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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/02/2012 EDAC Minutes 1 APPROVED CITY OF LINO LAKES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES DATE: August 2, 2012 MEMBERS PRESENT: J. Stranik, M. Kassner, L. Thor, D. Johnson MEMBERS ABSENT: J. Schwartz, B. Combs, L. Masonik, C. Wagner OTHERS PRESENT: M. Divine, Greg Owens, F&M Bank (part) APPROVAL OF MINUTES The minutes of May 10, 2012 were approved. REVIEW OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MEETING WITH CITY COUNCIL Ms. Divine notified the board that City Council has requested economic development workshops after the second council meeting of each month. Mr. Stranik and Mr. Masonik attended the first meeting on July 23. Staff updated council on recent economic development activity, provided council with comparisons of taxes generated from various types of development, and reported on progress with Anoka County regarding the tax forfeited Legacy project. Council requested that staff meet with County Commissioner Sivarajah to recap the city’s concerns and to market the property with signage. Staff noted it would need permission from the County to market property it does not own. Ms. Divine also noted at the August workshop would be attended by Dominium, an affordable housing developer interested in building affordable townhomes in the Legacy site. During discussion, Mr. Thor noted that affordable had barriers to overcome in Lino Lakes, due to issues such as lack of public transportation. Mr. Kassner noted that that people he knows of his generation move areas like the Lakes development in Blaine where it is affordable and association maintained. He added that rental is an attraction within limits because it attracts young people who then establish themselves in a community and eventually purchase a home. NEW BUSINESS Ms. Divine informed the committee that a gas station/liquor store concept on the northeast quadrant of Lake Drive/Main Street was brought to staff for comment. Council discussed it at a work session and indicated that it was a permissible use. EDAC members agreed that as long as the use was permissible, there was no need for a recommendation for it to move forward. Ms. Divine informed the committee that HammerHeart Brewing had closed on a building on Lake Drive owned by Mountain Manufacturing. The start-up company hopes to be open for business by the end of the year. The purchase of its building allowed Mountain Manufacturing to purchase a vacant building within Apollo Business Park and move its expanding business within Lino Lakes. 2 BLUE HERON DAYS Ms. Divine reminded EDAC that Blue Heron Days would feature approximately 45 local businesses at the business expo on August 18. CHARTER AMENDMENT EDAC reviewed a charter amendment being proposed by the City Council that provides essentially a “reverse referendum” process for road reconstruction rather than the current referendum for all road reconstruction that includes special assessments as part of the funding of the improvement. EDAC members discussed their support of the amendment. Two amendments proposed by the Charter Commission were also reviewed. One amendment would provide addition powers and funding to the Commission, the second would place a tax cap on the city to limit the amount the City Council could levy in a given year. Ms. Divine noted that the city’s bond attorney had not yet provided his opinion on the legality and workability of the two amendments. Meeting adjourned.