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• NEEDS ASSESSMENT REPORT <br /> FOR THE CITY OF ELK RIVER, MINNESOTA <br /> By Lee Colby, Lee Colby and Associates <br /> and Sandy Bower, Training Networks <br /> OVERVIEW <br /> As the City of Elk River becomes an outer ring suburb of the Twin Cities metropolitan <br /> area, it faces the normal challenges of any rapidly growing organization --initiating, <br /> implementing and adjusting to changes. For cities this often means responding to increasing <br /> demands for service without raising taxes. <br /> Elk River intends to encourage economic growth while maintaining its attractive "small <br /> town" quality, and the municipal services are the primary transmitter of that message. <br /> Responding to recent informal feedback from individual developers and the Elk River <br /> Chamber of Commerce, the City has undertaken an examination of the internal processes <br /> that impact the economic development of the city. <br /> This needs assessment is a first step in gaining a broad perspective on the processes that <br /> deliver economic development services, such as the applications, Concept Review, <br /> inspections, permitting, regulations, hearings and various communication processes. <br /> NEEDS ASSESSMENT PARTICIPANTS <br /> The needs assessment involved four groups of people: <br /> 1. Individual interviews with six City department managers and the City <br /> Administrator <br /> 2. Two focus groups with City support staff and two representatives from the <br /> municipal utility. <br /> 3. Four business developers and contractors from the Chamber of Commerce <br /> 4. Five business people who have worked with the City in the past five years in <br />