Business View Civil Municipal June 2023

107 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 6 FARMINGTON, MN is single-handedly the most important thing that not only ensures that we’re going to continue growing in a positive manner, but we’re also going to hold on to that unique characteristic and defining trait. We practice that every day. It doesn’t matter what the event is or what we try to do, our community and our businesses always step up. They’re always there when we need them.” In addition to seeking new business, Farmington has been re-evaluating all aspects of the city to determine what needs exist moving forward. That extends to everything from infrastructure to tourism. One major infrastructure upgrade that the city has prioritized is broadband internet. Farmington has partnered with Hiawatha Broadband Communications (HBC) to provide a full build-out of fiber internet to the entire city. “Until now, we’ve had one option with fiber in Farmington and it didn’t cover all of Farmington, just selected areas,” Gorski says. “HBC came to us wanting to be our partner and the fiber they’re offering is up to 100 gig. This is a huge community asset and we want to really make sure we work closely with them and eliminate any obstacles to their build-out.” Having this partnership will benefit our citizens, businesses, and visitors. In addition to laying fiber cables, Farmington will be working with HBC to install internet at all the city’s parks. “We will offer free internet services (in the parks) for our residents,” Gorski adds. That’s not the only upgrade coming to Farmington Parks. The city is in the planning stages for an upgrade to one of its biggest community parks, Rambling River Park. “We’ve had a very robust public engagement process with the community, hearing what their needs are and what they want to see in the parks,” Gorski says. “We want to grow the park, but also ensure that we’re growing it where we can take care of it. We aren’t just adding things and forgetting about it. We are being very intentional. The park is a high priority for us because we understand it’s a high priority for our residents.” The new park will include an inclusive playground and