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Eagan reports strong resident approval for parks; master‑plan survey reaches 577 responses
Summary
City communications staff told the commission that parks and recreation consistently rate highly in resident surveys, and the parks master‑plan outreach has collected hundreds of responses with targeted engagement strategies for under‑represented groups.
City communications staff presented survey results and outreach plans for the parks master plan at the May 2025 Eagan Advisory Parks Commission meeting, saying the department has repeatedly ranked highly for resident satisfaction and that 577 people had participated in the current master‑plan survey as of a recent count.
“Parks and Recreation came out on top with a 96% approval rating,” Sarah Horwath, communications and engagement director, told commissioners during her presentation. She said that of residents who rated parks and recreation positively, 67% rated the department’s work as “excellent,” 29% “good,” and 4% “fair.”
Horwath described an engagement strategy that combines digital outreach, printed materials, signage in parks (including Spanish‑language signs) and in‑person tabling at community events. She also said the team tracks response sources (for example QR codes in parks) so staff can report back which parks generate the most localized feedback.
“We’ve also added signage in Spanish to connect with our Spanish speaking residents in their native language,” Horwath said, explaining the city’s goal of “meeting people where they are” to increase inclusion in the master‑plan process.
Commissioners asked about survey duration and origin tracking; Horwath said the survey was open through the end of the month (with the possibility of extension) and that response‑source tagging was in place but not yet analyzed in detail. She said the communications team is prioritizing teen outreach, noting the challenge of reaching teenagers on platforms the city does not yet use.
Staff said the communications program will continue to emphasize earned media, social posts and email newsletters to support upcoming project openings and public engagement around the master plan.
