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,-ARZEN HILLS <br />MEMORANDUM <br />DATE: July 31, 2024 <br />EDC AGENDA ITEM — 3A <br />TO: Economic Development Commission Chair and Commissioners <br />FROM: Elena Fransen, Senior Planner <br />SUBJECT: In -Person Business Visits Strategy <br />Requested Action <br />The Economic Development Commission should revisit the In -Person Business Visits strategy and <br />updates from the June meeting. Commissioners should be familiar with the updated visit questions <br />and be prepared to review and discuss a drafted handout, a drafted procedure document, and <br />drafted timeline for the visits. <br />Staff will provide the updated questions and drafted handout as well as an update on how the Arden <br />Hills businesses could be divided among the commissioners. The in -person business visit <br />subcommittee will have drafts for the procedure document and drafted timeline. Commissioners <br />should discuss and comment on the drafted information and find consensus on next steps for the <br />strategy. <br />Background <br />At the May 22, 2024 meeting, the EDC reviewed and discussed the top three strategies identified <br />by commissioners and elected to focus on in -person business visits. A subcommittee was <br />established and is comprised of Commissioners Gronquist, Brausen, and Bonine. The first task of <br />the subcommittee was drafting questions for the in -person business visits. <br />At the June 26, 2024 meeting, the commission reviewed the drafted questions and approved a <br />motion to move forward with the questions after a few revisions were made. Staff has the revised <br />questions and shared them with the EDC in advance of this meeting. <br />Also discussed at the June meeting was working with the City's Senior Communications <br />Coordinator to determine what online tools could be used to facilitate the entry of the visit <br />questions and leverage a QR code and develop a handout that could be left behind for a business <br />representative to review and complete the visit questions at a later time. Staff also mentioned that <br />they could start looking into divvying up the businesses in Arden Hills into groupings. Staff will <br />share an update on the discussion with the Senior Communications Coordinator and share a <br />drafted handout for the commission to consider. There will also be an update on staff s proposed <br />Page 1 of 2 <br />