by Dennis Dalman
Without its school system, Sartell might well have become a village or a town rather than an ever-growing city.
Time and again on a recent citywide survey, respondents praised the school system, many saying its reputation for excellence is a major reason they moved to Sartell and a big reason they continue to live in the city.
Sartell City Administrator Anna Gruber presented the survey results, as compiled by “Mindful Marketing,” to the city council in late August.
The survey, part of the “Rebranding Refresh Project” for the city, was unveiled last spring, and people had until June to fill out its 18 questions, with options to write down comments. A total of 959 respondents took the survey, an unusually high number for such surveys.
The purpose of the survey was to get input from people about what they like and/or dislike about Sartell. Results will help the “Switchboard Advertising” company to define how Sartell can promote its identity in marketing throughout the coming years.
The top two answers in the survey, considered by respondents to be pillars of the community, were Education and Safety. Education received the highest rating – 8.6 out of 10; Safety came in second highest – at 8.1 of 10. Parks and Recreation were rated at 7.2 of 10.
More than 90 percent of people also rated among the top five traits “Growing and Clean,” as hallmarks of Sartell.
The next most-frequent answers were Quiet, Welcoming and Family-Friendly.
Other characteristics chosen by respondents based on questions or their volunteered comments were the following: Beautiful (37 percent of respondents), Flourishing (35 percent), Spacious (21 percent), Energetic (20 percent), Boring (18 percent) Consistent (18 percent), Quaint (17 percent), Fake (12 percent), Principled (11 percent).
Many respondents noted their pleasure about how Sartell is not polluted and not crime-ridden. Entertainment and Nightlife received a rather low approval rating of 3.5 of 10 because some respondents think there should be more of both.
Other adjectives used to describe the city by some respondents are isolated, bustling, authentic, exciting, industrial, entitled (people), snobs and attitude.
When asked what would cause them to leave Sartell, many said (decline in quality) of the schools, higher taxes and increasing crime.
With those survey results in mind, Switchboard Advertising will begin to design a new rebranding package for Sartell during the next three months.
