HomeMy WebLinkAbout02 05 2014 Technology Village Minutes1. Call to Order
CITY OF PRIOR LAKE, MINNESOTA
TECHNOLOGY VILLAGE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MEETING MINUTES — February 5, 2014
The meeting was called to order at 4:18 p.m. in the Little Prior Conference Room at City Hall. Members present:
David Rech, Lori Frank and Rick Bump. Members absent: Gerry Hughes, Kris Pauna and Bob Jader. Staff
present: Dan Rogness and Casey McCabe.
2. Approval of January 22, 2014 Meeting Minutes
MOTION BY RECH and SECOND BY BUMP to approve the January 22, 2014 meeting minutes as submitted.
With all members in favor, the motion was approved.
3. Old Business
a. Updates From Assigned Program Participant/Board Member Discussions
Frank: stated she has continued to contact Black Dog Computer Services via phone and email with
little success. Ms. Frank added that she was able to assist Black Dog Computer Services and design
a tivity with marketing related questions.
Rogness: informed the board he has contacted Black Dog Computer Services via email and Joe
Hendren is tentatively scheduled to meet with the board during the March work session.
Rech: has met with design a tivity since the last board meeting and he informed the participant about
the Scott County Open to Business program. Mr. Rech and design a tivity also discussed the new
businesses locating in Scott County and evaluated opportunities for Technology Village to connect with
companies like Shutterfly to introduce them to the Technology Village program and see if there are any
opportunities for collaboration.
Bump: asked if there are ways the board should be measuring the participant engagement or contacts
and what the board should be doing with this information.
Rech: stated the main purpose of the participant contact is to make sure the board is addressing their
needs and keeping an open communication line between board members and the program participants
through regular contact.
Board Members: then discussed different options for tracking participant contacts, such as keeping a
contact log, tracking board and participant goals, and follow up. Suggestions for the contact log may
include date and time information as well as immediate action items and items for future consideration.
Alternatives for tracking program participant contact will be discussed during future board meetings.
b. Review Process to Fill Vacant Board Positions
i. Discussion of Desired Board Member Skills and Criteria
Phone: 952.447.9813 / Email: drogness@cityofpriorlake.com / www.cityofpriorlake.com
McCabe: stated the posting for the two vacant board positions is available on the City of Prior Lake
website and the Technology Village website. An ad for the positions was also published in the
February 1, 2014 edition of the Prior Lake American. Mr. McCabe added applications are due by
February 24th. After applications are received, the City Manager or designee, one member of the
EDA, the Executive Director and Board Chair will interview up to three candidates and will make a
recommendation to the City Council. The interviews are expected to be completed in early March
with a recommendation going to the City Council in late March or early April.
Rech: recommended each board member contact two potential candidates and encourage them to
apply for the board positions.
Board Members: discussed desired skill sets which included networking abilities, those with
experience in technology or medical device related fields, and financial experience in investment
banking or venture capital.
c. Discussion of Educational Presentations for Program Participants
Board Members: reviewed possible educational themes for future program participant breakfasts
prepared by Mr. Hughes, including: tax planning, Open to Business program, Chamber of Commerce,
SCORE, legal services, mobile apps and digital communication market & growth potential, and mayor
talking points or City Manager promotion on TV cable show.
Board Members: felt the Open to Business program introduction and Mayor/City Manager discussion
would be good topics for the next participant breakfast. The board decided to keep the next breakfast
meeting informal with future meetings being more structured. The board plans to discuss the other
proposed educational topics with the participants to see what they would find most beneficial for future
breakfast meetings.
Board Members: selected Tuesday, March 4th as the likely date for the next program participant
breakfast and directed staff to contact Christine Pigsley with Open to Business, Mayor Hedberg and
City Manager Boyles to determine their availability. Staff will finalize the date of the breakfast after
determining the availability of the guests.
A proposed agenda for the next participant breakfast will include:
➢ Introductions /What is New? (10 min)
Open to Business Program Introduction — Christine Pigsley (20 min)
➢ Mayor Hedberg (10 min)
City Manager Boyles — TV Cable Show Discussion (10 min)
Participant Feedback on Future Topics (10 min)
Board Members: recommended the breakfast meeting is held in a separate conference room within
City Hall; not in the Technology Village space, to avoid distractions.
Board Members: suggested the board begin developing the content and format of the June participant
breakfast meeting in March so there is more time to prepare.
4. New Business
a. Review Proposed City of Prior Lake Technology Village Bylaw Amendments
McCabe: provided copies of the Prior Lake Technology Village Bylaws and noted the bylaws are to be
reviewed annually by the Board of Directors and any changes or amendment to the bylaws, agreed to
by majority vote of the board, will be recommended to the EDA for final approval. Mr. McCabe stated
he and Mr. Rogness reviewed the bylaws and are not recommending any proposed amendments.
Board Members: directed staff to send the bylaws to all board members for review via email and any
changes or amendments will be considered during the March board meeting.
b. Identify Sources for FY 2014 Technology Driven Pipeline
Rech: asked to board to consider options to get the word out about Technology Village. Thus far, the
board has relied on contact with city staff, City Council / EDA, Chamber of Commerce and local
businesses. The board has not had much contact with educational institutions, local funding providers
or regional incubator groups. Mr. Rech suggested that the development of a marketing plan or
participation in local events would help the board develop a pipeline of potential program participants
and service providers.
Frank: suggested the board expand its marketing efforts to include the nearby communities of Lakeville,
Burnsville, Jordan, etc.
Bump: suggested the board update its collateral, or marketing materials, to include successes and
Phase II program information.
Rech: offered to come up with a few discussion points for filling the pipeline for review during the
February work session.
5. Staff Update
Board Member Ideas/Recommendations
McCabe: reminded the board a letter was been sent to building owners or agents requesting property
lease information for 23 commercial properties that either have a vacancy or have had a vacancy within
the past 12 months; only 3 responses were received. Mr. McCabe shared a spreadsheet developed
by staff which lists the current vacancies staff is aware of. Staff has gathered much of the necessary
information, which will be reviewed further during the February work session.
Board Members: discussed the possibility of sponsoring an "introduction to business" type of meeting
which would be open to the public and invite business representatives from companies like Shutterfly
to speak to the public about what their business and their company's needs. The board felt this would
help promote Technology Village and may generate opportunities for program participants.
Frank: suggested board members review the Technology Village website and propose updates or
suggest new information that should be added.
Board Members: suggested a future work session item should be to review the program history,
business plans, program goals, tactics and objectives for the benefit of new board members. This work
session item would occur after new board members are appointed.
6. Adjourn
MOTION BY RECH and SECOND BY FRANK to adjourn the meeting. Ayes by: Rech, Frank and
Bump. Nays by: None. The motion was approved 3-0. The meeting adjourned at 5:31 p.m.
Submitted by: Casey McCabe