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4.1. DRAFT EDA MINUTES (5 SETS) 08-17-2020 VA City of Elk Meeting of the Elk River River Economic Development Authority Held at the Elk River City Hall Monday,June 15, 2020 Members Present: President Dan Tveite, Commissioners Garrett Christianson, Matt Westgaard, Nate Ovall,Jennifer Wagner,Jeff Hartwig, and Charlie Blesener Members Absent: None Staff Present: Economic Development Director Amanda Othoudt, Economic Development Specialist Colleen Edd , and Deputy Clerk Jessica Miller I. Call Meeting to Order Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the meeting of the Elk River Economic Development Authority was called to order at 5:33 p.m. by President Tveite. 2. Pledge of Allegiance The EDA skipped the Pledge due to the meeting being held via Zoom. 3. Consider Agenda Vr Moved by Commissioner Westgaard and seconded by Commissioner Ovall to approve the agenda. -. Motion carried 7-0. I-IVk' 446' 4. :`.Consider Consent Agenda Moved by Commissioner Blesener and seconded by Commissioner Hartwig to approve the following consent agenda: 4.1 Minutes ■ May 18, 2020, Regular ■ May 18, 2020, Special ■ June 3, 2020, Special 4.2 Check register as outlined in the staff report. 4.3 Balance sheet as outlined in the staff report. 4.4 Revenue/expenditure report as outlined in the staff report. Motion carried 7-0. Economic Development Authority Minutes Page 2 June 15,2020 ----------------------------- 5. Open Forum No one appeared for Open Forum. 6. Public Hearings There were no public hearing items. 7.1 Chamber of Commerce Business Survey: Concern #11, #15 Ms. Othoudt presented the staff report. 0, Concern#11 EDA/HRA loan processes are cumbersome. Can they be simplified and expedited? Ms. Othoudt indicated she researched other cities and each city has their own programs tailored to fit their goals and objectives. She asked for feedback and guidance on how applications and policies can be simplified to be less cumbersome. Commissioner Blesener explained he believes the comment was comparing our process to the open market and possibly banks where the process is not as complex to apply for more money. He noted these comments are based on perceptions from the focus group. He added he believes the EDA did a good job on streamlining the recent COVID loan program application and policy. Commissioner Ovall suggested having a different application for each type of loan program as some of our applications may be onerous for small loans;however, more information is required for tax increment and tax abatement. He also suggested structuring the programs to be more responsive and empowering staff to do more review and approval internally rather than having special meetings or making the applicant wait for the next meeting for approval. He would like to see updates and reports provided to the EDA. Commissioner Westgaard concurred with some of Commissioner Ovall's points. He recalls discussions during the listening sessions where businesses felt that due to the complexity of the applications it was not worth their time to complete. He noted often the city is the conduit to state and federal financing and we should be doing what we can to help local businesses take advantage of the funding. Commissioner Wagner indicated some of the documents required seem excessive and she questioned if we really need personal financial statements for all proprietors, partners, and guarantors for a micro loan application. She stated we could look at getting rid of those requirements if they are not required. She added she would like to see the applications available as online forms. She noted she would like to get rid of the blue background on the policies and applications as she has heard comments about poor print quality. POWERED 9r UREI Economic Development Authority Minutes Page 3 June 15,2020 ----------------------------- Ms. Othoudt explained many of the required attachments are used as part of staff s underwriting and for the Joint Finance Committee to thoroughly review each application. She noted she has feedback from previous applicants she can share with the EDA in the future. President Tveite indicated the balance between helping businesses and being good stewards of taxpayer dollars can be tricky. He explained staff and the EDA must do due diligence and make investments wisely. He questioned if staff could obtain various loan applications from a bank to compare applications. Commissioner Ovall indicated he doesn't think our applications are out of line but he would like to see the application based on the program and the loan amount. He stated he envisions a flowchart and depending on the response,the applicant may need to provide additional information. He stated the information can be a lot for staff and the finance committee to review and encouraged staff to focus on only obtaining the necessary and core information. Consensus was the tax increment financing and the tax abatement programs may require a more complex application but some of the other loan applications may lend themselves to simplification. President Tveite indicated review of these programs and applications should never be finished and staff and the EDA should constantly be reviewing policies and trying to improve and make the processes more efficient. Commissioner Westgaard commented the only way to know if we met the criteria is to ask for feedback again. Mr. Portner suggested having the attorney review all programs and applications and redline what must be kept in the policy and come back for review of the discretionary language for the EDA to consider. EDA consensus was to move forward with Mr. Portner's suggestion. Condition #15 The perceived notion the agenda of a staff member can influence the way the city processes and interprets an application. Shouldn't it be a collective effort, or common goal, for staff and entrepreneurs to build and grow the business community in Elk River together? Mr. Portner explained staff interprets written policy on a frequent basis and if they have questions,they bring it to Council. He asked for clarification on how this can be construed as having a personal agenda. Commissioner Westgaard indicated during the listening sessions someone brought up city policy versus staff perspective. He added this issue does not only pertain to the EDA but to other departments as well. He stated he believes the divide may be between policy making and communicating the ordinance or statute requirements. POWERED 9r UREI Economic Development Authority Minutes Page 4 June 15,2020 ----------------------------- Mr. Portner stated staff typically seeks guidance from respective outside agencies to interpret policies if there are questions. Commissioner Westgaard indicated building codes leave a lot to interpretation and the difference between what the code actually says and staff s view on how it should be done can be perceived as a personal agenda. Mr. Portner questioned what can be done to clarify the interpretation when there is a question with the code. Commissioner Wagner stated she hears the most concerns with inspections and building code issues. She explained it is clear from the listening sessions that residents and developers want to abide by the ordinance and building code. She believes the problem is often a communication issue and she believed 98% of these issues could be solved by good communication with a customer service approach. Commissioner Westgaard indicated attitude and approach are one part of it but being good stewards of taxpayer dollars is another. He questioned if the customer is the taxpayer or the new applicant or business is the taxpayer. Commissioner Wagner explained it doesn't matter who the customer is and she believes attitude and lack of communication is what gets developers and others on the phone to the Council asking if this is how they want people doing work in the city to be treated. She has concerns with residents or developers being told one thing when they apply at city hall and being told something else once the application is processed. Commissioner Christianson stated he believes this may come from the back and forth that is sometimes involved with resident/developers and the city. He added it would be better to provide people with all the information up front. Mr. Portner indicated playing devil's advocate if people want to build up to code then everything should be built to code when the inspector goes out. Commissioner Christianson suggested explaining to people why something needs to be done a certain way to help them understand. President Tveite explained he does not believe being a good steward of taxpayer dollars and being courteous are mutually exclusive. He stated staff should always act professional and courteous and if not,it should be a training or discipline issue. He added by being courteous that does not mean staff should capitulate to everything the developer is requesting. Mr. Portner indicated the city has a high standard of professionalism and at times when issues with staff are brought to his attention,he took appropriate action. He questioned if there is a way to get the specific feedback on these issues to see if they have been addressed and questioned what process can be put in place to be sure of a quick resolution when issues come up. P O w E R E U 9 1 UREI Economic Development Authority Minutes Page 5 June 15,2020 ----------------------------- Commissioner Ovall questioned if we could obtain feedback after every loan processed. He suggested a post process questionnaire for the applicant to outline what worked and what did not work for the process. He indicated he would welcome some form of simple or more robust feedback handled by each department or by human resources or communications. He believes generally city staff acts professional,but it gets lost in bureaucracy and some of that falls back on the EDA and Council as policy makers and he believes getting back to the basics will help. 7.2 Propose Date for EDA Budget Workshop Ms. Othoudt presented the staff report. A0 The EDA consensus was to schedule the EDA bud et workshop for Wednesday, July 15, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. 7.3 Director Report Ms. Othoudt presented her director re 8. Adjournment There being no further business, President Tveite adjourned the meeting of the Elk River Economic Development AutJ1ority at 6:39 P.M. Minutes prepared by Jessica Miller. Dan Tveite,EDA Preside Tina Alla ity Clerk UREJ VA City of Elk Special Meeting of the Elk River River Economic Development Authority Held at the Elk River City Hall Monday,June 29, 2020 (Zoom Due to COVID) Members Present: President Dan Tveite, Commissioners Garrett Christianson, Matt Westgaard, Nate Ovall,Jennifer Wagner,Jeff Hartwig, and Charlie Blesener Members Absent: None Staff Present: Economic Development Director Amanda Othoudt and Economic Development Specialist Colleen Eddy I. Call Meeting to Order Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the meeting of the Elk River Economic Development Authority was called to order at 5:30 p.m. by President Tveite. 2. Roll Call ■ Dan Tveite ■ Garrett Christianson ■ Nate Ovall ■ Jennifer Wagner ■ Charlie Blesener ■ Matt Westgaard: ■ Jeff Hartwig 3. COVID-19 Small Business Emergency Loan Applications Ms. Othoudt presented the staff report. Chair Tveite disclosed he owned an Anytime Fitness in another community and would abstain from the vote. Commissioner Wagner questioned what the city would do if reporting requirements weren't met. Ms Othoudt explained the options the Authority could pursue as noted in the loan documents. Moved by Commissioner Blesener and seconded by Commissioner Wagner to adopt Resolution 20-04 approving loan agreement and related documents Economic Development Authority Unutes Page 2 June 29,2020 ----------------------------- pursuant to Covid-19 Small Business Emergency Microloan Program for Pyramid Fitness Group, LLC dba/Anytime Fitness. Motion carried 6-0 with Chair Tveite abstaining. Moved by Commissioner Christianson and seconded by Commissioner Westgaard to adopt Resolution 20-05 approving loan agreement and related documents pursuant to Covid-19 Small Business Emergency Microloan Program for Chow Mixed Grill and BBQ, LLC. Motion carried 6-0 with Commissioner Ovall abstaining as his wife works for Chow. Moved by Commissioner Christianson and seconded by Commissioner Wagner to adopt Resolution 20-06 approving loan agreement and related documents pursuant to Covid-19 Small Business Emergency Microloan Program for Daddy O's Cafe Inc. Motion carried 7-0. Moved by Commissioner Westgaard and seconded by Commissioner Wagner to adopt Resolution 20-07 approving loan agreement and related documents pursuant to Covid-19 Small Business Emergency Microloan Program for Inspire Studio, LLC. Motion carried`' "-0. 4. Administration of COVID-19 Small Business Emergency Loan Program . Othoudt presented the staff report. #-C-O-mmissioner Ovall stated this is consistent with what he expected so action could be taken quickly to help businesses. Commisioner Wagner questioned if there is an opportunity for an applicant to appeal. Ms. Othoudt stated yes. Chair Tveite stated the Open Forum process is available also. He asked there be a report to the Authority on a monthly basis in a generic manner so businesses wouldn't be called out. Moved by Commissioner Westgaard and seconded by Commissioner Hartwig to adopt Resolution 20-08 relating to Covid-19 Small Business Emergency NATURE] Economic Development Authority Minutes Page 3 June 29,2020 ----------------------------- Microloan Program with an amendment to add a monthly report to the Authority. Motion carried 7-0. Commissioner Wagner asked how this program is being marketed. Ms. Othoudt stated it is on the economic development website and social media postings. Commissioner Wagner suggested adding it to the city website. Commissioner Ovall concurred and would like it to be a link from the city site. Chair Tveite stated it is on the EDA pagean easy to fin S. Adjournment There being no further business, President Tveite adjourned the meeting of the Elk River Economic Development Authority at 6;. : p.m. Minutes prepared by City Clerk Tina Allard` Dan Tveite,EDA President Tina Allard, City Clerk; UREJ City of Elk Special Closed Meeting of the Elk River River Economic Development Authority Held at the Elk River City Hall Monday, July 6, 2020 Members Present: President Dan Tveite, Commissioners Garrett Christianson,Matt Westgaard,Nate Ovall,Jennifer Wagner, and Charlie Blesener Members Absent: Commissioner Jeff Hartwig Staff Present: Economic Development Director Amanda Othoudt, and Economic Development Specialist Colleen Eddy Others Present: Attorney Sara Sonsalla with Kennedy and Graven I. Call Meeting to Order Pursuant to due call and notice thereof,"'A meeting of theElk River'Economic Development Authority was called to order at 5:00 p.m. by President Tveite. Chair Tveite read the following statement: "The EDA will be holding a closed meeting per MN Statute 13D.05., Subd. 3c to consider offers or counteroffers for the purchase or sale of real property. The property being discussed is PID#75-757-0205, also known as 17565 Tyler Street NW, Elk River" 2. Adjourn to Closed meeting. Moved I)v Commissioner Nate Ovall and seconded by Commissioner Jennifer Wagner to call the meeting closed. Motion carried 6-0. 3. Closed Meetini commission ssed offers for the purchase of real estate at 17565 Tyler Street. 4. Adjournment There being no further business, President Tveite adjourned the meeting of the Elk River Economic Development Authority at 5:24 p.m. Dan Tveite,EDA President Tina Allard, City Clerk VA City of Elk Special Meeting of the Elk River River Economic Development Authority Held at the Elk River City Hall Monday, July 15, 2020 Members Present: President Dan Tveite, Commissioners Garrett Christianson, Matt Westgaard,Jennifer Wagner,Nate Ovall,Jeff Hartwig, and Charlie Blesener Members Absent: None Staff Present: Economic Development Director Amanda Othoudt and Economic Development Specialist Colleen Eddy I. Call Meeting to Order Pursuant to due call and notice thereof,the meeting o . , \River omic Development Authority was called to order at 5:30 p.m. by President Tveite. 2. Consider Agenda "%4" Moved by Commissioner Blesener and seconded by Commissioner Wagner to approve the agenda. Motion carried 6 3.1 EDA 2021 Budget and Goals Bztaftbl�- Ms. Othoudt presented the staff report. #-M-s. Othoudt discussed legal fees. Applicants are typically required to pay for their own legal services and there is no retainer charged to the EDA. Commissioner Blesener asked about expenses from the Strategic Plan. Ms. Othoudt responded that a portion has been paid and the budget shows a $10,000 allocation for subsequent payments. Commissioner Wagner asked about the budget for marketing mailings and if that included Together Elk River campaign materials. Ms. Othoudt explained the line items relating to Together Elk River expenditures and other marketing materials. Economic Development Authority Minutes Page 2 July 15,2020 ----------------------------- The Commission asked about the continuation of the Together Elk River program as well as what to do about the database of business information they have been collecting. The Commission questioned if the database was a duplication of Elk River Chamber of Commerce resources. Would Together Elk River eventually make the chamber irrelevant? Commissioner Wagner explained they had approached Together Elk River as a partnership with the Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber lobbies at the state level on behalf of businesses. The Together Elk River campaign will be more successful as a group venture. Commissioner Wagner stated she sees the EDA doing the same thing every year and going to the same conferences and wanted to see something different. The Commission felt that a database might help the EDA proactive k with the business community. Ms. Othoudt talked about the conferences staff were hoping to attend in 2021. The Commission asked for information on these conferences and the return on investment for attending. They also stated the amount may need to be a placeholder because of potential conference cancellations. The Commission asked for metrics to help determine what type of businesses and industries are interested in Elk River,what is done to reach them, and why they potentially choose not to locate here so they can quantify the data. They also would Eke to be cognizant of the EDA staff capacity of adding projects. Commissioner Blesener added that he would appreciate a narrative to understand what "seeds" have been planted for prospective new businesses or expansions and the value in recurring presence at conferences. Ms. Othoudt stated she could make summary information available as part of the Director's Report. Commissioner Ovall asked for more information about wetland credits. Ms. Othoudt will work with the Environmental department to provide this information. Commissioner Wagner asked if the Together Elk River subcommittee could operate outside of open meeting laws as an advisory committee. UREJ Economic Development Authority Minutes Page 3 July 15,2020 ----------------------------- Ms. Othoudt stated that the EDA attorney has advised that these meetings need to follow open meeting laws but scheduling regular meetings instead of special meetings may be something to consider. The Commission discussed the budgeted amount for drone footage. In addition to video, the program could provide prospective business owners with simulated buildings and walkthroughs of open areas in Elk River while adding voiceovers. The Commission questioned if$2,000 would be enough for this type of service. Ms. Eddy explained that it would not cover all of the service but would be a good start. The Commissioner asked for examples of the drone companies and services that staff was interested in. The Commission asked about the public art expenditure. Ms. Othoudt explained the initial grant had been temporarily suspended but they were aware of two additional grants that could be applied to in October and March which would provide a total of V 60il awarded. � The Commission agreed to keep a $5,000 placeholder in case the grant was not awarded. Goals Ms. Othoudt outlined the overarching goals of the EDA. President Tveite added that goals could change with the 169 Redefine project. The''Commission discussed specifying types of industries to add "green jobs"rather than specifying a number of jobs. This is in conjunction with the goal to increase energy efficiency. President Tveite felt that over the next 3-5 years the goals of"169 Redefine Project/Together Elk River" and "Begin implementation of Strategic Plan"would have significant opportunities to impact the community. Commissioner Ovall would like more measurable goals. He requested a dashboard report to illustrate how the EDA is consistently working toward their goals. Commissioner Wagner discussed the database that was collected as part of Together Elk River. Commissioner Ovall asked about the format of the database and the resources to keep it updated. Databases are only as good as the information that has been added. P 0 W I R I U 9 Y otm§A UREJ Economic Development Authority Minutes Page 4 July 15,2020 ----------------------------- Commissioner Westgaard suggested printing off a company's stat sheet before visiting them for a BR&E visit and update their information during the visit. The current database asks business owners to enter their own information. Commissioner Westgaard suggested adding the database to the goal of"Market the City of Elk River and gain positive exposure for the city". Commissioner Westgaard felt that the specific tasks of the goal need to be developed. President Tveite added that the commission needs to be bout what they are trying to get from the database information. 4. Adjournment There being no further business, Presidents it adjourned the mei'` g of the Elk River Economic Development Authority at 7:09 p.m --- Minutes prepared by Katie Porath. Dan Tveite,EDA President Tina Allard, City Clerk UREJ VA City of Elk Meeting of the Elk River River Economic Development Authority Held at the Elk River City Hall Monday, July 20, 2020 Members Present: President Dan Tveite, Commissioners Garrett Christianson, Matt Westgaard,Jennifer Wagner,Nate Ovall (arrived at 5:32 p.m.),Jeff Hartwig, and Charlie Blesener Members Absent: None Staff Present: Economic Development Director Amanda Othoudt, Economic Development Specialist Colleen Eddy, Community Operations and Development Director Suzanne Fischer,Building Permit Technician Melanie Crayford, Fire and Building Official Bob Ruprecht, and Records Specialist Katie Porath. I. Call Meeting to Order Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the meeting of the Elk River Economic Development Authority was called to order at 5:30 p.m. by President Tveite. 2. Pledge of Allegiance Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 3. Consider Agenda Item 7.5 was moved before Item 7.1. Moved by Commissioner Westgaard and seconded by Commissioner Wagner to approve the agenda as amended. Motion carried 6-0. 4. Consider Consent Agenda Moved by Commissioner Blesener and seconded by Commissioner Wagner to approve the following consent agenda: 4.1 Check Register as outlined in the staff report. 4.2 Balance sheet as outlined in the staff report. 4.3 Revenue/expenditure report as outlined in the staff report. Motion carried 6-0. Economic Development Authority NEnutes Page 2 July-20,2020 ----------------------------- 5. Open Forum No one appeared for Open Forum. 6. Public Hearings There were no public hearing items. 7.5 Sale of 17565 Tyler Street NW, Northstar Business Park Ms. Othoudt presented the staff report. Evan Moyer, the applicant,was in attendance. Moved by Commissioner Wagner and seconded by Commissioner Christianson to approve the purchase of 17565 Tyler Street NW, Northstar Business Park. Motion carried 7-0. 7.1 Chamber of Commerce Business Survey: Matrix Ms. Fischer presented the staff report. Ms. Crayford gave a demonstration of the Citizenserve software. The Commission asked who received the satisfaction surveys that applicants could fill out. Ms. Fischer receives them as well as the Communications Department. The Commission felt that the presentation of items staff has revised or added, and the implementation of Citizenserve, adequately addressed the issues in the Chamber of Commerce Business Survey concerns #3 and #4. 7.2 Together Elk River Update Ms. Eddy presented the staff report. 7.3 Public Art Update Ms. Othoudt presented the staff report. The Commission was interested in the interactive element of the art piece. Commissioner Wagner expressed a desire for art that people can walk up to and look at. The Commission has no reservations and the project seems professional. PRwIR19 ® r NATURE] Economic Development Authority Minutes Page 3 July 20,2020 ----------------------------- 7.4 Strategic Plan Update Ms. Eddy presented the staff report. The Commission felt the comments received at the focus groups were insightful and they were happy with the feedback they received. 7.5 Sale of 17565 Tyler Street NW, Northstar Business Park Item 7.5 was moved before Item 7.1. 7.6 Director Report Ms. Othoudt presented the staff report. The Commission asked about the timeframe for accessing CARES Act funding to pay for COVID-19 related expenses. They would like to use some of the funding to help local businesses. The Commission was curious if the funding was first come first serve. The Commission suggested promoting the available grants on social media. Commissioner Wagner added that the weekly Chamber of Commerce newsletter may be another good communication tool to promote COVID-19 business grant funding. Ms. Othoudt gave an overview of compiled metrics. The Commission felt it was valuable information and can give feedback on specific things in the future. "Adjournment There being no furth' business, President Tveite adjourned the meeting of the Elk River Economic Development Authority at 6:22 p.m. Minutes prepared by Katie Porath. Dan Tveite,EDA President Tina Allard, City Clerk UREJ