8. HRSR 01-07-2013 Elk REQUEST FOR ACTION
River
TO ITEM NUMBER
Housing&Redevelopment Authority 8.
AGENDA SECTION MEETING DATE PREPARED BY
January 7, 2012 Clay Wilfahrt,Assistant Director of
Economic Development
ITEM DESCRIPTION REVIEWED By
Realtors Day Summary Annie Deckert, Director of Economic
Development
REVIEWED BY
Cal Portner,City Administrator
ACTION REQUESTED
None
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
In September 2011, the Economic Development Authority and the City Council authorized staff to move
forward with implementation of the Branding Plan. The plan identified a brand promise, tagline, creative
interpretations, and recommended strategies for implementation. One of plan's recommendations was to host
realtors in Elk River once a year to promote the community.
On August 8, 2012,partnering with the St. Paul Area Realtors Association, the Economic Development
Department hosted the first ever Elk River Realtors Forum. The St. Paul Area Realtors Association,who
recently merged with the North Metro Realtors Association,has partnered with staff in the past to host a
citywide open house.
The August 8th Realtors Forum featured staff from five different divisions who spoke about a variety of topics,
including: the Comprehensive Plan, 171st FAST Study,Mississippi Connections Redevelopment Framework
plan, zoning, economic development,branding,parks and recreation,rental licensing,building permitting, and
Energy City. 20 realtors attended the event, and 16 completed a survey to measure staff performance and the
event. The results of the survey were overwhelmingly positive.
The respondents were first asked how long they
How Long Have you have been a realtor. Two stated 0-2 years, five
Been a Realtor? responded 5-10 years, two responded 10-20 years
and seven responded 20+ years.
0-2 Years When asked the qualitative question"How would
2-5 Years you describe your experience today," all 16
5 10 years respondents gave a positive answer. One
respondent requested an annual class.
Another qualitative question, "Do you have suggestions for improvement" captured several comments about
specific content suggestions including requests to better emphasize permits, zoning,land use, and inspections.
'P O W E R E D B Y
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NATURE
Files\Content.Outlook\X3O71NQV\Realtors'Day Memo(2).docx
One comment requested better exposure of the event, another asked for more clearly labeled presentation
information, and one comment pertained to facilities. Overall, criticisms were minimal and easily correctable
for future events.
The next three questions focused on rating the Instructors Demonstrated
instructors. The scoring scale was from one to five
with one being the worst and five being the best. Knowledge of Subject...
The first question asked if the instructors
"demonstrated knowledge of subject matter." Six 10 . II
marked a four and 10 respondents 0
marked a five. This makes a mean score of 4.6 out 1 2 3 4 5
of five.
1=Poor 5=Exceptional
The second question as if instructors "conveyed material in an engaging manner. One respondent marked
a three, 10 marked a four, and five marked a five. The mean score in this category was 4.25.
Instructors Conveyed Material Instructor's Overall
in an Engaging Manner Effectiveness
Amor MP II
10
0
• ;=
0 asiw 1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1=Poor 5=Exceptional
1=Poor 5=Exceptional
The third question about instructors asked respondents to measure their"overall effectiveness." One respondent
marked a three, 10 marked a four, and five marked a five. The mean score in this category was also a 4.25.
The instructors scored very high on this scale scoring a total of 4.4 out of 5. It is apparent that the realtors found
a lot of value in the information. A couple of the realtors followed up with meetings with building department
staff to discuss permits and inspections. One realty firm met with staff to discuss relocating their facility,
available space, and potential financing options. Staff also followed up with the realtors in September by sending
them a copy of the housing study via email.
Additionally, several realtors requested an annual meeting. We plan to host another event in partnership with
SPAAR on August 14, 2013. Reflecting on the comments by the 2012 participants,we will place a greater
emphasis on permitting, inspections, zoning, land use, and where to find more information about the city.
ATTACHMENTS
Elk River Realtor's Forum Agenda
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Elk River REALTORS® Forum
Wednesday,August 8, 2012
9:00a.m.- 12:00p.m.
Timed Course Outline
Welcome and Introduction 9:00-9:15 15 minutes
Mayor John Dietz
Comprehensive plan,FAST study,Downtown Plan 9:15 -9:30 15 minutes
Zoning Ordinances and planned developments 9:30-9:45 15 minutes
Jeremy Barnhart, Planning Director
Economic Development Initiatives 9:45 - 10:00 15 minutes
Annie Deckert, Director of Economic Development
Community Branding
Clay Wilfahrt,Assistant Director of Economic Development 10:00- 10:15 15 minutes
Break 10:15 - 10:30 15 minutes
What is Parks and Recreation 10:30- 10:45 15 minutes
Elk River Parks and Rec Mission 10:45 - 11:00 15 minutes
Michael Hecker, Parks and Recreation Director
Rental Licensing 11:00- 11:15 15 minutes
Building Permitting 11:15 - 11:30 15 minutes
Bob Ruprecht, Building Official
Energy City Overview 11:30- 11:45 15 minutes
Current Projects 11:45 - 12:00 15 minutes
Rebecca Haug