SWOT Analysis Summary

City of Hayward
November 18, 2009

On November 18, 2009, residents, business owners, and landowners participated in a community workshop to
identify the Strengths and Weaknesses of the City, as well as the Opportunities and Threats that face the City.
The meeting was held at the Hayward Veteran’s Community Center.
Often referred to as a SWOT meeting, the objective of this community workshop was to identify the Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of the City. After being randomly placed into groups, participants went
through the same process for each of the categories: 1) Silent Idea Generation, 2) Sharing and Listing Ideas, and
3) Voting on the ideas. A master list was then created from the items receiving table votes, and participants were
asked to vote a final time to prioritize the issues.

David Carlson, SEH, welcomes the participants, Participants were randomly divided into small
describes the planning process, and explains the groups. Each participant then used silent idea
agenda for the evening. generation to develop their ideas.

Table leaders then recorded participant’s thoughts. A master list of all items receiving table votes was
Once all ideas were recorded, the tables voted to created, and participants were asked to vote a final
prioritize the list. time to prioritize the master list.
SWOT Analysis Summary
City of Hayward

Top Vote Getters in Each Category

 SWOT Analysis Summary
City of Hayward
Summary
The City held a productive meeting on November 18th, 2009. The purpose of the SWOT meeting is to identify
the common themes/issues that can be used as starting points for discussions on goals and objectives for the
City. While individual votes and issues are important, the ultimate objective is to paint the big picture for the
City to use as the basis for completing their Comprehensive Plan.

When evaluating the SWOT analysis, the results can be summarized into three groups –
1) Quality of Life, 2) Government and Infrastructure and 3) Tourism and Business Development.

Some ideas fall into more than one of these categories, and may be mentioned in the more than one category
discussion.

A Good Quality of Life Is Here – And Should Be Preserved

Quality of life has many definitions – but in Hayward it seems to be divided into four major areas – community
events, natural resources, recreation and economics. These issues came out in all four of the SWOT categories.

In the strengths of the City that were identified, quality of life, world class events and festivals, school
district/systems, public involvement and outdoor – water, words, trees, animals, sports were top vote getters –
totaling 58 percent of the strength votes that were cast. When you add in issues such as sense of community,
network of volunteers, the downtown area, natural resources, people, recreation/sports facilities, the City being
well-maintained, the hospital, health care system, local medical access, and the City’s geographic location, you
easily break the 90 percent mark. Clearly, residents are here because they enjoy the way of life in Hayward.

Top weaknesses in the quality of life category include limited job opportunities, lack of high paying jobs, lack of
industry, no ATV access. Other issues which received votes included lack of median housing, high volume
traffic, shopping variety, eye sores around town, building compliance/handicap access, low use of local assets,
high poverty, no post secondary education and the lack of an event center/park push the quality of life grouping
over the 50 percent range for weaknesses voting.

Key opportunities that relate to quality of life include assisted living/retirement, ATV access from existing trails,
bicycle and pedestrian paths – sidewalks, etc., wildlife management/stocking – fish/birds/deer/bear/musky,
community-wide wellness, “Welcome to Hayward” signs, wi-fi City-wide, ATV/silent sports, supporting
historic events, walking trails, and the promotion of quiet sports.

Threats that impact quality of life include the housing industry/market, juvenile crime, Minnesota –
musky/deer/ducks, lack of good paying jobs, the wolf population, climate change, nationwide unemployment,
lack of community involvement, milfoil (invasive species), loss of special events, and population
supply/decline.

Government and Infrastructure Is Important and Should Be Maintained

Government and Infrastructure was the second major issue that arose through the SWOT meeting – and there
were significant positive and negative vote getters in this category.

Key strengths that relate to government and infrastructure include the school district/system, the City having
little or no debt, and government facilities (locations). These totaled 19 percent of the voting for strengths.
 SWOT Analysis Summary
City of Hayward
Weaknesses identified include city streets/curb, gutter, sidewalks, the economic strain on public agencies, and
water and sewer. These issues received 24 percent of the weaknesses votes. When adding taxes being too high,
ordinance enforcement, Main Street being one way and creating traffic flow problems, public transportation,
lack of communication with other communities, and residential streets falling apart, you reach over 35 percent.

There were many opportunities identified that relate to growth and development, including working with other
townships to cut expenses on duplicated services, cooperating growth with towns, tax reform, transportation
“63,” and having airport infrastructure.

Key threats include the Town of Hayward planning, Sawyer County zoning regulations, school funding
practices, budget cuts by governmental services, more federal/state government, and waste fees.

A Unique Business Climate – Challenges To Overcome

The third “big picture idea” that came out of the SWOT meeting is that Hayward has a unique business climate,
in particular because of the local tourist industry. While the local business base is recognized as a good start,
business growth and development is desired.

The strengths that were identified and fall into this area are the local hospital, health care system, having local
medical access, the downtown area, Main Street, chamber promotions, and available land.

Many of the top weaknesses dealt with the existing business base and the need for more jobs. Limited job
opportunities, lack of high paying jobs, and lack of industry – business – jobs, make up 31 percent of
weaknesses votes. When seasonal revenue, comp plan to draw industry, limited growth potential, shopping
variety, seasonal work/play – business volume, support of local businesses – shop local, and no post secondary
education are included, this concept totals nearly 47 percent of weaknesses votes.

Many of the opportunities vote getters land in the business or tourism categories. The top opportunity identified
is recruit new businesses. Other ideas receiving opportunity votes include growth in business and population,
ATV trade traffic, tourism – off-seasons – deer/ducks/fish/flowers/leaves, etc., a good place to start for small
businesses, harnessing retired expertise, more tourism tax dollars, small brainstorming groups, and tapping the
Twin Cities market.

The top four threat vote recipients all relate to business and tourism. They are lack of industry – higher
wages/insurance, the housing industry/market, large box stores/competition, and loss of businesses – totaling
over 46 percent of threat voting. Other vote recipients in the threats category include technology
communications, brain drain, lack of good paying jobs, climate change, single-source economy, nationwide
unemployment, population supply/decline and tourism.

The complete vote tally from the SWOT meeting is presented on the following pages.
 SWOT Analysis Summary
City of Hayward

Complete Vote Tally

Strengths Votes Weaknesses Votes
Quality of Life 14 Limited Job Opportunities 14
World Class Events/Festivals 13 City Streets/Curb, Gutter, Sidewalks 11
School District/Systems 11 Lack of High Paying Jobs 8
Public Involvement 9 Economic Strain on Public Agencies 6
Hospital 5 Lack of Industry – Business – Jobs 5
Outdoor – Water, Woods, Trees, Animals, Water and Sewer 4
Sports 5 No ATV Access 4
Little or No Debt (City Government) 4 Seasonal Revenue 4
Sense of Community 4 Lack of Median Housing 3
Network of Volunteers 3 Taxes Too High 3
Downtown Area 3 Comp Plan to Draw Industry 3
Health Care System 3 Ordinance Enforcement 3
Small Town Atmosphere – Main Street 3 Limited Growth Potential 2
Natural Resources 2 High Volume Traffic 2
Government Facilities 2 Shopping Variety 2
People 1 Eye Sores Around Town 2
Main Street 1 Building Compliance/Handicap Access 1
Chamber Promotions 1 Low Use of Local Assets 1
Recreation/Sports Facilities 1 High Poverty 1
Well Maintained 1 Main Street – One-Way – Flow 1
Available Land 1 Seasonal Work/Play – Business Volume 1
Geographic Location – 4 Hour Circle 1 Support of Local Businesses – Shop Local 1
Local Medical Access 1 Public Transportation 1
Unique No Post Secondary Education 1
Comprehensive Retail Lack of Communication with Other
Forestry Industry Communities 1
Law Enforcement Residential Streets Falling Apart 1
Tourism Year Round Lack of Event Center/Park 1
Name Recognition Tourism $$$
Financial Strength Volunteer – EMT
Streets - Utilities Affordable Housing For All Incomes
Curb-Gutter-Sidewalks/Storm Sewer
Uniformed Appearance
Old Water Mains
 SWOT Analysis Summary
City of Hayward

Opportunities Votes Threats Votes

Recruit New Businesses 13 Lack of Industry – Higher Wages/Insurance 19
Assisted Living/Retirement 11 Housing Industry/Market 9
Work With Other Townships to Cut Expenses Large Box Stores/Competition 7
on Duplicated Services 9 Loss of Business 6
Growth in Business and Population 7 Town of Hayward Planning 5
ATV Access From Existing Trails 6 Juvenile Crime 4
Bike and Pedestrian Paths – Sidewalks, Etc. 5 County Zoning Regulations 4
ATV Trade Traffic 4 Technology Communications 4
Wildlife Management/Stocking – Minnesota – Musky/Deer/Ducks 3
Fish/Bird/Deer/Bear/Musky 4
Brain Drain 3
Community-Wide Wellness 4
Lack of Good Paying Jobs 3
Cooperate Growth With Town 3
Wolf Population 3
Welcome To Hayward Signs 3
Climate Change 3
Tax Reform 3
Single Source Economy 3
Tourism – Off-Seasons –
Deer/Ducks/Fish/Flowers/Leaves, Etc. 2 School Funding Practices 2
Wi-Fi City-Wide 2 Budget Cuts by Government Services 2
Good Place to Start for Small Businesses 1 Nationwide Unemployment 1
ATV/Silent Sports 1 Lack of Community Involvement 1
Harness Retired Expertise 1 Milfoil (Invasive Species) 1
More Tourism Tax Dollars 1 Loss of Special Events 1
Supporting Historic Events 1 More Federal/State Government 1
Walking Trails 1 Population Supply/Decline 1
Transportation “63” 1 Tourism 1
Promotion of Quiet Sports 1 Waste Fees 1
Small Brainstorming Groups 1 Rush to Cut Timber – Generate $ - County
Tap Twin Cities Market 1 Car Industry
Airport Infrastructure 1 Small Town Politics – Feast/Famine
Land Annex Resorts Decline
“Local” Discounts Environmental Changes – Snow/Low Water
Technology Upgrades Unbalanced Economy
National Forest The Wrong Politicians