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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006.11.20 EDA MinutesMINUTES FOR THE EDA MEETING OF NOVEMBER 20, 2006 EDA President Fran Miron called the meeting to order at 8:30 am. PRESENT: Jan Arcand, Jim Bever, Tom Denaway, and Phil Klein City Administrator Mike Ericson, CD Director Bryan Bear, CD Intern Rachel Simone ABSENT: Mike Granger, Fran Miron, and Brian Thistle APPROVAL OF MINUTES EDA MEETING OF OCTOBER 16, 2006 Arcand made motion, Denaway seconded, to approve the minutes for the EDA meeting of October 16, 2006 as presented. All aye. Motion Carried. KIDZ PLACE CHILD CARE CENTER Dragonfly Group has started construction of a child care center called Kidz Place located at 5448 140th Street. The building will total approximately 8,200 square feet with a fenced in play area in the back portion of the site. The building will also include leased office space on the east side of the building. Staff has invited the representatives from Kidz Place Child Care Center to come talk to the EDA about the daycare and give details about their business plan. CD Intern gave background of Kidz Place Child Care Center. The president of the company Deanna Hudella, gave a presentation on the business plan for Kidz Place. They are planning on opening in March of 2007 and will employ 13 people by the time they are completely full for enrollment. The child care center will be able to take in 103 children. The EDA welcomed Kidz Place as a business in the community. UPDATE ON HUGO MANUFACTURERS LETTER FROM THE MAYOR AND THE HUGO BUSINESS ASSOCIATION (HBA) As directed by the EDA at its October 16, 2006 meeting a letter was sent out from the Mayor and the Hugo Business Association to thank the manufacturing businesses in the City for providing great jobs to the community. In the letter staff also asked for a business profile from each manufacturer so we can find out exactly what the business is. CD Intern gave an update on the letters that were sent out and that the City has received two business profiles, one from Intro Tech and the other from Schwieters. Staff also sent out a "Thank You" letter to Wilson Tool for giving the EDA an opportunity to tour the company and find out more about what Wilson Tool is about. DISCUSSION ON HUGO BUSINESS ASSOCIATION (HBA) MEMBERSHIP Staff invited representatives from the HBA to discuss the membership and goals of the association. City Administrator introduced the topic, talked about the City of Hugo joining the HBA, and that the City would help out with anything that the HBA may need to help them grow. He also stated that when they finish their website there will be a link on the City website for the HBA. EDA member and HBA president, Phil Klein, introduced Mike Gainer, HBA Vice - President, and Lois Melamed, HBA member to the EDA. They talked about how the HBA is growing, that they are looking for a location for an office, and that they are looking into becoming a chamber. Mr. Melamed stated that there is some room in the Citizen Newspaper office for the HBA until they find a permanent location. Bever made motion, Denaway seconded, to for the City of Hugo to take membership in the Hugo Business Association. All aye. Motion Carried. UPDATE AND DISCUSSION ON TIF DISTRICT Staff has been working closely with Paul Steinman of Springsted and Mary Ippel on the calculations to establish a TIF District. Staff has attached a map of the proposed TIF District that highlights the buildings that meet and do not meet the required 15% code deficiency threshold determined by building inspections and a map of the coverage test results. Also, the building department has completed a number of assumptions about the buildings the city has not inspected and if they would qualify for a TIF district or not. As we are coming to completion of establishing a TIF District staff would like to have the TIF Subcommittee meet on a regular basis again. CD Intern gave updates on the coverage and building inspection tests that the City must meet qualify for a TIF District. CD Director gave and update on the building inspections and that he feels we have enough information to know that the proposed district will qualify and that the boundaries will probably stay the same. He also talked about the time line and that the TIF sub -committee should meet as soon as possible to make some more decisions about the financing and development they would like to see. Klein asked about what properties we would want to start with for redevelopment. CD Director stated that Kidz Place is already being redeveloped and the next important ones in his mind are the End Zone property, the properties across from City Hall, and where the County road and Highway 61 meet. Bever asked about the coverage test on the Lavalle Parcel. CD Director talked about how the new County road and the ditch will be counted as improvements to the property for the coverage test. Arcand asked if the City heard anything about the Carpenters restaurant redeveloping when the TIF monies are available. CD Director stated that Mike Anderson has been contacted by developers and that if the property would redevelop it would probably need TIF monies. He also stated that at the next meeting maybe we should talk about developments qualify for TIF monies and the application process. Denaway stated that now that we are close to having a TIF District we need to start thinking about a project for redevelopment and get developers in to talk about what we what to develop for our downtown. Klein asked when the TIF subcommittee meets if staff could let the EDA know what was talked about and decisions that were made at the meeting. Arcand asked if developers were coming wanting to develop a restaurant. CD Director stated that we have had some developers wanting to develop restaurants. UPDATE ON COUNTY ROAD 8/14 PROJECT As you know the County Road 8/14 project is nearing completion, with the only details left being the street lights and landscaping. The street lights are currently being installed and the landscaping will be completed in the spring of 2007. City Administrator updated the EDA on the completion of construction for County road 8/14 and that street lights and landscaping are the only details left. He stated that the completion of the County road was important to Festival Foods owners and that it was done ahead of schedule and under budget. Bever stated that he was on the landscape committee and he was very pleased with how the landscape plan turned out. Klein asked about Lino Lakes project for the County road. CD Director stated that the project will be constructed in a couple of years and that is more difficult than they expected. DISCUSSION ON HEAVY INDUSTRIAL PARK IN HUGO At the September 18, 2006 EDA meeting there was discussion on if Hugo should consider a location for a heavy industrial park in the City. Staff attached a land use and zoning map in the packet for discussion on where this location could be. CD intern gave background on the topic. CD Director stated that we should talk about this when we do the comprehensive plan update. Staff will get the Council and Commissions together to talk about the update sometime in January. DISCUSSION ON WASHINGTON COUNTY AND ITS COMMUNITIES COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY Washington County has provided the City with a draft proposal for a comprehensive economic development strategy for the County and its communities. The proposal is suggesting that there be a partnership with the County and its cities to work together on appropriate economic growth within the County. Staff attached the draft proposal for the EDA to review and comment. ADJOURNMENT Arcand made motion, Denaway seconded to adjourn the meeting at 10:20 am All aye. Motion carried.