HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-27-1995 41110 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION AGENDA
APRIL 27, 1995
6:00 P.M.
MOUNDS VIEW CITY HALL
COUNCIL CHAMBERS
1. CALL TO ORDER P.M.
2. ROLL CALL (Present = P, Absent = A)
Goff Schmidt
Malone Seipp
Mountin Welsch
Nelson Hankner (EDA Liaison)
Bennett (Staff)
i 3. APPROVE EDC MINUTES
There are no minutes for approval
4. SPECIAL BUSINESS
There is no special business
5. EDC BUSINESS
A. Discuss April and May Retention Calls
Comments:
B. Consideration of Part II & Supplements of North Metro Business
Development Survey
Action: Motion
Second
Vote
Comments:
6. REPORT OF MEMBERS AND STAFF
7. ADJOURN P.M.
Next Meeting May 25, 1995
Staff Memo
To: Economic Development Commission Members
From: Cathy Bennett, Economic Development Coordinator
Date: March 16, 1995
Agenda Item: Discuss April\May Business Retention Calls
(5.a)
I will give a report on the following retention calls in April
Print Wise (Division of Deluxe)
Medtronics
First Team Sports
The following are scheduled in the first week in May
Tyson Trucking
Sims Deltec •
Next 5 businesses to meet in May
Community Credit
Hirschbach Motor Line
Onan Corporation
Bestline
The Pak Company
•
Staff Memo
To: Economic Development Commission Members
From: Cathy Bennett, Economic Development Coordinator
Date: April 21 , 1995
Agenda Item: Consideration of Part II and Supplement findings of the
(5.B.) North Metro Business Retention and Development
Surve (BRE)
The attached is a summary of Part II and the supplements from the BRE survey. Please
review and be prepared to discuss trends and proposed action steps in response to
the survey results. The EDC's proposed action steps will be presented to the EDA at
the June work session.
A reception to unveil the action steps and results of the survey is scheduled for June
el 29th from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at SYSCO.
•
• Business Retention Program
April 20, 1995
Part II Summary
Total of 108 companies completed Survey Part IL
Facilities Analysis:
1. Fifty two percent (56) of the companies own their own. facility.
Forty seven percent (50) of the companies lease space.
1.a. Of those that lease space
54% of their leases expire in 0-4 years;
20% expire in 5 or more years;
12% are month to month and 15% percent have open leases.
2. How long have you been in your current facility?
46% 0-5 years
22% 6-10 years
22% 11-25 years
7% over 25 years
3. How Big is your facility in Square Feet?
• 58% 0 - 5,000
8% 5,100 - 10,000
9% 11,000 - 30,000
9% 31,000 - 60,000
2% 61,000 - 100,000
2% over 100,00
4. How long do you plan on staying in the current facility?
5 businesses indicated one year or less (update: one has
already moved and one closed down.)
7 businesses plan on staying 1-3 years.
12 businesses plan on staying 3-5 years.
80 (12%) plan on staying more than 5 years.
6. The following are the main reasons businesses decided to locate in
Mounds View.
Heavy traffic area.
Freeway Access.
Already established business\Live in area.
Visible to Highway 10
Low Rent\Costs
Received incentive from City - '1'1F, IDB
Close to employee base
• Liked small town feeling
Close to distributors
7. What would you do if you needed to expand?
11% would build to suit a new building to own or lease. •
11% would find existing building to own or lease.
21% would build expansion to existing space.
10% would expand into adjacent space.
6% would establish a satellite facility elsewhere.
3% would divest one or more operations that they currently
perfoun in house.
9. Current use of space?
9% of the companies are using between 76 and 99 percent of
their current facility.
82% are using 100% if their existing space.
Local Services:
10. The most common factors that are advantageous or favorable to
remaining or expanding in Mounds View.
Location - Traffic - Freeway Access.
Visible to highway 10 and customer base.
Proximity to Labor Pool
Received Great Assistance - TIE
Close to market
Low Rent
Good local services •
Good Quality of Life
11. Roads
80% satisfied
Sewers
79% satisfied
Water
76% satisfied
11% are dissatisfied to very dissatisfied(1)
Police Protection
31% very satisfied
65% satisfied
Solid Waste Disposal
14% very satisfied
50% satisfied
Hazardous Waste Regulations
37% satisfied
Emergency Medical Services
15% very satisfied
50% satisfied
Electricity/natural gas services
82% satisfied
Schools
53% satisfied •
• Facility Space Availability
35% satisfied
Land Availability
35% satisfied
Local Economic Development Efforts
29% satisfied
Postal Service
78% satisfied
Local Capital Services
41% satisfied to very satisfied
12. What Factors discourage you from remaining and expanding the
Mounds View? 61 companies made comments
Taxes - 33% (20)
Unfriendly Business Attitude at City - 18% (11)
Mall Vacancy - 8% (5)
Condition of Highway 10 - 4
Sign Ordinance - 4
Land/Building Availability - 3
General Competition - 3
Land\Building Cost and lease rates - 3
Crime - 1
Transportation :
•
17. Six Percent use airport for business use, three companies use for
personal use and 4 use the Blaine/Anoka airport.
Financing:
21. Five local businesses have applied for SBA financing in the past and
4 received the financing
CFOIGeneral Manager Lifestyle:
22 85% of the CEO\Managers live in the north metro and 15% live
outside the North Metro.
What you like most about living in N. Metro:
Light Traffic\Quite
Convenient/Accessible to Cities and North
Affordable housing
Neighborly
Nice People
Good School System
Large Wooded Lots
Less Crime - Safe
• Nice Parks
What you like least about living in N.Metro
High Taxes •
Public Schools are declining in quality
Highway 10 Lights
It is not clean and polished suburb
Lack of cultural activities
High crime rate
Too many apartments
Water tastes bad
Lack of quality shopping
What would attract other to live in Mounds View.
lower taxes
Lower user fee on gas and electric
More larger\Executive Homes
Meeting Complex - Quality Hotel
Clean up housing stock
Improve school system
Additional Commercial Development on 10
Better restaurants
Education:
24. 38% use technical and community colleges for training and 60% don't
26. The following number of companies requested information on: •
Business Planning/Management/Marketing - 15
Financial Assistance - 15
high-tech Manufacturing - 3 companies
Job Training Assistance -12
Government Procurement - 5
Exporting Information - 7
Permits\ Licensing - 12
Environmental Regulations - 11
City Ordinances, Zoning - 16
Employee Benefit Systems - 15
Employees:
30. 41% of the businesses frequently have openings for entry level
positions.
32. 43% could generate one or more summer job opportunity for youth.
35. 16% or 17 businesses would be positively affected by better mass
transit in Mounds View.
•
• Business Retention Program
April 20, 1995
Supplements
Distribution:
5 companies answered this section
36. How can City Assist Your Business?
Reduce property tax and user fees
37. Major industries you serve?
Credit Unions, metal finishing, restaurants, manufacturing,
wood, public agencies, window mfgs, mining
38. Major raw materials and service use in business:
paper, pumping equipment, transformers, spray finishing
equipment, hazardous waste disposal, silicones, cranes.
39. Primary factors in improving growth of company.
Competition, Industry growth, Economy, government regulations
• Retail:
41 companies completed this supplement
114. 30% of the companies were not satisfied with their sign.
Would like a lit sign to stand out more.
Current Sign is outdated.
Would like a sign closer to the road.
Would like signs larger than 2 square feet.
A larger reader board.
Would like a directional sign on Highway 10.
Bigger sign.
Would like larger free standing sign greater than 15 feet.
45. 12% were not satisfied with their parking facilities.
Increase parking ratio per square footage of facility space.
47. 30% are affecting by traffic conditions.
Access off and on Highway 10
Long wait at stop lights on Highway 10.
• 48. A few companies have a problem with shoplifting, bad checks,
vandalism and theft.
51. 63% of the retail businesses have had to summon the police in the
last year.
3 - once a month
5 - once every 2-3 months
8 - once every 3-6 months
8 - once a year
53. 35% of the businesses requested they would be interested in the
following local service:
3 - security survey of premises
4 - robbery presentation
4 - shoplifting presentation
3 - bank deposit safety presentation
1 - CPR training
54. How can the City help your business grow?
Change sign ordinance
Attract more business
More business on Highway 10
Encourage buying locally, especially the City
•
•
Friday, April 21, 1995 ANSWER Page 1
Specific Difficulty with City Service
some regulations.
ostal service- mail is delivered irratically. It's not consistent.
•olice protection - has been broken into 4 times in the back-she gets disturbed because
the police haven't patrolled often and when he did he didn't stop when there were lights
on at midnight. An employee was here and he didn't even notice it was abnormal that
the lights were on.
School bus service is poor.
Postal -would like his mail here before noon -everytime they cange mail people time
changes.
Went to city -they were not helpful about finding people quality in taking their videos.
Attorney general was not helping. City doesn't call.
Must re-do parking lot-signage-over by 30 square feet.
Water quality is poor. There is rust in it and it tastes bad.
Police protection is down. Vandalism in the neighborhood. He has had a break in here.
Should patrol more.
Quality of water is bad. They get somebody else's mail all the time. Neighbors are
getting his mail.
Electric-they weren't getting the power they needed. Had trouble with computers.
Inconsistent rulings by inspector.
Feels - Mounds View gov. is negative towards business committees were anti business.
Slow lights on Long Lake -access to new location is key.
None-other than city's refusal to allow a sign at end of street(County Road H).
Threatened permit doubling/curb gutter had original phast in permit surmountable curb
issues.
State declairs doctors offices as hazardous waste produces. They have a$200 fee for
washing silver down sink. He really doesn't produce hazardous waste. Has to fill out
forms - not practical to regulate them.
Sign ordinance is bad.
No follow thru on permits issued.
Water is hard - not too much of a problem.
ignage/promoting service/used car problem/been better.
ow city government runs. Thinks it could be more professional and smoother.
orked out with chief- not the best inspector-dead out last 7-8 years.
Sewer cost is high. Water cost is high also. Needs to do things about Highway 10.
Schools would like to develop a relationship with kindergraden staff. Principals and staff
were not interested in joint not helpful.
Postal service - inconsistent delivery time. Have 2 different people delivering on the
same day -sometimes no delivery.
City council was/is difficult to work-considered moving on 10- had some problems -
business taxes.
A new company in neighobrhood. They recycle concrete etc. There trucks create dust-
gets in their computers, etc.
Electric Co - NSP - are constantly out here working on lines- parking in his lot. They
ruined a lot of his equipment from power surges. In Sept. and Oct they were here
constantly.
The local economic revolving fund was depleted by the time they wanted it. They had
applied way in advance. Seemed like bad politics.
Building process-was horrible- bade taste/negative attitude.
Problems with vandalism at construction sights. Police are responisve, but unless they
see them, they don't get caught. If they are caught, police need to be stricter.
Pose office-wish there was one in Mounds View instead of going to New Brighton.
Sewers - problem with seal. When they put in storm sewer in as a result sedemant got
into sewer system and eroded the base. They had to fix it.
Friday, April 21, 1995 ANSWER Page ,i _
T WHAT CAN CITY DO TO MAKE LOCAL COMMUNITY A BETTER PLACE TO OPERATE
Better dialog between city and businesses.
Improve school systems. There is vandalism at schools.
Open up a business park. ,P 4111/
Property taxes lowered.
Reduce business taxes-city/water/sewer costs are too high - business is limited by signage restrictions -visibility
(
could be increased.
Taxes- unfair tax shelters for casinos.
Taxes
City be more pro-business.
Leave me alone-temps-the approach -to business.
Have a complete turnover from goy. The council seems pro residential and very negative towards business.
Lower taxes.
Increase business growth.
Open up more businesses on Highway 10
Neet a MTC bus line.
Signage blexibility.
Doesn't get involved in city much.
Lower taxes- better permit rules for outside signs.
Feels mayor and council are most pro-business. They need to focus on business issues.
Ber more understanding about signs.
Bigger and better signs.
Provide a place for business to locate. Tax on business has to be looked at.
Need more buisness property.
Lower taxes
Better communication with city.
Pro-business attitude from city council. Appearance of sympathetic response.
Lower crime rate
Promote local businesses.
Better postal service
Zoning
Make it more economically feasable to start new businesses.
Allow more signage for company.
Put in more retail. Attract a Wall-Mart- Rainbow etc., for high traffic business.
III
Zoning chnage from 1 story to 2 stories.
Can't relate to my business really.
Get rid of rental on corner and make entrance to Mounds View more beautiful - relocation.
Thinks its okay - hasn't had any problems. Mounds View is a pretty small area -there are vacancies that don't fill up
real quick.
Works out of home independetly - not sure. Maintaining nice roads possibly and lighting streets.
Better restaurants.
More retial shop in mall.
Lower taxes.
Revise sign ordinance/curtain speaking.
Property taxes to build a $250,000 building -8,000 to 1,000 more in property taxes.
Clean up the area - keep roadways and businesses groomed - lower taxes.
Taxes- pays an attorney $10,000 to keep taxes doen/compared to a site in Pennsacola Fla.
Lower taxes
Lower taxes.
Better sign ordinance.
Almost like a family -can't think of anything.
Face lift the community-appearance of the community as well-they have been working on this the past few years.
Taxation.
Lower taxes. Improve activity centers for area children.
change sign ordinance.
Franchise fee and property tax I
Reduce cost of doing business- property and franchise tax.
Less city rules.
change the sign ordinance.
Parking spaces.
More uniform permits.
Operates out of home -goes to his clients. So he doesn't have a lot of business needs.
Can't really relate to or answer specific to my business -taxes overall.
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Friday, April 21, 1995 ANSWER Page 2
WHAT CAN CITY DO TO MAKE LOCAL COMMUNITY A BETTER PLACE TO OPERATE
Attitude toward business-too many regs/taxes.
-lave better communications between business and government. Have politians aware of business problems.
ower property taxes.
Improve access roads.
Better road access.
Help with better access from Highway 10 Council is negative towards business.
Help advertise-do local stories about their daycare. Let people know about them.
Lower taxes.
Stop light on corner.
No direct relationships so there are no issues- leave me alone.
More options in styles and structures for office space. He hasn't found exactly what he is looking for.
Works out of home -doesn't get involved with city at all.
More flexibility - less bureaucracy on City Council -time schedule for changes is too long.
It's more of a state issue-cost of doing business in MN is greater than other places.
Larger hotel.
Mounds View has really helped businesses. He feels there are some city ordinances they shouldn't have. But in
general feels the city is doing a good job reaching out to business.
Industrial growth good - upscale retail/office/business growth.
Business climate taxation - issues - real estate workers comp income tax.
City to co-operate with small businesses. Allow them to put out a temporary sign to get them started. Limited time
only.
Need to have easy access to the city.
Feels they are moving in the right direction iwth Kathy Bennett's department. Must be responsive to businesses and
assess their needs such as this survey.
Improve Old Highway 8.
Finalize the development agreement on his last project in Mounds View business park.
Property taxes.
Install new gates at Mounds View City hall (barbeque)
Workers comp.
Lower crime rate.
ecity government
eing ing accessable to businesses so they can get answers.
Lower property taxes.
Regulatory flexibility/consistency/cost.
Lower energy fees. Lower surface water fees.
III
Friday, April 21, 1995 ANSWER Page 1
WHAT BUSINESS ASSISTANCE SHOULD THE CITY PROVIDE
They don't have those types of needs - maybe recruiting temporaries-but they handle that
themselves.
Possibly grants for business expansion. •
Promotion through newspapers -free feature each month in community paper.
Buy Mounds View
Tax reduction -assist him in looking into getting a liquor license.
Help businesses to grow there should be tickets issued for people taking out videos and not
returning them.
The attitude of enforcement-common sense.
Don't rely on businesses for money. Like watershed - business has to pay.
Fill the mall.
Have the city do business within the city businesses.
Signage flexibility.
The monay should be spent more for school systems and other things. Golf course was a waste of
money.
Get information to businesses about taxes, etc. Better understanding of what business and services
are available. Better communication.
Let him put in a small building to put his garden stuff in. Went for a permit to expand and move his
building they made him take down his tin building.
Tax is important to keep down. For business and employees.
City very responsive - police, fire, rules ok. Workers comp. Property taxes.
Directory of local contractor/be a repository for call-ins.
Feels city is doing a good job letting schools and companies about Kinder Kare keep-up the good
advertising.
Some more like this survey-coming around to see what can make their business better.
To communicate that this is not a porfitable business. It affects taxes- licenses are going up.
Financial grants and low interest loans for inventory and facilities development.
Keep doing what they are doing.
Tax increment financing 3,500 sq ft-5,000 for boarding grooming retail
City doesn't seem to care that businesses are there-city doesn't acknowledge uniquenesses of
business-feature business in newspaper.
Working well
Already providing quite a lot of services city dinner, is a good thing - like to see it continue. •
Address zoning and signage-feels they are doing a good job in working on these things already.
Starting up new business - help provide info for people who would want to.
Promote economic development in area.
Parking space.
Operates out of home-goes to his clients. So he doesn't have a lot of business needs.
Maintain quality services-snow plow, etc.
New business-they could make them aware of city ordinances and sign regulations right up front.
There aren't problems later on.
Nothing really
Be more pro business for small business. Be more consistent in zoning. People that have money
get their way.
I really don't like this survey. Why? What do you want?
Establishing networking opportunities.
Works out of home-doesn't get involved with city at all.
Financial assistance program to encourage other businesses to move into area.
Not directly.
Let them have banners so the can bring in business.
Zoning - more accomadating to new businesses.
Finding fqualified/skilled employees - how to produce more skilled young.
Small business support group co-ordinated. So many small businesses don't even know about cash
flow.
They get help from corp because they are just a sales and service operation.
Help with the cost of the sound barrier between business (which was zoned by city) & residential.
Noise issue is a big factor now. Let them park in the culdasac they put in no parking signs without a
meeting or letting them go.
Less taxes -$19,000/year here.
Tax increment financing.
Provide parking ramps.
1111
Friday, April 21, 1995 ANSWER Page 2
WHAT BUSINESS ASSISTANCE SHOULD THE CITY PROVIDE
Just leave them alone-they try to be low key.
Wouldn't know whats available.
aintain services.
etter MTT Service.
I
ity should have a pro business attitude. City should be more proactive toward business. They get ,
a lot of input from residents-not much from business. i�
More business friendly attitude.
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