EDA accepts Chamber’s 2025 annual report; members ask for more structured business-visit feedback

The Forest Lake Economic Development Authority on a voice vote accepted the Forest Lake Area Chamber of Commerce 2025 annual report and asked staff to work with the chamber to provide more formal summaries of business-visit feedback.

EDA staff Abby said the chamber is meeting the cooperative-agreement requirements and has increased its business drop-in visits late in 2025. "Overall, the chamber's doing a great job. They're fulfilling the agreement requirements," Abby said. Commissioners pressed for a clearer feedback loop from those visits so the EDA can better target assistance and incentives.

Several members suggested that Nanette, the chamber representative who conducts the visits, provide a brief quarterly summary of the top patterns she hears—either anecdotal highlights or a short survey of recurring issues—to help the EDA identify where the city can support retention and expansion. Abby said staff would coordinate with the chamber and reported the packet includes a brochure developed earlier this year for business outreach.

A commissioner moved to accept the annual report; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. Staff said they will follow up with the chamber to define the content and frequency of any new reporting and will bring aggregated information to a future meeting.

The EDA also approved its consent agenda earlier in the meeting and heard a separate presentation from Washington County's Open to Business program.