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Economic Development Advisory Committee <br />June 3, 2021 <br />Page 3 <br /> <br /> <br />APPROVED MINUTES <br />that the board needs to identify which sites would be good for development of a data <br />center. <br /> <br />Mr. Colgan stated that if a data center is going to be hard to attain maybe we should <br />focus on attracting an R&D facility along the I-35E corridor and on our website. <br /> <br />Mr. Gromberg concurred that you want these sites on your website and advertise the <br />city’s assets. <br /> <br />Mr. Cravero concurred with Mr. Colgan that he liked the idea of R&D sites. Minnesota <br />is a huge medical device state. <br /> <br />Mr. Gromberg stated the first step is to identify the sites and get them on the website so <br />that they are easy to find. Additionally, we may also want to have a conversation with <br />property owners ahead of time to get these sites ready. <br /> <br />Mr. Vojtech asked if we ever put a lot of thought into how many jobs are going to be <br />created and whether these jobs have wages that could support living in Lino Lakes. <br /> <br />Mr. Grochala stated that each project is a little different and we have to evaluate the <br />pros and cons of it. Most projects have a floor on wages. He reiterated that we need to <br />identify what businesses we currently have in the city and what we want to attract. <br /> <br />Mr. Gromberg stated that 80% of your new growth is from existing businesses and <br />that’s why the business retention and expansion visits are so important. It allows you to <br />understand what their business is and what their needs are. <br /> <br />Mr. Colgan asked what these meetings look like. <br /> <br />Mr. Gromberg stated that it is really about developing a relationship and understanding <br />what their needs are. <br /> <br />Mr. Grochala stated that our number one goal for our next meeting is to identify <br />businesses that the City would like to attract. Some of the other items may fit in as <br />subsets of this goal such as identifying strategies to successfully attract the targeted <br />industries/businesses and updating and expanding marketing material. The <br />identification of properties for potential redevelopment is another goal along with <br />developing a program to assist with workforce needs of existing businesses. <br /> <br />Mr. Vojtech commented that we should talk to businesses about any concerns regarding <br />an increase in the minimum wage. If nothing else it is just another conversation to have <br />to show that the City is on their side. <br /> <br />Mr. Gromberg stated that when we go into these meetings we need to be able to provide <br />information, answer questions and understand their issues.