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<br />Findinqs <br /> <br />10 <br /> <br />5. Transportation improvements and major de'\'elopment projects top <br />the list of major economic development goals which Anoka Count)' <br />communities hope will make headlines in the next 10 years. <br />The Local Government Inventory Questionnaire asked communities to indicate <br />the economic development success stories that will make local, county or <br />regional headlines in 2017. While specific community goals varied, the focus <br />of-the responding communities included: <br />a. Major transportation projects <br />b. Major development projects, including transit-oriented development <br />(TOD) near transit stations <br />c. Infrastructure in developing areas of the County <br />d. Redevelopment in fully developed areas of the County <br />e. Fiber optics and other communications infrastructure <br />f. Housing redevelopment and rehabilitatioI}i':F'\ <br />g. Job creation' <br />,. <br /> <br />.... ._.. <br />Communities reported that they expecte .. focus'bn,;"",transportation and <br />redevelopment projects over the next 1 s. They alS"" xpect to devote <br />significant time to property acquisition;", oti~.commerci d industrial <br />development opportunities, marketing, and'IDfrastrticture development. <br /> <br />6. Staffing and funding arfi':l",:'g~~ freq'~Fntly cited challenges to <br />economic develoPItl~~t encoii~tere,g::l'.y,:~okilCounty communities. <br />Anoka County comm~.es':~.pnsider~~itbf avaTI:a'bility of staff and funding to <br />be the most signifipanf'challeng,e affec~g their capacity to undertake economic <br />development activiti~s., acco,:; .0 to que~ionnaire respondents. Communities <br />cited staffi~s;,,:~:,;a, cli', :::>'i~e\~xtensive knowledge and breadth of <br />expertise,T~uire(r':'~~, app~~ economic development tools and resources. <br />Questio . ,. e respona~f5 md;flited that County-wide, a total of 8.6 full-time <br />equivalenfsUiff are dedic~ed to economic development and housing activities; <br />indicating that~taffing i~E~ issue involving the number of staff and their skill <br />levels. "',.,', <br /> <br />Communities were asked to identify the types of economic development tools <br />they have used as well as tools they would consrde!-using or would not use. <br />Their responses are shown on the following page. <br /> <br />Report of the Anoka County Economic Development Exploratory Committee. <br /> <br />25 <br />