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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/07/2002 EDAC Minutes 1 APPROVED CITY OF LINO LAKES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES DATE: Thursday, February 7, 2002 MEMBERS PRESENT: H. Juni, T. Vacha, F. Chase, B. Hicks, K. Hansmann, R. Jensen, J. Milbauer MEMBERS ABSENT: J. Schwartz, D. Gorowsky OTHERS PRESENT: D. Carlson, M. Divine, R. Rafferty GENERAL/MINUTES Minutes of January 3, 2002 were approved. UPDATES Ms. Divine stated that the moratorium Task Force met once for an organizational meeting. Ms. Carlson stated that two development plats have been submitted and will be allowed to move forward, even though they do not have approvals yet. Ms. Divine stated that one application for a TCF Bank in the Market Place will going through approvals. In the Village, staff has had discussions with another developer, who plans to ask for a 90-day exclusive to perform marketing feasibility studies. Mr. Fefercorn has not moved forward with the project to date. Mr. Duffy, who is planning to do senior housing, is still interested. The YMCA has gone over the $5 million in fundraising. Mr. Juni said the YMCA has contracted with someone to do architectural drawings and is also trying to develop more programming to raise awareness in the community. STRATEGIC PLANNING Mission: Members discussed the mission statement. A statement will be added regarding the promotion of a balance of residential and C/I development to stabilize the tax base. In the EDAC description that appears in the resident’s guide, it was agreed the sentences should be in a different order. Ms. Divine will see that it is changed in future editions. Business Retention: Mr. Juni asked about ways to identify or recognize when an existing business is struggling. Mr. Jensen said some cities have a retention program. Ms. Divine mentioned she sent a business survey to existing businesses some years ago, and it 2 provided good information. It helps to make the city visible to the community. It might be time to do that again. She stated she keeps in touch with most of the businesses in the industrial park, and some have expanded, which was the purpose of the incubator concept. Mr. Juni suggested an effort in this area over the next year. Ms. Divine said she would bring the old survey and results to the next meeting. Ms. Divine stated a community survey in the mid-90’s measured resident issues. Mr. Jensen said it helps to know the views of the citizens to see if it fits with what EDAC is doing. Mr. Hicks said keeping in touch makes a difference and changes one’s perception of the city. Ms. Hansmann said the Lake Drive Road project is an opportunity to notify businesses in the industrial park of the process and give the city a positive image. Methods to accomplish the EDAC mission: Ms. Divine stated some of those methods include monthly meetings, the EDAC plan and action plan, recommendations to the council on economic development issues and public support in the community. a. Meeting schedule: Mr. Chase asked about the frequency of meetings. Ms. Divine noted EDAC is not a review board with project approval deadlines. Mr. Jensen stated that his board went to every other month, with special meetings if necessary. Ms. Divine noted a meeting is occasionally cancelled for lack of agenda items, and generally a July meeting is not scheduled. Ms. Hansmann suggested with Market Place and the YMCA progressing, EDAC should continue to meet monthly. Mr. Chase suggested a general meeting every two months, and specific tasks be assigned to the month in between. Subcommittees could meet, or the group as a whole on those months. Mr. Juni suggested a brief update be e-mailed to members on the off month. It was decided to leave EDAC monthly until May, then revisit it. b. 5-year Plan: Ms. Divine reviewed the major goals of the plan that was updated in 2000. Mr. Hicks asked if it is standard procedure to use C/I to minimize the residential tax base. Mr. Milbauer said the more residential, the more consumption of services, schools, etc., and cities need C/I to offset the residential tax base. This city is low in C/I properties. Mr. Hicks said he would remove the words “minimizing residential tax burden,” because it sounds negative and has no impact on his decision to live here. Mr. Chase said reducing the residential tax base was a part of the Comp Plan discussion. The tax base may not be reduced, but if a city didn’t work to increase C/I, residential taxes would increase more. Mr. Rafferty said someone moving in has to look at the big picture. The best we can do is maintain and stabilize the taxes. It was agreed to change the wording to “stabilize” rather than “minimize.” c. Conceptual Theme: Mr. Hicks asked about “building upon conceptual theme.” Ms. Divine explained that when EDAC began, the economic development logo was designed, which eventually became the logo for the city. Brochures and marketing materials were completed and have been used for several years. No further steps have been taken, especially regarding signage at the “doors” and “windows” to the city. As the town center develops, an architectural design and character has been established and can be built on. Ms. Carlson said the city is trying to develop an identity. 3 Mr. Rafferty said the Village has started with an identity and was well thought out. Mr. Milbauer said the natural wetlands and woods are important and that identity of the city is established. Mr. Chase said the conceptual identity recognizes that protecting the environment is part of the mission. Ms. Divine reviewed the results of the planning and finance subcommittees that met in 2000 and policy recommendations that were made. Mr. Chase suggested that EDAC goals and the Comprehensive Plan be added to next month’s agenda for discussion. Ms. Divine reviewed goals that have been used in the past for economic development, some are still relevant, some not. Multi-family and rental goals may be optimistic. Mr. Hicks questioned if rental is important only for diversity, or does it have a tax base advantage. Ms. Divine said tax base advantage is less than in the past, because tax compression as equalized all residential properties. Mr. Chase said the city needs diverse housing to not force young people and retiring people out of the community. Ms. Divine suggested EDAC track how the city can provide opportunities for more diverse housing when redoing its subdivision ordinances. Mr. Jensen asked if the city has anything zoned that would allow apartments. Ms. Divine said the only area zoned for that is the Village. Ms. Carlson said there is one 4-unit existing. The proposed land use map was reviewed The one high-density area on 35E was removed by the city council. Ms. Divine said she has noticed housing/commercial development is rapidly changing. In 1995, mixed-use was almost unheard of. Those projects are now going up all over the metro. They are more expensive, and harder to put together and finance, but developers want to do them because people pay a premium to live or lease in them. This will bring areas with more density to suburbs. Ms. Carlson said “inclusionary housing” can mean more quality. Developers get bonuses to produce affordable housing, and it blends in with more expensive surrounding properties. Ms. Divine suggested that when EDAC looks at the C/I inventory in the city it should revisit a couple sites currently zoned for commercial that could possibly benefit from mixed-use. Mr. Jensen said mixed use is not only used for housing and commercial, but also for technology parks, housing and commercial mixed. Lino Lakes is one of the few areas with large tracts of land available for large developments like this, and it should be protected for the future. d. Site Inventory: This was a goal of EDAC, and it has been started. It will go on a future agenda for discussion. e. EDAC roles: Mr. Chase stated that EDAC never had official description from the council. He suggested the council approve the description/mission statement of EDAC to ensure the committee and the council agree on the mission. Ms. Divine stated that her understanding of the original EDAC was an ad hoc committee to formulate a plan for economic development. It gained more permanency and became a board, then later changed back to a committee, to differentiate itself from an official board with statutory review powers. 4 Mr. Milbauer questioned if applicants for EDAC saw the description, and if people knew the role and duties when they signed up. EDAC is brainstorming, a communication conduit to the city council. He said he didn’t know if the committee had adhered to the description recently. Mr. Chase thought the committee had gotten bogged down in specific projects. Mr. Jensen stated the role is visionary and a sounding board. Mr. Hicks said he thought giving sound economic counsel was the role. Mr. Chase said if a project was asking for an incentive, EDAC should be involved in the decision making. Mr. Milbauer stated EDAC’s role is to encourage development, not stifle it, or micro-manage it. Mr. Rafferty stated EDAC should find creative ways to let things happen and be proactive. The Environmental Board usually looks at development as a negative because it is putting something into a natural environment. The P&Z has a set of rules and sees it from an “own it or zone it” role. EDAC has to help tax base, create development, and protect environment. Mr. Chase stated EDAC should be reviewing and, in some cases, recommending a zoning change if it makes sense. Mr. Milbauer stated the liaison’s job is to take information back to the P&Z. He suggested the staff and the EDAC chair go to P&Z occasionally, along with Environmental Board chair, to discuss issues. Ms. Hansmann stated EDAC had no power to make decisions. She thinks the role is to bring information forward, even if it differs from EDAC’s. Ms. Carlson gave an example of a request council received from a landowner to change his property to commercial. EDAC opinion would be helpful in these situations. Mr. Milbauer suggested expanding the EDA (Economic Development Authority), which is currently the city council, to include members from EDAC. Ms. Carlson suggested finding out what other cities are doing. Mr. Jensen said all cities do it different. In some cities, the council doesn’t want to make the hard decisions, so the EDA had just one council representative. It’s a way to get the project done without the council taking the political heat. Other councils want complete control. EDAC is an advisory committee only. Mr. Rafferty asked if he could get minutes from other boards. Ms. Carlson said the city clerk can send them out with packets if she gets a request. Ms. Hansmann said the minutes don’t really tell a person what’s going on. Mr. Vacha asked if staff and council should revisit what they think EDAC’s mission and role of members should be. Discussion will continue on this topic next meeting. Mr. Jensen wants to have a visionary meeting about what is going on in the Twin Cities, what Lino Lakes has that is special and what should be protected. Ms. Divine suggested doing this with the site inventory. Ms. Carlson mentioned that Hugo, Centerville and Lino Lakes met and discussed the 35E interchange. They hope to work together to get the interchange moved up on the priority list. Meeting adjourned. 5