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<br />Mayor Gamec stated that the City Council has discussed hiring a communication and marketing <br />person in the past and while they felt it was needed, it came down to the financial aspect of <br />hiring someone. <br /> <br />Councilmember Dehen asked if Anoka had presentations from the consultants before they made <br />a decision. <br /> <br />City Administrator Ulrich stated that the consultants did give presentations and noted that <br />typically there is a Request for Proposal phase first and then companies can come and make <br />presentations about what they can do and how much it would cost. <br /> <br />Councilmember Look stated that he is not opposed to the concept of branding, but is concerned <br />because he has talked to business owners who are considering leaving the City because of taxes. <br />He stated that he would not want to attract people to the area with our marketing and then when <br />they look closer they would hit their brakes because of our taxes. He stated that he doesn't want <br />the City to waste money creating an image of the City and when businesses take a look they find <br />out it isn't feasible for them to locate here. <br /> <br />City Administrator Ulrich stated that part of the marketing and branding efforts would be to <br />show a tangible product and benefit for moving to the City. He stated that part of the process <br />could be looking at how the taxes here compare to other cities as well as what this City has to <br />offer that could offset things such as taxes, so it would still be worth it for people to move here. <br /> <br />Councilmember Strommen stated that she feels it should look beyond taxes and include the cost <br />and benefit of doing business in the City. She stated that there was information brought to the <br />EDA a few months ago that showed a comparison of what it cost to run a business in Maple <br />Grove versus here. She stated that she would like the focus to be broader based with a sub-focus <br />on the R TC and noted that with the revised comprehensive plan coming up, the timing for this <br />type of project is good. <br /> <br />City Administrator Ulrich stated that that there is an Open Space Technology meeting on <br />December 5th that is set to address marketing and vision, so he can tie in with that discussion <br />also. He stated that part of this process would be to show why the City has been successful in <br />attracting small businesses and residents to the area. He stated that part of this process can be to <br />identify unique things about the City that cause people to move here, such as the Anoka <br />Technical College. <br /> <br />Mayor Gamec stated that it would be nice to have an updated brochure that tells about the City <br />that can be left with businesses or at chamber events. He stated that the current brochure focuses <br />on the RTC project. <br /> <br />Councilmember Strommen stated that she agrees that the message and the materials are <br />important. She noted that the company Anoka has hired will deliver a CD of photos and <br />templates for a stylebook, which she feels are very valuable tools to have so the City can have a <br />consistent look for everything. <br /> <br />City Council Work Session / November 27,2007 <br />Page 2 of7 <br />