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ISSUES/ANALYSIS <br /> 1. Should the Business Improvement Partnership Program be"reactivated"? <br /> Recommendation: Yes. <br /> Rationale: The three loans that have been made under the Program thus far <br /> seem to have been complete successes. If there are funds available, <br /> we should build on those successes by making additional loans. <br /> The Program is, or could be, one of the most visible manifestations <br /> of the City's commitment to improving the local business climate. <br /> If handled properly,the Program could engender good will and <br /> generate favorable publicity for the businesses that we assist and <br /> for the City itself. <br /> 2. How much money is available for the Program? <br /> Answer: The 1998 Budget allocates $45,000.00 for"Business improvement <br /> partnership loans,"none of which has apparently been loaned,to date. <br /> This is 45%of the amount($100,000)that was budgeted or approved for <br /> the first year of the Program, but I have been told that funds that might <br /> otherwise be available for the Program are now being devoted to the <br /> Community Center. <br /> 3. To what extent should the Program be marketed or publicized? <br /> Suggestion: The Program should first be specifically targeted to conforming businesses <br /> that are located in buildings that are structurally sound, but that are <br /> unattractive, inefficient, outdated, or in need of improvement or renovation <br /> for other valid reasons. If loan funds then remain,press releases to the <br /> local media and/or feature stories in local publications should be used to <br /> publicize the Program in the least expensive manner. An effort should be <br /> made to avoid generating more interest than the City has the financial <br /> means to accommodate, in order to minimize ill will and/or claims of <br /> favoritism with respect to those who do receive loans. <br /> Reason: City money should not be used to improve non-conforming uses that the <br /> City may eventually want to eliminate or relocate, nor should City money <br /> be used for"patchwork"on structures that are in fundamentally poor <br /> condition. Ideally, loan funds would be used in a manner that would <br /> (literally)produce visible results, thereby improving not only the business <br /> in question but also the overall appearance of the City's business district. <br /> 4. What changes, if any,should be made in the Program? <br /> Suggestion: Eliminate the requirement that a business be in operation in Mounds View <br /> for two years before becoming eligible for the Program. Longevity could, <br /> however, be considered as a factor if the total loan proceeds requested by all <br /> ■ <br />