Loading...
08-13-2007 EDA MINMEETING OF THE ELK RIVER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY HELD AT THE ELK RIVER CITY HALL MONDAY, AUGUST 13, 2007 Members Present: President Gongoll, Commissioners Dwyer, Farber, Klinzing, Motin, Tveite, and Zerwas Members Absent: None Staff Present: Director of Economic Development Catherine Mehelich, Assistant Director of Economic Development Heidi Steinmetz, City Administrator Lori]ohnson, and Recording Secretary Jessica Miller 1. Call Meeting To Order Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the meeting of the Economic Development Authority was called to order at 5:30 p.m. by President Gongoll. 2. Consider Agenda Commissioner Morin pulled item 3.1. for discussion. MOVED BY COMMISSIONER MOTIN AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER KLINZING TO APPROVE THE AUGUST 13, 2007 EDA AGENDA AS AMENDED. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. 3. Consider Consent Agenda MOVED BY COMMISSIONER TVEITE AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER FARBER TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS FOLLOWS: 3.2. CONSIDER RESOLUTION 07-03 AUTHORIZING MEMBERSHIP IN THE MINNESOTA MUNICIPAL MONEY MARKET FUND (4M FUND) 3.3. CHECK REGISTERS 3.4. BALANCE SHEET 3.5. REVENUE/EXPENDITURE REPORT MOTION CARRIED 7-0. 3.1. Taly 9 2007 Minutes Councilmember Morn made the following changes to page 3, paragraph 5 of the July 9, 2007 minutes: • Correct spelling of his name from Motion to Morin in the first sentence. Economic Development Authority Minutes August 13, 2007 Page 2 Reworded following sentence: "As a councilmember, Mr. Motin knows that the ert4y rip macy objection the Council had to the dca€e plan previouslypresented to the Council was keeping Highway 10 at grade." 4. n Mik No one appeared for open mike. 5. Consider Micro Loan Extension Request -Badger Ventures, LLC Assistant Director of Economic Development Heidi Steinmetz indicated a Micro Loan was granted to Badger Ventures in May 2005, which matured July 10, 2007. She stated that typically, Micro Loan terms last for five yeazs; however, the May 2005 loan was meant to match the company's financing with The Bank of Elk Rivet She indicated that on July 25, 2007, the Finance Committee reviewed a Micro Loan request from Exic Haehn of Badger Ventures, LLC to extend the loan to the full five years. The Finance Committee recommended approval of the extension. Eric Haehn, Badger Ventures, LLC -asked the EDA to consider waiving the $500 loan processing fee because this is an extension of a previous loan. Director of Economic Development Catherine Mehelich indicated that the $500 fee is used for document processing fees incurred by the attorney preparing the loan documents. She stated that staff has not reviewed the necessary paperwork modifications yet but would not be opposed to waiving the fee if the EDA feels it appropriate. MOVED BY COMMISSIONER TVEITE AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MOTIN TO APPROVE THE REQUEST FROM ERIC HAEHN OF BADGER VENTURES, LLC FOR A MICRO LOAN EXTENSION WITH TERMS AS RECOMMENDED BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND TO COLLECT ACTUAL COSTS INCURRED IN LIEU OF THE $500 PROCESSING FEE. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. 6. Consider Year 2008 EDA Budeet and Resolution Regarding Tax Lew Director of Economic Development Catherine Mehelich reviewed details of the 2008 proposed EDA budget. MOVED BY COMMISSIONER MOTIN AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER FARBER TO APPROVE THE PROPOSED 2008 EDA BUDGET AS PRESENTED BY STAFF IN THE EDA MEMO DATED AUGUST 13, 2007. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. MOVED BY COMMISSIONER KLINZING AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER DWYER TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 07-04 ESTABLISHING THE TAX LEVY FOR THE ELK RIVER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IN AND FOR THE CITY OF ELK RIVER, MINNESOTA. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. Economic Development Authority Minutes Page 3 August 13, 2007 C7ndate nn Strategic Industrial Marketing Activities- Assistant Director of Economic Development Heidi Steinmetz provided an update on strategic marketing. Ms. Steinmetz indicated that staff will be bringing forward a restaurant mazketing plan for EDA input next month. Commissioner Farber questioned what steps to market restaurants have been taken up to this point. Ms. Steinmetz explained that staff followed the marketing plan as approved by the EDA which focuses on industrial and has not concentrated on commercial marketing since no plan has been approved by the EDA. Commissioner Farber indicated that this issue was first discussed in July 2006 and has been discussed at least twice since then. He questioned why staff did not proceed with beginning to market restaurants even though no official plan was in place. Ms. Steinmetz explained that it is important to have a strategy before beginning marketing as marketing is very expensive. Commissioner Fazber indicated that the direction for staff to begin marketing restaurants was very clear and he is disappointed that nothing has been done yet. Commissioner Motin concurred. He explained that restaurant marketing may not be part of the strategic industrial marketing plan and although marketing consultants have said it won't work without going through developers, the EDA provided staff with direction to begin doing so immediately. He acknowledged letters and cold calls may be a haphazazd mazketing approach but it may have planted the seed with some restaurants. He noted that he received an NCDA update indicating that Senators Coleman and Klobuchac have signed a letter of support for the Northstaz Corridor to begin earlier due to the bridge collapse. 8. Uodate on Downtown Redevelopment Plan Taskforce Commissioner Tveite provided an update on the Downtown Redevelopment Task Force meeting. He indicated that the two stakeholders meetings held at Lions Park Center were very well attended. He stated that there appears to be two main concerns with the plan that came out at the meetings. He explained that the first is concern with the trail along the river and the second is keeping Main Street open as an access point. Ms. Mehelich indicated that public open house dates have tentatively been set foe September. She stated that the open houses will be an opportunity for people to view the proposal and provide feedback. She stated that in addition to these public open houses, staff will be presenting the proposal to various boards and commissions for their feedback. Commissioner Motin questioned if the plan will go to the various boards and commissions and then back to the Task Force prior to presentation to the public. Ms. Mehelich indicated that in order to avoid having different versions of the draft plan, the proposal was to receive all public input on the draft plan at once and present to the Council after the changes have been implemented by the Task Force. Economic Development Authority Minutes Page 4 August 13, 2007 Commissioner Tveite stated that the plan is very comprehensive and he believes communication with the public is an integral part of the plan. Commissioner Motin stated that he is concerned with the approach that has been taken at the meetings. He stated that most people are focusing on Main Street and the river trail and that other issues and concerns have been raised. He indicated that he thinks if the plan is presented to the public with so much garbage in it people will continue to focus on those issues rather than the big picture. Commissioner Zerwas indicated that he believes a majority of those affected were brought into the plan at the appropriate time but that communication with those gready affected could have been handled differendy. He explained that some residents received a mass mailing which included a map in which their home had been replaced by a street. He stated that people affected this gready should have been afforded a more personal form of communication by the Task Force. He stated that he feels like the plan includes two red hemngs: one being the river walk path and the second being Highway 10 at grade and Main Street dead-ending. He explained that including these two issues in the plan directs all comments, criticism, and scrutiny to them and other issues or concerns may be overlooked. He indicated that what has received the least amount of comment is most likely to become part of the Final draft of the plan. He stated that if items that most likely will not make it through the process were weeded out, concentration could be focused on the plan as a whole. Commissioner Tveite stated that he objects to the language "garbage" and "red herring" in referring to the plan. He stated that he explained at the last EDA meeting why the Task Force included the river walk and why Highway 10 was left at grade. He explained that he is hopeful that both issues will be discussed again at the Task Force meeting later tonight so they can be addressed in the plan. He further explained that the goal of the Task Force was to have a plan that allows for flexibility, which he believes this one does. Commissioner Farber stated the possibility of keeping Highway 10 at grade still concerns him and that the Council was very specific, 5-0, about lowering it to below grade. Commissioner Tveite stated that MnDot has no plans through Elk River for the next thirty years. He indicated that it makes economic sense for Highway 10 to remain at grade and feels it would be shortsighted to not consider that alternatives exist besides raising or lowering Highway 10. 9. Other Business There was no other business. 10. Adjournment There being no other business, President Gongoll adjourned the meeting of the Elk River Economic Development Authority at 6:15 p.m. Minutes prepared by Jessica Miller. Economic Developme uthority Minutes August 3, 2007 ~ Tina Allard Ciry Clerk Page 5