HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-22-1998
Minutes of the Economic Development Commission
City of Mounds View
Ramsey County, Minnesota
Regular Meeting
October 22, 1998
City of Mounds View, Conference Room
2401 Highway 10, Mounds View, MN 55112
1. CALL TO ORDER:
The meeting was called to order at 7:45 a.m. by Chairperson Cindy Carlson.
2. ROLL CALL:
Members present: Cindy Carlson, Tom Field, Brian Sjoberg, Sean Walther, EDA
Liason Roger Stigney; Wendy Marty participated by telephone conference call.
Members absent: Ron Schmidt, Rosemary Goff
Staff present: Economic Development Coordinator Kevin Carroll, Community
Development Director Rick Jopke
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
Motion/Second: Field/Walther to approve the minutes from August 27, 1998.
Motion carried unanimously.
4. SPECIAL BUSINESS
None.
5. EDC BUSINESS --
A. Update on Mermaid Hotel & Banquet Center
Economic Development Coordinator Kevin Carroll and Community Development
Director Rick Jopke provided the EDC members with a progress report regarding the
Mermaid project, particularly with respect to negotiations regarding a possible
Metro Transit park & ride facility, preliminary Environmental Site Assessment
results, and the City’s application for a DTED Redevelopment Grant
B. Comprehensive Guide Plan (Economic Development section)
Kevin Carroll led a preliminary discussion regarding economic development goals
and directions. It was generally agreed that while the City needs to continue
devoting some attention to business attraction, the relatively small number of
parcels available for development makes it prudent to begin devoting more time and
APPROVED
2
attention to business retention and expansion. Actively Αmarketing≅ a handful of
relatively small, privately-owned parcels that will eventually be purchased and
developed anyway was not seen as a cost-effective or necessary endeavor. The
consensus was to have City staff devote about 25% of its time to attracting new
businesses and 75% of its time to retaining new businesses and helping them expand
in Mounds View. Activities in the retention/expansion category would include such
things as the Business Improvement Partnership loan program, the initiation and
maintenance of the Business E-Mail Hotline, articles about local businesses in
Mounds View matters and other publications, continued active participation in
Chamber of Commerce committees and programs, and the coordination of multi-
party redevelopment proposals. It was also agreed that the City should work to
develop informal partnerships with other organizations having direct or indirect
interests in economic development. For example, workforce development has
become one of the biggest local business issues, and it was suggested that the City
should try to work more closely with the school district and with Mounds View area
businesses to help make certain that high school and technical college students are
getting the kinds of training that they will needed to work for local companies.
It was agreed that this initial discussion of economic development issues and
priorities would be continued at the next EDC meeting, in connection with the
anticipated review of all or a portion of a preliminary draft of the economic
development section of the updated Comprehensive Guide Plan.
6. REPORTS FROM CHAIR, COMMISSIONERS, AND STAFF:
Housing Inspector Steve Dorgan distributed a Memo and updated the EDC on the
progress and status of the proposed Subsidized Home Improvement Loan Program.
Attempts are being made to identify new funding sources, inasmuch as there is some
question regarding the legality or propriety of using TIF funds to subsidize interest
rates.
7. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the Commission, this meeting of the
Economic Development Commission adjourned at approximately 9:11 a.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Kevin Carroll
Economic Development Coordinator