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1. Developers would welcome user-friendly materials, with no jargon, clear <br /> • explanations, and consistency between documents. <br /> g. Developers find it difficult to work effectively with the Planning and City <br /> Councils because Commission and Council members appear to act on their <br /> personal biases rather than from a consistent plan or philosophy for the City. <br /> 2. CITY DEPARTMENT MANAGERS AND ADMINISTRATORS <br /> Interviews indicated that the Concept Review process is sound and only needs only a little <br /> fine tuning. Participants seem to appreciate the opportunity to critique the plans together <br /> and gain insight into the inter-relatedness of various city functions. They like the <br /> opportunity to analyze the plans honestly without having to debate with the developers. <br /> There does not seem to be total buy-in on the Concept Review process, however, as <br /> evidenced by insufficientpreparation for the meetings,a basic philosophical difference about <br /> the City's role vis-a-vis the developer, and last minute "surprises" that should have been <br /> identified in the Review meeting. <br /> • 1. Specific concerns <br /> a. The people involved in the Concept Review process (Chief Building Official, <br /> City Engineer, City Planner, Economic Development Coordinator, Building <br /> and Zoning Administrator,Fire Chief)are generally satisfied with the Review <br /> and Permitting process. They like the opportunity to analyze proposed plans <br /> together in private, without having to defend their opinions to the developer. <br /> They spot problems early in the building process which helps the developer. <br /> b. They perceive two quite different schools of thought represented at the <br /> Concept Review meeting: one approach seeks to provide a fair and <br /> predictable process to every customer; the other approach seeks to provide <br /> personalized service to make development and business expansion in Elk <br /> River easy and attractive. This difference of values may make the Concept <br /> Review discussions strained. <br /> c. Some people mentioned that there can be political ramifications to the Review <br /> process, intimating that people with political influence might be treated <br /> differently from "ordinary people". <br /> • page 4 <br />