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July 15, 2016 EDC Meeting
<br />Item 5A – EDA Levy
<br />Page 7 of 8
<br />EDA also provides some staff support and marketing. We have primarily used the EDA levy
<br />to fund property acquisition and redevelopment activities like demolition, environmental,
<br />etc. We are exploring a housing stock rehabilitation program as well.
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<br />City of Becker: Overall, the EDA levy goes towards staffing, training/professional
<br />development, dues/subscriptions and promotional activities. Becker is proactive with
<br />professional development and is very supportive of staff furthering their education. Specific
<br />expenditures examples: Attendance of the National Development Council (NDC) course for
<br />the Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) certification, participation in the
<br />Site Selectors Guild to connect to site selectors working worldwide, rebranding, dues to two
<br />different regional development organizations, dues to the Economic Development
<br />Association of Minnesota (EDAM) and American Planning Association (APA), DEED’s
<br />shovel ready process to certify approximately 70 acres in our industrial park, purchase old
<br />homes to be demolished. We are also looking into implementing a revolving loan fund or
<br />smaller incentives, updating the website, participation with the Ch amber of Commerce,
<br />BR&E’s, Broadband Initiative, community videos, update marketing brochures, hire broker
<br />to market the city, trade shows, update maps & newsletters, marketing plan, Twin Cities
<br />business articles, demographic studies, traffic counts, policy updates, etc.
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<br />EDA Program Goals: Creation of a strong and diverse tax base, higher quality
<br />commercial/industrial development with a higher tax base density per acre , a mix of wage
<br />rates which meet or exceed the livable wage as per the City’s municipal subsidies policy,
<br />depending upon the types of businesses that locate here, development and redevelopment,
<br />professional, medical and technology oriented business/office, heavy and light
<br />manufacturing/office warehouse/rail users, business/office park with higher development
<br />standards, commercial/retail centers, appropriately zoning industrial land when annexed
<br />into the City.
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<br />City of Robbinsdale EDA: The HRA/EDA levy goes into the Robbinsdale EDA General
<br />Fund to be used for staff time working on economic development projects including
<br />attorneys and consultants. The EDA has a long standing scattered site residential program
<br />– we acquire severely blighted homes, demolish them, and sell the lot for new construction.
<br />New construction is not for a starter home – the homes are typically 3-4 bedrooms, with lots
<br />of kitchen upgrades. The difference between acquisition plus demolition and sale of the
<br />home averages around $50,000; depends on asbestos removal. The EDA has a downtown
<br />loan program and has also been involved in larger scale downtown redevelopment
<br />involving administration of funds from other agencies – County, Tax Base Revitalization
<br />Account (TBRA) through the Metropolitan Council for the cleanup of polluted soils, and TIF.
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<br />City of Hanover: If an incentive program is approved by our EDA, the Council gives final
<br />approval. Our levy covers a consultant fee, member salaries, and website costs on an
<br />annual basis. In the past they have also funded studies to determine growth of the city and
<br />specific needs for businesses, traffic studies, etc. They also donate to the annual town
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