95-933� �
�f�11�!�°1A�
RESOLUTION
BUSINESS SURVEY FOLLOW-UP REPORT
Council File # �I-s93 3
Green Sheet # 70� /.��
2 WHEREAS, the Saint Paul Department of Plannnig and Economic Development (PED), in cooperation with
3 other City departments and the advice of the City Council through its Community and Economic Development
4 Committee (CED), performed the first annual Business Survey; and
10
11
12
13
WHEREAS, the Mayor and PED on December 15, 1994, released a written report titled "Results of the 1994
Saint Paul Business Survey;" and
WHEREAS, PED staff on December 28, 1944, made a presentation to the City Council Community and
Economic Development Committee at which the cominittee requested a report updating them on progress with
the implementation of ideas genexated by the survey; and
WHEREAS, the Business Survey is a component of an unproved approach to economic development being used
by the Ciry of Saint Paul; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, the Saint Paul City Council accepts the PED update on implementarion of ideas generated by the
1994 Business Survey.
Re�uested by Department of:
Planning & Economic Development (PED)
�
. � �� " ' �, '�� s
• ��
I `�� � -� � �
� rt , � �.. i.r -
_ '-�
A roved b Ma or r u mission to uncii
Bv: 'Z�t, � u�
Referred To Committee Date
Development
�7
TOTAL # OF S16NATURE PAGES
`I GREEN SHF.�,�T
�DEPARTMENiOIRELTOR ut
�CT'ATfORNEY /C'
fOfl � BUDGET DIREGTOF
� '�MAYOR(ORASSISTAP!'f)
(CUP ALL LOCATIONS FOR SIGNA7URE}
�� 9,�31
N_ 32959
�[ ClN CAUNGiI (�y �r i Y
OGITYCLERK ___
� FIN & MGT. SERVICES OIR.
❑ _
Approval af resolution accepting "follow-up to'Results af the 1994 Saint Panl Bnsiness Snrvey'" For Discussion.
_ CNtL SERVECE CqMMISSION
� CIB COMMITfEE _ .
_ STAFF _ .
_ DISTRICTCOURT _.
IPPORTS WHICH GOUNqL O&IECTNE>
c��b ��wn �
rn¢)C7PN'nYYIP/fl'f' �CTtCII
Where,
PERSONAL SEHVICE CON7RACTS MUST ANSWER TNE FOLLOWING �UESTIONS:
L Has this perSOnNirm ever worked under a contrect for this tlepartment?
YES NO
2. Has this personRirm ever been a ciry employee?
YES NO
3. Ooes this person/firm possess a skill not normally possessed by any curteM cfry employae?
YES NO
Explafn sll yes answers on seperate sheet nntl attech to green sheet
Tfse City Council Community and Economic Development Committee requested that PED staff prepare a report to the City
Council diswssiug progress with the implementation of ideas generated 6y the 1994 Saint Pau1�B�u�s'w��es�s�Survey.
� :.
r � ' �, '
JUL 2 8 1995
�����V��
JUL 19 7995
���� ��������
'�TAI AMOUNT OF TRANSAGTION $
COSTlREYENUE BUUGETEU (CIRCLE QNE)
YES NO
UNDiNG SOURCE ACTIVITY NUMBER
NANCIAL INFOHMATION: (EXPLAIN)
gs-q33
FOLLOWI3P TO
"RESULTS OF THE 1994 SAINT PAUL BUSINE5S SURVEY"
Prepared by:
Mark Vander Schaaf
Saint Paul Depa.rtment of Planning and Economic Development
7uly 14, 1995
Background
The 1994 Saint Paul Business Survey grew out of an initiative by Mayor Coleman to
improve customer service on the part of City agencies. With input and support from the
C7ty Council, this survey was prepared by an interdepartmental team of City staff and
managed by the Department of Planning and Economic Development (PED). PED
performed the survey in October of 1994 and released a report on the findings of the
survey, Results of the 1994 Saint Paul Business Survey, on December 15, 1994.
On February 1, 1995, the Saint Panl C�ty Council passed a resolution accepting the
Results of the I994 Saint Paul Business Survey report. The resolution included reference
to a request by the Community and Economic Development Committee that staff
prepare a report to the City Council discussing progress with the implementation of ideas
generated by the 1994 survey.
The foilowing report summarizes ma}or activities undertaken by City departments and
offices to implement ideas generated by the 1994 survey, in accordance with the
Community and Economic Development Committee request. It also summarizes the
process planned to repeat the survey at the end of 1995.
Major Tssues
Respondents to the 1994 Saint Paul Business Survey identified three major issues
requiring City action to address:
1. 7'imeliness of Service. Businesses were asked to rate their e�erience with the City
relative to four different aspects of service: courtesy of staff, responsiveness of
staff, helpfulness of staff, and timeliness of assistance. The aspect receiving the
lowest rating was timeliness of assistance.
2. Access to Information. In a variety of ways, businesses highlighted tlae need for
them to gain access to information from the C�ty. When asked about eight
potential changes in City delivery of services affecting businesses, respondents
elcpressed the greatest interest in the regular publication of a summary of changes
in City programs and regulation affecting businesses. Also, out of 14 types of
interactions with the City in I994, the use of libraries for business purposes rated
fourth in terms of percentage of respondents ha�ing at least one intereaction
during the previous year -- behind oniy cail for police services, business
inspections, and applications for a permit.
3. Opporlunities forAdditional Feedback An eamemely 3ugh 71 percent of alI
respondents indicated that the City should do surveys more often as a way of
maldng sure that City services meet the needs of Saint Paul businesses.
limeliness of Service: City Actions to Address the Issue
♦ Citizen Service Office
> The Citizen Service Offfce designed and manages a process wherein other
offices and departments now respond to complaints within five days.
> As a result, the average response time has declined from eleven days to
four days since December of 1994.
♦ Fire Department
> For many years, the Fire Department has made it a priority to respond
quickly to wmplaints and inquiries; it regazds its long-term performance of
a 3-4 day response time to be a"best practice" for the City.
> The Fire Department considers that the Z994 Saint Paul Business Survey
has con�irmed its approach to dealing with customers, not indicated new
directions for it to pursue.
♦ Office of License, Inspections, and Environmental Protection (LIEP)
> LIEP redesigned its processes in 1994 and implemented changes in 7anuary
1995.
> New processes invoive a 48 hour maximum response time, a single point of
contact and information for customers, &ee parking to facilitate customer
access, and a newly redesigned service counter.
♦ Depariment of Planning and Economic Development
> In January of 1995, PED initiated its new Business Resource Center,
designed to provi@e businesses with a single point of entry into Saint Paul's
9s=y�
economic development system, and act as a referral point to e�sting
economic development resources.
> The Business Resource Center consolidates economic development
resources and also streamlines responses to business needs: it is committed
to responding to each business inquiry before the end of the following
working day.
> PED's Zoning Section will be complying with a new State law, passed in
the 1995 legislature, which requires approval or denial of any application
related to zoning within 60 days, and also requires notification of applicants
within 10 days in writing if the application is incomplete; an agency may ,,
extend the 60-day timeline by providing a written notice of the extension
which states the reason for the extension and its anticipated length.
♦ Police Depanment
> A reconfigured service delivery system focuses on sixteen Neighborhood
Service Areas (NSAs), with of5cers assigned to each NSA to facilitate
community interaction and familiarity with police officers.
> The presence of officers in downtown and neigbhorhoods has been made
more effective through walking beats in the Payne, Selby, and Grand
Avenue commercial areas; through a bike patrol that extends nightime
security into alleys behind commercial structures; through an increased
downtown foot patrol; through two new substations and four new storefront
of�ices, with severai more storefronts in the planning and discussion
process; and through new tactical procedures and equipment for interacting
with vagrants and panhandlers.
> Phone response time has improved as a result of the creation as�d
marketing of a high profile telephone number for downtown police calls
(229-1994).
> A"teleserd' system has geen created to allow operators ta take police
reports over the phone, in the cases of minor crimes (usually properry
crimes).
♦ Department of PubZic Health
> Realigned staff to respond to complaints within three days.
> Pre-authorized work orders have been developed to facilitate faster
elimination of exterior nuisances, in response to complaints and other
methods of detection.
♦ Public Works Department
> Service to sewer permit applicants is being streamlined: now customers
need only fo deal with the Sewer Division, rather than walking from Sewers
to Finance to Treasury and back to Sewers,
> The coordination of all activities in public rights-of-way is being improved;
this will results in fewer dig-ups and faster projects with minimal impacts.
> Information about road repair is being updated weekly on a special phone
line (266-ROAD)
♦ Water Utility
> Staff hours aze being extended without adding to overall staff workload;
this wi11 be made possibie due to the use of an automated Voice Response
Unit to provi@e basic information (see p. 5 below).
Access to Information: City Actions to Address the Issue
♦ Citizen Service Office
> The Citizen Service Off'ice will be cooperating with LIEP to create a
regulaz publication o£ information about ttie Ciry for businesses.
♦ Finance Department
> The Purchasing Division is implementing "Quest," a new eiectronic
information service based on fax-on-demand technology; they plan to
develop applications aimed at business, in cooperation with I IEP and
PED's Business Resource Center.
♦ Libraries
> The Library staff are creating a'Breakfast at the Library" program to
provide an introduction/oveiview af the services provided by the Saint Paui
Public Library and Yhe James J. Hill Reference Library; a pilot of this
program is scheduled to be tested with PED staff in July, 1995.
> The Public Library is developing a fIier along with the Hill Reference
Iabrary outlzning the services that are provided by each library for the
gs 9.��
small business community; once it has been finalized, it will be supplied to
PED's Business Resource Center, and to appropriate community
organizations that work with small businesses; plans are to print it in
several languages.
> The Library is seeking a grant that would enable staff to assess the library
infortnation needs of the small business community in the vicinity of the
Le�ngton Branch Library, and to determine how those needs could best be
met by the Le�ngton Library, the Central Library, and the Hill Reference
Library.
> The draft of the Library Element of the City's Comprehensive Plan
contains a section identifying the areas the Library should address if it is to
be more supportive of the small business community.
♦ Office of License, Inspections, and Environrnental Protection (LfEP)
> As noted above, LIEP will be cooperating with the Office of C�tizen
Service to create a regular publication of information about the City for
businesses.
♦ Pubtic Works Department
> Public Works manages two Internet servers, providing information about ta
Saint Paul via an average of 150 connections daily.
> Public Works is providing improved information on construction projects
through various publications and in-person contacts: notably downtown and
on Grand Avenue.
♦ Water Utiltty
> The Water Utility will pzovide basic billing information ?h hours daily via
phone zecordings regarding topics such as date payment received and
current biIl balance, along with general information such as what to do if
moving, various payment options, and how to find water leaks.
> The Water Utility is exploring the option of using the City's Intemet
connection to provide better information to customers (see Public Works
above).
Opportunities for Additional Feedback: City Actions to Address Issue
♦ Libraries
> The libraries hope to secure more survey-type information about tlie
information needs of the small business and minoriry business communities.
♦ Office of License, Inspections, and Environmental Protection (LIEP)
> LIEP is making comment cards available at front counter and after
inspections.
> Managers are requested to take a proactive approach to obtaining
customer feedback by serving customers at the front counter and answering
phones during the day to find out what questions customers frequenfly ask,
and what concerns they have.
> LIEP is staf�ng the new Business Review Council which will meet monthly;
they will form a standing committee to act as a liaison or advisory body to
PED's Business Resource Center.
♦ Department of Planning and Economic Development
> The Business Resource Center intends to survey its customers via postcard,
using a methodology devised by the Urban Institute; information will be
gathered regazding both the quality and the results of service provided.
♦ Police Department
> Three District Commanders meet regularly with neighborhood business
associations within their district to maintain communication and to provide
an exchange of ideas and solutions.
♦ Public Works Depcutment
> Public Works performed a survey of permit customers to find out how the
process for obtaining permits couid be improved; managers of the newly
created Right of Way Section will be asked to review the resuits of the
survey and attempt to resolve some of the issues raised.
9s-9�
The 1995 5aint Paul Business Survey
Now that the 1994 Business Survey has established a baseline of City performance data,
annual surveys are planned to build on the insights of the fust survey. The annnal
surveying program will track changes in business attitudes toward the Ciry, and will
identify areas where continued improvement in City service delivery is required.
Although the 1995 survey will be similar to the 1994 survey, some of the questions will
be modified to gather better data, and to address circumstances that have changed since
1994. Also, the surveying process likely will be modified in the following ways:
1. Citizen Service Office. The Citizen Service Of�ice is in the process of hiring a staff
member who would have considerable survey research expertise, and would
enable this office to serve as a central surveying resource for all City departments
and offices. In 1995, the Department of Planning and Economic Development
will continue to manage the process of formulating the questions for the business
survey, but the Of�ce of Citizen Service wiil be taking on the responsibilities of
analyzing and reporting on the survey results, and initiating City actions to
respond to the survey results.
2. InvoZvement of Private Surveying Firm. In 1994, a PED intem performed the tasks
of mailing surveys and processing responses, under close supervision by PED staff.
At the direction of Mayor Coleman, the G�ty is investigating the use of an outside
surveying firm to perform these tasks. The Purchasing Division is currentiy
preparing an RFP for surveying services that would enable the City to obtain an
appropriate vendor to perform routine surveying tasks in a high-quality, cost-
effective way.
3. Involvement of Business Review Council. This council, staffed by LIEP, provides
ongoing guidance to the City in its dealings with the business community. In its
August meeting, the Business Review Council will review the 1994 survey and
make suggestions zegarding questions for the 1995 survey.
7