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Page 1 of 2 <br /> <br />DATE: May 15, 2017 <br /> <br />TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers <br />William S. Joynes, Sr., City Administrator <br /> <br />FROM: Matthew Bachler, Senior Planner <br /> <br />SUBJECT: 2017 State of the City <br /> <br />Discussion <br /> <br />A State of the City event has been held in five of the previous six years. In 2014 and 2015, two <br />separate events were held: one at Flaherty’s Arden Bowl on a weekday morning to be convenient <br />for the business community, and the second at City Hall on a weekday evening to be more <br />convenient for residents. Feedback for State of the City events has been positive. The following <br />table provides attendance numbers for the event since 2013: <br /> <br /> Flaherty’s City Hall Total <br />2013 75 -- 75 <br />2014 70 60 130 <br />2015 40 35 75 <br />2016 67 -- 67 <br /> <br />The total cost of the 2016 event including advertising, food, and beverages was $2,144. The cost <br />of holding two events in 2014 and 2015 was only nominally more, averaging approximately <br />$2,200. Funds are budgeted for a 2017 State of the City in the EDA budget. <br /> <br />The Economic Development Commission (EDC) discussed the State of the City event at their <br />meeting on April 5, 2017. The EDC recommended that the State of the City be held again in <br />2017 and they supported holding separate morning and evening events. <br /> <br />For the morning event, the EDC suggested focusing on topics relevant to businesses, such as <br />transportation improvements and current development projects. The EDC also recommended <br />reaching out to local businesses to see if a representative would like to present. It was suggested <br />Land O’Lakes may be interested in providing an update on their current expansion project. <br />Similar to past years, time will also be set aside for networking following the presentation. <br /> <br /> <br />AGENDA ITEM – 1D <br /> MEMORANDUM <br />