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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-28-21 MINUTES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY Regular Meeting January 28, 2021 1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Chair Simmons at 6:00 p.m. Members Present: Simmons, Bernhjelm,Butterfield,Hoyt, Hudlemeyer Members Absent: None Also Present: Adam Kienberger, Community Development Director 2. PLEDGE OFALLEGIANCE 3. ROLL CALL 4. APPROVE AGENDA Member Butterfield noted in December they discussed starting to work on goals for the strategic plan. He expected to see 2021 goal planning on the agenda. Chair Simmons was hoping for the same. Staff noted the new City Council just had their goal setting session. Councilmembers can provide information on that under item 8b. MOTION by Butterfield, second by Hoyt to approve the Agenda. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. 5. CITIZEN COMMENTSIPRESENTA TIONS 6. CONSENT AGENDA MOTION by Bernhjelm, second by Hudlemeyer to approve the Consent Agenda as follows: a) Approved Meeting Minutes (December 17, 2020, Regular Meeting) b) Received Monthly Financial Statements APIF,MOTION CARRIED. 7. PUBLIC HEARINGS 8. DISCUSSIONITEMS a) Approve Redevelopment and Property Reinvestment Program Application 3282 220" Street W This is the first application for the new Redevelopment and Property Reinvestment Program. Mr. Kurt Orndorff,DGKC Properties LLC (Summit Landscape)has submitted an application for his property at 3282 220th Street W. The project improvements include installation of sewer and water and building a restroom and installing amenities. The total project cost is $18,007.43 and the grant request amount is $9,003.72. Councilmember Bernhjelm hoped the applicant would attend. The intent of the grant program is to improve a business for growth or help it sell. How does this impact the business? Staff noted the application meets the requirement of the program. The guidelines talk about code improvements, code violations,ADA access issues, fix deterioration of buildings, electrical work,plumbing, etc. It EDA Minutes(Regular) January 28,2021 Page 2 moves the property into a code that requires them to hook up to sewer and water. It keeps the property sustainable and removes a burden. Member Butterfield asked why not the full grant amount of$10,000. Staff noted the project cost is $18,000 and the grant requires a 1:1 match. Member Butterfield noted this will allow him to grow his business and it follows the intent of the program. Member Hudlemeyer agreed it meets the guidelines and furthers the growth and development in the business park. Mayor Hoyt stated regarding the use of the program, he expected future applications may fall into the current verbiage. It's a nuts and bolts type of project. He asked if the sewer and water hook up charges have been verified. He noticed there will be an electric water heater and that will require a permit. Staff noted the building official has worked with Mr. Orndorff for the connection charges. Upon payment request there is a final inspection to close out permits. Mayor Hoyt suspected with the fire inspections being done on businesses,there may be more of these applications. Chair Simmons encouraged the importance of telling our story. She would like to see that for this program as well with before and after pictures. She appreciated the way the program was written. With the potential increase in applications, it would be helpful as part of our goals, if we have limited funds,to determine what the most important properties might be. Staff recalled the EDA had a similar discussion with the fagade program. We made updates to the program,then the next round we left the guidelines as is. Regarding fire inspections,this application came up through a building inspection and he asked about the program. Regarding tracking the progress, Councilmembers can give an update under 8b. Member Butterfield wanted to discuss aiming funds to commercial/industrial to increase property value and investment in businesses. We were thinking grand projects, but this is what we will see which fits the program. Mayor Hoyt stated the program as $20,000. A project comes down to funding. Business owners don't know what the future will bring. The thing to think about is, is there a more effective use of timing? Are the funds used as effectively as they can be? Member Butterfield stated we find projects come in early in the year and take a lot of the budget. Then we wonder what will be left. Maybe we need to consider how to even the pool. MOTION by Butterfield, second by Hoyt to approve the Redevelopment and Property Reinvestment Program application and contract for 3282 20011 Street W. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. EDA Minutes(Regular) January 28,2021 Page 3 b) City Council Update/Member Roundtable Councilmember Bernhjelm gave a City Council update. There are three new councilmembers. They have appointed members to boards and commissions. Regarding the EDA, Councilmember Wilson resigned his EDA seat, Robyn Craig is no longer on the City Council or EDA so Mayor Hoyt took her place on the EDA. Chair Simmons will stay on the EDA as a resident. We have changed the school board seat to a resident seat on the EDA. We will have two new EDA members next month to complete the remainder of Steve Wilson's term (one year) and to fill the vacant resident seat which is a six-year term. The City Council has set three priorities for 2021-2022—business growth, community engagement and infrastructure support. The EDA will play a role in business growth. We want to have touch points with every business in 2021. We need to decide the role and expectations of the EDA. We want to meet with land owners. We are thinking about developing a business CEO. Member Butterfield asked regarding business growth, if the EDA will have input. Councilmember Bernhjelm replied yes. The City Council will finalize over arching priorities when we bring in the two new members. We haven't had intentional goals around business growth. Mayor Hoyt noted it has been a busy three months and very productive. The thing about development is we see results of our work three to six months later. We need to emphasize us having to tell our story. We need to be our best advocate. Councilmember Bernhjelm added regarding telling our story, that falls under community engagement. We need to lean on all boards and commissions to champion positive engagement with the community. Member Hudlemeyer noted this excitement is contagious. He works with infrastructure and you don't see the work, but it is there. Chair Simmons agreed this is good energy and momentum. She asked if Council will advocate for joint meetings. Regarding community engagement, as we develop strategies we don't want to miss what is in front of us now. If we have another application, should we expect someone will do this? Staff replied yes and we will continue to plan with the strategies in place. Councilmember Bernhjelm asked if through social media can we recap projects that were done last year. Staff will look into that. We have the State of the City in April and will look at it for that. Councilmember Bernhjelm would like to get something out within the next month. Staff noted this is the time of year we publicize programs. It is usually a targeted mailing. We can broadcast some of our programs to a wider audience. Mayor Hoyt stated it is the little things that can make people ask questions. Celebrating our wins will help tell our story. Chair Simmons suggested one page on the EDA website or in the Currents about what the EDA did during the year. Member Butterfield stated with the three priorities and community outreach,the community is bigger than Farmington; it's the metro area. We need to tell our story outside the community to pull in economic growth. Councilmember EDA Minutes(Regular) January 28,2021 Page 4 Bernhjelm noted one goal under community engagement was councilmembers getting more involved in regional boards. Chair Simmons asked Mayor Hoyt and Councilmember Bernhjelm what they would like to see for the February meeting. We do have the organizational matters at that meeting. Councilmember Bernhjelm stated depending on Council's final priorities by then,we should talk through how the EDA fits in the priorities. We have a goal for meeting with every business in 2021. Maybe the EDA makes a recommendation on how to tackle that. If we want to engage a business in a future project,we have to have a connection. Staff stated in February we have the organizational items,two new members and have to set goals the EDA can put into priorities. We could revisit the wayfinding sign project. In March the Chamber representative is coming to the EDA meeting and we have the financial review with the Finance Director to understand our capabilities. Member Bernhjelm asked if the wayfinding sign project was parked because funding was not there? Was it put in with the sidewalk project? Staff recalled in December we removed the EDA sign, and presented a draft wayfinding sign plan within a reasonable budget, but the timing was not right. As soon as we get a decision made,we could do it in the summer. Let's not pass on a small investment waiting for the sidewalk project. Chair Simmons stated the goal is to start the year with tangible goals and wrap up the end of the year. We tend to set items the first of the year,then in April decide on a project, then it tapers off. Does Council do something different and perhaps think of March as the beginning of the year? Councilmember Bemhjelm stated we are transitioning as a Council. The new year as an EDA starts in February. The City Council plans their budget in the summer. We bring items from the EDA to Council in April and May. We have six months to execute programs and wrap up the end of the year. We are looking at goals as a two-year plan. Chair Simmons asked if we could have the finance presentation in February and set goals in March. Staff stated in our order of operation last year we designated March as a finance update. It can be an in-depth discussion. February new members are appointed. We have to be cautious about putting all that into a single meeting to allow time for discussion. Chair Simmons asked what about getting information in February and not make any decisions then. In March we would have an idea for a policy discussion. Mayor Hoyt stated we could do boards and commissions interviews in December, but we have a new Council in January. It feels like we are behind this year already because we had two sessions for interviews. In February we could take the organizational matters earlier in the month, then have a second meeting in February for goals. He asked if staff has an outline of meetings for every month. Member Hudlemeyer noted finance is a unique, heavy discussion meeting. We could have a finance workshop,then move beyond it in our meetings. Staff stated parts of the year are planned. We leave room to plan and review applications. We don't want to over plan. Having the finance update in March gives the EDA time to get a financial grasp on what we have and want to do based on Council's EDA Minutes(Regular) January 28,2021 Page 5 budget. We bring a recommendation to Council. Two meetings can be designated per month. It will take time to develop a strategic plan. We will have two or three joint meetings with the City Council. Chair Simmons asked if the joint meetings will be just EDA and Council or EDA/Planning Commission/ Council. Member Bernhjelm noted it would be more important to have EDA and Council meetings. Mayor Hoyt stated if we need more time at meetings or more meetings to create efficiencies, he doesn't want to put in time limits. He would rather have productive 1.5 hour meetings than three, 45 minute non-productive meetings. If we are not doing anything with the wayfinding signs,then let's not spend time on it. Chair Simmons supported having more meetings to get work done. Member Hudlemeyer agreed. 9. DIRECTOR'S REPORT a) January Director's Report Dakota County has released round 4 of a small business relief program for grants up to $15,000. It will be open January 21 —February 12. It is meant to catch those businesses that were overlooked or need more assistance. The EDA was given the Open To Business year end report and the Dakota County CDA foreclosure report. The next meeting is February 25. All boards and commissions hold their organizational meetings in February as that is when terms start. Staff has seen a large surge in residential development. There is a plat going to the City Council meeting for hundreds of new single-family homes. Chair Simmons asked staff to follow up on the Open to Business report showing a higher percent of no data reported. Applicants must be a Dakota County resident to use the program. Staff stated there are advisors in other counties so there could be inquiries from them. 10. ADJOURN MOTION by Hoyt, second by Bernhjelm to adjourn at 7:26 p.m. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. Respectfully submitted, a j.vutY►ia MutUer Cynthia Muller Administrative Assistant