Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/02/2021 EDAC Minutes CITY OF LINO LAKES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES I. CALL TO ORDER Chair Schueller called the Economic Development Advisory Committee meeting to order at 8:02 A.M. on September 2, 2021. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Mr. Cravero made a MOTION to approve the August 5, 2021 Meeting Minutes. Motion was supported by Mr. Vojtech, passing unanimously. III. DISCUSSION ITEMS A. 5-Year Strategic Plan Mr. Grochala, Community Development Director, presented the staff report. EDAC is in the process of updating the 5 Year Economic Development Strategic Plan. Staff has assembled 5 areas of focus for consideration in the 2021 – 2025 plan. If the EDAC is supportive of these five areas, staff will develop action steps to incorporate into a final document for consideration. Mr. Cravero commented he is supportive of the goals outlined in the staff report. He added the City needs to develop strategies for attracting businesses to Lino Lakes. Mr. Grochala agreed, the City needs to promote its advantages such as location within the metropolitan region. He stated this will be included when we update marketing and outreach materials. Mr. Vojtech asked about Lino Lakes demographics. DATE : September 2, 2021 TIME STARTED : 8:02 A.M. TIME ENDED : 9:02 A.M. MEMBERS PRESENT : Jim Schueller, Andrew Cravero, Nathan Vojtech, Patrick Kohler, Thomas Colgan, Chad Wagner MEMBERS ABSENT : Julie Jeffrey-Schwartz, Don Johnson STAFF PRESENT : Michael Grochala, Jessica Eller Economic Development Advisory Committee September 2, 2021 Page 2 APPROVED MINUTES Mr. Grochala stated Lino Lakes’ population is aging. He commented population growth was lower than projected and household size is shrinking. Mr. Grochala stated the City is considering doing a property tax analysis. Lino Lakes’ biggest assets are accessibility and availability of land. Mr. Cravero asked why White Bear Lake Township is so successful at attracting development along the Centerville Road corridor. Mr. Grochala commented there is a very active property owner in that corridor. Furthermore, the roads are accessible to sewer and water. In Lino Lakes, there are a few developers that own large swaths of land that are not ready to sell. Additionally, the lots are not serviced by water and sewer so the readiness factor is not there. Mr. Wagner commented on Lino Lakes’ demographics and stated that marketing the City to a younger age group might not be advantageous. Mr. Cravero commented if the City wants to attract younger residents maybe we have to consider developments that appeal to them such as apartment complexes. Mr. Grochala commented when considering these developments, it is important the City gets the product we want. He agreed with Mr. Cravero, commenting that younger demographics do not have many housing options in the City. Mr. Kohler commented he was interested in seeing what the cost of rent would be for that project and if they would attract younger residents. Mr. Colgan commented retail businesses tend to look for areas with large proportions of empty nesters with disposable income to exploit. Mr. Grochala stated Lino Lakes has one of the highest median household incomes in the county. He stated it might be beneficial to do a market study of the community. Mr. Vojtech commented on the demographics of his community and stated he has noticed younger residents moving into his neighborhood. Mr. Grochala commented the demographics will change. He commented he would like to do a tax analysis and look for ways to diversify the city’s tax base. The City is predominantly single family and is susceptible from a tax base standpoint to swing in that market. He also stated he would like to take a look at tax generation and the differences between multi-family and commercial. Mr. Kohler asked what the service impacts are for the apartments in Town Center. Economic Development Advisory Committee September 2, 2021 Page 3 APPROVED MINUTES Mr. Grochala commented public safety does receive calls to this location. However, he would like to compare a multi-unit building to a residential area or commercial to determine the service impacts. Mr. Wagner stated employers are struggling to find workers. In Lino Lakes, our problem is there is not affordable housing for the employees to live. Chair Schueller asked what marketing strategies the City has used in the past. Mr. Grochala stated most of the Cities marketing material has been geared toward industrial/manufacturing development. The City has identified transportation systems, fiber accessibility, labor market, education, and the trails and park system to market the City. As we work on updating our marketing material, we can determine what to include to best promote Lino Lakes. Mr. Vojtech asked if we would be building off a previous brochure that featured a map of Lino Lakes and its proximity to Minneapolis and St. Paul. Mr. Grochala commented we would likely start by updating that brochure. Mr. Vojtech stated he really liked the illustration because it showed how accessible both highways are. Mr. Grochala agreed. He asked the committee if they had any more thoughts on any of the goals and if there are any higher priorities. Mr. Vojtech stated the City should prioritize the identification of potential redevelopment areas and strategic acquisitions. He commented he likes thinking ahead and identifying what will pay off in the future. Mr. Grochala agreed. Mr. Vojtech commented determining the role of the Rec Center should also be a top priority. Mr. Grochala stated the City has been slowly evaluating the vision for building out the site and role of the Rec Center. City Council has given staff approval to start working with some potential vendors to run parts of the facility. Staff has been working with an interior design company and branding company to design this site. Mr. Cravero commented while all this planning is taking place, the building is sitting empty and costing money. Economic Development Advisory Committee September 2, 2021 Page 4 APPROVED MINUTES Mr. Grochala commented the state has been leasing the facility for the past couple of months and are renewing the lease for an additional couple of months. Mr. Grochala acknowledged Mr. Cravero’s concern while also stating the re-opening process may take up to six months once approved. Some of the re-opening costs could potentially be covered by funds made available through the American Recovery Act. Chair Schueller commented the first step should be renaming the facility. Mr. Grochala commented the City is working on picturing what the whole campus will look like. Mr. Vojtech asked if it would resemble the Shoreview Community Center. Mr. Grochala stated we are not going to try to compete with a waterpark like Shoreview. He stated they are going to try and focus on the regional park and how that can be incorporated into the vison. Mr. Kohler stated he agreed with Mr. Cravero that the reopening of the Rec Center should be a top priority. B. Project Updates Mr. Grochala provided verbal updates to the Board on current City projects. IV. ADJOURNMENT Mr. Vojtech made a MOTION to adjourn the meeting at 9:02 A.M. Motion was supported by Mr. Cravero, passing unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Jessica Eller, Community Development Intern