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Business survey finds high satisfaction with Plantation services; cost of commercial space tops concerns
Summary
A city-conducted business survey of 351 local businesses found high satisfaction with public safety and access to transportation, while the highest barrier to growth reported was the cost of leasing or buying commercial space (37%). The city plans to use the data in strategic planning.
Plantation officials on Jan. 14 presented results of the city's first formal business survey, which polled 351 businesses and found broad satisfaction with city services but consistent concern about the cost of commercial space.
Derek Harvey, the city's consultant from ETC Institute, said the sample produced a 95% confidence level with a margin of error of about ±5.07%. He reported that 84% of schools in the county earned A or B ratings in a separate school update that night but focused his presentation on business perceptions: high satisfaction with public safety, access to highways and the city's overall image; lower satisfaction and higher importance scores for permitting and inspections.
"If they're important to businesses, we saw high satisfaction there as well," Harvey said, summarizing the survey's important-satisfaction analysis. When asked which factors most affect location decisions, businesses chose image, safety, business-friendliness, access to highways and physical appearance. The survey found that 37% of respondents identified the cost of leasing or purchasing retail/commercial space as the top barrier to growth.
The survey also found 35% of businesses expect to hire additional staff in the next 24 months and 27% anticipate expanding or opening another location in Plantation. Survey responses showed that 30% of businesses were enrolled in the Plantation Police Department's trespass program, 26% were not and 44% said they did not know if they were enrolled; councilmembers noted the city could better publicize that program.
Council reaction centered on using the survey to inform strategic planning and on communications improvements, especially outreach about city programs and the trespass initiative. Staff said the business results aligned with last year's resident survey and will be used to prioritize investment focus during strategic planning.
Action: Presentation only; council thanked staff and consultant and discussed follow-up during strategic planning.
