Agenda Packets - 2008/11/24 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Item 11B - Reports of Staff November 24, 2008 City Council Meeting Page 2 of 3 • Reviewed the 2005 Mounds View Residential Survey completed by Decision Resources (Risdall used this survey as a guide to developing their own survey) • Asked City staff to review the residential survey (five City staff members reviewed the survey, including one resident) Residents received the attached 34-question survey in their October 2008 utility bill (mailed on October 27, 2008) and were encouraged to complete the survey online through the City’s Website. The online survey became available on October 29, 2008. As of November 17, 2008, 367 surveys (298 hard copies and 69 online) have been completed and submitted. On a related note, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal recently chose Risdall as the metro-area’s top Web development and design firm. I have attached a copy of the “Top 25” list for your reference. Discussion & Next Steps The next step in the process is for Risdall to prepare and complete the business and developer surveys and interviews. The EDA/Council and EDC will review the results of the surveys and interviews at a joint work session on January 5, 2009. Based on the survey results and their research, Risdall will present the EDA/Council and EDC with Mounds View’s brand strategy. If accepted, staff will schedule another joint work session for February 2, 2006 when Risdall will present a new logo for the City of Mounds View. City staff supports Risdall’s methods and expertise for this project. As the Council recalls, City staff interviewed three different firms and recommended Risdall to the EDA for this project. The EDA heard a presentation from Risdall and agreed with staff’s recommendation to choose them for the project. I have attached an excerpt of Risdall’s proposal to the EDA (pages 13 & 14) summarizing the expertise of the Risdall project team. As noted above, Risdall is progressing with their work on the branding study. While the project might be moving slower than we had originally expected, City staff is confident that Risdall will help guide the City in finding an effective and relevant brand.