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July 15, 2016 EDC Meeting Item 5A – EDA Levy Page 6 of 8 What are these cities accomplishing with their EDA/HRA levies? Staff polled organizations listed on the previous chart. Below is a list of their responses. City of Columbus: Advertise/Branding, Marketing, Attracting New Development & Businesses-Retaining Current Businesses, Shovel Ready Program, and website. City of Dayton: small incentives; a business summit that we hope will be an annual event; and other city marketing improvements to encourage new businesses. City of Hutchinson: Our EDA levy supports the operations area of our budget. We typically don’t use any of those dollars to support program activities (those are operated through separate funds). Consequently, levy dollars pay for staffing primarily, along with our marketing. Salaries, Office Supplies, Operating Supplies, Professional Development, Travel, Software & Licensing, Advertising, Dues & Subscriptions, Business Retention & Expansion, Downtown Improvement, Industrial Park Recruitment, Skilled Workforce Development, Fund local loan programs, update policies, etc. City of North Branch: In 2009 we issued bonds for land purchases that the City made for a multi-use development (housing, commercial and industrial). Our HRA/EDA levy is solely used to pay the bonds for the industrial land purchases. Our operational budget for EDA activities is through our general fund levy. City Brooklyn Park: The City of Brooklyn Park created its EDA in 1989 and set EDA/HRA levies in the early 1990s. The EDA oversees both levies as we do not operat e an HRA. The EDA/HRA levies are two funding sources that contribute to the funding of a number of programs. Marketing, Video Promotion, print advertising campaign, launching merchandise sales in City Hall. Vision of Light Rail Transit Station: artistic renderings for planning purposes, DEED Site Selector Program, Open to Business Program, funding of the SAC/WAC Deferral Program, Business Forward Forum, Annual Banker Breakfast, and Redesign Newsletter. City of Prior Lake: The largest piece of the budget pays for ½ salary/benefits for two staff persons (myself and the Community Development Specialist). Another piece relates to the operation of a small business incubator program. The City created a Targeted Commercial Assistance Program to support retention of existing gateway center businesses, Salaries, Training & Professional Development, legal fees, dues, SAC Deferred Loan Program, etc. City of Watertown: The EDA currently supports a building façade and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) program in addition to downtown free downtown WIFI. One of our most recent items is the acquisition of a former county public works site that we are working to redevelop. The