I think that people live in Eden Prairie for a reason, and it’s not because we offer the lowest possible property tax rates in the metro area. We don’t. I think that people live here because, overall, Eden Prairie offers the best combination of value and quality of life in the Twin Cities metro area.
We focus on value. V = CR. Value is the product of Cost x Results. We offer a cost of living here that is not cheap. However, the results offered by our services, that are produced by your costs, are very good. You can see that in the economic value of the property in Eden Prairie and the demand for residential and commercial land here.
One of ways that we try to keep our community a high value community is by paying attention to the little things. For example, one of those little things is the aesthetic condition of our traffic signals. Some of them aren’t looking so swell these days. Case in point:
We have dedicated staff, equipment, and money to painting our traffic signals with a new coat of “Eden Prairie Green”. A fellow named Kirby Paulsen in our Street Maintenance Division coordinates and does most of this work. He is the guy that puts himself in a vulnerable position in his bucket truck to paint the signals while cars are speeding all around him.
It’s not easy work, but he does a pretty good job at it. Take a drive around the town and compare where Kirby has been compared to where he has yet to go. You’ll see the difference. Kirby’s effort to pay attention to the little things is one of the ways that City government helps makes Eden Prairie a great community.
