10013195%
10016198%
10013196%
10013179%
10015199%
10016198%
10010182%
10016187%
1007182%
1007164%
10010178%
21 33
Please rate each of the
following in the Eagan
community.
Public places where people want to spend time Higher
Historical preservation in Eagan Similar
Hotel and lodging options Higher
Opportunities to attend cultural/arts/music activities Similar
Quality of internet connection Higher
Coverage of internet connection Higher
Quality of shopping opportunities Higher
Variety of shopping opportunities Higher
Quality of restaurants and places to eat Higher
Variety of restaurants and places to eat Higher
Quality of service establishments (e.g., salons, dry cleaners, etc.)Higher
Variety of service establishments (e.g., salons, dry cleaners, etc.)Higher
Quality of employment opportunities Higher
Variety of employment opportunities Higher
Availability of jobs that pay a livable wage Higher
Thinking about Eagan's
workforce, please rate
each of the following
characteristics as they
relate to Eagan.
Variety of housing options for people who work in Eagan Higher
Affordability of housing for people who work in Eagan Higher
Cost of living in Eagan Higher
Quality of childcare Higher
Affordability of childcare Similar
1007170%
1007181%
1007162%
1007184%
1007185%
10015194%
1007192%
1007187%
1007180%
1007191%
1007182%
10015191%
1007189%
1007181%
10015178%
1007156%
1007165%
1007181%
22 34
Thinking about Eagan's
workforce, please rate
each of the following
characteristics as they
relate to Eagan.
Quality of childcare Higher
Affordability of childcare Similar
Variety of transportation options for people who work in Eagan Higher
Ease of parking at workplaces Higher
Please rate each of the
following characteristics
as they relate to Eagan as a
place to develop job and
workforce skills.
The quality of the public school system at producing graduates who are
career-ready Higher
The quality of the public school system at producing graduates who are
college-ready Higher
Access to institutions of higher education (colleges, universities)Similar
Access to trade schools Similar
Variety of education/training opportunities to build work skills Higher
Affordability of education/training opportunities to build work skills Higher
Overall quality of education/training opportunities in your community Higher
Please rate the quality of
each of the following
services in Eagan.
Police services Higher
Fire services Similar
Crime prevention Similar
Traffic enforcement Higher
Street repair Higher
Street cleaning Higher
Street lighting Higher
Snow removal Higher
Sidewalk maintenance Higher
1007143%
1007152%
1007195%
1007188%
1007187%
1007176%
1007175%
10012186%
1007175%
1007180%
10015195%
10015197%
10014186%
10016185%
10015183%
10015186%
10014184%
10014181%
23 35
Please rate the quality of
each of the following
services in Eagan.
Snow removal Higher
Sidewalk maintenance Higher
Bus or transit services Higher
Traffic flow on major streets Higher
Amount of public parking in commercial areas Higher
Ease of travel by car in Eagan Higher
Ease of travel by bicycle in Eagan Higher
Ease of walking in Eagan (path/sidewalk connectivity, etc.)Higher
Traffic management during construction Higher
Garbage collection Similar
Recycling Similar
Storm drainage Higher
Power (electric and/or gas) utility Higher
Utility billing Higher
Land use, planning, and zoning Higher
Building permits and inspections Higher
Code enforcement (weeds, signs, etc.)Higher
Economic development Higher
Public information services Higher
Emergency preparedness (services that prepare the community for
natural disasters or other emergency situations)
Higher
10014177%
10011166%
10015183%
10015193%
10016195%
10015173%
10016178%
1007175%
10011189%
10012186%
10014194%
10010196%
10012190%
10015179%
10016177%
10016181%
10015191%
10014186%
24 36
Please rate the quality of
each of the following
services in Eagan.
Public information services Higher
Emergency preparedness (services that prepare the community for
natural disasters or other emergency situations)Higher
City-sponsored special events Higher
Overall customer service by Eagan employees (police, receptionists,
planners, etc.)Higher
Overall, how would you
rate the quality of the
services provided by each
of the following?
The City of Eagan Higher
The Federal Government Similar
Please rate the following
categories of Eagan
government performance.
The value of services for the taxes paid to Eagan Higher
The overall direction that Eagan is taking Higher
Overall confidence in Eagan government Higher
Generally acting in the best interest of the community Higher
Being honest Higher
Please rate the job the
Eagan government does:
Informing businesses of community issues and values Higher
Communicating during City construction (e.g., streets, utilities, etc.)Higher
Welcoming business involvement Higher
Retaining existing businesses Higher
Attracting new businesses Higher
Supporting or creating new jobs Higher
Please rate the amount of
growth in your company:
Over the PAST five years Similar
Expected in the NEXT five years Similar
What impact, if any, do you think the economy will have on your
business revenues in the next 6 months? Do you think the impact will
be:
Higher
10011188%
10011180%
10016195%
10016197%
10012144%
10014177%
10016181%
10010179%
10011180%
10010182%
10014169%
1007172%
10014175%
10010171%
10012181%
10012172%
1007164%
1007178%
25 37
Please rate the amount of
growth in your company:Expected in the NEXT five years Similar
What impact, if any, do you think the economy will have on your
business revenues in the next 6 months? Do you think the impact will
be:
Higher
Is your business planning to hire in the next 6 to 12 months?Higher
If you said "yes" or "not
sure" to question 15
above, what types of jobs
might you be adding?
(Please check "yes" for all
that apply.)
"Unskilled jobs" (these jobs do not require workers to have special
training or skills - e.g., cashiers, farm laborers, grocery clerks, hotel
workers)
Similar
"Semi-skilled jobs" (these jobs require some skill but do not require
highly specialized skills - e.g., truck drivers, typists)Higher
"Skilled jobs" (these jobs require a comprehensive knowledge of the
trade, craft or industry - e.g., electricians, plumbers, law enforcement
officers, administrative assistants)
Higher
"Highly skilled jobs" (these jobs require an advanced education or
training - e.g., doctors, lawyers, architects, financial consultants)Similar
Thinking about your
current employees and
current employment
options at your business,
please rate to what exten..
The educational qualifications Similar
The skills needed Similar
How much of a challenge, if
at all, are the following to
finding good employees in
your community today?
Too many under-qualified employees/applicants Similar
Too many overqualified employees/applicants Lesser
Lack of higher education opportunities (e.g., universities, colleges)Lesser
Lack of trade schools and other adult training programs Lesser
Lack of quality public schools Lesser
Too many workers without a high school degree or equivalent Lesser
Too few applicants/employees who do not speak a language other than
English (e.g., cannot speak Spanish)Lesser
Too few applicants/employees who speak a language other than English
(e.g., cannot speak English)Lesser
Lack of childcare opportunities Lesser
Lack of affordable, reliable public transportation Lesser
Lack of affordable, quality housing Lesser
10011139%
10012151%
1005146%
1005160%
1005158%
1005137%
1007183%
1007184%
1007155%
1007118%
100719%
1007123%
1007111%
100716%
1007111%
1007114%
1007119%
1007119%
26 38
How much of a challenge, if
at all, are the following to
finding good employees in
your community today?
Lack of affordable, reliable public transportation Lesser
Lack of affordable, quality housing Lesser
Cost of living Lesser
Lack of community amenities to attract employees seeking higher
paying/higher skill level jobs Lesser
Failed drug tests Lesser
1007122%
1007140%
1007112%
100715%
27 39
Does the affordability of housing in
Eagan impact your business and or
employees?
Yes, positively
Yes, negatively
No
Don't know/no opinion
Please indicate what impact, if any,
you think the affordability of
housing in Eagan has on each of the
following items as they relate to
your business and/or employees:
Commute times Positive impact
Slightly positive impact
No impact
Slightly negative impact
Negative impact
Employee recruitment Positive impact
Slightly positive impact
No impact
Slightly negative impact
Negative impact
Employee retention Positive impact
Slightly positive impact
No impact
Slightly negative impact
Negative impact
Positive impact
29%
48%
17%
6%
6%
24%
47%
9%
14%
2%
24%
56%
12%
7%
1%
17%
62%
14%
6%
Custom questions
Below are the complete set of responses to each custom question on the survey.
28 40
Please indicate what impact, if any,
you think the affordability of
housing in Eagan has on each of the
following items as they relate to
your business and/or employees:
Employee retention Negative impact
Employee compensation Positive impact
Slightly positive impact
No impact
Slightly negative impact
Negative impact
Ability of workforce to live where
they work
Positive impact
Slightly positive impact
No impact
Slightly negative impact
Negative impact
Desire for transit Positive impact
Slightly positive impact
No impact
Slightly negative impact
Negative impact
Please indicate whether or not you
are aware of, or have used, the
following services currently offered
by the City of Eagan:
Open to Business program, which
provides assistance through
business counseling and gap
financing
Aware of and have used
Aware of and have not used
Not aware of
Pre-application meetings for owners
considering developments, property
improvements or new signage with
Planning and Inspection staff
Aware of and have used
Aware of and have not used
Not aware of
Aware of and have used
1%
20%
61%
12%
7%
7%
23%
44%
18%
9%
5%
18%
61%
10%
6%
80%
18%
3%
70%
21%
9%
29 41
Please indicate whether or not you
are aware of, or have used, the
following services currently offered
by the City of Eagan:
Pre-application meetings for ownersconsidering developments, propertyimprovements or new signage with
Planning and Inspection staff Not aware of
Zoning permit reviews Aware of and have used
Aware of and have not used
Not aware of
Help identifying parcels or buildings
for sale within Eagan
Aware of and have used
Aware of and have not used
Not aware of
Eagan Convention and Visitor's
Bureau for meeting, hotel and
hospitality assistance
Aware of and have used
Aware of and have not used
Not aware of
In the next year, is your business
considering…
Expanding space in Eagan?Yes
Maybe
No
Moving your business out of Eagan
and relocating to another
community?
Yes
Maybe
No
Closing in Eagan and not relocating
to another community?
Yes
Maybe
No
Decreasing space in Eagan?Yes
Maybe
No
Major source
56%
35%
9%
74%
24%
3%
50%
40%
10%
75%
22%
3%
85%
12%
3%
92%
6%
2%
88%
8%
4%
30 42
In the next year, is your business
considering…Decreasing space in Eagan?No
Please indicate how much of a
source, if at all, you consider each of
the following to be for obtaining
information about the City of Eagan
and its services for businesses:
City website
(www.cityofeagan.com)
Major source
Minor source
Not a source
City of Eagan social media accounts
(Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
Major source
Minor source
Not a source
Eagan Business News and/or E-Biz Major source
Minor source
Not a source
Experience Eagan Major source
Minor source
Not a source
Emails from the City of Eagan Major source
Minor source
Not a source
Dakota County Chamber of
Commerce communications
Major source
Minor source
Not a source
City staff (in-person or on the phone)Major source
Minor source
Not a source
Proximity to MSP Airport
19%
29%
52%
48%
41%
12%
33%
46%
21%
47%
39%
14%
37%
39%
24%
45%
41%
13%
36%
39%
24%
31 43
Please indicate how much of asource, if at all, you consider each ofthe following to be for obtaininginformation about the City of Eagan
and its services for businesses:City staff (in-person or on the phone)Not a source
Which of the following amenities in
Eagan benefits your business?
(Please check all that apply.)
Proximity to MSP Airport
Proximity to Minneapolis/St.
Paul
Access to highways and
arterials
Access to public transit (bus,
light rail)
Local schools
Local infrastructure
Access to greenspace, trails and
parks
Access to shops and restaurants
Existing customer base 58%
42%
23%
34%
20%
19%
83%
60%
53%
32 44
Please rate each of the following
aspects of quality of life in Eagan.
Eagan as a place to work Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Eagan as a place to visit Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Eagan as a place to do business Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
The overall quality of life in Eagan Excellent
Good
Eagan as a place for children and families Excellent
Good
Fair
Eagan as a place for older adults Excellent
Good
Fair
Eagan as a place for young adults Excellent
Good
1%
1%
37%
62%
1%
7%
50%
42%
1%
6%
42%
51%
45%
55%
2%
34%
64%
5%
53%
43%
35%
Complete set of frequencies
This dashboard contains a complete set of responses to each question on the survey. By default, "Don't know" responses are excluded, but
may be added to the table using the response filter to the right. When a table for a question that only permitted a single response does not
total to exactly 100%, it is due to the common practice of percentages being rounded to the nearest whole number.
33 45
Please rate each of the following
aspects of quality of life in Eagan.
Eagan as a place for young adults
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Overall image or reputation of Eagan Excellent
Good
Fair
Please rate each of the following
characteristics as they relate to Eagan
as a whole.
Overall economic health of Eagan Excellent
Good
Fair
Overall quality of the transportation system
(auto, bicycle, foot, bus) in Eagan
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Overall design or layout of Eagan's residential and
commercial areas (e.g., homes, buildings, streets,
parks, etc.)
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Overall quality of the utility infrastructure in
Eagan (water, sewer, storm water, electric, gas)
Excellent
Good
Fair
Overall feeling of safety in Eagan Excellent
Good
Fair
Overall quality of natural environment in Eagan Excellent
Good
2%
21%
42%
1%
49%
50%
4%
54%
42%
3%
23%
41%
34%
2%
11%
54%
32%
8%
49%
43%
12%
48%
40%
52%
34 46
Please rate each of the following
characteristics as they relate to Eagan
as a whole.
Overall quality of natural environment in Eagan
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Overall quality of parks and recreation
opportunities
Excellent
Good
Fair
Overall health and wellness opportunities in
Eagan
Excellent
Good
Fair
Overall opportunities for education, culture, and
the arts
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Residents' connection and engagement with their
community
Excellent
Good
Fair
Please indicate how likely or unlikely
you are to do each of the following.
Recommend living in Eagan to someone who asks Very likely
Somewhat likely
Somewhat unlikely
Recommend working in Eagan to someone who
asks
Very likely
Somewhat likely
Somewhat unlikely
Recommend operating a business in Eagan to
someone who asks
Very likely
Somewhat likely
Somewhat unlikely
2%
3%
43%
5%
31%
64%
8%
45%
47%
1%
17%
52%
30%
15%
57%
28%
3%
27%
70%
2%
25%
73%
34%
61%
35 47
Please indicate how likely or unlikely
you are to do each of the following.
Recommend operating a business in Eagan to
someone who asks
Somewhat likely
Somewhat unlikely
Very unlikely
Keep your business in Eagan for the next five
years
Very likely
Somewhat likely
Somewhat unlikely
Very unlikely
Please rate how safe or unsafe you
feel:
In Eagan's commercial areas during the day Very safe
Somewhat safe
Neither safe nor unsafe
Somewhat unsafe
In Eagan's commercial areas after dark Very safe
Somewhat safe
Neither safe nor unsafe
Somewhat unsafe
Very unsafe
Please rate each of the following in
the Eagan community.
Cleanliness of Eagan Excellent
Good
Fair
Overall appearance of Eagan Excellent
Good
Fair
Vibrancy of downtown/commercial areas Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
1%
4%
1%
2%
21%
76%
2%
2%
20%
76%
1%
8%
12%
48%
31%
1%
52%
47%
2%
52%
46%
15%
47%
35%
36 48
Please rate each of the following in
the Eagan community.
Vibrancy of downtown/commercial areas
Fair
Poor
Overall quality of commercial development in
Eagan
Excellent
Good
Fair
Overall opportunity for business growth and
expansion
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Opportunities for tourism Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Public places where people want to spend time Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Historical preservation in Eagan Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Hotel and lodging options Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Excellent
3%
13%
48%
39%
1%
17%
42%
40%
9%
27%
42%
23%
2%
20%
44%
34%
7%
23%
46%
24%
2%
17%
43%
39%
37 49
Please rate each of the following in
the Eagan community.
Hotel and lodging options Poor
Opportunities to attend cultural/arts/music
activities
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Quality of internet connection Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Coverage of internet connection Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Quality of shopping opportunities Excellent
Good
Fair
Variety of shopping opportunities Excellent
Good
Fair
Quality of restaurants and places to eat Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Variety of restaurants and places to eat Excellent
Good
Fair
6%
31%
42%
21%
3%
13%
55%
28%
5%
10%
51%
33%
6%
48%
47%
8%
47%
45%
2%
10%
52%
35%
47%
33%
38 50
Please rate each of the following in
the Eagan community.
Variety of restaurants and places to eat
Good
Fair
Poor
Quality of service establishments (e.g., salons,
dry cleaners, etc.)
Excellent
Good
Fair
Variety of service establishments (e.g., salons,
dry cleaners, etc.)
Excellent
Good
Fair
Quality of employment opportunities Excellent
Good
Fair
Variety of employment opportunities Excellent
Good
Fair
Availability of jobs that pay a livable wage Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
How much of a problem, if at all, are disruptive,
nuisance, or illegal behaviors (e.g., loitering,
vulgar language, panhandling, etc.) for your
business?
Major problem
Moderate problem
Minor problem
Not at all a problem
Thinking about Eagan's workforce,
please rate each of the following
characteristics as they relate to
Eagan.
Variety of housing options for people who work in
Eagan
Excellent
Good
Fair
3%
16%
9%
51%
40%
18%
47%
35%
9%
51%
40%
11%
49%
40%
3%
16%
49%
31%
61%
26%
10%
3%
54%
24%
39 51
Thinking about Eagan's workforce,
please rate each of the following
characteristics as they relate to
Eagan.
Variety of housing options for people who work in
Eagan
Good
Fair
Poor
Affordability of housing for people who work in
Eagan
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Cost of living in Eagan Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Quality of childcare Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Affordability of childcare Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Variety of transportation options for people who
work in Eagan
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Ease of parking at workplaces Excellent
Good
Fair
3%
20%
9%
35%
43%
13%
5%
30%
52%
13%
2%
19%
54%
25%
25%
33%
25%
17%
11%
37%
35%
16%
45%
49%
40 52
Thinking about Eagan's workforce,
please rate each of the following
characteristics as they relate to
Eagan.
Ease of parking at workplaces
Good
Fair
Poor
Please rate each of the following
characteristics as they relate to Eagan
as a place to develop job and
workforce skills.
The quality of the public school system at
producing graduates who are career-ready
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
The quality of the public school system at
producing graduates who are college-ready
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Access to institutions of higher education
(colleges, universities)
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Access to trade schools Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Variety of education/training opportunities to
build work skills
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Affordability of education/training opportunities
to build work skills
Excellent
Good
Fair
2%
4%
3%
10%
46%
42%
1%
12%
41%
46%
7%
17%
42%
34%
5%
21%
46%
28%
4%
11%
55%
30%
56%
18%
41 53
Please rate each of the following
characteristics as they relate to Eagan
as a place to develop job and
workforce skills.
Affordability of education/training opportunities
to build work skills
Good
Fair
Poor
Overall quality of education/training
opportunities in your community
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Please rate the quality of each of the
following services in Eagan.
Police services Excellent
Good
Fair
Fire services Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Crime prevention Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Traffic enforcement Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Street repair Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
8%
18%
4%
17%
54%
25%
5%
37%
58%
1%
2%
33%
64%
2%
13%
52%
33%
4%
12%
51%
33%
16%
51%
31%
42 54
Please rate the quality of each of the
following services in Eagan.
Street repair
Fair
Poor
Street cleaning Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Street lighting Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Snow removal Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Sidewalk maintenance Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Bus or transit services Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Traffic flow on major streets Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
2%
1%
13%
52%
34%
1%
15%
52%
33%
3%
15%
49%
32%
5%
18%
48%
29%
11%
24%
44%
21%
15%
54%
29%
43 55
Please rate the quality of each of the
following services in Eagan.
Traffic flow on major streets
Fair
Poor
Amount of public parking in commercial areas Excellent
Good
Fair
Ease of travel by car in Eagan Excellent
Good
Fair
Ease of travel by bicycle in Eagan Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Ease of walking in Eagan (path/sidewalk
connectivity, etc.)
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Traffic management during construction Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Garbage collection Excellent
Good
Fair
Recycling Excellent
Good
Fair
2%
7%
46%
46%
5%
43%
52%
11%
17%
45%
27%
5%
18%
48%
29%
4%
21%
54%
21%
10%
50%
39%
49%
38%
44 56
Please rate the quality of each of the
following services in Eagan.
Recycling
Good
Fair
Poor
Storm drainage Excellent
Good
Fair
Power (electric and/or gas) utility Excellent
Good
Fair
Utility billing Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Land use, planning, and zoning Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Building permits and inspections Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Code enforcement (weeds, signs, etc.)Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Excellent
3%
11%
6%
59%
36%
4%
52%
44%
2%
8%
54%
36%
2%
18%
48%
32%
5%
18%
45%
32%
9%
11%
54%
26%
45 57
Please rate the quality of each of the
following services in Eagan.
Code enforcement (weeds, signs, etc.)Poor
Economic development Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Public information services Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Emergency preparedness (services that prepare
the community for natural disasters or other
emergency situations)
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
City-sponsored special events Excellent
Good
Fair
Overall customer service by Eagan employees
(police, receptionists, planners, etc.)
Excellent
Good
Fair
Overall, how would you rate the
quality of the services provided by
each of the following?
The City of Eagan Excellent
Good
Fair
The Federal Government Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
2%
7%
56%
35%
3%
10%
56%
31%
2%
10%
57%
31%
20%
55%
26%
5%
56%
40%
4%
55%
40%
37%
32%
11%
46 58
Overall, how would you rate the
quality of the services provided by
each of the following?
The Federal Government
Fair
Poor
Please rate the following categories
of Eagan government performance.
The value of services for the taxes paid to Eagan Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
The overall direction that Eagan is taking Excellent
Good
Fair
Overall confidence in Eagan government Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Generally acting in the best interest of the
community
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Being honest Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Please rate the job the Eagan
government does:
Informing businesses of community issues and
values
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Excellent
20%
1%
23%
46%
30%
20%
51%
29%
3%
19%
50%
28%
1%
20%
49%
30%
3%
16%
52%
29%
4%
27%
43%
26%
47 59
Please rate the job the Eagan
government does:
Informing businesses of community issues and
values Poor
Communicating during City construction (e.g.,
streets, utilities, etc.)
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Welcoming business involvement Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Retaining existing businesses Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Attracting new businesses Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Supporting or creating new jobs Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Please rate the amount of growth in
your company:
Over the PAST five years Large increase
Small increase
No change
Small decrease
Large decrease
7%
21%
47%
25%
8%
18%
44%
30%
6%
24%
42%
28%
3%
16%
45%
35%
2%
26%
41%
30%
11%
17%
39%
25%
48 60
Please rate the amount of growth in
your company:
Over the PAST five years
Small decrease
Large decrease
Expected in the NEXT five years Large increase
Small increase
No change
Small decrease
Large decrease
What impact, if any, do you think the economy will
have on your business revenues in the next 6
months? Do you think the impact will be:
Very positive
Somewhat positive
Neutral
Somewhat negative
Very negative
Is your business planning to hire in the next 6 to
12 months?
No [Skip to question 17]
Yes
Not sure
If you said "yes" or "not sure" to
question 15 above, what types of jobs
might you be adding? (Please check
"yes" for all that apply.)
"Unskilled jobs" (these jobs do not require
workers to have special training or skills - e.g.,
cashiers, farm laborers, grocery clerks, hotel
workers)
Yes
No
"Semi-skilled jobs" (these jobs require some skill
but do not require highly specialized skills - e.g.,
truck drivers, typists)
Yes
No
"Skilled jobs" (these jobs require a
comprehensive knowledge of the trade, craft or
industry - e.g., electricians, plumbers, law
enforcement officers, administrative assistants)
Yes
No
"Highly skilled jobs" (these jobs require an
advanced education or training - e.g., doctors,
lawyers, architects, financial consultants)
Yes
No
Thinking about your current
employees and current employment
options at your business, please rate
to what extent they possess the
following.
The educational qualifications Fully
Mostly
Somewhat
7%
3%
4%
15%
50%
28%
8%
21%
33%
29%
10%
17%
50%
33%
54%
46%
39%
61%
42%
58%
62%
38%
41%
42%
49 61
Thinking about your current
employees and current employment
options at your business, please rate
to what extent they possess the
following.
The educational qualifications
Mostly
Somewhat
Slightly
Not at all
The skills needed Fully
Mostly
Somewhat
Slightly
Not at all
How much of a challenge, if at all, are
the following to finding good
employees in your community today?
Too many under-qualified employees/applicants Major challenge
Moderate challenge
Minor challenge
Not a challenge
Too many overqualified employees/applicants Major challenge
Moderate challenge
Minor challenge
Not a challenge
Lack of higher education opportunities (e.g.,
universities, colleges)
Moderate challenge
Minor challenge
Not a challenge
Lack of trade schools and other adult training
programs
Major challenge
Moderate challenge
Minor challenge
Not a challenge
Lack of quality public schools Moderate challenge
Minor challenge
3%
1%
14%
1%
4%
12%
40%
43%
29%
16%
37%
17%
69%
13%
15%
3%
73%
18%
9%
59%
18%
9%
14%
11%
50 62
How much of a challenge, if at all, are
the following to finding good
employees in your community today?
Lack of quality public schools
Moderate challenge
Minor challenge
Not a challenge
Too many workers without a high school degree or
equivalent
Major challenge
Moderate challenge
Minor challenge
Not a challenge
Too few applicants/employees who do not speak a
language other than English (e.g., cannot speak
Spanish)
Major challenge
Moderate challenge
Minor challenge
Not a challenge
Too few applicants/employees who speak a
language other than English (e.g., cannot speak
English)
Major challenge
Moderate challenge
Minor challenge
Not a challenge
Lack of childcare opportunities Major challenge
Moderate challenge
Minor challenge
Not a challenge
Lack of affordable, reliable public transportation Major challenge
Moderate challenge
Minor challenge
Not a challenge
Lack of affordable, quality housing Major challenge
Moderate challenge
Minor challenge
81%
8%
82%
12%
5%
1%
72%
17%
8%
2%
74%
13%
10%
4%
63%
19%
13%
6%
66%
16%
13%
5%
14%
8%
51 63
How much of a challenge, if at all, are
the following to finding good
employees in your community today?
Lack of affordable, quality housing
Moderate challenge
Minor challenge
Not a challenge
Cost of living Major challenge
Moderate challenge
Minor challenge
Not a challenge
Lack of community amenities to attract
employees seeking higher paying/higher skill level
jobs
Major challenge
Moderate challenge
Minor challenge
Not a challenge
Failed drug tests Major challenge
Moderate challenge
Minor challenge
Not a challenge
Does the affordability of housing in Eagan impact
your business and or employees?
Yes, positively
Yes, negatively
No
Don't know/no opinion
Please indicate what impact, if any,
you think the affordability of housing
in Eagan has on each of the following
items as they relate to your business
and/or employees:
Commute times Positive impact
Slightly positive impact
No impact
Slightly negative impact
Negative impact
Employee recruitment Positive impact
Slightly positive impact
52%
26%
31%
29%
27%
13%
62%
27%
9%
3%
81%
14%
4%
1%
29%
48%
17%
6%
6%
24%
47%
9%
14%
7%
52 64
Please indicate what impact, if any,
you think the affordability of housing
in Eagan has on each of the following
items as they relate to your business
and/or employees:
Employee recruitment
Positive impact
Slightly positive impact
No impact
Slightly negative impact
Negative impact
Employee retention Positive impact
Slightly positive impact
No impact
Slightly negative impact
Negative impact
Employee compensation Positive impact
Slightly positive impact
No impact
Slightly negative impact
Negative impact
Ability of workforce to live where they work Positive impact
Slightly positive impact
No impact
Slightly negative impact
Negative impact
Desire for transit Positive impact
Slightly positive impact
No impact
Slightly negative impact
Negative impact
Aware of and have used
2%
24%
56%
12%
1%
17%
62%
14%
6%
1%
20%
61%
12%
7%
7%
23%
44%
18%
9%
5%
18%
61%
10%
6%
53 65
Please indicate what impact, if any,you think the affordability of housingin Eagan has on each of the following
items as they relate to your business
and/or employees:Desire for transit Negative impact
Please indicate whether or not you are
aware of, or have used, the following
services currently offered by the City
of Eagan:
Open to Business program, which provides
assistance through business counseling and gap
financing
Aware of and have used
Aware of and have not used
Not aware of
Pre-application meetings for owners considering
developments, property improvements or new
signage with Planning and Inspection staff
Aware of and have used
Aware of and have not used
Not aware of
Zoning permit reviews Aware of and have used
Aware of and have not used
Not aware of
Help identifying parcels or buildings for sale
within Eagan
Aware of and have used
Aware of and have not used
Not aware of
Eagan Convention and Visitor's Bureau for
meeting, hotel and hospitality assistance
Aware of and have used
Aware of and have not used
Not aware of
In the next year, is your business
considering…
Expanding space in Eagan?Yes
Maybe
No
Moving your business out of Eagan and relocating
to another community?
Yes
Maybe
No
Closing in Eagan and not relocating to another
community?
Yes
Maybe
No
Yes
80%
18%
3%
70%
21%
9%
56%
35%
9%
74%
24%
3%
50%
40%
10%
75%
22%
3%
85%
12%
3%
92%
6%
2%
54 66
In the next year, is your business
considering…
Closing in Eagan and not relocating to another
community?No
Decreasing space in Eagan?Yes
Maybe
No
Please indicate how much of a source,
if at all, you consider each of the
following to be for obtaining
information about the City of Eagan
and its services for businesses:
City website (www.cityofeagan.com)Major source
Minor source
Not a source
City of Eagan social media accounts (Facebook,
Twitter, etc.)
Major source
Minor source
Not a source
Eagan Business News and/or E-Biz Major source
Minor source
Not a source
Experience Eagan Major source
Minor source
Not a source
Emails from the City of Eagan Major source
Minor source
Not a source
Dakota County Chamber of Commerce
communications
Major source
Minor source
Not a source
City staff (in-person or on the phone)Major source
Minor source
Not a source
Proximity to MSP Airport
88%
8%
4%
19%
29%
52%
48%
41%
12%
33%
46%
21%
47%
39%
14%
37%
39%
24%
45%
41%
13%
36%
39%
24%
55 67
Please indicate how much of a source,if at all, you consider each of thefollowing to be for obtaining
information about the City of Eagan
and its services for businesses:City staff (in-person or on the phone)Not a source
Which of the following amenities in Eagan
benefits your business? (Please check all that
apply.)
Proximity to MSP Airport
Proximity to Minneapolis/St.
Paul
Access to highways and
arterials
Access to public transit (bus,
light rail)
Local schools
Local infrastructure
Access to greenspace, trails and
parks
Access to shops and restaurants
Existing customer base
Which one of the following industries best
describes the nature of your business? (Please
check the one that comes closest.)
Banking / financial services /
credit unions
Business, industry, and trade
associations
Construction
Education and training
Financial activities
Health care and health services
Legal
Leisure and hospitality (travel,
lodging, restaurants, bars, ent..
Manufacturing
Marketing, sales and services
Non-profit charitable
organization
Other services (cleaning, dog
walking, beauty, etc. )
Professional and business
services/consulting
Shopping and retail
Technology and computers
Transportation and automotive
services
58%
42%
23%
34%
20%
19%
83%
60%
53%
5%
8%
12%
3%
3%
3%
9%
9%
3%
12%
4%
3%
7%
1%
5%
56 68
Which one of the following industries best
describes the nature of your business? (Please
check the one that comes closest.)
Technology and computers
Transportation and automotive
services
Wholesale trade/sales
Other
What is your position in this organization?Owner
Administrative Assistant
Manager or Administrator
Other
How many years has your business been located
in Eagan?
Less than 1 year
1-5 years
6-10 years
More than 10 years
What was the approximate annual gross revenue
(for the most recent accounting year) generated
by all of your Eagan sites?
Pre-revenue
Less than $100,000
$100,000 to $499,999
$500,000 to $999,999
$1,000,000 to $4,999,999
$5,000,000 or more
Which, if any, of the following most
closely reflect your business? Select
"Yes" or "No" for each item.
Home-based Yes
No
A small business (1-49 employees)Yes
No
Mid-sized business (50-499+ employees)Yes
No
Large business (500+ employees)Yes
No
3%
5%
5%
4%
33%
3%
60%
71%
11%
18%
1%
12%
28%
19%
28%
11%
1%
82%
18%
12%
88%
90%
10%
2%
57 69
Which, if any, of the following most
closely reflect your business? Select
"Yes" or "No" for each item.
Large business (500+ employees)
Yes
No
Minority-owned business enterprise (MBE, 51%
owned, operated, and controlled by a US citizen(s)
who is a racial or ethnic minority)
Yes
No
Woman-owned business enterprise (WBE)Yes
No
Approximately what percent of your workforce at
this location do you think lives in Eagan?
Less than 10%
10-24%
25-49%
50-74%
75% or more
98%
87%
13%
75%
25%
15%
11%
12%
16%
47%
58 70
201720192021Please rate each of the following
aspects of quality of life in Eagan.
Eagan as a place to work
Eagan as a place to visit
Eagan as a place to do business
The overall quality of life in Eagan
Eagan as a place for children and families
Eagan as a place for older adults
Eagan as a place for young adults
Overall image or reputation of Eagan
Please rate each of the following
characteristics as they relate to
Eagan as a whole.
Overall economic health of Eagan
Overall quality of the transportation system (auto, bicycle, foot,
bus) in Eagan
Overall design or layout of Eagan's residential and commercial areas
(e.g., homes, buildings, streets, parks, etc.)
Overall quality of the utility infrastructure in Eagan (water, sewer,
storm water, electric, gas)
Overall feeling of safety in Eagan
Overall quality of natural environment in Eagan
Overall quality of parks and recreation opportunities
100%
78%
96%
98%
100%
94%
92%
99%
92%
66%
96%
91%
85%
98%
95%
73%
97%
92%
88%
99%
96%
96%
88%
93%
87%
75%
97%
94%
95%
87%
94%
95%
94%
98%
84%
89%
94%
Full trends
This table contains the trends over time for the City of Eagan. The combined "percent positive" responses for each
survey year are presented (e.g., excellent/good or yes). If an item was not included during an administration of the
survey, no percentage will be shown in the table. If the difference between the 2019 and 2022 surveys is greater than 11
percentage points, the change is statistically significant.
59 71
Please rate each of the following
characteristics as they relate to
Eagan as a whole.
Overall quality of natural environment in Eagan
Overall quality of parks and recreation opportunities
Overall health and wellness opportunities in Eagan
Overall opportunities for education, culture, and the arts
Residents' connection and engagement with their community
Please indicate how likely or
unlikely you are to do each of the
following.
Recommend living in Eagan to someone who asks
Recommend working in Eagan to someone who asks
Recommend operating a business in Eagan to someone who asks
Keep your business in Eagan for the next five years
Please rate how safe or unsafe you
feel:
In Eagan's commercial areas during the day
In Eagan's commercial areas after dark
Please rate each of the following
in the Eagan community.
Cleanliness of Eagan
Overall appearance of Eagan
Vibrancy of downtown/commercial areas
Overall quality of commercial development in Eagan
Overall opportunity for business growth and expansion
Opportunities for tourism
Public places where people want to spend time
Historical preservation in Eagan
86%
83%
93%
96%
74%
85%
88%
80%
85%
91%
98%
95%
98%
96%
92%
91%
97%
97%
79%
96%
86%
97%
89%
97%
78%
64%
82%
87%
82%
98%
99%
94%
91%
91%
97%
99%
89%
93%
86%
97%
98%
60 72
Please rate each of the following
in the Eagan community.
Public places where people want to spend time
Historical preservation in Eagan
Hotel and lodging options
Opportunities to attend cultural/arts/music activities
Quality of internet connection
Coverage of internet connection
Quality of shopping opportunities
Variety of shopping opportunities
Quality of restaurants and places to eat
Variety of restaurants and places to eat
Quality of service establishments (e.g., salons, dry cleaners, etc.)
Variety of service establishments (e.g., salons, dry cleaners, etc.)
Quality of employment opportunities
Variety of employment opportunities
Availability of jobs that pay a livable wage
How much of a problem, if at all, are disruptive, nuisance, or illegal
behaviors (e.g., loitering, vulgar language, panhandling, etc.) for
your business?
Thinking about Eagan's workforce,
please rate each of the following
characteristics as they relate to
Eagan.
Variety of housing options for people who work in Eagan
Affordability of housing for people who work in Eagan
Cost of living in Eagan
81%
89%
91%
82%
91%
80%
87%
92%
94%
85%
84%
62%
81%
70%
91%
95%
87%
95%
14%
65%
56%
78%77%79%
61 73
Thinking about Eagan's workforce,
please rate each of the following
characteristics as they relate to
Eagan.
Affordability of housing for people who work in Eagan
Cost of living in Eagan
Quality of childcare
Affordability of childcare
Variety of transportation options for people who work in Eagan
Ease of parking at workplaces
Please rate each of the following
characteristics as they relate to
Eagan as a place to develop job
and workforce skills.
The quality of the public school system at producing graduates who
are career-ready
The quality of the public school system at producing graduates who
are college-ready
Access to institutions of higher education (colleges, universities)
Access to trade schools
Variety of education/training opportunities to build work skills
Affordability of education/training opportunities to build work skills
Overall quality of education/training opportunities in your
community
Please rate the quality of each of
the following services in Eagan.
Police services
Fire services
Crime prevention
Traffic enforcement
Street repair
Street cleaning
95%
52%
43%
81%
65%
80%
75%
86%
75%
76%
87%
88%
83%
85%
86%
97%
95%
88%
92%
91%
99%
95%
86%
91%
93%
100%
97%
62 74
Please rate the quality of each of
the following services in Eagan.
Street repair
Street cleaning
Street lighting
Snow removal
Sidewalk maintenance
Bus or transit services
Traffic flow on major streets
Amount of public parking in commercial areas
Ease of travel by car in Eagan
Ease of travel by bicycle in Eagan
Ease of walking in Eagan (path/sidewalk connectivity, etc.)
Traffic management during construction
Garbage collection
Recycling
Storm drainage
Power (electric and/or gas) utility
Utility billing
Land use, planning, and zoning
Building permits and inspections
79%
90%
96%
94%
86%
89%
75%
78%
73%
95%
93%
83%
66%
77%
81%
84%
86%
81%
91%
95%
95%
86%
91%
82%
73%
92%
91%
83%
66%
90%
85%
83%
91%
86%
95%
95%
95%
89%
92%
76%
69%
88%
92%
80%
70%
88%
94%
92%
90%
63 75
Please rate the quality of each of
the following services in Eagan.
Land use, planning, and zoning
Building permits and inspections
Code enforcement (weeds, signs, etc.)
Economic development
Public information services
Emergency preparedness (services that prepare the community for
natural disasters or other emergency situations)
City-sponsored special events
Overall customer service by Eagan employees (police, receptionists,
planners, etc.)
Overall, how would you rate the
quality of the services provided by
each of the following?
The City of Eagan
The Federal Government
Please rate the following
categories of Eagan government
performance.
The value of services for the taxes paid to Eagan
The overall direction that Eagan is taking
Overall confidence in Eagan government
Generally acting in the best interest of the community
Being honest
Please rate the job the Eagan
government does:
Informing businesses of community issues and values
Communicating during City construction (e.g., streets, utilities, etc.)
Welcoming business involvement
Retaining existing businesses
95%
80%
88%
86%
91%
81%
77%
90%
81%
85%
73%
89%
82%
80%
92%
84%
88%
82%
93%
83%
88%
44%
97%
43%
91%
60%
97%
82%
80%
79%
81%
77%
88%
86%
81%
85%
74%
87%
86%
85%
88%
78%
71%
75%
72%
69%
69%
58%
65%
74%
73%
70%
64 76
Please rate the job the Eagan
government does:
Welcoming business involvement
Retaining existing businesses
Attracting new businesses
Supporting or creating new jobs
Please rate the amount of growth
in your company:
Over the PAST five years
Expected in the NEXT five years
What impact, if any, do you think the economy will have on your
business revenues in the next 6 months? Do you think the impact
will be:
Is your business planning to hire in the next 6 to 12 months?
If you said "yes" or "not sure" to
question 15 above, what types of
jobs might you be adding? (Please
check "yes" for all that apply.)
"Unskilled jobs" (these jobs do not require workers to have special
training or skills - e.g., cashiers, farm laborers, grocery clerks, hotel
workers)
"Semi-skilled jobs" (these jobs require some skill but do not require
highly specialized skills - e.g., truck drivers, typists)
"Skilled jobs" (these jobs require a comprehensive knowledge of the
trade, craft or industry - e.g., electricians, plumbers, law
enforcement officers, administrative assistants)
"Highly skilled jobs" (these jobs require an advanced education or
training - e.g., doctors, lawyers, architects, financial consultants)
Thinking about your current
employees and current
employment options at your
business, please rate to what
extent they possess the following.
The educational qualifications
The skills needed
How much of a challenge, if at all,
are the following to finding good
employees in your community
today?
Too many under-qualified employees/applicants
Too many overqualified employees/applicants
Lack of higher education opportunities (e.g., universities, colleges)
Lack of trade schools and other adult training programs
Lack of quality public schools
72%
81%
71%
69%
77%
69%
81%
81%
74%
78%
64%
39%51%67%
51%59%66%
37%
58%
60%
46%
84%
83%
11%
23%
9%
18%
55%
65 77
How much of a challenge, if at all,
are the following to finding good
employees in your community
today?
Lack of trade schools and other adult training programs
Lack of quality public schools
Too many workers without a high school degree or equivalent
Too few applicants/employees who do not speak a language other
than English (e.g., cannot speak Spanish)
Too few applicants/employees who speak a language other than
English (e.g., cannot speak English)
Lack of childcare opportunities
Lack of affordable, reliable public transportation
Lack of affordable, quality housing
Cost of living
Lack of community amenities to attract employees seeking higher
paying/higher skill level jobs
Failed drug tests 5%
12%
40%
22%
19%
19%
14%
11%
6%
11%
66 78
EDAC RESPONSIBILITIES
• Redevelopment
o Redevelopment legal documents and contracts
o Redevelopment around light rail stations
o Implementation of comprehensive plan village center planning
• Development Finance
o Tax increment and tax abatement financing
o HRA levy and budget
o Development Account & Livable Communities Account budgets
• Housing
o Community Development Block Grant allocations
o Affordable housing programs
o Homebuyer and home rehabilitation programs
• Transportation
o Light rail and bus transit operations
o Compliance with state law for businesses and street reconstruction
City Council/EDA
Redevelopment Finance Housing Transportation
Economic Development
Advisory Commission
79
9ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
2022 ACTION ITEM WORK PLAN
INITIATIVE PROCESS STATUS DATE
Grow MN (Burnsville
Chamber/City
Partnership)
Review Updates + Engage
EDC where
appropriate
Ongoing
City BR&E Program Review Updates + Engage
EDC where
appropriate
Ongoing
City Diverse BR&E
Program
Review Updates + Engage
EDC where
appropriate
Ongoing
Zoning Code Update Review, Provide feedback
on business related
chapters
As requested Ongoing
ONGOING INITIATIVE PROCESS STATUS DATE
Economic Development
Strategic Plan
1. Ensure sustainability
of Burnsville Ctr/CR42
Corridor
Review Updates and
engage EDC where
appropriate
Ongoing
Economic Development
Strategic Plan
2. Improve image of SD
191 & City
Review Updates Ongoing
Economic Development
Strategic Plan
3. Continue
development within
HOC
Review Updates + engage
EDC where
appropriate
Ongoing
Economic Development
Strategic Plan
4. Enhance & build
awareness around the
City’s existing housing &
commercial programs &
develop new programs
as appropriate
Receive presentation from
Center for Energy and the
Environment on
residential programs.
Receive update on budget
allocations and short, mid
and long-term plans for
this goal.
Strengthen relationships
with Business/Econ. Dev.
related partners
Receive an update on the
housing assistance
program as it’s finalized
Updates + engage
EDC where
appropriate
Ongoing
80
Review/Provide
recommendations as
appropriate.
Economic Development
Strategic Plan
5. Continue the City’s
position as a regional
destination
Review Updates + Engage
EDC where
appropriate
Ongoing
Open To Business Review Updates January
Comp Plan Implementation Assist/review Ongoing
Ribbon Cuttings EDC all invited As opportunities
arise
Ongoing
Training Attend Attend as budget
and availability
permits
Ongoing
81
1
STRATEGIC PLAN
FY 2020 – 2023
FEBRUARY 2020
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
82
2
February 2020
RE: FY 2020-2023 Strategic Plan – Lakeville Economic Development Commission
Dear Chair Scherer,
We are pleased to present the 2020-2023 Strategic Plan and Summary Report to
the Lakeville Economic Development Commission. The plan reflects the City and
Commission’s priorities, commitment to measurable results and focused economic
development.
It has been a pleasure assisting the Economic Development Commission with this
important project. The Commission and staff displayed clear thinking, dedication and
focused effort.
We particularly wish to thank Community & Economic Development Director David
Olson & Economic Development Coordinator Kati Bachmayer for their help and
support during the process.
Yours truly,
Craig R. Rapp
President
40 East Chicago Avenue #340, Chicago, IL 60611
800-550-0692 • www.craigrapp.com
Heather A. Johnston
Senior Consultant
83
3
1
2
3
5
7
9
10
13
14
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary
Strategic Plan Summary FY 2020-2023
Strategic Planning Process
Vision, Mission, Values
Reviewing the Environment, SWOT
Strategic Issues and Challenges
Defining Priorities, Outcomes, Targets
Implementing the Vision: Strategic Initiatives
Strategic Planning Participants
Appendix I: SWOT Analysis
Appendix II: Website Audit
84
1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1 BUSINESS RETENTION,
EXPANSION AND
DIVERSIFICATION
2 MAXIMIZE AND MARKET
OUR COMPETITIVE EDGE
3 HOUSING TO SUPPORT
ECONOMIC GOALS
4 WORKFORCE
AVAILABILITY AND
UTILIZATION
The Plan
Four
Strategic
Priorities
From October 2019 through January 2020, the Lakeville
Economic Development Commission engaged in a
strategic planning process. The process resulted in a
strategic plan covering 2020-2023.
The plan consists of four strategic priorities—
the issues of greatest importance to the
City and EDC over the next four years.
Associated with each priority is a set of
desired outcomes, key outcome indicators,
and performance targets, describing
expected results and how the results will be
measured. The plan also includes strategic
initiatives that will be undertaken to achieve
the targeted outcomes.
The planning effort began with an examination of the
operating environment via a SWOT analysis. On
October 29th and November 26th, 2019, the EDC and
senior staff held strategic planning sessions. They
reviewed progress on the previous plan and examined
the Envision Lakeville process to guide their work. They
then developed a set of priorities, key outcomes and
performance targets.
Based upon those priorities, the senior staff met on
December 3rd, 2019 to identify a set of strategic
initiatives and begin development of detailed action
plans. The strategic priorities, key outcome indicators,
performance targets and strategic initiatives are
summarized here and on the following page.
85
2
STRATEGIC PLAN SUMMARY 2020–2023
City of Lakeville EDC
Lakeville Economic Development Commission
Strategic Plan Summary 2020-2023
STRATEGIC
PRIORITY
DESIRED
OUTCOME
KEY OUTCOME
INDICATOR
(KOI)
TARGET STRATEGIC
INITIATIVES
Business Retention,
Expansion and
Diversification
Limit loss of existing
business
-Lakeville business
inventory
- Building permits
No net loss in businesses
January 2020-December
2023
a) Create business retention
program w/ Chamber/CVB
b) Establish a Lakeville
business expansion program
c) Develop a business cluster
strategy & market node
analyses
Lakeville is the first
choice for expansion
- Expansion and
relocation lists
90% of current businesses
expand in Lakeville rather
than relocate 2020-2023
Diverse industry base - Expansion and
relocation reports by
industry cluster
Increase of at least one
business in each industry
cluster annually
Maximize and
Market Our
Competitive Edge
Be the community of
choice
- Competitive data
on development
decisions (win %)
=/> ___ % wins each year of
qualified leads on 3 high
priority nodes/clusters
a) Develop & enhance data
analytics capacity and
capabilities
b) Refresh business
marketing & branding
strategy
c) Establish a benchmark
comparison system
Enhanced recognition
of brand
- Contacts/ inquiries
that result in action
-Click /conversion
rate
=/>__% can articulate brand
elements/qualities
Infrastructure that
leverages economic
development
- Infrastructure
projects
programmed in CIP
EDC pr iority infrastructure
projects are programmed
in 2020-23
Housing to Support
Economic Goals
Adequate housing to
support job base
-__% jobs/resident
- workforce housing
units
Reduce workforce housing
gap identified in Dakota
County CDA Housing Needs
Assessment by _% by 2023
a) Coordinate economic
development efforts related
to CMU process
b) Articulate objectives for
workforce housing
c) Facilitate housing barrier
removal
Housing that
stimulates commercial
development
-Housing units in
target areas
-Commercial district
comparisons
_#_ units developed in
targeted commercial areas
by 2023
Policy guidance in
place to achieve
housing goals
-policy/development
alignment
Corridor Mixed Use (CMU)
designation adopted by
fall 2020
Workforce
Availability and
Utilization
Existing jobs match
skills available
-Import/export
-Migration
__% of jobs performed by
Lakeville residents by ___
a) Collaborate with Lakeville
Works initiatives
b) Review City programs and
policies for consistency with
workforce housing
requirements
c) Align efforts with higher
education providers
Job availability
matches demand
-Job openings
-Time to fill
=/< ___% job vacancy rate in
city, reported annually
Business
Retention,
Expansion and
Diversification
Maximize and
Market Our
Competitive
Edge
Housing
to Support
Economic Goals
Workforce
Availability
and Utilization
Strategic Priority Desired Outcome Key OutcomeIndicator Target StrategicInitiatives
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3
STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
Strategic planning is a process that helps leaders
examine the current state of the organization,
determine a desired future state, establish priorities,
and define a set of actions to achieve specific
outcomes. The process followed by the City
of Lakeville was designed to answer four key
questions: (1) Where are we now? (2) Where are
we going? (3) How will we get there? (4) What will
we do? The process is divided into a development
phase and an implementation phase. The full
process is depicted below.?
Initiating the Process –
Setting Expectations, Reviewing Current Situation
The strategic planning process began with a meeting of the staff team and the
consultants on October 7th, 2019. The meeting included an overview of strategic
planning principles, previous planning efforts, and guidance on preparing for the retreat
sessions. In addition, the team discussed the City’s desire for an economic development
website audit and the approach to be taken by the consultant to conduct one.
The group talked about progress on Envision Lakeville and its relationship to the
Economic Development Commission. They also discussed various changes that have
taken place since the last plan was adopted. A timeline and assignments for the overall
project and website audit were determined along with an agenda for the first retreat
session on October 29th.
DEVELOPMENT IMPLEMENTATION
Where
We Are
Where
We’re Going
How We’ll
Get There
What
We’ll Do
Scan the Environment
–
Conduct Internal and
External Analysis
(SWOT)
–
Develop Strategic
Profile
–
Identify Strategic
Challenges
Define Our Mission
–
Articulate Core
Values
–
Set a Vision
–
Establish Goals
–
Identify Key Intended
Outcomes
Develop Initiatives
–
Define Performance
Measures
–
Set Targets and
Thresholds
–
Cascade Throughout
Organization
Create Detailed
Action Plans
–
Establish
Accountability:
Who, What, When
–
Identify Success
Indicators
–
Provide Resources
1 Where are we now?
2 Where are we going?
3 How will we get there?
4 What will we do?
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4
Setting Direction: Mission, Vision, Values
On October 29th and November 26th, 2019, the EDC and senior staff held strategic
planning sessions to develop the strategic plan. To address the question of “Where
are we now?” the staff presented a detailed review of the current economic
development environment and provided a progress report on the implementation
of the 2017-2019 Strategic Plan.
ASSESS CURRENT
ENVIRONMENT
•Senior Staff Review
•Previous Plan Progress
•Vision/Mission/Values
•SWOT Analysis
IMPLEMENT
THE PLAN
•Implementation Session
- Strategic Initiatives
- Action Plans
•Refine Details
•Final Review, Approval
SET PRIORITIES,
TARGETS
•Strategic Planning Retreat
•Operating Environment
- Previous Plan Progress
- Internal SWOT
•Challenges, Priorities
•Outcomes, KOI’s, Targets
•SWOT Analysis
STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
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5
A key component of understanding “Where Are You Going?” is to have a clear vision,
mission and set of core values. The Lakeville Economic Development Commission, as
an advisory board, works within the framework of the City of Lakeville. As such, they
subscribe to the vision and values of the City, which are defined in the Envision Lakeville
Community Vision. The EDC has its own mission statement, which conforms to the vision
and values.
The vision, mission and value statements are listed below.
MISSION STATEMENT (Economic Development Commission)
The Lakeville Economic Development Commission develops strategies and
communicates benefits that will make Lakeville the best choice for decision-
makers considering business location and expansion.
VISION STATEMENT (Envision Lakeville)
We envision a thriving, multi-generational community where families, friends,
and neighbors connect, live, learn, work, and play. Great schools; a diverse
local economy; exceptional parks, trails, and recreational opportunities;
vibrant social and cultural institutions; safe neighborhoods; and responsive
and cost-effective public services—together create a place we are proud
to call home.
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6
STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
VALUES (Envision La keville)
DIVERSIFIED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
We value the stability and independence
provided by a strong, diversified local
economy
GOOD VALUE FOR PUBLIC SERVICES
We value high-quality public services
delivered cost effectively
SAFETY THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY
We value living in a community where
people feel safe everywhere they go
HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION
We value and are committed to high quality
education that sets us apart
DESIGN THAT CONNECTS THE COMMUNITY
We value a well-designed community and
we place a priority on development that
enhances connectivity and accommodates
our changing needs
A HOME FOR ALL AGES AND STAGES OF LIFE
We value living options for people of all ages
and stages of life
A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND BELONGING
We value the sense of belonging that comes
from our traditions and institutions, and we
strive to support and preserve them
ASSESS CURRENT
ENVIRONMENT
•Senior Staff Review
•Previous Plan Progress
•Vision/Mission/Values
•SWOT Analysis
IMPLEMENT
THE PLAN
•Implementation Session
- Strategic Initiatives
- Action Plans
•Refine Details
•Final Review, Approval
SET PRIORITIES,
TARGETS
•Strategic Planning Retreat
•Operating Environment
- Previous Plan Progress
- Internal SWOT
•Challenges, Priorities
•Outcomes, KOI’s, Targets
•SWOT Analysis
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7
Reviewing the Environment and Setting Strategic Priorities
The leadership team continued the process of assessing the operating environment
via a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis--a process
that examines the organization’s internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as the
opportunities and threats in the external environment. To facilitate this, a SWOT
questionnaire was distributed to the participants in advance of the planning session.
Using the SWOT data, a small group review process revealed the most frequently
mentioned characteristics in each area.
STRENGTHS
• Developable land with
supporting infrastructure
•Economic impact of quality
schools
•Engaged community, civic &
City leadership
•Growing & diverse business
community
WEAKNESSES
• Workforce availability
•Affordable/workforce housing
•Transportation
• Developable acreage
(housing, business)
•Infrastructure (roads, transit, air)
• Workforce development
(education, housing)
•Marketing (tourism, business)
• Partnerships-growth
OPPORTUNITIES
• Labor (shortage, training,
opioid addiction)
• Housing stock (workforce,
affordable, life cycle)
•Competitive development
(land cost, fees, labor cost,
taxes, avoid sameness)
• Economic downturn
(business diversity, how to
monitor)
•Transportation (lack of
public, access from N and S)
THREATS
SWOT
Analysis
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8
The group used this information to identify those opportunities that would be
helped the most by the organization’s inherent strengths and which external
threats were most likely to exacerbate their weaknesses.
STRENGTHS LEVERAGING OPPORTUNITIES
(Make good things happen)
•Development review process/responsiveness needs to be marketed
•Strengths need to be marketed as differentiators (e.g.--land available, diverse business
pods, downtown vitality, hospitality)
•Partnerships-engaged leadership: Schools, City, Chamber (workforce, infrastructure)
WEAKNESSES EXACERBATED BY THREATS
(Keep bad things from happening)
•Labor
•Housing
•Transportation
Vibrant social and cultural
institutions, safe neighborhoods,
and responsive and cost-
effective public services
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9
Following this exercise, the group examined the results, and then engaged in additional
brainstorming to identify the strategic issues and challenges facing the organization.
STRATEGIC ISSUES/CHALLENGES
•Labor/Workforce
•Housing
•Transportation
•Maximizing Partnerships
•Communicating Strengths
•Marketing
•Business Diversification
•Diversity/Inclusion
Based upon the challenges and issues identified, a
facilitated discussion ensued to determine the highest
priorities for the strategic planning period. The group
consensus was that the priorities going forward should
be the same four priorities as the previous strategic plan,
with slight modifications. The previous priorities: (1) Business
Retention and Expansion; (2) Maintain a Competitive
Edge; (3) Housing to Support Economic Goals; and (4)
Workforce.
The four priorities for 2020–2023 after modification are
depicted below. The group briefly considered adding a
fifth priority related to transportation but opted to include
transportation within the other priorities.
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
BUSINESS RETENTION, EXPANSION
AND DIVERSIFICATION
MAXIMIZE AND MARKET OUR
COMPETITIVE EDGE
HOUSING TO SUPPORT OUR
ECONOMIC GOALS
WORKFORCE AVAILABILITY
AND UTILIZATION
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10
Defining the Priorities
To clarify the meaning of each priority, the group identified key concepts which were
used at the retreat to create guidance, and ultimately used to create definitions.
Business Retention, Expansion
and Diversification
To ensure a vibrant business
environment, the City of Lakeville’s
Economic Development Commission
will focus on retaining, expanding
and diversifying the City’s business
base.
Maximize and Market Our
Competitive Edge
The City of Lakeville has many
competitive advantages.
The Economic Development
Commission will concentrate on
maximizing and marketing the
City’s competitive edge.
Housing to Support
Economic Goals
The economic goals of the City
of Lakeville are affected by the
type and availability of housing
for workers within the community.
The Economic Development
Commission will work to ensure
adequate housing to support
business success.
Workforce Availability
and Utilization
The availability and utilization of the
local workforce is key to Lakeville’s
economic success. The Economic
Development Commission will
work to match skills and jobs with
opportunities.
Key Outcomes, Indicators, and Targets by Priority
With priorities in place, the group determined the most important outcomes to be
achieved for each priority, defined Key Outcome Indicators (KOI’s), and developed
Performance Targets. KOI’s define progress toward desired outcomes. Performance
Targets define successful outcomes, expressed in measurable terms.
The alignment created between priorities, outcomes and targets is important, not only
for clarity, but also for maintaining a disciplined focus on the desired results.
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11
Business Retention, Expansion and Diversification
a. Outcome: Limit loss of existing business
KOI: Lakeville business inventory, Building permits
Target: No net loss in businesses January 2020 – December 2023
b. Outcome: Lakeville is the first choice for expansion
KOI: Expansion and relocation lists
Target: 90% of current businesses expand in Lakeville rather than relocate 2020–2023
c. Outcome: Diverse industry base
KOI: Expansion and relocation reports by industry cluster
Target: Increase of at least one business in each industry cluster category annually
Maximize and Market Our Competitive Edge
a. Outcome: Be the community of choice
KOI: Competitive data on development decisions (win %)
Target: =/> __% wins each year of qualified leads--on 3 high priority nodes/clusters
b. Outcome: Enhanced recognition of brand
KOI: Contacts/inquiries that result in action, Click/conversion rate
Target: =/> __% can articulate brand elements/qualities
c. Outcome: Infrastructure that leverages economic development
KOI: Infrastructure projects programmed in CIP
Target: EDC priority infrastructure projects are programmed in 2020-2023
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12
Housing to Support Economic Goals
a.Outcome: Adequate housing to support job base
KOI: __% jobs/resident, Workforce housing units
Target: Reduce workforce housing gap identified in Dakota County CDA Housing Needs
Assessment by __% by 2023
b.Outcome: Housing that stimulates commercial development
KOI: Housing units in target areas, Commercial district comparisons
Target: __#__ units developed in targeted commercial areas by 2023
c.Outcome: Policy guidance in place to achieve housing goals
KOI: Policy/development alignment
Target: Corridor Mixed Use (CMU) designation adopted by fall 2020
Workforce Availability and Utilization
a. Outcome: Existing jobs match skills available
KOI: Import/export, Migration
Target: __% of jobs performed by Lakeville residents by ____
b. Outcome: Jobs availability matches demand
KOI: Job openings, Time to fill
Target: =/> __% job vacancy rate in city, reported annually
STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
ASSESS CURRENT
ENVIRONMENT
•Senior Staff Review
•Previous Plan Progress
•Vision/Mission/Values
•SWOT Analysis
IMPLEMENT
THE PLAN
•Implementation Session
- Strategic Initiatives
- Action Plans
•Refine Details
•Final Review, Approval
SET PRIORITIES,
TARGETS
•Strategic Planning Retreat
•Operating Environment
- Previous Plan Progress
- Internal SWOT
•Challenges, Priorities
•Outcomes, KOI’s, Targets
•SWOT Analysis
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Implementing the Vision –
Developing Strategic Initiatives and Action Plans
To successfully address the strategic priorities and achieve the intended outcomes
expressed in the performance targets, it is necessary to have a focused set of
actions, including detailed implementation steps to guide organizational effort.
The Lakeville Economic Development Commission will accomplish this through
a set of strategic initiatives. Strategic initiatives are broadly described, but
narrowly focused activities that are aligned with the priorities and targeted to the
achievement of outcomes expressed in the Targets. On December 3rd, 2019, senior
staff and the consultant met to identify strategic initiatives. Following this session, staff
worked to develop detailed action plans for each initiative.
Business Retention, Expansion and Diversification
•Create a business retention program with Chamber/CVB
•Establish a Lakeville business expansion program
•Develop a business cluster strategy and market node analyses
Maximize and Market Our Competitive Edge
•Develop and enhance data analytics capacity and
capabilities
•Refresh business marketing and branding strategy
•Establish a benchmark comparison system
Housing to Support Economic Goals
•Coordinate economic development efforts related to
Corridor Mixed Use (CMU) process
•Articulate objectives for workforce housing
•Facilitate housing barrier removal
Workforce Availability and Utilization
•Collaborate with Lakeville Works initiatives
•Review City programs and policies for consistency with
workforce housing requirements
•Align efforts with higher education providers
Website Audit
To assist the City and EDC with strategic plan implementation, and provide
competitive intelligence, the City of Lakeville asked the consultant to conduct a
website audit, along with an evaluation of comparison cities. This was accomplished
via a business community needs assessment, an analysis of the community and
economic development web pages in Lakeville, and an analysis of comparison
cities’ economic development web pages. Additional information on this process
and recommendations can be found in Appendix II: Website Audit.
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Strategic Planning Participants
The strategic plan was developed with the hard work and dedication of many
individuals. The Economic Development Commissioners took time out of their schedules
to commit to long-term thinking. They defined a direction and a set of outcomes that are
important to the citizens, businesses and stakeholders with whom they partner and serve.
The Mayor and senior staff were active participants and offered context and support to
the group’s strategic thinking. The President of the Lakeville Area Chamber of
Commerce was a full participant and also provided key insights and support.
Economic Development Commission
Quenton Scherer, Chair
Glenn Starfield, Vice Chair
Lowell Collman, Commissioner
Derick Dautel, Commissioner
Jim Emond, Commissioner
Bob Gillen, Commissioner
Jack Matasosky, Commissioner
Don Seiler, Commissioner
Justin Stone, Commissioner
Tom Smith, Alternate Commissioner
Lakeville Area Chamber of Commerce
Krista Jech, President
City of Lakeville
Douglas Anderson, Mayor
Justin Miller, City Administrator
David Olson, Community & Economic Development Director
Kati Bachmayer, Economic Development Coordinator
City of Lakeville EDC Strategic Plan FY 2020 – 2023 | February 2020
98
APPENDIX I
SWOT Results
99
Strengths
• Industrial park land
• Residential development land
• Well-educated population base
• Household incomes
• Nationally recognized schools
• Good city leadership
• Low crime rate
• Access to major highways
• Engaged community consisting of seasoned leaders and SMEs (subject matter experts)
• Improvement in diversity
• Experienced city staff
• Close proximity to both Urban and Rural areas
• Large industrial park
• Airport
• Business leaders involved in community
• Highly rated schools
• Unique downtown district
• Top municipal liquor stores
• Quality sites with necessary infrastructure available for Commercial/Industrial
development
• Geographic location
• Growing critical mass of existing businesses
• Considered a desirable community to live in
• Growing community for residents
• Growing community for businesses
• Excellent reputation as a well-run city
• Excellent reputation for well-run public schools
• Good reputation for number of parks and maintenance of parks
• Good citizen involvement i.e. Lions Club, Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, volunteerism
• Good geographic position to major cities, highway and airports
• Feels safe. Low crime.
• Affordable for middle-upper income, dual-earner families
• Strong business community
• Location south of the river
• Educated residents
• Strong K-12 school system
• Single-family home footprint
100
• Great school system
• Strong business community
• Active Chamber of Commerce
• Strong community pride
• Positive and experienced City leadership
• Quality of life amenities
• Industrial park
• Strong partnerships between public and private organizations
• Proximity to I-35
• Presence of Metropolitan Airports Commission reliever airport (Airlake Airport)
•Available land for development
• Critical mass of diverse businesses and industry that currently exist in the community
• Desirable community to live and work in - schools, faith communities, parks, and
quality of life - lure people here.
• Population growth
•Availability of land
• Business friendly environment
• Great schools
• Historic downtown makes a large town feel like a small community
• Close to I-35 (feels close/quick to get around the cities)
• Large area to grow
• Diverse businesses within the community
• Safe community
• Abundance of parks
• Great community programs and events
• Diverse business economy
• Well-planned growth strategy
• Location (close to major highways, rail, airport)
• Business community - Industrial park, Downtown, other business pods. From home
businesses to large entities.
• Location (close to major highways, rail, airport)
• Amenities - Schools, roads, public safety, parks, trails, arts center, golf, etc.
• Leadership - From Council (governance) to Staff there is a focus on stewardship of
resources.
•Available land for housing and commercial/industrial development for next 15-20
years
• Location
• Access to interstate
101
•Schools
•Variety of housing choices
•Available land
•Strong partners
•Regional airport
•Relationship between City, Chamber and Lakeville Area Schools
•Desired location for business and residence
•High engagement of key stakeholders in town
•Schools
•Strong Community Groups – Rotary, Pan-O-Prog, Lions, etc
•Strong leadership
102
Weaknesses
• Public transportation
• Poor public image from I-35
• Lack of promotion efforts for city, business community, etc
• Lakeville’s image/brand to consumers and businesses
• Follow thru (alignment) with strategic priorities of the Envision Lakeville Plan
• Reactionary vs. pro-active leadership
• “Small town mentality” with a “large city reality”
• Lack of available workforce for existing businesses
• Shortage of a qualified work force
• Lack of affordable workforce housing
•Available funding for large transportation projects including I-35 / Co. Rd. 50
Interchange
• Lack of mid to upper scale “white collar” businesses. We are strong in manufacturing
but weak on information driven/digital driven businesses. This results in too many well
-educated residents leaving the city for work each day.
• Not that affordable for lower-middle income or single-earner families. This makes
it difficult for our businesses to recruit skilled and lesser skilled labor for hospitality,
manufacturing, health services, etc.
• Lack of post-secondary education options. This forces our young graduates to leave
the city.
• Limited mass transit
• Cost and requirements to build
• Lack of ethnic diversity
• Lack of affordable housing
• Resistance to affordable housing
• Lack of workers
• Growth challenges - anticipating diverse housing needs and products, school facilities,
etc.
• Maintenance of older infrastructure in aging portions of community
• Labor supply
• Visibility to national retailers
• Distance from urban core - hard to attract major employers
• Lack of transit options
•Willingness to sacrifice long term gain for short term results (i.e. too many low-wage
jobs)
• Public transportation
103
•Real estate is getting more expensive and smaller lots
•Few choices of apartments
•Vacant buildings
•Lack of workforce housing
•No hospital
•Medical industry seems under-represented in employment numbers
•Availability of skilled and service industry labor
•Affordable housing
•Workforce
•Availability of training
•Workforce – too many people leaving for work, not enough people pursuing careers in
industries that we have (skilled trades – manufacturing, construction, transportation)
•Affordable housing (although getting better)
•Lack of Diversity among leadership in entire community
•Workforce - necessary to support businesses retention, growth and development
•Desire for all things - must make choices and focus resource use to priorities. Establish
long term approach of sustainability (financial advisory committee is working on).
•Transportation (roads) systems - East/west needs to be developed. Hwy 50 almost
complete, Hwy 70 next two years, 185th street???
•Lack of Post High school education in support of our business community
•Lack of retail stores
•The geographic size of the community
•Limited traffic corridors
•Limited supply of affordable housing
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Opportunities
•Move from being reactionary to proactive
•Collaborate with chamber of commerce, DLBA, and others to promote economic
development
•Marketing and promotion of Lakeville
•Address multiple business communities within the city, their unique needs and create
economic development strategies for each
•Align with the envision plan to improve economic sustainability (EDC is the “owner” of
the envision strategic priority of “increasing economic security”)
•Coordinate with other strategic priority teams as outlined in the envision plan
•Growing professional population
• Space to expand business/industrial park
• Space to expand arts center and parks
• Ability to offer events and experiences
• Expansion of public transportation to the city
• Aging population - changing needs
• Changing population - increased diversity
•Continued and increased workforce development partnerships with Chamber of
Commerce, local school districts and other agencies
• An improved and expanded Airlake Airport (that is now in the City of Lakeville)
• Continued promotion and marketing of Lakeville as a location for new and expanded
businesses
• Partner with public and private organizations on ways to facilitate development of
workforce housing
• Our growing population base is well educated and would provide an excellent
workforce for the right companies.
• Our downtown growth has been encouraging. It would be nice to see us build upon
that momentum. A vibrant and charming downtown can give us something unique
and different from surrounding suburbs.
• We have space / land available. Lots of it! (no pun intended)
• Actionable strategic plan goals
• Workforce housing development
• Expansion of Lakeville Works program
• Zoning ordinance modernization to meet development and community needs
• Expansion of career exploration at Lakeville schools
105
• Partnerships with area technical education colleges
• Expand support of small businesses and startups
• Create a structured business retention program
• Maintain strong public-private partnerships
•Available inventory of land for future development of both residential and industrial
opportunities.
• Good access to distribution routes - make Lakeville a good spot for logistic businesses
(trucking, rail, warehousing) to serve local area and region.
• Finding technology solutions to help the manufacturing challenges of labor and
distribution of products.
• Growing existing businesses
•Availability of tax increment assistance
• Desirable place to work and live
• Good school system
• Room for future growth
• Good base of industrial businesses
• Good sense of community
• Safe family environment
•Available land
• Demographic is right to pursue a large attraction/tourism driver
• Workforce Development because of the increasing collaboration between the
business community and our school
• We are the gateway to the Twin Cities from the south
•In partnership with others, define and develop each business pod (from Industrial park,
to downtown, to Hy-Vee) and associated plan if appropriate (like downtown plan).
•Image - focus efforts to strengthen live/work/play/stay here in Lakeville....vs. that we
are bedroom community.
•Be Proactive - and what does this look like for us? For the future?
•Available land
•Potential annexation opportunities to really establish city as southern metro landmark
•Attracting corporate jobs/buildings
•Workforce housing
•Medical industry jobs
•Growing a workforce labor pool
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Threats
• Failure of city government to dedicate resources to identify target businesses to solicit
for relocation, expansion or establishment in Lakeville.
• Inadequate workforce housing
• Inadequate public transportation for workforce
• Failure to recognize or anticipate: a softening in the economy or competition.
• Failure to address multiple business communities within the city and their unique needs
• Loss of rural lands to development
• Dealing with substance abuse amid growing population
• Dealing with mental illness amid growing population
•Maintaining sufficient volunteers for emergency services
• Aging population - changing needs
• Changing population - increased diversity
• National economic downturn
• Continued increase in workforce shortages
• Housing market slowdown
• Sameness - Adopting the same policies and acting the same as other suburbs. This
tends to lend itself to a non-distinctive experience. A city with little character.
• Losing sight of our strengths - i.e. The school system has a great reputation. As our
population ages will we lose our interest in investing in our school system. Our park
system is a significant asset. Will we be able to motivate our citizens to support getting
the park system to the next level of cool.
• Not diversifying our business base - We are heavy into manufacturing and not very
strong in businesses of the information age. Are we prepared to weather economic
storms?
• Cheaper options to location just south of Lakeville
• Impending recession
• Loss of naturally occurring affordable housing
• Tariffs and trade war
• Lack of workforce (skilled and unskilled)
• Fast-growing population strain on school system
• Legislative changes/mandates to independent city building fees
• Major employer leaving the city
• Labor availability
• Low / moderate income housing opportunities
• Cost of development / entitlement activities (platting, trunk fees, park dedication,
etc). The impact to land costs are increasing drastically.
107
• Retail uses we want go to Apple Valley/Burnsville due to density and trade areas
• Susceptible to economic downturn
• Housing growing faster than jobs
•State legislature involvement in city growth financing issues
• City debt
• Highly dependent on outside income sources to sustain our high average household
income.
• Growth faster than infrastructure build-out (Schools, water, sewer, etc).
• Sustainability of low property tax rate (Dependence on liquor sales, growth, special
service districts. etc...)
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Top Priorities
• Shift from being reactionary to being proactive (align with Envision Lakeville plan)
• Marketing and promotion of Lakeville (branding of Lakeville)(improvement of
Lakeville’s image)
• Identify business communities within Lakeville, their unique needs and create
economic development strategies for each
• Promote a sustainable workforce for businesses
• Enable businesses and City Departments to keep pace with growth
• Enable businesses and City Departments to meet changing demands
• Workforce development
• Workforce housing development
• Securing approval of needed funding for new infra-structure including I-35/ Co. Rd. 50
Interchange
• Attracting businesses with higher wage jobs that match up with the resident base
• Supporting initiatives that encourage training, internships and placement for skilled
and lesser skilled employees to staff our existing business base.
• Support limited housing growth that is deemed more “affordable” being mindful to
not over steer
• Support initiatives that promote small, independent, local retail and restaurant
businesses so that our town develops a feel that is unique from other suburbs.
• Attract more corporate campus
• Responding to workforce challenges
• Attracting and incentivizing businesses with living wage jobs
• Retaining existing businesses
• Providing existing and new businesses with the labor and / or technology to
accomplish their missions in business.
• Review processes and costs to remain competitive in economic development
community. (Quicker and cheaper are still strong criteria for site selection)
• Continue to monitor housing inventory - product, market, and absorption so inventory
of available housing matches anticipated needs.
• Retail attraction
• Branding
• Attracting/incentivizing high wage jobs, not low wage
• Attracting more corporate jobs
• Growing schools
•Attracting business to vacant buildings
• Diversifying the housing offerings
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•Growing the labor pool to support local business growth
•Creating a more self-sufficient household income mix
•Complete infrastructure improvements
•Airport expansion
•Workforce housing
•Smart Recruitment
•Retention
•Workforce Development
•Get East/West Road corridors complete - CR50, CR70, 185th, and CR9.
•Business Pod planning - define, develop proactive plan
•Image - target our communication/branding efforts on that we are the gateway to
the Twin Cities, and a great place to live/work/play and Stay!
•Maintain fiscal responsibility, and lowering of tax rate
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APPENDIX II
Economic Development
Website Audit
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City of Lakeville Economic Development Commission
Website Audit
Scope of Audit
The City of Lakeville set forth the following scope for an economic development website audit:
“Examine the website to identify areas of strength and growth pertaining to the identified economic
development strategic priorities.” This was accomplished via a business community needs
assessment, an analysis of the community and economic development web pages in Lakeville, and an
analysis of comparison cities’ economic development web pages.
Needs Assessment
Assessing the needs of the business community was done through interviews of internal and
external stakeholders, and review of key documents. Staff indicated that the audience for the
Community and Economic Development department included the general public in addition to the
business community. The primary objective is to ensure that the website is properly aligned with the
City Council and Economic Development Commission's goals.
Envision Lakeville included economic development both as a community value and a key initiative.
Because of the frequency with which content is updated on the website, the focus for alignment was
on the key initiatives for the next 1-5 years. (A summary of the economic development priorities from
Envision Lakeville is on Appendix A.)
In addition to examining Envision Lakeville, feedback was requested on the City's website from the
Lakeville Area Chamber of Commerce/Convention & Visitor's Bureau. Krista Jech, President of the
Lakeville Area Chamber of Commerce/CVB indicated that recent changes to the website have made it
more user friendly and easier to navigate. Clear access to meetings and events gives businesses a
sense of what is going on within the community--Lakeville does this well.
When a business is seeking information about city processes or land, often they want to identify who
it is that they need to talk to in order to get a permit or understand signage rules in the ordinance.
Descriptions of the unique characteristics of neighborhoods and business zones would also be
needed to help a site selector unfamiliar with Lakeville to evaluate the areas within the community
for locating a new business. This information may also help a business owner that wants to locate
near other similar businesses--or businesses that provide source materials for products and services.
Content Review of Community and Economic Development Web Pages
Generally, when assessing the content of a website, the review focuses on usefulness of the content,
minimization of errors (e.g., factual, spelling) and reducing the duplication of similar information.
Overall, this audit did not find errors or out-of-date information. The pages loaded quickly and were
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free of broken links. Content is updated on a regular basis, including activities of the Economic
Development Commission.
In addition to the ease of navigation and access to information furthers the City's transparency goals.
One frequent mistake that many organizations make is wanting all of the information on every page.
Overall, Lakeville's website is simple and uncluttered. The Community and Economic Development
homepage provides links to key documents, including the Strategic Plan for Economic Development,
which helps provide insight into the City's priorities for economic development. The City may want to
consider whether to add a link to the Envision Lakeville document and remove the oldest version of
the Economic Development Annual report.
The following table offers recommendations for improvements in some of the existing websites.
Recommendations for Community and Economic Development Web Pages
URL Title Action Details
https://lakevillemn.go
v/186/Community-
Economic-
Development
Community &
Economic
Development
homepage
Improve Add a link to the "Doing Business" website
on the Community and Economic
Development homepage. Including all
Community and Economic Development
staff contacts would be helpful to
businesses.
https://www.lakeville
mn.gov/Archive.aspx?
AMID=37
Thrive! Newsletter
Archive
Improve The addition of an introductory sentence
would make the content more accessible
to someone new to the community and
not understanding of the newsletter
content.
https://lakevillemn.go
v/616/Demographics
Demographics Keep as is Additional links for demographics, such as
Census data could be added over time.
https://lakevillemn.go
v/430/Economic-
Development-
Commission
Economic
Development
Commission
Improve Members of the EDC should be added to
the web page on the EDC.
https://lakevillemn.go
v/615/Available-
CommercialIndustrial-
Propertie
Available
Commercial /
Industrial
Properties
Improve On-line property locator tool is excellent.
The information about Airlake Industrial
Park and Downtown Lakeville is
unexpected on this page. Downtown
content is repetitive on "Downtown
Lakeville" page. Linking to, rather than
duplicating content, will make it easier to
find in a search.
https://lakevillemn.go
v/193/Starting-a-
Business
Starting a Business Keep as is Good combination of links to City, County
and State resources.
https://lakevillemn.go
v/188/Downtown-
Lakeville
Downtown
Lakeville
Keep as is Speed on loading some of Development
Guides is slow.
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Recommendations for Community and Economic Development Web Pages
URL Title Action Details
https://lakevillemn.go
v/194/Where-is-
Lakeville
Where is Lakeville? Improve May want to add a sentence or two about
what the primary benefits are of locating
in Lakeville. This is an opportunity to draw
person searching into other ED content.
https://lakevillemn.go
v/189/Economic-
Development-
SnapShots
Economic
Development
SnapShots videos
Improve Add link to Thrive! Newsletter page.
https://lakevillemn.go
v/618/Development-
Toolbox
Development
Toolbox
Improve Add a link to the "Development Toolbox"
on the "Starting a Business" homepage to
help new businesses understand what
resources are available for assistance.
"Toolbox" may not be a readily identifiable
search term.
Additional descriptions to help elucidate the characteristics of neighborhoods and business zones
would help an inquiring business narrow down areas within the community for locating a new
business. This will also help a business that wants to locate near other similar businesses--or
businesses that provide source materials for products and services.
Utilization Statistics
The City Communications department provided information on the number of times a web page has
been viewed in the past year. The statistics cover the web pages related to Economic Development.
The following statistics for the past year reflect the visits to the Community and Economic
Development web pages.
Community & Economic Development home page
Thrive! Newsletter Archive
Demographics
Economic Development Commission
Available Commercial/Industrial Properties
Starting a Business
Downtown Lakeville
Where is Lakeville?
Economic Development SnapShots videos
Development Toolbox
2,957
1,898
899
802
737
606
449
445
360
202
Community & Economic Development
Web Page Visits
(Nov. 1, 2018 - Oct. 27, 2019)
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Not surprisingly, the site most frequently visited is the Community and Economic Development
homepage. For many visitors, the homepage is the first visit as it often contains the contact
information for staff.
Looking further into the visits to the Community and Economic Development homepage, the visits
for the past year do not seem to reflect a particular cycle, but rather a positive growth in the number
of visits over time:
This data should continue to be monitored to ensure that this trend continues. The "bounce" rate for
the visits ranges from 54.1% to 76.6% over this time period. A "bounce rate" indicates the percentage
of visitors that leave a page after the initial visit, rather than continuing to click on links for additional
content. A recent RocketFuel study indicates that most websites have a bounce rate of between 26%
to 70%.
A bounce rate should not necessarily be viewed as a negative statistic. If a visitor is able to secure the
needed content on the first visit, review of additional pages is not necessary.
Mobile Presence
Because of the ubiquitous presence of mobile phones, it has become increasingly important for cities
to examine the access to information from a mobile device. All of the web pages analyzed in this
report were also reviewed using a mobile device. The pages loaded quickly and the content adjusted
well to viewing on a mobile device. No problems were detected.
Alignment with Strategic Economic Development Goals
The first statement on the Community and Economic Development Department homepage is "The
Community & Economic Development Department encourages quality community development and
promotes well-managed residential and commercial growth that will add to the quality of life in
Lakeville." This statement reflects the values and priorities identified in Envision Lakeville, although it
is not identical language. Strategic priorities of the Economic Development Commission are in the
0
100
200
300
400
500
Community & Economic Development Home
Page - Monthly Web Page Views
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process of being updated. At the most recent strategic planning session, the following priorities
were identified:
1.Business Retention, Expansion and Diversification
2.Maximize and Market Our Competitive Edge
3.Housing to Support Economic Goals
4.Workforce Availability and Utilization
The primary source for information on the City's economic development priorities is the Economic
Development annual reports and the 2017-2019 Strategic Plan for Economic Development, which can
be found on the homepage of the Community and Economic Development website. For the most
part, the information provided on the City website pages is focused on addressing the first two
economic development priorities. Links to additional information on the city's workforce are
provided on the Community and Economic Development homepage. Supplementary information on
housing and transportation can be found on other locations of the website, but the connection to
this information is not made through the community and economic development web pages outside
of the Economic Development annual report.
The strategic link could be enhanced by stating the strategic goals on the Community and Economic
Development homepage and providing additional information on Envision Lakeville. The
Demographic web page also could be enhanced to provide information on housing and
transportation. Several of the comparable cities provide examples of prominently displayed strategic
initiatives on their websites.
Comparison Cities
The City of Lakeville has identified eleven communities across the country that have similar
demographic and community characteristics. These are the communities that were used to assess
the City's website for comparability to its competitors. These comparative cities include: Carmel,
Indiana; West Des Moines, Iowa; St. Charles, Missouri; Mason, Ohio; Waukesha, Wisconsin; Shawnee,
Kansas; Woodbury, Minnesota; Maple Grove, Minnesota; Eden Prairie, Minnesota; Rapid City, South
Dakota; and Waukegan, Illinois.
The types of information provided on these websites vary significantly --some focused on the
regulatory functions of government (such as links to the city code, planning and zoning maps and
licenses and permits), while others focused on bringing business to the community. A full website
audit was not done of these cities, but key pieces of information can be found on the economic
development web pages of these cities:
Most cities had links to information on regulatory function of the government, as well as
including links to bid and quote opportunities.
Some communities seemed more focused on "selling" the community, with information on
community demographics. Eden Prairie included a video community tour, while Mason, Ohio,
and St. Charles, Missouri, provided links to site selector packets.
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All communities except two provided updates on new businesses and information on how to
start a new business in the community. Waukesha, Wisconsin, prominently features a video
highlighting a new business.
All cities except one featured information on their downtown business district, including
types of businesses in the district and any special requirements.
Carmel, Indiana and Waukegan, Illinois, focused their websites on strategic economic
development priorities.
Lakeville's website compared favorably to its comparable communities in terms of overall appeal and
relevance of information. The interactive map of available properties was found only on a few other
community websites--most were static maps. Two of the communities had outdated information or
broken links.
However, few of the cities had clear links to strategic priorities and the information on the economic
development web pages. With the exception of two cities, the information was not targeted at any
specific types of businesses. Since the City of Lakeville is focused on having a diversity of types of
businesses, it would not be expected that the Community and Economic Development web pages be
focused on one sector or type of business (i.e., healthcare or technology). Additional information on
comparable city websites can be found in Appendix B.
Conclusion
The City of Lakeville's website provides information that businesses expect to see in a user-friendly
format. No significant performance issues were discovered in the review of the Community and
Economic Development web pages. Recent enhancements, such as the interactive development
map showing the most recent information available on sites will be helpful for businesses seeking
sites for locating new or expanding existing businesses.
Although the information provided is useful and necessary for doing business in Lakeville, links to the
strategic priorities could be enhanced through the content or by providing information on key
strategic planning efforts, such as Envision Lakeville. If the city changes its direction and focuses on
one specific type of business it is trying to attract, additional changes should be made to make the
Community and Economic Development web pages more focused on that sector.
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APPENDIX A: ENVISION LAKEVILLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Community Values
Diversified Economic Development
We value the stability and independence provided by a strong, diversified local economy.
In 25 years, Lakeville will have a diversified economy that provides residents with expanded
opportunities to work within the City and to meet their shopping, health care, and other daily needs.
A mix of industrial, office, and retail development will help to provide the tax base needed to
support high quality public services.... (Envision Lakeville, page 7)
Strategic Priorities
Increase Economic Sustainability
Lakeville exists within a growing interconnected region, but a successful future depends upon
Lakeville being a more self‐ sufficient community. This will largely depend upon the City being able to
attract a broad mix of economic development to support the services and daily needs desired by the
community. Working diligently to secure economic development and redevelopment of all types will
ensure success...." (Envision Lakeville, page 9)
Key Initiatives
1-5 years
Emphasize the attraction of businesses that can provide higher skill, higher wage, head of
household jobs.
Retain existing businesses and facilitate growth and expansion.
Provide a broad range of financial incentives to attract businesses that employ higher skilled,
high wage jobs.
Support the aggressive transportation program that is in place to enhance economic
development opportunities.... (Envision Lakeville, page 11)
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APPENDIX B: COMPARABLE CITIES' ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WEBSITES
City Pop. Website Links on Business Pages Aligned with City Priorities?
LAKEVILLE, MN 65,000 https://www.la
kevillemn.gov/
35/Doing-
Business
Bid requests; building project handouts; city code; comprehensive
plan; erosion control; ePermits; Thrive! Lakeville Business Updates;
license & permits; starting a business; tree preservation
Links provided to strategic plan for economic
development.
Carmel, IN 92,198 http://www.ca
rmel.in.gov/do
ing-business
Available Properties, Bid & Quote Opportunities, Business
Ownership Initiative, Carmel Small Business Network, OneZone
Chamber of Commerce, Hamilton County Information, Investing in
Carmel, Land in Carmel, Planning and Zoning, Roundabouts,
Statistics and Demographics, Transportation Servic es
Yes; information on initiatives in business
development.
West Des
Moines, IA
56,609 http://www.w
dm.iowa.gov/
business
Agendas & Minutes, Building Inspection; Chamber of Commerce;
Expand or Relocate in WDM; Go West - West Des Moines; Greater
DM Partnership; Greater Dallas County Development Alliance;
Licenses & Permits; Local Agencies; Maps & GIS; On-line
Development Center; Plan & Zoning Commission; Project Bid
Information; RFP & Bid Postings; Vendor Application Form; Start a
Small Business
No; little strategic information; one redirect
highlights broadband technology and city as a
"tech" city, but not clear if that is a city priority.
St. Charles, MO 70,329 https://www.s
tcharlescitymo
.gov/922/Econ
omic-
Development
Need to get to Economic Development department website first;
about us, strategic advantages, data & demographics, site selector
information and live & work
Little strategic information other than what is
strategic about city's location for business.
Mason, OH 40,593 https://www.i
maginemason.
org/business/
Mason business news; living in Mason; economic development;
workforce; education, training, research; transportation; utility
providers; financial information; site selectors
General statements on site selection page about
supporting business development.
Waukesha, WI 70,718 https://www.
waukesha-
wi.gov/1113/Ec
onomic-
Development
Bid opportunities; permits & licenses; development (plan
commission, property information, signs, economic development);
resources & links; advertising opportunities; bus routes; code
book; zoning ordinances
Development needs and goals listed on slide in
presentation that is linked to ED homepage.
Shawnee, KS 70,048 https://cityofs
hawnee.org/b
usiness/buildin
g_a_better_sh
awnee;
https://cityofs
Starting a new business; planning a development; building a better
Shawnee; economic incentives; downtown partnership; land use
guide; requests for proposals and bids
Strategic goal of Economic Growth and Vitality
and initiatives included in report.
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City Pop. Website Links on Business Pages Aligned with City Priorities?
hawnee.org/b
usiness/downt
own_partners
hip
Woodbury, MN 69,756 https://www.
woodburymn.
gov/doing_bus
iness/index.ph
p
Doing business; economic development; inspections; planning and
zoning; non-city events; utility billing; chamber of commerce
Link to strategic plan from ED page; 1.Promote
Woodbury as a community of choice
2.Optimize development and redevelopment
opportunities.
Maple Grove,
MN
68,385 https://www.
maplegrovem
n.gov/business
Available land & buildings; business licenses & permits; community
profile & demographics; development projects; open to business
program; important resources and links
Prioritization points to 2040 comprehensive plan
and NW area master plan.
Eden Prairie, MN 60,797 https://www.e
denprairie.org/
doing-
business/econ
omic-
development
Chamber of Commerce; Codes & policies; economic development;
emergency preparedness; Flying Cloud Airport; licenses & permits;
Planning Commission; public transit; southwest LRT; video tour
News article on housing priorities; links business
survey from business pages.
Rapid City, SD 74,421 https://www.r
cgov.org/guid
e-to-doing-
business-in-
rapid-
city/guide-to-
doing-
business-in-
rapid-city-
185.html
Rapid City Comprehensive Plan; bids; Chamber of Commerce;
Community Planning; Development; Economic Development; GIS
Maps; Licensing; Permits
"Black Hills Vision" - described as a coalition to
promote Economic Development but link on ED
page does not load.
Waukegan, IL 88,826 https://ww
w.waukega
nil.gov/35/B
usiness
Getting Started; Business License Application; New Business
& Development; Overweight & Oversize Vehicle Permit
Information; Special Events; Food & Beverage Tax
Information; Vacant Structure Registration
Described as "City of Progress"--provides
links to dept. strategic plans and the city's
comp plan.
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