02/07/2013 EDAC Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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1 APPROVED CITY OF LINO LAKES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES DATE: February 7, 2013 MEMBERS PRESENT: J. Stranik, T. Colgan MEMBERS ABSENT: B. Combs, L. Masonik, C. Wagner, J. Schwartz, L. Thor, M. Kassner, D. Johnson OTHERS PRESENT: M. Divine, Jessica Faust APPROVAL OF MINUTES The minutes of January 3, 2013 were held over due to lack of a quorum. PRESENTATION BY MICHELE BACHMANN’S OFFICE, Jessica Faust Ms. Faust, deputy district director for Rep. Bachmann, updated members on Bachmann’s priorities in Congress for 2013: 1) Temporary extensions on tax relief, tax rates, which leads to uncertainty for business and local government. 2) Regulations that don’t make common sense and raise cost of development. Can we accomplish the same goal without over-regulation? 3) Affordable Care Act: Ms. Bachmann is a co-sponsor on the repeal. Many of the regulations haven’t been determined and business can’t plan. Ms. Faust said cities and counties have temporary seasonal employees and have to make sure they don’t go over the 50-employee limit or be prepared to pay the extra health insurance cost. It retards growth. Mr. Colson said the big corporations already figured it out to outsource staffing to avoid paying benefits. Companies may drop coverage if it is cheaper than paying the fine, and their employees could get insurance through the state exchange. It was noted that it is retroactive coverage so young employees can buy the insurance only if they get diagnosed with an illness, so it may be worth the risk. Mr. Stranik said the burden comes with low wage industries. 4) Medical Device tax is a royalty on the revenue from the sale of devices. This could undermine the strong medical device industry in Minnesota. Mr. Stranik said the reason is because so many more people will be able to get these devices under the health care act that their sales would go crazy and would be a gold mine for medical device makers. 5) Dodd-Frank: Congressman Bachmann would like to repeal. Community banks are finding the costs and regulations too difficult. 6) Bachmann is looking at Hwy.10 and Hwy. 94 improvements. 7) Long-term unemployment is a problem. It’s often easier for people to stay on unemployment than to take low wage work, and it keeps them out of the work force for too long. 8) Medicare and Social Security: Bachmann believes those at or close to retirement need to get what they were promised. Reform needs to occur for younger generations. 9) Congressman’s Bachmann district is changed and relocated her office to Hwy 10 in Anoka. 10) Bachmann is on the intelligence committee and is interested in securing the borders.