6.1. EDSR 01-16-2018
Request for Action
To Item Number
Economic Development Authority 6.1
Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by
General Business January 16, 2018 Amanda Othoudt, EDD
Item Description Reviewed by
Confirmation and Recognition of New Cal Portner, City Administrator
Commissioners
Reviewed by
Action Requested
Confirm, by motion, reappointment of Commissioner Bryan Provo
Background/Discussion
EDA Bylaws suggest the EDA confirm and recognize any new commissioners at the Annual Meeting.
This year, Bryan Provo was reappointed commissioner by Mayor Dietz and confirmed by the City
Council. The terms of commissioners are as follows:
Jerry Olson, Term Expires: 12/31/18
Jennifer Wagner, Term Expires: 12/31/18
Nate Ovall, Term Expires: 12/31/20
Matthew Westgaard, Term Expires: 12/31/20
Bryan Provo, Term Expires: 12/31/23
Dan Tveite, Term Expires: 12/31/18
Charlie Blesener, Term Expires: 12/31/22
There are no term limits for EDA Commissioners.
Financial Impact
N/A
Attachments
N/A
The Elk River Vision
A welcoming community with revolutionary and spirited resourcefulness, exceptional
service, and community engagement that encourages and inspires prosperity
Economic Development
Year-end Activity Summary 2017
Director’s Message
Why Elk River?
The City of Elk River strives to be proactive and take actions to facilitate
Elk River has developed a reputation as the
business growth, redevelopment, housing diversity, and reinvestment in
light industrial hub of the Northwest metro.
the community. While job growth, business and wage growth remain
robust, we will continue to push to higher levels in 2018.
Businesses have taken notice of our skilled
workforce, transportation access, pro-
In 2017, we experienced a boost in our local economy. We saw 113 new
business climate, and area schools that
single family housing starts, a 35% increase over the previous year.
actively collaborate with local companies to
Although no new commercial/industrial buildings were built in 2017, we
meet their workforce needs.
have seen an increase in commercial/industrial redevelopment projects.
Elk River is dedicated to development and
We also made 24 Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) visits this
you can count on us to work hard for you
year! BR&E visits help us gauge the strength of our business climate,
by:
help us improve our services and identify opportunities to support and
grow our local businesses.
Assisting existing businesses with their
expansion and growth needs.
The EDA added the Beautification Committee which gained popularity
as the year progressed. Ten businesses in the community were selected to
Assisting companies with relocation to
receive awards recognizing them for either making substantial
Elk River.
improvements to their property or maintaining their properties in an
Maintaining a “how do we get this done”
attractive manner.
culture, shared by elected leaders and
In 2017, we received 16 inquiries from companies wanting information
city staff.
on how to expand, relocate, or start new. Although, not all of them will
Seeking creative combinations of city,
solidify plans to develop projects over the next year, we keep the line of
county and state financing tools
communication open so when they are ready to make that next step, we
are here to help.
In 2017, the Elk River Economic
Development Authority in collaboration
In 2018, we look forward to attracting our targeted industries to our
with the Housing and Redevelopment
community to strengthen and diversify our tax base.
Authority completed a review of all of our
financial policies in an effort to create more
user-friendly applications.
The EDA and the HRA also joined forces
to create a Joint Finance Committee to
Amanda Othoudt, EDFP
review all financial applications going
Economic Development Director
forward.
aothoudt@ElkRiverMN.gov
13065 Orono Parkway
Elk River, MN 55330
763.635.1042 * www.ElkRiver.MN.gov
Working to Grow Our Local Economy
Business owners consider many factors when deciding where to locate or grow their companies. One reason many
find Elk River attractive is its Midwestern work ethic, focus on alternative energy, and public/private sector
economic development partners eager to assist getting projects off the ground. Elk River EDA is proud to be one
of those partners.
Economic Development Authority continues to assist in local
business growth since it was established in 1987.
Project Tracking Report 2017 – City Incentive Provided
Project Year Company Acreage Jobs to Total Private Capital Increase in Tax
Developed be City Investment Base
created Incentive
2016-2017 Die Concepts, Inc. 0 12 $335,200 $926,000 $9,025
2017-2018 Truck Shop 2.5 5 $75,000 $1,287,100 $10,518
Total 2.5 17 $410,200 $2,213,100 $19,543
Die Concepts, Inc. completed their project in early 2017. The project resulted in the creation of 12 new
fulltime jobs in Elk River and an increase of $9,025 in annual property taxes. Employee wages range from
$23 per hour to $29 per hour. They have since added another fulltime employee.
The Truck Shop Project is a redevelopment project located along Proctor Avenue. The project will feature a
7,216 square foot light maintenance facility for Beaudry Oil & Propane Company. They will be creating five
new fulltime jobs paying $15 per hour.
Project Tracking Report 2017 – No City Incentive Provided
Project Year Company Acreage Jobs to be Building Capital Increase in Tax
Developed created Permit Investment Base
Revenue
2017 Chow 6.08 125 $65,285 $3,500,000 $42,300
2017-2018 Elk River Senior 4.49 60 $320,684 $18,000,000 $149,600
Living – 100 Units
2017-2018 Sherburne County 9.50 5 $577,423 $63,000,000 N/A
Govt. Center
Total 20.07 190 $963,392 $84,500,000 $191,900
CHOW Mixed Grill and BBQ opened their doors on October 12, 2017. They employ over 125 full and part
time employees. The restaurant features 8,654 square feet and can accommodate approximately 200 people.
Elk River Senior Living is currently under construction. They are projected to open July 1, 2018. The facility
features 100 units of independent living, assisted living and memory care.
Marketing the city as a destination in 2017
We continue to partner with Sherburne County, Greater MSP, and Minnesota Marketing Partnership
through the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The
partnerships allow us the opportunity to leverage our current marketing budget, attend market visit s,
conferences and trade shows that revolve around our four targeted industries.
We
Staff connected with the Minnesota Twins, Vikings, Wild and Timberwolves through paid advertisements in
each affiliates yearbook. Each ad increased the city’s exposure by over 10,000 impressions. The city was one
of several sponsors of the annual Minnesota Familiarization (FAM) Tour, which was attended by six site
selectors from all over the country and Asia.
Also during 2017 staff moderated a data center forum, participated in an EDAM webinar with Xcel Energy,
Great River Energy, Dakota Electric and GreaterMSP, presented at the Real Estate Journal Data Center
Summit and exhibited at the annual MNCAR Expo and the annual Elk River Chamber Golf Tournament.
2017 Advertisements
Magazines Subscribers Cost Cost/impression
10 333,250 $26,899 $0.08
Advertisements in over ten different publications increased the number of impressions over last year from
147,200 to 333,240 subscribers this year at an expense of $0.08/impression. The advertisements showcased a
new Vibe/Pulse look to the city’s logo. The Pulse represents a visual aspect of the city’s “Powered by
Nature” brand.
Top Industries and Employment
Healthcare – 4,489 Accommodation/Food – 1,878
Retail Trade – 3,225 Construction – 1,771
Manufacturing – 3,157 Public Administration – 1,566
Educational Services – 2,323 Transportation & Warehouse – 999
Administrative Support – 972 Other Services – 4,531
Population Unemployment Rate
City of Elk River – 23,364 County – 2.7%
Sherburne County – 93,528 Minnesota – 3.1%
U.S. – 4.1%
Demographics Education
Median Age – 35.7 High School Graduate or Higher – 95.4%
Homeownership – 76.6% Bachelor’s Degree or Higher – 30.8%
Median Household Income - $83,585
Median Home Value - $214,900
Summary of Business Retention and Expansion Visits
The City of Elk River and its EDA Commissioners have long understood the importance of
conducting Business Retention and Expansion visits. These visits help build relationships between
elected officials, city staff, the EDA and manufacturing businesses. In the past, meetings have
ranged from formal surveys to informal meetings and tours of facilities. Our local business owners
and development staff have found the informal visits to be the most beneficial.
Participating companies included companies associated with machining, plastics, aerospace &
defense department, trucking, well drilling and geo thermal heating, steel work and metal fabrication,
data centers, nursing homes, and auto service centers.
Aggregate Report of Business Retention and Expansion Visits
The aggregate report generated by Greater MSP is based on the raw data collected through the
Salesforce software program. This aggregate report highlights responses from key questions asked
during our visits. BR&E visits are intended to demonstrate our support for local firms, assist in
resolving immediate business concerns, and identify process and policy improvements to improve our
business climate.