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2 <br />8. Promotional Program: Marketing materials are completed and are being targeted to a <br />wide variety of development, including retail, manufacturing, and technology. <br />9. Economic Development Evaluation: EDAC completed evaluation criteria in 2009. <br /> <br />BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION (BRE) <br />Ms. Divine passed out materials regarding the program sponsored by the U of M Extension <br />Service and DEED. Due to the time, she asked that members read the sample of a completed <br />program that was done in Hugo, and see if it feels like something EDAC wants to participate in. <br />One issue is the time commitment and the number of volunteers needed. <br /> <br />OPPIDAN PROJECT <br />Ms. Divine informed members that Oppidan plans to submit a formal application. At that point <br />the project and the public assistance package will be brought forward for further EDAC review. <br /> <br />BRAINSTORMING <br />Members discussed what directions the city should be concentrating its marketing efforts. Ms. <br />Divine will look into the data privacy issues of having a list serve for EDAC members to <br />communicate. Mr. Thor suggested contacting St. Thomas College Professor Dr. Tom Musil <br />regarding a business and marketing plan. Discussion of uses included restaurant and micro- <br />brewery and focusing attention on home based business to grow into leasing space in the <br />business park. Mr. Salzman offered suggestions (see below) and members will discuss further: <br /> <br />1). Start marketing campaign targeted at Lino Lake home businesses. I know it's customary <br />to court big enterprises with dozens of employees and lots of machinery but with all our <br />inventory, maybe it's time to consider mom+pop. For instance, here is a map of all the <br />businesses that are within just a mile or two of my place and most of them are 1-2 employee <br />shops. My contention is there might be quite a few of our own citizens who jump at the chance to <br />upgrade office space if the incentives were right. Maybe host an open house or two this year <br />aimed just at them. <br />2). Polish up our development plan. I've noticed that quite a few of our goals and objectives <br />don't sync up with our mission of "maintaining, encouraging and promoting" businesses. For <br />instance, while enhancing the natural environment, raising the tax base and redeveloping <br />blighted areas might be pro-municipality, they certainly aren't pro-business. Once we change our <br />goals to reflect our mission (or vice versa), perhaps it will illuminate some prospective areas we <br />have been missing. <br />3). Start holding monthly meetings. I don't know about you, but when my business is not <br />meeting goals, it usually means I have to put in more work not less. I think the same should be <br />said for our group. I suggest going from bi-monthly to monthly meetings to help get us out of our <br />dilemma. <br />4). Move our conversations online to a Google group. This would allow everyone's ideas and <br />feedback to be shared in a single centralized repository. I don't know, maybe this is a privacy- <br />issue or something. I just thought I'd bring it up because right now, I have to dig around for <br />everyone's emails and often I lose the thread of the conversation. <br /> <br /> <br />Meeting adjourned.