Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout04 09 2012 EDA Minutes4646 Dakota Street SE Prior Lake, MN 55372 1. CALL TO ORDER Economic Development Authority Meeting Minutes April 9, 2012 President Hedberg called the meeting to order at 4:04 p.m. Present were Hedberg, Morris, Choudek and Myser, Executive Director Boyles, Community & Economic Development Director Rogness and Community Development Specialist McCabe. 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION BY CHOUDEK, SECONDED BY MYSER TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED. VOTE: Ayes by Hedberg, Morris, Choudek and Myser. The motion carried. 3. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES MOTION BY MYSER, SECONDED BY MORRIS TO APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES OF MARCH 12, 2012 VOTE: Ayes by Hedberg, Morris, Choudek and Myser. The motion carried. 4. PUBLIC HEARING No public hearing was scheduled. 5. OLD BUSINESS A. Venture Fair Promotional Material. Rogness: summarized the proposed promotional material, including a 2 -sided card as a mailer. Back- ground pictures varied between one of downtown and one of the north commercial area. A proposed tel - phone script was shown, as well as a draft letter for potential angel investors. The Venture Fair will take place on Wednesday, May 23 at The Wilds. A $25 registration fee is required, which includes lunch. The angel investor dinner cost will not be charged to participants. EDAC Members: recommended that a picture of downtown be used, but not the one that was shown. Members asked that staff email them a copy of the letter and the final informational piece, which can then be used as a basis for contacting potential participants. No script is necessary. Rogness: said that staff will use a list from the Minnesota Department of Commerce showing recent busi- nesses names in Prior Lake for the mailing. The city's web site, Chamber of Commerce and local newspa- per will also be used for marketing purposes. 6. NEW BUSINESS A. (1) EDAC Report Rogness: informed the EDA that a quorum was finally present at the March regular meeting. One topic of interest was related to the EDAC establishing a 3 -member subcommittee to work with staff on helping im- prove business friendliness. This group will evaluate city codes, fees and the city's permit review process. The EDAC also spent time reviewing the status of pad -ready sites in Prior Lake based on results of the Maxfield Commerical/Industrial Demand Analysis and staff's evaluation of all vacant sites. (2) Broadband Fiber Network Report Rogness: informed EDA that the subcommittee is continuing to have productive meetings with Eric Lamp - land every two weeks with an expected report being made to the EDA in late May or early June. Phone 952.447.9800 I Fax 952.447.4245 I www.cityofpriorlake.com (3) Technology Village Incubator Report Rogness: indicated that the subcommittee has met recently and is now working on a 3 -phased implemen- tation business plan to include City Hall as the first phase. B. EDA Business Plan Rogness: reviewed briefly an outline of the first draft of an EDA business plan for 2012113 and a look out to 2020 and 2030. Myser: recommended that employment figures for Prior Lake show a split between those those employed at SMSC the rest Prior Lake. This would help highlight the extent of persons employed in the hospitality and recreation business. He further asked if labor force figures could be shown, which would likely be a higher number than those employed in Prior Lake. Myser thought the purpose section could emphasize more the key factors related to jobs, services and a strong/reliable tax base. Finally, the plan should further identify what the EDA is to accomplish and deliver for economic development, and the characteristics sec- tion should be moved to the end of the plan. Hedberg: supported the first draft overall, and agreed with the proposed breakdown of employees as rec- ommended by Myser. He noted that further discussion needs to occur regarding funding of the EDA in 2013 and beyond. Morris: liked the plan as written. Choudek: liked the first draft of the plan, and is encouraged about starting to give further direction to the EDA's future activities. C. Consider Approval of the Economic Development Revolving Loan Fund Guidelines and Its Recom- mendation to the City Council McCabe: reviewed the proposed guidelines, which is a requirement of having two existing revolving loan accounts that were previously received from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic De- velopment (DEED). The guidelines are largely dictated by federal and state guidelines that came with the two funding awards in the 1990's. DEED did review and approve the city's proposed guidelines. Rogness: further explained that approximately $200,000 is available in the combined loan fund, and that potential incubator businesses could have access to some of these funds. EDA Members: liked the proposed guidelines and agreed with staff's recommendation. MOTION BY MYSER, SECONDED BY MORRIS TO APPROVE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RE- VOLVING LOAN GUIDELINES AND ITS RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL. VOTE: Ayes by Hedberg, Morris, Choudek and Myser. The motion carried. D. Consider Approval of the Amended EDAC Bylaws and Its Referral to the City Council for Final Ap- proval. McCabe: reviewed the proposed EDAC Bylaws as recommended by the EDAC. The primary changes re- late to a reduction in the quorum from a majority to at least fifty percent, a change in the frequency of regu- lar meetings, and the removal of references to the City Council to be replaced by the EDA. EDA Members: agreed with the proposed amendments, but also identified some other changes that would be beneficial, including that future bylaw amendments be approved by the EDA only and that the EDA may, rather than shall, appoint a replacement EDAC member if vacant. MOTION BY CHOUDEK, SECONDED BY MYSER TO APPROVE THE AMENDED EDAC BYLAWS AND ITS REFERRAL TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL APPROVAL. VOTE: Ayes by Hedberg, Morris, Choudek and Myser. The motion carried. E. Business Inquiry List Rogness: will distribute the business inquiry list via email, which wasn't the correct copy at the meeting. 2 7. OTHER BUSINESS A. Draft May 14, 2012 Agenda was reviewed by the commissioners. ADJOURNMENT MOTION BY MYSER, SECOND BY MORRIS TO ADJOURN THE MEETING. With all in favor, the meeting ad- journed at 6:05 p.m. Frank Boyles, Executive Director 3