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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDecember 21, 1998PRIOR LAKE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY MEETING Monday, December 21, 1998 (5:30 p.m.) Fire Station City Council Chambers . . CALL TO ORDER AT 6:00 P.M.: Present were: President Barsness, Commissioners Kedrowski, Schenck, Underferth and Jader, Executive Director Boyles, Assistant City Attorney Brokl, Planning Director Rye, Consultant Guenette, and Assistant City Manager Woodson. President BARSNESS welcomed everyone to the meeting and led the Pledge of Allegiance. He also introduced and welcomed new member Robert Jader to the Committee. Presentation by Mark Cramer Regarding Megabit Dataline Infrastructure to Encourage Technology Business Development. Exec. Director BOYLES gave a brief introduction of Mr. Cramer and an overview of the topic. CRAMER presented a proposal to plan and develop a data communications infrastructure within the City of Prior Lake. He advised that implementation of the proposal would provide a significant advantage to the City's commercial growth in obtaining high-tech professional businesses. Providing a high-speed or megabit infrastructure would be attractive to such businesses because their costs for the technology in Prior Lake would be significantly less than other communities, and similar to the infrastructures in place or being implemented in Hibbing, Oakdale and Lakeville. These types of businesses are ideal for Prior Lake because they allow the City to expand its commercial tax base and bring in businesses without requiring extensive land for development. JADER: Strongly agreed that this proposal has a lot of merit. These types of businesses would fit our community. Recommends pursuing a task force. SCHENCK: Asked if any ordinances revisions would be required by the City to facilitate the proposal? Suggested Mark Cramer and Bob Jader for the Task Force. BOYLES: Brought up the costs associated with the effort. KEDROWSKI: Suggested acquiring the reports that already exist rather than recreating all the research. The subcommittee's first action would be compiling and presenting the information so that we can determine City costs and the next step. BOYLES: Suggested having a subcommittee including EDA, Planning Commission and City Council representatives to take advantage of their expertise and facilitate sharing information within the committees. BARSNESS directed Boyles and Rye to work with the subcommittee of Jader and Cramer to obtain the necessary information and come back with a recommendation as to future action. I:\EDA\ 1221MIN.DOC 16200 Eagle Creek Ave. S.E., Prior Lake, Minnesota 55372-1714 / Ph. (612) 447-4230 / Fax (612) 447-4245 AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER . . . ,. Suggested that the City Council may wish to appoint a representative as well. EDA Commissioners concurred. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - MOTION BY $CHENCK, SECOND BY KEDROWSKI TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE NOVEMBER 16, 1998 EDA MEETING. VOTE: Ayes by Kedrowski, Schenck, and Underferth, Barsness and Jader abstained, the motion carried. CONSENT AGENDA: None PUBLIC HEARINGS: None OLD BUSINESS A. Status of Ring Road Project. BOYLES: Introduced the item and advised members that a proposal for an Official Map was on the Agenda for the December 21, 1998 City Council Meeting. The hearing is likely to be deferred. Reviewed the alignment recommended in the staff report. B. Status of 4.5 Acre Parcel GUENETTE: Reported that the Engineering staff is seeking costs for soil borings for the site. Upon receipt of the soil analysis, costs can be determined for soil correction and wetland mitigation. As soon as a plat is developed for this parcel, it would be appropriate to market the site. The current site configuration and storm damage to the property has provided significant obstacles in marketing the property. BOYLES: Clarified current staff direction and marketing initiatives on the parcel. BARSNESS: Questioned the status of the interest in the parcel by a previous party. (~UENETTE: The Northland project people have not responded since receiving the revised Purchase Agreement. UNDERFERTH: Suggested following-up with Northland and if they are not interested, find out what the issues were. C. Status of Downtown Apartment Project GUENETTE: Stated that the Developer has been delayed on the drawings and potential costs due to a problem with their architect. They should have the information sometime around the Holidays and a report will be provided at the next meeting. GUENETTE: Provided an update on the Deerfield Development. The contractor asked for an outline on how they might proceed in putting together their marketing plan and under what conditions they should approach the EDA for assistance. The information was provided but there has been no response. He stated he couldn't predict their intentions at this point. UNDERFERTH: Asked why Deerfield didn't attend the meeting to provide a presentation. I :\EDA\ 1221 MIN. DOC 2 GUENETTE: Gave his opinion that they are confused about what they want to do with the property, when they want to do it, and how to approach the City for some partnering arrangement. Guenette stated he provided them an outline that would help create a presentation. BARSNESS: Asked if it would be appropriate to set up a separate meeting with just Guenette and the Developer? GUENETTE: Explained that he has done that. The Developer needs to determine what it is they want to accomplish. D. Economic Development Authority Bylaws BOYLES: Reviewed three minor revisions and reminded the members of this year's officer elections. MOTION BY KEDROWSKI, SECOND BY UNDERFERTH TO APPROVE THE REVISIONS TO THE BYLAWS AS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF. VOTE: Ayes by Barsness, Kedrowski, Schenck, Underferth and Jader, the motion carried. MOTION BY SCHENCK, SECOND BY UNDERFERTH OFFICERS INTACT FOR THE YEAR 1999. . TO KEEP THE PRESENT EDA SCHENCK: Questioned whether to fill the Treasurer position that is currently vacant. After BOYLES stated that that would be appropriate, Schenck AMENDED HIS MOTION TO NOMINATE BOB JADER AS TREASURER AND KELLY MEYER AS SECRETARY, SECONDED BY UNDERFERTH. VOTE: Ayes by Barsness, Kedrowski, Schenck, Underferth and Jader, the motion carried. = NEW BUSINESS A. Consider Approval of Consultant Selection to Complete Downtown Redevelopment Plan BOYLES: Introduced the item and summarized the staff report regarding the Request for Proposals to select a firm to complete a redevelopment study. Interviews were conducted and the panel recommends Hoisington, Koegler Group Inc. and Ehlers Associates be designated as the team hired. MOTION BY KEDROWSKI, SECOND BY UNDERFERTH TO APPROVE HOISINGTON KOEGLER GROUP INC. IN ASSOCIATION WITH EHLERS ASSOCIATES TO PREPARE A DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT STUDY IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $41,200 AND DIRECTING THE STAFF TO PREPARE THE STANDARD AGREEMENT. VOTE: Ayes by Barsness, Kedrowski, Schenck, Underferth and Jader, the motion carried. KOEGLER: Thanked the Authority and looks forward to working with its members and City Staff on the project. aw OTHER BUSINESS A. Review 1998/99 EDA Goals and Objectives BOYLES: Reviewed the topic in connection with the staff report. BARSNESS: Suggested providing the Council with a report of the EDA's objectives for 1999. I:~EDA\1221MIN.DOC 3 JADER: Suggested that part of the EDA's mission is business retention. SCHENCK and RYE: Discussed expiration of the Downtown moratorium and that the ordinance states expiration is upon adoption of the new zoning ordinance. The timetable is that the ordinance will be in effect approximately 90 days from today if the Council adopts the resolution at tonight's meeting. BOYLES: Suggested adding Business Retention to the Annual Workshop. MOTION BY SCHENCK SECOND BY UNDERFERTH TO TABLE THE REVIEW OF THE 1998/99 EDA GOALS AND OBJECTIVES UNTIL AFTER THE ANNUAL WORKSHOP. VOTE: Ayes by Barsness, Kedrowski, Schenck, Underferth and Jader, the motion carried. B. Results of Business Retention Workshop BOYLES: Reviewed the topic. (1) No money has yet been earmarked for this program; (2) There may be time constraints because of the amount of time to be devoted to the Downtown Redevelopment. Suggested waiting to pursue a Business Retention Program until after the Downtown Redevelopment Study. KEDROWSKI: More modest effort is probably appropriate. Suggested maybe partnering with organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce. It may be a great networking and partnering opportunity for the Chamber. UNDERFERTH: Chamber only has one individual half-time. Agrees Chamber should and would play an important part, but the Redevelopment program might initiate the beginning of a business retention program. GUENETrE: The most important aspect of a business retention program with respect to our industrial/commercial businesses may be if someone shows up once a year to say "we're glad your here and how are things going". That commitment alone would give them the recognition they need. Also suggested workforce development initiative for manufacturing businesses and that he will get the information on other programs. SCHENCK: Feels it is appropriate to delay investigating a Business Retention Program until after the Downtown Redevelopment Study is complete. Likes the idea of Chamber involvement. BOYLES: Hoisington was selected partly because of their strategies and commitments to gaining information from current businesses. The EDA should be able to get some feedback with respect to this issue from them. SCHENCK: Indicated that the only downside to the Hoisington initiative is that they are concentrating only on Downtown and a Business Retention program would need to be City-wide. MOTION BY KEDROWSKI SECOND BY JADER TO ADD THIS ITEM TO THE WORKSHOP AGENDA SO THAT THE OPTIONS CAN BE EXPLORED MORE COMPLETELY. VOTE: Ayes by Barsness, Kedrowski, Schenck, Underferth and Jader, the motion carried. I:\EDA\1221MIN.DOC 4 1 C. Consider Conducting Annual Workshop Discussion occurred regarding the agenda with respect to commercial/industrial tax base (Deerfield and other options), recruiting efforts and timing of the meeting. Staff was directed to arrange for a half day Workshop including the topics contained in the staff report. ANNOUNCEMENTS OR CORRESPONDENCE Expiring term of Commissioner Schenck as EDA Commissioner. MOTION BY UNDERFERTH, SECOND BY KEDROWSKI TO RECOMMEND REAPPOINTMENT OF COMMISSIONER SCHENCK TO THE EDA. VOTE: Ayes by Barsness, Kedrowski, Underferth and Jader, Schenck abstained, the motion carried. Upon a motion and second, the meeting adjourned at 6:55 p.m. Frank Boyles, Exec. Director ary I :\EDA\ 12 21M IN. DOC 5