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Eagan presents community-conversations summary, plans open house and annual summit
Summary
City staff and facilitators described a year-long series of community conversations that surfaced consistent themes — connection, affordability and access — and recommended a menu of actions including a spring summit, volunteer pathways and new outreach methods. Council supported continued engagement and an open house Sept. 28.
City of Eagan officials on Sept. 9 presented a summary of a year of community conversations that grew from the city's race-equity initiative and produced recommendations for more connection, outreach and targeted programming.
Sarah Horwath, who co-led the project for the city, told the Eagan City Council the effort began in July 2024 and included mini conversations, youth sessions, a spring summit and a synthesis workshop. “We wanted to build relationships, ask those questions, and also really work together with community to discover what it takes to thrive here,” Horwath said.
The facilitators from Finding Human Institute, Robin and Paula, said the series aimed to surface lived experience behind disparity data and to generate community-led recommendations. “We looked forward to every meeting,” Robin said, describing the reception in Eagan as “welcoming” even when the conversations touched on race and other difficult topics.
Why it matters: the report translates thousands of qualitative responses into a practical menu of items the city could adopt or support. The council and staff framed the outcome as the start of a multi-year effort to move conversation to action.
What the report found
Facilitators and staff summarized the themes that repeatedly emerged across audiences (students, seniors, women and men of color, neighborhood mini-conversations): a desire to thrive through stronger social connection; barriers that include limited affordable housing, transportation gaps and language/cultural access; and a wish among residents to contribute through volunteering and community leadership.
Participants said they value being seen and heard, the presentations said. One participant described new connections at stores and cafes after attending a conversation; another highlighted the Juneteenth event that grew from dialogue into a city-supported celebration attended by more than 1,000 people.
Recommendations and next steps
The report groups suggested city-led actions under social connectivity, celebrating diversity, service opportunities, and information, mobility and safety. Examples include a published “mini-conversation” hosting kit, an annual spring summit, a community investment fund for BIPOC-led nonprofits, a unified volunteer platform and more offline communications (e.g., mailed notices and a text subscription option).
Horwath said staff will share the summary with participants and hold an open-house update on Sept. 28 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the West St. Paul (West Scott) Library large community room; staff also asked the council about support for continuing a spring summit. Council members said they were supportive in principle and asked staff to work with partners such as the Eagan Foundation and other neighborhood groups to implement the recommendations without turning the project into a recurring “check‑the‑box” exercise.
Cautions and community context
Council members and staff noted constraints: many recommendations would require staff time or funding, and the city intends to amplify existing partner efforts rather than duplicate nonprofit, faith or school initiatives. Several council members asked staff to be explicit to residents about timing and the steps that require policy or budget approval so the public understands which ideas can be implemented quickly and which will take longer.
What the city will do now
Staff will: (1) mail or otherwise share the community conversation summary with participants; (2) host the Sept. 28 open house; (3) draft actionable items with departments to present back to council for prioritization and budgeting; and (4) continue working with community partners to support volunteer coordination and community-led events such as Juneteenth.
Ending
Speakers and audience members described the engagements as uplifting and locally driven; city staff said the next phases will focus on converting the report’s recommendations into specific, budgeted work items and on stronger, multimodal outreach so residents learn about existing programs and new opportunities.
