SWOT Analysis Summary City of Hayward

Transcription

1 November 18, 2009 On November 18, 2009, residents, business owners, and landowners participated in a community workshop to identify the Strengths and Weaknesses of the City, as well as the Opportunities and Threats that face the City. The meeting was held at the Hayward Veteran s Community Center. Often referred to as a SWOT meeting, the objective of this community workshop was to identify the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of the City. After being randomly placed into groups, participants went through the same process for each of the categories: 1) Silent Idea Generation, 2) Sharing and Listing Ideas, and 3) Voting on the ideas. A master list was then created from the items receiving table votes, and participants were asked to vote a final time to prioritize the issues. David Carlson, SEH, welcomes the participants, describes the planning process, and explains the agenda for the evening. Participants were randomly divided into small groups. Each participant then used silent idea generation to develop their ideas. Table leaders then recorded participant s thoughts. Once all ideas were recorded, the tables voted to prioritize the list. A master list of all items receiving table votes was created, and participants were asked to vote a final time to prioritize the master list.

2 Top Vote Getters in Each Category

3 Summary The City held a productive meeting on November 18th, The purpose of the SWOT meeting is to identify the common themes/issues that can be used as starting points for discussions on goals and objectives for the City. While individual votes and issues are important, the ultimate objective is to paint the big picture for the City to use as the basis for completing their Comprehensive Plan. When evaluating the SWOT analysis, the results can be summarized into three groups 1) Quality of Life, 2) Government and Infrastructure and 3) Tourism and Business Development. Some ideas fall into more than one of these categories, and may be mentioned in the more than one category discussion. A Good Quality of Life Is Here And Should Be Preserved Quality of life has many definitions but in Hayward it seems to be divided into four major areas community events, natural resources, recreation and economics. These issues came out in all four of the SWOT categories. In the strengths of the City that were identified, quality of life, world class events and festivals, school district/systems, public involvement and outdoor water, words, trees, animals, sports were top vote getters totaling 58 percent of the strength votes that were cast. When you add in issues such as sense of community, network of volunteers, the downtown area, natural resources, people, recreation/sports facilities, the City being well-maintained, the hospital, health care system, local medical access, and the City s geographic location, you easily break the 90 percent mark. Clearly, residents are here because they enjoy the way of life in Hayward. Top weaknesses in the quality of life category include limited job opportunities, lack of high paying jobs, lack of industry, no ATV access. Other issues which received votes included lack of median housing, high volume traffic, shopping variety, eye sores around town, building compliance/handicap access, low use of local assets, high poverty, no post secondary education and the lack of an event center/park push the quality of life grouping over the 50 percent range for weaknesses voting. Key opportunities that relate to quality of life include assisted living/retirement, ATV access from existing trails, bicycle and pedestrian paths sidewalks, etc., wildlife management/stocking fish/birds/deer/bear/musky, community-wide wellness, Welcome to Hayward signs, wi-fi City-wide, ATV/silent sports, supporting historic events, walking trails, and the promotion of quiet sports. Threats that impact quality of life include the housing industry/market, juvenile crime, Minnesota musky/deer/ducks, lack of good paying jobs, the wolf population, climate change, nationwide unemployment, lack of community involvement, milfoil (invasive species), loss of special events, and population supply/decline. Government and Infrastructure Is Important and Should Be Maintained Government and Infrastructure was the second major issue that arose through the SWOT meeting and there were significant positive and negative vote getters in this category. Key strengths that relate to government and infrastructure include the school district/system, the City having little or no debt, and government facilities (locations). These totaled 19 percent of the voting for strengths.

4 Weaknesses identified include city streets/curb, gutter, sidewalks, the economic strain on public agencies, and water and sewer. These issues received 24 percent of the weaknesses votes. When adding taxes being too high, ordinance enforcement, Main Street being one way and creating traffic flow problems, public transportation, lack of communication with other communities, and residential streets falling apart, you reach over 35 percent. There were many opportunities identified that relate to growth and development, including working with other townships to cut expenses on duplicated services, cooperating growth with towns, tax reform, transportation 63, and having airport infrastructure. Key threats include the Town of Hayward planning, Sawyer County zoning regulations, school funding practices, budget cuts by governmental services, more federal/state government, and waste fees. A Unique Business Climate Challenges To Overcome The third big picture idea that came out of the SWOT meeting is that Hayward has a unique business climate, in particular because of the local tourist industry. While the local business base is recognized as a good start, business growth and development is desired. The strengths that were identified and fall into this area are the local hospital, health care system, having local medical access, the downtown area, Main Street, chamber promotions, and available land. Many of the top weaknesses dealt with the existing business base and the need for more jobs. Limited job opportunities, lack of high paying jobs, and lack of industry business jobs, make up 31 percent of weaknesses votes. When seasonal revenue, comp plan to draw industry, limited growth potential, shopping variety, seasonal work/play business volume, support of local businesses shop local, and no post secondary education are included, this concept totals nearly 47 percent of weaknesses votes. Many of the opportunities vote getters land in the business or tourism categories. The top opportunity identified is recruit new businesses. Other ideas receiving opportunity votes include growth in business and population, ATV trade traffic, tourism off-seasons deer/ducks/fish/flowers/leaves, etc., a good place to start for small businesses, harnessing retired expertise, more tourism tax dollars, small brainstorming groups, and tapping the Twin Cities market. The top four threat vote recipients all relate to business and tourism. They are lack of industry higher wages/insurance, the housing industry/market, large box stores/competition, and loss of businesses totaling over 46 percent of threat voting. Other vote recipients in the threats category include technology communications, brain drain, lack of good paying jobs, climate change, single-source economy, nationwide unemployment, population supply/decline and tourism. The complete vote tally from the SWOT meeting is presented on the following pages.

5 Complete Vote Tally Strengths Quality of Life 14 World Class Events/Festivals 13 School District/Systems 11 Public Involvement 9 Hospital 5 Outdoor Water, Woods, Trees, Animals, Sports 5 Little or No Debt (City Government) 4 Sense of Community 4 Network of Volunteers 3 Downtown Area 3 Health Care System 3 Small Town Atmosphere Main Street 3 Natural Resources 2 Government Facilities 2 People 1 Main Street 1 Chamber Promotions 1 Recreation/Sports Facilities 1 Well Maintained 1 Available Land 1 Geographic Location 4 Hour Circle 1 Local Medical Access 1 Unique Comprehensive Retail Forestry Industry Law Enforcement Tourism Year Round Name Recognition Financial Strength Streets - Utilities Weaknesses Limited Job Opportunities 14 City Streets/Curb, Gutter, Sidewalks 11 Lack of High Paying Jobs 8 Economic Strain on Public Agencies 6 Lack of Industry Business Jobs 5 Water and Sewer 4 No ATV Access 4 Seasonal Revenue 4 Lack of Median Housing 3 Taxes Too High 3 Comp Plan to Draw Industry 3 Ordinance Enforcement 3 Limited Growth Potential 2 High Volume Traffic 2 Shopping Variety 2 Eye Sores Around Town 2 Building Compliance/Handicap Access 1 Low Use of Local Assets 1 High Poverty 1 Main Street One-Way Flow 1 Seasonal Work/Play Business Volume 1 Support of Local Businesses Shop Local 1 Public Transportation 1 No Post Secondary Education 1 Lack of Communication with Other Communities 1 Residential Streets Falling Apart 1 Lack of Event Center/Park 1 Tourism $$$ Volunteer EMT Affordable Housing For All Incomes Curb-Gutter-Sidewalks/Storm Sewer Uniformed Appearance Old Water Mains

6 Opportunities Recruit New Businesses 13 Assisted Living/Retirement 11 Work With Other Townships to Cut Expenses on Duplicated Services 9 Growth in Business and Population 7 ATV Access From Existing Trails 6 Bike and Pedestrian Paths Sidewalks, Etc. 5 ATV Trade Traffic 4 Wildlife Management/Stocking Fish/Bird/Deer/Bear/Musky 4 Community-Wide Wellness 4 Cooperate Growth With Town 3 Welcome To Hayward Signs 3 Tax Reform 3 Tourism Off-Seasons Deer/Ducks/Fish/Flowers/Leaves, Etc. 2 Wi-Fi City-Wide 2 Good Place to Start for Small Businesses 1 ATV/Silent Sports 1 Harness Retired Expertise 1 More Tourism Tax Dollars 1 Supporting Historic Events 1 Walking Trails 1 Transportation 63 1 Promotion of Quiet Sports 1 Small Brainstorming Groups 1 Tap Twin Cities Market 1 Airport Infrastructure 1 Land Annex Local Discounts Technology Upgrades National Forest Threats Lack of Industry Higher Wages/Insurance 19 Housing Industry/Market 9 Large Box Stores/Competition 7 Loss of Business 6 Town of Hayward Planning 5 Juvenile Crime 4 County Zoning Regulations 4 Technology Communications 4 Minnesota Musky/Deer/Ducks 3 Brain Drain 3 Lack of Good Paying Jobs 3 Wolf Population 3 Climate Change 3 Single Source Economy 3 School Funding Practices 2 Budget Cuts by Government Services 2 Nationwide Unemployment 1 Lack of Community Involvement 1 Milfoil (Invasive Species) 1 Loss of Special Events 1 More Federal/State Government 1 Population Supply/Decline 1 Tourism 1 Waste Fees 1 Rush to Cut Timber Generate $ - County Car Industry Small Town Politics Feast/Famine Resorts Decline Environmental Changes Snow/Low Water Unbalanced Economy The Wrong Politicians