By Logan Wells, News Director | Logan@kymnradio.net
The City of Northfield has launched a new program to hear from business owners and leaders and see how the city can better serve them. The program is a partnership between the city and the University of Minnesota Extension. City staff and volunteers interview business leaders to learn about general community concerns, challenges, opportunities, business operations, and the local economic outlook. Staff member with the Community Development Department Emery John explained what the interview process looks like:
“This is usually two interviewers come and interview a business owner instead of just one so there’s a lot of information being taken in written down and that becomes codified in a part of this project that feels kind of more real than just a survey would right you’re not just filling out numbers you’re really having a conversation.” – Emery John with the Northfield Community Development Department on the KYMN Morning Show
The U of M Extension handles the data and creates the final report for the city. Specific data about individual businesses will be kept private; only averages will be revealed in the report. However, Emery noted that the business can agree to have staff begin working on some immediate problems:
“So whether that be us being able to target like a pothole that sort of fix that level of involvement right. A business owner can consent to that information being shared internally if it’s a Solutions driven kind of conversation.” – Emery John with the Northfield Community Development Department on the KYMN Morning Show
Interviews have been ongoing through November and well into the new year. Interviews take less than an hour and businesses are asked to review the questions beforehand. Any business that is interested in participating in an interview can visit Northfieldmn.gov/cbc and complete the form on that page.
