01-28-2026 Workshop Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

MINUTES OF THE WORKSHOP MEETING CITY COUNCIL LITTLE CANADA, MINNESOTA JANUARY 28, 2026 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof a Workshop meeting of the City Council of Little Canada, Minnesota was convened on the 28' day of January, 2026 in the Conference Room of the City Center located at 515 Little Canada Road in said City. Mayor Tom Fischer called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. and the following members of the City Council were present at roll call: ROLL CALL: In attendance were Mayor Fischer, City Council Members Miller, Kwapick and Malone. Absent: Gutierrez. ALSO PRESENT: City Administrator Bryce Shearen, Assistant City Administrator Laura Linehan, Community Development Director Ben Harrington, and City Clerk/HR Manager Heidi Heller. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 101 The Community Development Director stated that the City of Little Canada established an Economic Development Authority pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 469, by enabling resolution adopted in 1989. He explained that under state law, a city may determine whether the governing body of an economic development authority consists of appointed commissioners or the City Council. He stated the City elected to have the City Council serve as the governing body of the Authority, with Council members acting in different statutory capacities depending on the action under consideration. He stated while the Economic Development Authority has existed for several decades, it has historically been used on a limited, as -needed basis. As the City begins to engage more actively in economic development activities, including management of City -owned land, evaluation of development proposals, and use of financing tools such as tax increment financing, staff are bringing forward foundational governance items to establish a clearer structure and expectations for how the Authority operates. The Community Development Director explained the proposed bylaws are intended to provide procedural clarity and organizational structure when the City Council is acting in its capacity as the Economic Development Authority. He noted the bylaws do not expand or alter the statutory powers of the Authority. In addition, the City Attorney is preparing a new enabling resolution for the Economic Development Authority because the original resolution did not include the full range of statutory powers available under state law, including housing and redevelopment authority (HRA) powers. The Community Development Director explained that the Economic Development Authority may undertake the following types of activities, subject to applicable statutory requirements: • Acquire, hold, and dispose of real property for economic development or redevelopment purposes, including City -owned land. • Prepare sites for development or redevelopment, including land assembly, demolition, environmental remediation, soil correction, and related predevelopment activities