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comment sheets and a summary of the comments for the EDA's review. The Planning <br />Commission met on March 8th to begin the visioning process through the SWOT <br />(strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis worksheet that was used at the <br />open house. The Planning Commission comments were attached in the packet. City <br />Planner, Kendra Lindahl from Landform was present at the meeting and preformed the <br />SWOT exercise with the EDA. <br />Below are the outcomes from the SWOT analysis: <br />Strengths: <br />• Location <br />• Major Roads (1-35E, Highway 61, CSAH 8) <br />• Rail Service <br />• Parks, Trails, Lakes, Recreation <br />• Existing Infrastructure (CSAH 8) <br />• Variety <br />• School System <br />• Rural Character (east side) <br />• Wildlife <br />• Governance <br />• Interaction of government with local businesses <br />• New businesses <br />• Good plan for TIF <br />• Growth <br />• Rural and suburban influences <br />• Proximity to metro area and airport <br />• Service groups (Lions, Legion, etc.) <br />• The people (proactive citizens) <br />• Housing mix <br />• City services (snowplowing, etc.) <br />Weaknesses: <br />• Need another industrial/commercial park <br />• Need a place for small businesses with outside storage <br />• Need a community building and library <br />• Need more restaurants <br />• Need to attract more businesses <br />• Lacks a unity of vision <br />• Downtown on Highway 61 is difficult for pedestrians <br />• Lack of branding/marketing <br />• Dissention in community <br />• Lack of citizen willingness to look to the future and plan <br />• Law enforcement (need more presence) <br />Opportunities: <br />• Develop a current/updated plan (comprehensive plan, zoning <br />ordinance, subdivision ordinance) <br />