HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025/10/14 - ADMIN - Agenda Packets - Community Technology Advisory Commission - Regular Community technology advisory commission meeting
October 14, 2025
6 p.m.
If you need special accommodations or have questions about the meeting, contact Jacque Smith at
jsmith@stlouisparkmn.gov or 952.924.2632, or the administrative services department at 952.924.2505.
Community technology advisory commission
The St. Louis Park Community Technology Advisory Commission is meeting in person in the
Westwood Room on the third floor of St. Louis Park City Hall, 5005 Minnetonka Blvd. Members
of the public may attend the meeting in person.
Agenda
1. Call to order – roll call
2. Approval of minutes
• Aug. 27, 2025
3. Introduction of members
• New member: Reid Anderson
4. Discussion
• City website redesign update
• Overview of existing external technology tools
• Council advisory form discussion
5. Next scheduled meetings:
• Wednesdays, Nov. 19 and Dec. 17
6. Communications and announcements
7. Adjournment
Community technology advisory commission meeting
August 27, 2025
6 p.m.
Community technology advisory commission
Minutes
Members present: Rudyard Dyer, Rolf Peterson, Konnor Slaats, Kayla Stautz, Benjamin
Straus
Members absent: Nat Johnson, Shane Leverenz
Staff liaison: Jacque Smith, communications and technology director
1. Call to order – roll call
Meeting was called to order at 6:04 p.m.
2. Approval of minutes – July 23, 2025
Peterson moved, Dyer seconded approval. Motion approved 4-O by Slaats, Dyer,
Peterson Stautz. Straus arrived following approval of minutes.
3. Work session
Members shared their ideas for education and engagement, identified as areas of focus
for the commission at the last meeting, to provide advisory communication to the city
council. Slaats provided some background on the April 2025 meeting of the commission
with city council and the direction that was given by council at that meeting, for those
who are new to the commission.
Members further discussed the need for concrete, actionable ideas to spark council
interest and to foster dialogue with council on technology policy and engagement.
Straus suggested providing three specific topics to council for further discussion,
focusing on engagement and education around technology.
Members brainstormed ideas for projects and tried to gain clarity on how to advise
council on policy. Ultimately, they agreed to set that discussion aside and settle on some
ideas and projects of interest, then share those ideas with council for feedback and
direction.
Slaats will finalize the draft advisory form with those ideas, which Smith will share with
commission members by email. At the next meeting the advisory form will be finalized
and voted on; if a majority of the members approve it will be submitted to council as a
report for a future city council study session.
4. Update on workplan items
Smith announced virtual user workshops Sept. 9 and 11 for the city website redesign
project, to be attended by city staff. A CTAC representative is also invited to attend as
providing feedback on the website redesign is part of the commission’s workplan. Slaats
will attend Sept. 9 and Stautz volunteered to attend Sept. 11.
5. Next meeting
Members discussed moving the Sept. 25 meeting date due to schedule conflicts. Smith
will send a survey to members by email to determine a potential rescheduled date.
6. Communications and announcements
The commission thanked Peterson for his years of service to CTAC as his term ends Aug.
31, 2025. A new member will be appointed by council and join CTAC at its next meeting.
7. Adjournment
Dyer moved, Slaats seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting, all voted in favor.
Meeting ended at 7:47 p.m.
These minutes were created with the assistance of a generative AI transcript service, then edited
and finalized by a human.
Board and Commission
Annual work plan
Presented to council: February 18, 2025
Approved by council:
1
2025 work plan │ Communications and Technology Commission
1
Initiative name: Support citywide Vision 4.0 process
Initiative type:
☒ Staff support (review project,
policy or program and provide
feedback)
☐ Independent research project
☐ Gather community feedback
☐ Lead community event
Initiative origin:
☐ Applicant-initiated
☒ Staff-initiated
☐ Commission-initiated
☐ Council-initiated
Legally required (e.g. response to
Legislative changes or Judicial decisions)?
☐ Yes
☒ No
Commissioner lead(s) name(s):
None, all will be involved.
If joint commission initiative, list other board or commission:
Is this an established work group?
☐ Yes
☒ No
Initiative description: Support the citywide Vision 4.0 process by participating directly and/or encouraging others to participate, and by
sharing information with other community members about the process.
Strategic Priority: ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☒ 5 ☐ N/A
Deliverable: ☐ Research report ☐ Summary of community input ☒ Other ☐ N/A
Target completion date: 3Q 2025
This section to be completed by staff:
Council request (if applicable): ☐ Review and comment or reply ☐ Review and decide ☒ Informational only – no response needed
Budget required: None
Staff support required: Communication from staff liaison about opportunities with Vision 4.0
Liaison comments: Plan to keep the commission informed about opportunities to assist with the citywide Vision 4.0 process.
• Commission members received information from the community engagement coordinator throughout the Vision 4.0 process,
including invites to participate in surveys and to host community meetings.
Board and Commission
Annual work plan
2
• Commission member Ben Straus hosted a community meeting at his apartment complex.
2
Initiative name: Participate in city website redesign review process
Initiative type:
☒ Staff support (review project,
policy or program and provide
feedback)
☐ Independent research project
☐ Gather community feedback
☐ Lead community event
Initiative origin:
☐ Applicant-initiated
☒ Staff-initiated
☐ Commission-initiated
☐ Council-initiated
Legally required (e.g. response to
Legislative changes or Judicial decisions)?
☐ Yes
☒ No
Commissioner lead(s) name(s):
None, all members or a small group will be involved.
If joint commission initiative, list other board or commission:
Is this an established work group?
☐ Yes
☒ No
Initiative description: While the exact process for the redesign has yet to be determined, we plan to draw on the expertise of the CTAC by
involving members, or a small group of members, in potential user group testing or other review of a draft redesign of the city website.
Strategic Priority: ☒ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☒ 5 ☐ N/A
Deliverable: ☐ Research report ☐ Summary of community input ☒ Other ☐ N/A
Target completion date: 3Q 2025
This section to be completed by staff:
Council request (if applicable): ☐ Review and comment or reply ☐ Review and decide ☒ Informational only – no response needed
Budget required: None
Staff support required: Staff liaison
Liaison comments: The primary goals of the redesign are to ensure compliance with upcoming ADA requirements, ensure mobile
accessibility and improve search function. CTAC will be asked to focus on these items in its review.
• CTAC members Konnor Slaats and Kayla Stautz each participated in one of two user experience workshops Sept. 9 and 11, both
two hours each. Both were provided with recordings of the workshop they didn’t attend, and provided comments on user
feedback, as well as suggested wireframe and design elements.
Board and Commission
Annual work plan
3
3
Initiative name: Stay informed about pending legislation affecting cable and technology
Initiative type:
☒ Staff support (review project,
policy or program and provide
feedback)
☐ Independent research project
☐ Gather community feedback
☐ Lead community event
Initiative origin:
☐ Applicant-initiated
☒ Staff-initiated
☐ Commission-initiated
☐ Council-initiated
Legally required (e.g. response to
Legislative changes or Judicial decisions)?
☐ Yes
☒ No
Commissioner lead(s) name(s):
None, all will be involved
If joint commission initiative, list other board or commission:
Is this an established work group?
☐ Yes
☒ No
Initiative description: CTAC is asked to stay informed about pending legislation that may affect the city’s cable franchise, or other
technologies vital to the community such as broadband.
Strategic Priority: ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☒ 5 ☐ N/A
Deliverable: ☐ Research report ☒ Summary of community input ☐ Other ☒ N/A
Target completion date: Ongoing
This section to be completed by staff:
Council request (if applicable): ☐ Review and comment or reply ☐ Review and decide ☒ Informational only – no response needed
Budget required: None
Staff support required: Information and updates from staff liaison
Liaison comments: Staff liaison will stay informed of pending legislation through contact with state and national advocacy organizations,
as well as through the city’s legislative staff and lobbyists. Information affecting cable and technology will be shared with CTAC members.
Board and Commission
Annual work plan
4
4
Initiative name:
Initiative type:
☐ Staff support (review project,
policy or program and provide
feedback)
☐ Independent research project
☐ Gather community feedback
☐ Lead community event
Initiative origin:
☐ Applicant-initiated
☐ Staff-initiated
☐ Commission-initiated
☐ Council-initiated
Legally required (e.g. response to
Legislative changes or Judicial decisions)?
☐ Yes
☐ No
Commissioner lead(s) name(s):
If joint commission initiative, list other board or commission:
Is this an established work group?
☐ Yes
☐ No
Initiative description:
Strategic Priority: ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 ☐ N/A
Deliverable: ☐ Research report ☒ Summary of community input ☐ Other ☒ N/A
Target completion date:
This section to be completed by staff:
Council request (if applicable): ☐ Review and comment or reply ☐ Review and decide ☒ Informational only – no response needed
Budget required:
Staff support required:
Liaison comments:
Board and Commission
Annual work plan
5
5
Initiative name:
Initiative type:
☐ Staff support (review project,
policy or program and provide
feedback)
☐ Independent research project
☐ Gather community feedback
☐ Lead community event
Initiative origin:
☐ Applicant-initiated
☐ Staff-initiated
☐ Commission-initiated
☐ Council-initiated
Legally required (e.g. response to
Legislative changes or Judicial decisions)?
☐ Yes
☐ No
Commissioner lead(s) name(s):
If joint commission initiative, list other board or commission:
Is this an established work group?
☐ Yes
☐ No
Initiative description:
Strategic Priority: ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☒ 5 ☐ N/A
Deliverable: ☐ Research report ☐ Summary of community input ☐ Other ☒ N/A
Target completion date:
This section to be completed by staff:
Council request (if applicable): ☐ Review and comment or reply ☐ Review and decide ☒ Informational only – no response needed
Budget required:
Staff support required:
Liaison comments:
Board and Commission
Annual work plan
6
Initiative Origin Definitions
• Applicant-initiated – Project initiated by 3rd party (statutory boards)
• Staff-initiated – Project initiated by staff liaison or other city staff
• Commission-initiated – Project initiated by the board or commission
• Council-initiated – Project tasked to a board or commission by the city council
Strategic Priorities
1. St. Louis Park is committed to being a leader in racial equity and inclusion in order to create a more just and inclusive community for all.
2. St. Louis Park is committed to continue to lead in environmental stewardship.
3. St. Louis Park is committed to providing a broad range of housing and neighborhood oriented development.
4. St. Louis Park is committed to providing a variety of options for people to make their way around the city comfortably, safely and
reliably.
5. St. Louis Park is committed to creating opportunities to build social capital through community engagement
Modifications
• Work plans may be modified, to add or delete items, in one of three ways:
• Work plans can be modified by mutual agreement during a joint work session.
• If immediate approval is important, the board or commission can work with their staff liaison to present a modified work plan for city
council approval at a council meeting.
• The city council can direct a change to the work plan at their discretion.
Board and Commission
Annual work plan
7
Future ideas
Initiatives that are being considered by the board or commission but not proposed in the annual work plan. Council approval is needed if the
board or commission decides they would like to amend a work plan.
Initiative Comments
Engagement: Overview of resident-facing city technology platforms
At its previous meeting CTAC members expressed interest in exploring ways to boost engagement
with the city’s technology tools for residents to stay informed. For background, this report includes
analytics for many of the city’s technology platforms available to help the public stay informed. Note:
This report doesn’t include specific technology tools that allow for business transactions with the city,
although some of the tools below such as the website include links to those transactional tools.
Social media
• On the city's main pages, roughly 130 pieces of content posted per quarter per page (city
Facebook and Instagram), which is 1-2 posts per day give or take.
• 52,832 followers across all city social media platforms (40,281 across five Facebook pages; 9,364
on Instagram; 2,349 on LinkedIn; 838 on TikTok)
• The city has three X accounts but they are maintained primarily for emergency/urgent
communications.
• To date in 2025, 1.3 million people have been reached through the city’s Facebook page and
860,000 people on Instagram (reach=how many times content reached unique users/accounts)
• 70,000 engagements (likes, shares, comments) across all five Facebook pages in the last quarter;
almost 10,000 engagements on Instagram.
• Audience demographics (age and gender)
o Instagram:
Facebook:
C ity website (www.stl ouisparkmn.gov)
See the following attachments with information gathered as part of the current web redesign
project:
•Analytics report
•Community survey report
Analytics Report - St. Louis Park MN.pdf
Community Survey Report - St. Louis Park MN.pdf
GovDelivery
Stay updated and informed about city news and what’s happening in St. Louis Park by signing up for
email and/or text alerts through GovDelivery. Nearly 100 topics are available, including construction
updates, community events, Aquatic Park, youth and adult programs and activities, and much more!
When signing up, users can select the St. Louis Park neighborhood in which they live in order to
receive neighborhood-specific updates. Visit www.stlouisparkmn.gov/sign-up to register.
Analytics for GovDelivery include:
•Perfor mance report
•Subscriber activity summary report
GovDelivery performance report.pdf
subscriber_activity_summary_report_20251006164642.pdf
ParkAlert
ParkAlert is the ci ty’s “reverse 911” system that allows notifications by landline telephone numbers.
The city also allows for opt in web registration where users can sign up with additional phone
numbers, as well as for text messaging and email notifications. This system is used primarily for
snow emergencies.
Mystlouispark a pp
•Service request management platform for citizens to submit requests for a variety items.
•City staff track and address requests
•Available as a mobile app through Apple Store and Google Play, also available for desktop
•16,354 users
•
YouTube and Pa rkTV
Provides ParkTV recordings of city meetings, events, concerts and programs, along with athletic
events of St. Louis Park High School and Benilde-St. Margaret’s .
•You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/@slpcable
o More than 8,000 followers
o 3,000 videos available
•ParkTV app for Apple and Google Play and www.parktv.org
o Launched in late 2024
Education
CTAC members were also interested in providing education for residents about technology. B elow
are some existing resources.
PCs for People donations
•For the past several years, the city has donated its used, non-public safety computer
equipment to PCs for People (https://www.pcsforpeople.org/) which then provides the
equipment to eligible customers for affordable prices.
•PCs for People also provides low-cost high-speed internet solutions. Through computers,
internet, digital skills training, and technical support, they work to ensure everyone has an
equal opportunity to reach their full potential through digital technology.
City resources
•City website provides information about available internet providers at
https://www.stlouisparkmn.gov/our-city/resident-resources
•As the franchise authority for Comcast, city staff help Comcast customers who are unable to
resolve their concerns with Comcast. Staff often try to help troubleshoot issues with those
customers where they can.
External organizations offering education
•Offering income- or benefits-qualified services:
o PCs for People: https://www.pcsforpeople.org/
o Minnesota Tech for Success: https://techforsuccess.org/
•Hennepin County Library: https://www.hclib.org/en/programs/computers-
technology#online-resources (including LinkedIn Learning access)
•St. Louis Park Community Education/Senior Program at Lenox Community Center
o See below clip from the 2025 Fall Catalog:
Web AnalyticsWeb A nalytics
What are Web Analytics?
It is the measurement, collection, analysis, and reporting of web data for purposes of understanding and
optimizing web usage. It can be used as a tool for market research in order to assess and improve the
effectiveness of a website and to detect trends over specific periods of time.
Why is i t important?
Web Analytics deliver data about your website. Through data mining, we can obtain visibility in the areas
that need to be further developed or improved. It empowers you to make data-driven decisions that
allow you to focus organizational efforts to better meet the needs of customers while saving time and
money in the process.
www.granicus.com 1
456,101
New Users
465,835
Active Users
Web An a lytics S tudy
Website
https://www.stlouisparkmn.gov/
St. Louis Park City, MN
Period Covered
Aug 4, 2024 - Aug 3, 2025
Total Users
467,789
Total Users
Total users is the sum of all users that have had at least one session during the this date range.
Total Users
The number of users who interacted with
your site for the first time
The number of distinct users who visited
your site
www.granicus.com 2
862,812
Sessions
2 minutes, 32 seconds
Avg. Length of Session
Web An a lytics S tudy (cont'd)
Sessions Average Session Duration
Sessions represent the number of individual
visits initiated by all users to your site. If a
user is inactive for 30 minutes or more, any
future activity is attributed to a new session.
Users that leave the site and return within 30
minutes are counted as part of the original
session.
Average Session Duration is calculated by the
total duration of all sessions (in seconds) divided
by the number of sessions.
Bounce Rate
Bounce Rate shows the percentage of
sessions during which customers leave the
site after visiting only one page, this can be
interpreted as customers not interacting with
the site. An normal bounce rate for content
websites is 60%
56.41%
Bounce rate observed during this period.
www.granicus.com 3
1,404,986
Unique Pageviews
1.63
Pages
Chrome 350,807
Safari 320,517
Edge 125,475
Firefox 13,117
Internet Explorer 696
Safari (in-app)20,441
Android Webview 3,821
Samsung Internet 3,903
Web An a lytics S tudy (cont'd)
Total Unique Pageviews Pages per Session
Unique Pageviews is the number of visits
during which the specified page was viewed
at least once. If a user navigates to a different
page and then returns to the original page,
only one pageview is recorded.
Pages per Session measures how many
pages a visitor loads within one visit to your
site. This metric is a good indicator of how
engaged visitors are with the site.
Sessions by Browser
Sessions Sessions
www.granicus.com 4
Tablet
0.95%
Of All Traffic
8,244
Sessions
Smartphone
52.26%
Of All Traffic
451,948
Sessions
Web An a lytics S tudy (cont'd)
Sessions per Device
Desktop
46.79%
Of All Traffic
404,649
Sessions
www.granicus.com 5
Sources of Traffic
Tracks visits from search
engines, direct links, social
media, etc...
69.11%
21.34%
5.18%
2.96%
1.17%
0.23%
Web An a lytics S tudy (cont'd)
Sources of Traffic
Organic Search
Direct
Referral
Email
Organic Social
Unassigned
QUICK TIP!
Direct traffic refers to visitors that
arrive directly to the site by either:
. Typing the URL into the browser ʼs
address bar
. Clicking on a bookmark
. Clicking on a link in an email
www.granicus.com 6
Sc reen Resoluti ons
Responsive Design Mobile Experience
Users visit your site on a wide variety of
device sizes. By utilizing responsive design,
we can assure a pleasurable experience no
matter what size device is used.
There's more to the mobile experience than
rearranging content. Google has implemented
a set of "mobile rules" to check for mobile-
friendliness across the web. These rules
include viewport configuration, font legibility,
tap target size, and content to viewport
considerations.
Screen Resolution Sessions Total Usage
1920x1080 112,084 16.80%
390x844 107,484 16.11%
393x852 79,777 11.95%
1366x768 70,176 10.52%
430x932 33,973 5.09%
1440x900 31,997 4.79%
375x812 28,609 4.29%
1536x864 28,218 4.23%
414x896 25,501 3.82%
428x926 23,491 3.52%
www.granicus.com 7
Web An a lytics S tudy (cont'd)
Popular Pages - Desktop
The number of app screens or web pages your users viewed. Repeated views of a single page or screen
are counted.
1. Home
2. Buttons
3. Permits
4. Aquatic Park
5. Westwood Hills Nature Center
6. The Rec Center
7. Utility Billing
8. Employment
9. Parks & Rec
10. Summer Concerts
11. Agendas & Minutes
12. Garbage & Recycling
13. Staff Directory
14. Police Reports
15. Cedar Lake Road and Louisiana Avenue
Improvements
16. Activities/Programs
17. ROC (Recreation Outdoor Center)
18. Police Department
19. Passes & Groups
20. Splash Pad
www.granicus.com 8
Web An a lytics S tudy (cont'd)
Popular pages - Smartphones
The number of app screens or web pages your users viewed. Repeated views of a single page or screen
are counted.
1. Aquatic Park
2. The Rec Center
3. Home
4. Westwood Hills Nature Center
5. Splash Pad
6. Summer Concerts
7. Lap Swim & Events
8. Passes & Groups
9. Brush Drop-Off
10. Public Ice Skating & Hockey
11. Parks & Rec
12. Fireworks Celebration | Calendar
13. Garbage & Recycling
14. Employment
15. Things to Do
16. Activities
17. Permits
18. ROC (Recreation Outdoor Center)
19. Cedar Lake Road and Louisiana Avenue
Improvements
20. Police Reports
www.granicus.com 9
Web An a lytics S tudy (cont'd)
High Engagement Pages - Desktop
The number of sessions that lasted longer than 10 seconds, or had a conversion event, or had 2 or more
screen views.
1. Home
2. Aquatic Park
3. Permits
4. The Rec Center
5. Westwood Hills Nature Center
6. Utility Billing
7. Employment
8. Parks & Rec
9. Staff Directory
10. Garbage & Recycling
11. Summer Concerts
12. Activities/Programs
13. Agendas & Minutes
14. Police Reports
15. Police Department
16. ROC (Recreation Outdoor Center)
17. Cedar Lake Road and Louisiana Avenue
Improvements
18. Passes & Groups
19. Activities
20. Lap Swim & Events
www.granicus.com 10
Web An a lytics S tudy (cont'd)
High Engagement Pages - Smartphone
The number of sessions that lasted longer than 10 seconds, or had a conversion event, or had 2 or more
screen views.
1. Aquatic Park
2. The Rec Center
3. Home
4. Westwood Hills Nature Center
5. Passes & Groups
6. Parks & Rec
7. Lap Swim & Events
8. Activities
9. Public Ice Skating & Hockey
10. Splash Pad
11. Garbage & Recycling
12. Fireworks Celebration | Calendar
13. ROC (Recreation Outdoor Center)
14. Summer Concerts
15. Police Reports
16. Things to Do
17. Brush Drop-Off
18. Westwood Hills Nature Center
19. Employment
20. Programs
www.granicus.com 11
Con clusions
User Behavior
43.59% Engagement Rate
Average session duration is 2 minutes, 32 seconds
There is no specific value for how long a customer should stay active on the website, in general quick
interactions with the website are translated into customers' dissatisfaction. The longer customers stay
on the website, the more perceived value the website is providing.
Devices
Chrome is your customers' preferred browser
The most popular resolution is 1920x1080 with 16.80% of your overall traffic, followed by 390x844
with 16.11% of your traffic
52.26% of your total traffic comes from smartphones (the industry standard is 40%)
Website redesign should take into consideration most common resolutions and browsers, these metrics
should be extensively tested on the redesigned website.
www.granicus.com 12
Con clusions (cont'd)
Sources of traffic
Direct yielded 21.34% of all traffic sources
Organic Search yielded 69.11% of all traffic sources
User Paths
User paths represent the paths users took as they
navigated the site, from the entrance page all the
way to the page where they exited. Based on these
paths, govAccess has concluded that users visit
the website looking for:
Aquatic Park
The Rec Center
Home
Westwood Hills Nature Center
Splash Pad
Summer Concerts
Lap Swim & Events
Passes & Groups
QUICK TIP!
Customers will visit your website through
three different sources:
. Direct traffic: Customers land on your
website via typing your web address directly
into the browser or bookmark
. Search: Customers who input a query in a
search engine and clicked on any of the
items in the search results
. Referral: Customers will get to your website
via social media, SMS text, a link in an email,
etc...
www.granicus.com 13
1www.granicus.com
Community Survey
What is a Community Survey?
The community survey is a questionnaire distributed to the public. It includes questions regarding
community demographic, expectations, and opinions on the current website. In order to get
statistical significance for this survey, a minimum participation number is calculated based on the
population.
Why is it important?
Surveys are a straightforward and simple technique for gathering qualitative data. The community
survey gives us information on the public’s preferences, attitudes, opinions, and expectations.
Analyzing the answers to these surveys can help us track trends and quantify concepts. With this
knowledge, we are better equipped to make decisions that will satisfy the community’s needs.
Survey statistics
• Open from: Jul 27, 2025 to Aug 25, 2025
• Number of responses needed for statistical significance: 378
• Number of responses: 161
2www.granicus.com
Community Survey Study
1. Select all that describe you.
I am a resident of St. Louis Park, MN
I work in St. Louis Park, MN
I am visiting or plan on visiting
I am re-locating to St. Louis Park, MN
I am a customer (permits, licensing, etc)
I am a parks, recreation, cultural program
participant
I am a St. Louis Park, MN elected official or
member of a City Board or Commission
I work for the City of St. Louis Park, MN
I am a St. Louis Park, MN business owner or
potential business owner
I am a member of the media
I am a contractor or service provider
Other (please specify)
3www.granicus.com
Community Survey Study (cont’d)
2. What is your age?
Under 12 years old
12 – 17 years old
18 – 24 years old
25 – 34 years old
35 – 44 years old
45 – 54 years old
55 – 64 years old
65 – 74 years old
75 years or older
4www.granicus.com
Community Survey Study (cont’d)
3. How often do you visit the city’s website?
4. Please select which of the following devices you use to access the
website (select all that apply).
20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Smartphone
Tablet
Laptop
Desktop
Daily
Two or more times a week
A few times a month
Once a month or less
Only when I’m looking for...
5www.granicus.com
Community Survey Study (cont’d)
5. List the top reasons for visiting the website.
6. How do you feel about your ability to navigate within our site?
Very easy
Easy
Neither easy nor difficult
Difficult
Very difficult
6www.granicus.com
Community Survey Study (cont’d)
7. How do you feel about the organization of information?
8. How can we improve the navigation of the website?
Very satisfied
Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
Neither satisfied
nor dissatisfied
Less information on the dropdown menu
Better search results
More apparent department buttons
7www.granicus.com
Community Survey Study (cont’d)
9. What do you like the most about the city’s website?
10. Are there any additional features or services you would like us to add to the city’s website?
8www.granicus.com
Community Survey Conclusions
• 83% of survey respondents identified themselves as residents of St. Louis Park, MN
• The largest segment of respondents by age is 55-64 years old (23%) followed by 35-44 years old
(19%)
• Respondents specified visiting the website a few times a month (30%), only when I am looking for
specific information (23%) or two or more times a week (20%).
• Most users have visited with a smartphone (77%) followed by laptop computer (71%).
• Top reasons for visiting the site included: finding information, events, city services, programs,
projects, garbage, recycling, permits, parks, agendas, construction updates, contact information,
ordinances, and city council meetings.
• The largest segments of respondents felt navigating within the site was neither easy nor difficult
(44%) or easy (29%).
• The largest segments of respondents felt satisfied (42%), neither satisfied nor dissatisfied (31%) or
dissatisfied (16%) about the organization of information.
• Respondents suggested better search results (54%) and more apparent department buttons (35%)
as improvements to the navigation.
• Overall, users like the updated and amount of information, list of departments, organization, easy
to navigate, clean appearance, simple and straightforward.
• Users mentioned that with the new site, they would like better search functionality, easier
navigation, more accessibility, online submissions, payment options, more photos and imagery,
schedules for activities, crime alert, better graphics and visuals, and clear contact information.
Key Metrics
Summary of key metrics indicating account performance, growth, and engagement.
-2.23K Change in Subscribers more details
Net change in subscribers to your account
-20.5K Change in Subscriptions more details
Net change in subscriptions to your topics
9.7 Subscriptions Per Subscriber more details
Average number of topic subscriptions that each
subscriber has as of 09/2025
75.3%Engagement Rate more details
Percentage of recipients who opened or clicked
on a link in a bulletin in 90 days prior to 09/2025
2.09M Impressions
Total number of bulletin opens and link clicks
39.7%Network Impact more details
Percentage growth in subscribers as a result of
using the GovDelivery Network
Total Subscribers
1 / 7
10/06/2025 04:39 PM CDT Account Performance Report - Oct 2024 to Sep 2025
St. Louis Park, MN
Effectiveness
See how your organization is increasing reach and which sources are bringing in the most subscribers.
Subscribers
Source of New Subscribers Subscriber Profiles
Direct 1,703
Overlay 2,583
Signup Builder 0
Network 1,703
Upload 1,732
TMS Integration 0
Other 0
Deleted 9,954
Change in Total Subscribers -2,233
Total subscribers as of 09/2025 26,338
Percent growth past 12 months:
-7.82%
2 / 7
10/06/2025 04:39 PM CDT Account Performance Report - Oct 2024 to Sep 2025
St. Louis Park, MN
Effectiveness
See how your organization is increasing reach and which sources are bringing in the most subscribers.
Subscriptions
Source of New Subscriptions Subscriptions
Direct 22,294
Overlay 49,602
Signup Builder 0
Network 15,824
Upload 1,893
TMS Integration 0
Other 0
Deleted 110,150
Change in Total Subscriptions -20,537
Total subscriptions as of 09/2025 254,713
Percent growth past 12 months:
-7.46%
3 / 7
10/06/2025 04:39 PM CDT Account Performance Report - Oct 2024 to Sep 2025
St. Louis Park, MN
Effectiveness
See how your organization is increasing reach and which sources are bringing in the most subscribers.
Network impact
New Network Subscribers as Percentage of Direct Top Contributors to Your Account
Agency Subscribe
rs to Your
Account
Current
City of Bloomington 424
Minnesota Department of Transportation 341
City of Minneapolis 311
Hennepin County, Minnesota 172
City of Brooklyn Park 91
Minnesota Department of Revenue 82
City of Minnetonka 69
Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board 66
City of Eden Prairie, MN 63
City of St. Paul 40
Increase in New Subscribers using GovDelivery Network past 12
months:
39.73%4 / 7
10/06/2025 04:39 PM CDT Account Performance Report - Oct 2024 to Sep 2025
St. Louis Park, MN
Engagement
View your most popular topics and how many subscribers are engaging with your communications.
Engagement
Month Engagement by Month
Month Unique Recipients Engagement Rate*
Sep 2025 17,888 75.25%
Aug 2025 17,307 74.48%
Jul 2025 17,674 75.83%
Jun 2025 17,516 74.66%
May 2025 21,193 74.14%
Apr 2025 20,771 72.38%
Mar 2025 20,723 73.13%
Feb 2025 17,034 73.47%
Jan 2025 17,230 74.75%
Dec 2024 17,457 75.68%
Nov 2024 17,288 76.04%
Oct 2024 17,177 75.81%
5 / 7
10/06/2025 04:39 PM CDT Account Performance Report - Oct 2024 to Sep 2025
St. Louis Park, MN
Engagement
View your most popular topics and how many subscribers are engaging with your communications.
Topic activity
Popular Topics among Subscribers
Topic Name Net Change in
Subscriptions
Wait lists (public housing and vouchers)1,666
Pavement Management (2025)1,303
Commercial street rehabilitation (2025)1,265
Snow emergency alerts 1,248
Alley Reconstruction (2025)1,155
Park Perspective 1,083
City news 1,074
Pavement Management (2026)1,036
Dakota Park Bridge Improvements 986
Cedar Lake Road and Louisiana Avenue
Improvements
961
Topics with the Most Bulletins Sent
Topic Name Bulletins
Sent
City news 124
City council 84
Youth programs and activities 71
Job opportunities 62
Adult programs and activities 54
All community events 42
Legal notices 38
Summer concerts 35
Cedar Lake Road and Louisiana Avenue Improvements 27
Commercial street rehabilitation (2025)25
6 / 7
10/06/2025 04:39 PM CDT Account Performance Report - Oct 2024 to Sep 2025
St. Louis Park, MN
Efficiency
Explore which online channels you are leveraging to maximize the impact of your communication efforts.
Delivery channels
Messages Sent
Email 592
SMS 222
Facebook 0
Twitter 0
Recipients
Email 3,228,178
SMS 245,762
Shared Bulletin Page Views 22,532
Improve Your Performance
by using the tips in our Granicus Best Practices Guide
7 / 7
10/06/2025 04:39 PM CDT Account Performance Report - Oct 2024 to Sep 2025
St. Louis Park, MN
Subscriber Profiles
Direct 1,863
Overlay 2,805
Signup Builder 0
Network 2,186
Upload 1,742
TMS Integration 0
Deleted - 10,356
Change in Total
Subscribers
- -1,760
Total as of 09/30/2025 26,338
Subscriptions
Direct 24,774
Overlay 54,111
Signup Builder 0
Network 23,624
Upload 1,912
Deleted - 116,918
Change in Total
Subscriptions
- -12,497
Total as of 09/30/2025 254,713
10/06/2025 04:46 PM CDT St. Louis Park, MN - Subscriber Activity Summary Report
For the period 09/01/2024 through 09/30/2025
Source of New Subscribers
30-day history
10/06/2025 04:46 PM CDT St. Louis Park, MN - Subscriber Activity Summary Report
For the period 09/01/2024 through 09/30/2025
Source of New Subscribers
30-day history
Date Direct Overlay Signup Builder Network Upload TMS Integration
1 09/01/2025 9 7 0 0 0 0
2 09/02/2025 3 6 0 4 6 0
3 09/03/2025 8 12 0 5 0 0
4 09/04/2025 3 7 0 4 0 0
5 09/05/2025 6 12 0 1 0 0
6 09/06/2025 1 6 0 3 0 0
7 09/07/2025 3 11 0 3 0 0
8 09/08/2025 10 12 0 1 8 0
9 09/09/2025 6 12 0 7 0 0
10 09/10/2025 1 3 0 4 0 0
11 09/11/2025 4 7 0 6 0 0
12 09/12/2025 7 4 0 3 0 0
13 09/13/2025 4 4 0 0 0 0
14 09/14/2025 2 5 0 1 0 0
15 09/15/2025 9 3 0 6 0 0
16 09/16/2025 3 5 0 6 0 0
17 09/17/2025 2 5 0 6 1 0
18 09/18/2025 10 6 0 10 0 0
19 09/19/2025 6 6 0 11 0 0
20 09/20/2025 2 6 0 14 0 0
21 09/21/2025 2 5 0 0 0 0
22 09/22/2025 6 7 0 2 0 0
23 09/23/2025 4 5 0 12 0 0
24 09/24/2025 3 10 0 5 0 0
25 09/25/2025 2 7 0 3 0 0
26 09/26/2025 7 8 0 5 0 0
27 09/27/2025 1 6 0 8 0 0
28 09/28/2025 1 3 0 2 0 0
29 09/29/2025 1 6 0 4 0 0
10/06/2025 04:46 PM CDT St. Louis Park, MN - Subscriber Activity Summary Report
For the period 09/01/2024 through 09/30/2025
Date Direct Overlay Signup Builder Network Upload TMS Integration
30 09/30/2025 7 8 0 5 0 0
10/06/2025 04:46 PM CDT St. Louis Park, MN - Subscriber Activity Summary Report
For the period 09/01/2024 through 09/30/2025
1
Advisory communication to council
City Council has provided direction that the primary purpose of advisory boards and commissions is to
assist/advise city council in the policy decision-making process on behalf of the public. Boards and
commissions may also be asked to provide community advice and feedback in a systematic manner.
Please use this form to submit a board or commission-related topic for city council consideration. Note that
use of this advisory communication to council requires a majority vote of a city board or commission prior to
submission.
Decisions on whether to take up an issue will be made by council.
Use the sections below as a guide and omit sections that may be extraneous.
Date:
To:
From:
Subject:
Strategic priority (if applicable):
Approved work plan item? ☐Yes
☐No
Council request: ☐ Review and comment or reply
☐Review and decide (e.g., new work plan item)
☐Informational only – no response needed
Action requested:
What is the commission asking Council to do? For non-work plan items, no action will be taken unless Council
chooses to provide direction or otherwise discuss at a future meeting. If requesting a new work plan item, make
explicit.
08/27/25
City Council
Review proposed items for CTAC to research and provide ꆰwhitepaperꆱ style research on,
provide feedback on these ideas, and suggest one/multiple as workplan items.
Weꆯd like to incorporate one or multiple of these as items we could incorporate in our
roadmap and advise council on.
St. Louis Park is committed to creating opportunities to build social capital through community engagement.
Community Technology Advisory Commission
1
Background:
Explain the exact circumstances of the situation and provide general information about the topic/issue.
Assessment:
Explanation of the Commission's stance on a particular topic/issue, how it supports existing strategic priorities
and how it advances the purpose of boards and commissions. Include information about whether cross-
collaboration with other boards or commissions is recommended. If action from the council is requested,
provide the justification.
Recommendation:
Recommendations should be included for “review and decide” initiatives. Include clear explanation of
recommendation(s). This section can include a bulleted list of each individual recommendation, etc. Staff will
provide their recommendations on the staff report.
After the council workplan review earlier in 2025, it was noted that CTACs workplan was
light. CTAC and Council noted that they wanted to work together more effectively, and it was
established that CTAC is expected to advise Council on technology policy.
An idea proposed in the meeting was that CTAC generate technology-related policy spaces
for future research. Wed like Councils feedback and guidance on if future research on the
following areas would be helpful, or guidance on specific policy areas Council will be
interested in.
We believe this feedback will help advance the purpose of CTAC by driving further discussion
and interaction with Council on a technology-related policy area of their interest.
We request Council to provide feedback on these ideas, propose one/them as workplan item
(s), or to suggest alternative research topics.
1
Addenda to advisory form
From Chair Slaats:
Maybe we can just propose 2 ideas for now to make it simple and expedite sending this to Council?
If we'd like to evaluate extras, I have a backburner item further below inspired by last meeting's
whiteboard that we can discuss through among CTAC's other ideas.
CTAC ideas for Council to evaluate
• Future of AI for Cities: how might cities need to adapt tech and policy to make it AI-compatible in
the future?
o Chatbots (web and app, answering questions)
o Public works (e.g. using MySLP resident reports, traffic cameras, traffic flows, predictive
maintenance, etc.
o Planning & zoning (predictive analytics for growth)
o Public engagement (AI-assisted outreach)
• Evaluating and Enhancing Resident Engagement with City Tech Items
o How might we evaluate engagement with existing city technology services, analyze their
unique value for citizens, and any gaps?
Evaluate different delivery methods
Website analytics/usage
MySLP analytics/usage
Social media analytics/usage
Email analytics
Other digital mediums analytics/usage (can include non-digital channels
for comparison)
Compare to comparable city digital offerings
o Questions to explore on ensuring awareness and engagement and equitable access:
How can the city ensure equitable access to its digital tools?
Should SLP adopt resident-focused digital design standards?
How can residents be engaged in building future tech tools? What use cases
might we be missing?
Backburner item:
• Exploring Technology in Public Safety
o What types of emergent technologies are cities adopting to aid public safety (fire,
emergency, police)?
o How can the city balance safety benefits with privacy protections?
o What transparency standards should apply when new tech is deployed?
o Should residents have a role in deciding which technologies are used?
o What data governance (retention, access, sharing) should be codified in policy?
o How should equity impacts be measured before adoption?
St. Louis Park Communications and Technology Department • 5005 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park, MN 55416
www.stlouisparkmn.gov • Phone: 952.924.2500 • TTY: 952.924.2518
Guidelines for use of generative AI
Purpose
The purpose of this standard is to provide requirements and establish a framework for the responsible use of
public web services enhanced by generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools for individual work tasks by City of
St. Louis Park employees. The goal is to provide guidance on how to use publicly available generative AI
services such as ChatGPT, OpenAI, Gemini, Claude or others responsibly in a manner that:
• Deliver value and benefit to St. Louis Park residents
• Meet legal and regulatory requirements
• Secure protected information and data
This document covers the use of generative AI tools for individual work tasks like writing, editing, researching,
or other duties that improve employee productivity. It doesn’t apply to AI-assisted tools such as those that
help review documents for spelling errors or formatting or that provide predictive text in documents or
emails.
Background
AI-assisted services have been used by organizations for many years. However, new generative AI services
available online or embedded into existing tools create the need for new governance to use these tools
responsibly. This standard refers primarily to these new services.
Publicly available generative AI services can be very helpful for a variety of tasks, but it's important to use
these services responsibly and consider potential legal, practical, security and privacy issues. The content
produced by available generative AI services should be consistently and skeptically reviewed by employees
before they incorporate it into their work tasks.
People can input questions into publicly available generative AI services. The responses mimic humans but
because the generative AI service is not a human subject matter expert, it may provide responses that are
inaccurate or incomplete. Current generative AI services do not understand questions; instead, they generate
answers to those questions in the form of word patterns that mimic content they have been trained to use.
Data ownership and risk assessment
When you submit data to a generative AI service, it leaves a copy of the submitted data with the service. This
may pose security and privacy risks. These risks are magnified if the generative AI service automatically
incorporates submitted data into responses shared with other users as part of the data they are trained to
use. This standard will categorize data as low, moderate or high risk. They have the following definitions:
• Low risk: Data that is defined by Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13 as “public” and is intended to be
available to the public.
• Moderate risk: Data that does not meet the definition of Low or High. This includes but is not limited
to system security information, nonpublic names, nonpublic addresses, nonpublic phone numbers,
and IP addresses.
St. Louis Park Communications and Technology Department • 5005 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park, MN 55416
www.stlouisparkmn.gov • Phone: 952.924.2500 • TTY: 952.924.2518
• High risk: Data that is highly sensitive and/or protected by law or regulation. This includes but is not
limited to:
o Protected Health Information (PHI)
o Social Security Administration (SSA) data
o Criminal Justice Information (CJI)
o Government-issued ID numbers such as Social Security, driver’s license, state ID card,
passport
o Federal Tax Information (FTI)
o Payment Card Industry (PCI) account data
o Bank account numbers
Using moderate- or high-risk data with publicly available generative AI services could be considered a data
breach. The prevention of improper access or dissemination of data is a critical concern because there are
civil or criminal penalties for violations. City employees should assume any data used on generative AI
services like ChatGPT, OpenAI, Gemini, Claude or others will be retained by the service.
Allowed AI services and tools
• At this time, publicly available generative AI services should only be used with low-risk data.
• If you are uncertain whether a service or tool incorporates generative AI services and/or whether you
are allowed to use the service, contact the IT division. Generative AI services will be evaluated based
on understanding the AI's training, ownership of data, and level of security.
• Any software or service where a third-party AI-enhanced service has access to City of St. Louis Park
moderate- or high-risk data needs to be reviewed and approved by the IT division before use.
Prohibited information
• Don’t use any data that is classified as moderate or high risk in generative AI services unless the
generative AI service has been approved through the city’s IT division.
• Treat the information used in generative AI services as if you were posting it on a public site.
• Use generative AI services as a starting point, as opposed to the final output, which poses fewer
reputational, legal and other risks.
Sample use cases
At this time, commercially available generative AI services may only be used for individual tasks that improve
the way you work.
Examples of acceptable use cases include:
• Summarizing long documents that only contain public information.
• Researching public topics where the resulting content can be verified by a subject matter expert.
• Generating draft documents that deal with public information.
• Embedded AI tools that check and provide suggestions for spelling, grammar, formatting, etc.
Examples of unacceptable use cases for generative AI include the following.
• Drafting responses to email messages and sending without first reviewing content for accuracy and
appropriateness.
St. Louis Park Communications and Technology Department • 5005 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park, MN 55416
www.stlouisparkmn.gov • Phone: 952.924.2500 • TTY: 952.924.2518
• Generating documents for public use without review or verification by a subject matter expert. For
instance, using generative AI services to generate a request for proposal, but not asking subject
matter experts to review the proposal before sending it.
• Entering moderate- or high-risk data in the generative AI tool to generate a report or document.
• Using generative AI tools to create misleading voice or video content.
Data security
• When considering the use of generative AI services in city operations, compliance with the Minnesota
Government Data Practices Act is necessary. Government data is defined as all data collected,
created, received, maintained, or disseminated regardless of physical form, storage media, or
conditions of use. The City of St. Louis Park must be responsive to any data request pertaining to data
created with the assistance of generative AI services.
• City employees must ensure adequate security measures to protect moderate- and high-risk data
from unauthorized access, breaches, or misuse. This includes following city guidelines for technology
use outlined in the personnel manual.
• City employees should recognize that publicly available generative AI services are for-profit tools
designed to return shareholder value to the companies that create them. As such, they may provide
value while simultaneously collecting data in a manner that benefits the generative AI service but
exploits users. These tools often provide limited value as they attempt to collect and sell nonpublic,
private, confidential, and restricted data.
Legal and ethical considerations
• Ensure that the output from generative AI services is checked by a subject matter expert for facts,
legality, and other responsible use concerns.
• Because of human influence, current generative AI services have bias. When the data used to inform
the AI system has preexisting prejudices or underrepresented data sets, the system cannot
compensate for that. If using AI to help in decision making, consider if the results have a
discriminatory effect on certain residents because the data used was flawed.
• Generative AI services should only be used to enhance human performance, not replace it. Do not
use it as a substitute for your creativity, judgment, or expertise.
• If generative AI services are used to create formal, long-lasting documents, and a significant portion
of the final document remains unchanged by a human, consider adding a note stating that generative
AI was used. For example, “This document was created using a generative AI service, then reviewed
by a subject matter expert and finalized by a human.”
Resources
• League of Minnesota Cities: https://www.lmc.org/resources/cities-and-artificial-intelligence-ai-what-
you-should-know/
• Transparent Artificial Intelligence Governance Alliance (Minnesota IT Services):
https://mn.gov/mnit/taiga/
Information in this document is based on content and guidelines created by Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) and
the League of Minnesota Cities. Created 11.27.2024