7.3. 7.4. EDSR 12-11-2000 r r -\
• Items #7.3 & 7.4.
City
ii
f MEMORANDUM
,. River
TO: Economic Development Authority
FROM: Pat Klaers, City Administrator
DATE: December 11, 2000
SUBJECT: Customer Service/Branding Process
Other Activities
Duckor and Associates, Inc. is working with the city on a project to help with
implementing Section II of the Industrial Marketing Plan. Section II is the
"Product Delivery Process and Client Service Strategy." The staff committee
for this project has met with Anita Duckor on three occasions and the
emphasis of these meetings has been the industrial prospects and clients.
• One goal of the project is to improve the city development process for new
businesses coming to the community or for current businesses that want to
expand. We need to make everyone's experience at City Hall a positive
experience and to have our business clients move through the development
process as smoothly as possible. At this time the committee has identified
and outlined the current development steps/process and has noted where
improvements are necessary in relation to staff interactions and meeting the
needs of the client. Work on this project will continue this winter and the
next staff committee meeting is planned for January.
Duckor and Associates, Inc. is involved in another component of the
Industrial Marketing Plan; Section VI —"Communication, Promotion, and
Advertising Strategy." This firm has been hired to help the city establish
communication standards and develop an updated brand (logo/symbol). Some
of the results of this project will be incorporated into a long-term economic
development advertising campaign. The staff committee for this project has
met twice and the next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 13,
2000. At this Wednesday meeting it is expected that Tammy Miller (Tammy
Miller Design, Big Lake) will have some variations of the elk logo to present
for review by the staff committee. Coordinating one city look and
communication standards between all city departments, including the
• Municipal Utilities, is a big project, but also a necessary one in order to
present a more professional image to our citizens, businesses, and clients.
13065 Orono Parkway • P.O. Box 490 • Elk River, MN 55330 • TDD & Phone (763) 441-7420 • Fax (763) 441-7425
• Section VIII of the Industrial Marketing Plan is listed as a "Strategic
Partnership Strategy." One of the action steps in this section calls for
developing guidelines for the redevelopment of both the Highway 10 and
Central Business District areas. Another action step under this section calls
for the city to improve the attractiveness of the east Highway 10 and Central
Business District areas. Work on these action steps is taking place with the
current discussion about a sidewalk replacement program in conjunction with
the King and Main redevelopment project and the Municipal Utility electric
line relocation project. Additionally, the HRA is looking at having staff
complete a downtown master plan in-house while working with such partners
as the Chamber of Commerce, Rivers Edge, and impacted property owners.
When it comes to the Central Business District, the City Council, EDA, and
HRA all become government partners in dealing with impacted property
owners and businesses.
•
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