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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-25-00-00 4 ITEM 2 • CITY OF LAKEVILLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES January 25, 2D00 Members Present: Brantly, Emond, Matasosky, Miller, Pogatchnik, Vogel, and ex- officio Erickson. Staff Present: Michael Sobota, Community and Economic Development Director; Rita Erpelding, Economic Development Coordinator; and Penny Brevig, Recording Secretary. 1. Call to Order. Chair Vogel called the meeting to order at 6:12 p.m. in the Administration Conference Room at Lakeville City Hall. 2. Approval of the December 14, 1999 Meeting Minutes. 00.03 MOTION Comms. Matasosky/Emond moved to approve the December 14, 1999 meeting minutes. Motion carried unanimously. • 3. Election of Officers. Nominations for officers were as follows: Comm. Vogel for Chair, Comm. Matasosky for Vice-Chair, and Comm. Brantly for Secretary. 00.04 MOTION Comms. Pogatchnik/Emond moved to cast unanimous ballot for Comm. Vogel for Chair, Comm. Matasosky for Vice- Chair, and Comm. Brantly for Secretary. Motion carried unanimously. 4. Strategic Plan Update Process Ms. Erpelding stated that the Strategic Plan enclosed in the packet included the modifications recommended by the EDC at their December 14, 1999, meeting. Ms. Erpelding noted that the most drastic change was on the bottom of page 12, where the "Timing/stage of development" critical issue will be replaced with the "Develop and maintain policies and Programs to facilitate long-term quality growth" paragraph. Comm. Pogatchnik asked whether staff felt the time spent on the development of the Strategic Plan was worthwhile. Mr. Sobota stated that the development process met staff expectations and that staff had sufficient time to develop a • quality plan. Mr. Sobota added that the Strategic Plan seems more detailed than Lakeville Economic Devebpment Commission January 25, 2000 Meeting Minutes Page 2 • in the past and that the subcommittees assisted in the development of a more complete action plan. Ms. Erpelding stated that staff has made recommendations on timing of Strategic Work Plan activities. Ms. Erpelding noted that the time allocations are only estimates. Based on the recommendations, the time required to complete the activities is greater than the time available. However, the activities will be completed in a similar order. In addition, Ms. Erpelding stated that with Mr. Sobota leaving, staff may not have as much time available over the next few months to work on strategic plan activities. Mr. Sobota added that it is important to remember the priorities and relevant order, rather than the specific schedule. Comm. Pogatchnik asked whether other cities would spend as much time strategic plans and related activities. Mr. Sobota stated that in many cities activities are completed based on current issues as they surface, rather than following along-term strategy. Mr. Erickson added that this type of planning may be found in outstate cities, such as Moorhead, Rochester, and East Grand Forks. Mr. Erickson stated that this type of strategic planning is not as prominent in the metropolitan area. Comm. Pogatchnik stated that he was surprised at the length of time staff was able to devote to the implementation of the strategic plan activities. He recommended that the public, especially business owners, should be apprised of • the plan. It would be a good way of showing how committed the City is to supporting its business community. Mr. Sobota agreed stating that the strategic plan has been an integral part of the development of a relationship with business owners. He noted that Steve King of the Dakota County Economic Development Partnership has stated that Lakeville businesses are more informed than others in the area. In speaking with Lakeville business owners, Mr. King has found that the owners feel like they have a good relationship with the City. Mr. Sobota stated that Airlake Park News has been one component of developing that relationship. Mr. Erickson stated that the strategic plan has most likely assisted Lakeville in developing at a faster pace than other third ring cities such as Apple Valley and Burnsville did in their development cycle. This success has probably minimized the time the City will have to wait for desired development. Mr. Erickson also provided the example of Maple Grove, which between 1980 and 1990 did not have any significant commercial or industrial development. Then, after AI Madsen was hired as the Community & Economic Development Director and developed a plan, Maple Grove experienced significant office, commercial/retail, and industrial development. Mr. Erickson stated that surrounding communities began to take notice of • Lakeville after the dedication of the County Road 46 bridge. It seems that Lakeville Economic Development Commission January 25, 2000 Meeting Minutes Page 3 • Lakeville's strategic planning has affected how other cities operate. The existence of the Town Square/Heritage Commons plan was most likely one of the reasons the Heritage library was located where the City wanted it. 00.05 MOTION Comms. Matasosky/Brantly moved to adopt the 2000-2001 Strategic Plan for Economic Development and 2000 Strategic Work Plan and present it to the City Council for adoption. Motion carried unanimously. Chair Vogel asked how staff would be monitoring progress of the 2000 Strategic Work Plan. Ms. Erpelding stated that staff will be developing a matrix similar to what was utilized in previous plans. Ms. Erpelding requested that the EDC indicate the preferred composition of subcommittees. Staff recommends three members per subcommittee. Ms. Erpelding noted that Comms. Matasosky and Pogatchnik are already active with the South Creek Trout Stream subcommittee. Ms. Erpelding asked whether Comm. Brantly would like to remain on the Corridor and Gateway Design Study subcommittee. Ms. Erpelding noted that the subcommittees will most likely not all be active at the same time. The EDC recommended that Comms. Schubert and Detjen be asked to participate in the Labor Force Subcommittee. Comm. Matasosky expressed • interest in participating in the Labor Force Subcommittee as time permitted. Comm. Emond expressed interest in the Affordable Housing Subcommittee. It was requested that Ms. Erpelding speak with Comm. Tushie regarding the Corridor Study and Affordable Housing subcommittees and Comm. Erickson to determine his interest. Comms. Miller and Vogel noted that they would be willing to assist with any of the subcommittees. Ms. Erpelding stated that the EDC will be presenting the 2000-2001 Strategic Plan and the 2000 Strategic Work Plan to the City Council on Feburary 22"d. In order to maximize commissioners' time, a reception for Mr. Sobota will begin at 6:00 p.m. that evening. The EDC meeting will begin following the City Council meeting. After discussion, the EDC concluded that Chair Vogel will present and EDC members will provide additional comments. The presentation will provide an overview of the process, the accomplishments of the previous strategic plan, and the strategies. • Lakeville Economic Development Commission January 25, 2000 Meeting Minutes Page 4 • 5. Update on Strategic Work Plan Activities South Creek Trout Stream Comm. Matasosky stated that Barr Engineering has been engaged to undertake a study regarding the impacts of infiltration systems. The South Creek subcommttee will be holding a meeting with Airlake landowners on March 7"' to update them on the status of the City's activities. The goal of the meeting is to reassure landowners that their concems have been considered and that the subcommittee is working to develop solutions that will allow development while continuing to protect the creek. Downtown Lakeville Parking Study Ms. Erpelding stated that the City's consultant, Barton-Aschman Associates, has completed the Downtown Lakeville Parking Study. The preliminary report was reviewed by staff and presented to the Downtown Lakeville Business Association (DLBA) on January 20~'. At the meeting, the participants did not have any major concerns regarding the results or recommendations of the study. Ms. Erpelding noted that the City Council will review the report at their March 18"' City Council retreat. The recommendations of the parking study have already been forwarded to the City's consultant, NAC, for incorporation into the Zoning Ordinance. • Comm. Matasosky stated that he was surprised at how much parking there actually is in downtown. However, he noted that the excess parking is not always in the right location. Comm. Matasosky indicated that he hoped the movement of the USPS carrier functions to Airlake will alleviate some of the issues in the Lakeville Mall area Mr. Erickson noted that there used to be a partnership which owned a majority of the parking in downtown Lakeville. The partnership dissolved in part because of the difficulty in obtaining fees from downtown businesses. When the partners divested, many of the lots were split into a number of pieces, which is part of the reason why downtown parking is difficult for some businesses. 6. Staff Activities Report New Morning Windows Loan Repayment Mr. Erickson stated that the grant/loan agreement that the City of Lakeville entered into with the Department of Trade and Economic Development (DYED) required that New Morning Windows meet certain employment goals. Even though DYED extended the target date, New Morning Windows was unable to fill 5.25 positions. Since the goal was not met, DYED has requested that the City of Lakeville prepay $16,406.25 of the loan repayment. The City of Lakeville has in- • turn requested that amount from New Morning Windows. Lakeville Economic development Commission January 25, 2000 Meeting Minutes Page 5 • To date, staff has been unable to resolve this issue with New Morning Windows. Cary and Alexis Richman of New Morning Windows have expressed frustration regarding the repayment because of the tight labor market situation in the metropolitan area. They feel that they have done as much as possible to meet the goal and so should not be penalized in this way. Staff has been disappointed that the Richmans have been unavailable to discuss the matter and identify a solution. After discussion, the EDC recommended that staff make an additional attempt to meet and resolve this issue with New Morning Windows. If that attempt is not successful, it was recommended that Chair Vogel send a letter requesting a meeting with a few EDC members or their attendance at the February 22"d EDC meeting. Community Development Block Grant Funding Mr. 5obota stated that the Lakeville City Council has submitted an application to the Dakota County Community Development Agency (CDA) for Community Development Bock Grant (CDBG) Funding. As was recommended by the EDC, the application included the development of an affordable housing strategy and the establishment of a downtown storefront improvement loan/grant program. . Mr. Sobota stated that the City of Lakeville requested $34,819 for the development of an affordable housing strategy. The funds are designated for the hiring of a consultant to assist the EDC with the identification of potential strategies. The remaining funds were requested for a downtown Lakeville Storefront Improvement program. Of the $70,000 designated for this program, $50,000 is for a loan program whereby the City would buy down interest rates. The remaining $20,000 would be available for grants for specific historic restoration activities above and beyond standard building renovation. All of the storefront improvement projects will be evaluated based on CDBG requirements, including employment of low/moderate income individuals. Ms. Erpelding stated that staff sent the enclosed letter to the DLBA to inform them of the program since it will be available for downtown businesses. Ms. Erpelding noted that funding will not be available for these projects until July 1S` of this year. Lakeville Manufacturers Meeting on Child Care Ms. Erpelding stated that during last fall's Manufacturers Neighborhood meeting, several representatives indicated an interest in meeting further to discuss child care issues in Lakeville. In response to this, the City of Lakeville and the Community Action Council are hosting a meeting focusing on child care needs on • January 27"' at 7:30 a.m. at Ryt-Way Industries. At this time ten companies have Lakeville Economic Development Commission January 25, 2000 Meeting Minutes Page 6 • expressed interest in attending. Additional information will be provided at the next meeting. Airlake Park News Ms. Erpelding stated that the January, 2000 edition of Airlake Park News was distributed on January 13. Ms. Erpelding added that the April issue will focus on labor force issues. The special edition is being developed in response to interest expressed at last fall's Manufacturers Neighborhood Meeting. An Airlake Editorial Board meeting will be held on February 3 ,with some human resources representatives planning to attend. Unifed States Postal Service Mr. Sobota noted that the City of Lakeville continues to work with the United States Postal Service (USPS) on the relocation of both the retail and carrier functions of the Lakeville Post Office. At this time, USPS is planning to build a carrier annex facility in Airlake Industrial Park. USPS is also negotiating with the Dakota County Community Development Agency (CDA) for space in the new Senior Housing Project. USPS will be holding a meeting on February 3rd at 7 p.m. in City Hall to obtain any comments on the proposed changes to the retail operations. Ms. Erpelding stated that the letter included in the EDC packet was sent to all customers with a post office box to notify them of the meeting. • Inner View Cable Television Program Mr. Sobota stated that the Dakota County Economic Development Partnership and Dakota County Workforce Center are proposing the development of a new labor recruitment tool for Dakota County employers. The Inner View cable television program would be a short informational program that would be available for potential employees. The program would be shown on cable, available in the workforce center, and possibly available for companies to post on their websites. A few Dakota County employers have expressed interest in participating in the pilot program. Workforce Telephone Survey: Ms. Erpelding stated that staff is in the process of completing a telephone survey of Airlake Industrial Park employers. The goal of the survey is to update information about Airlake businesses, determine the number of workers each company has, obtain information about where Airlake workers live, and gain a preliminary understanding of employers concerns. Ms. Erpelding stated that the packet included the preliminary results of the survey. At this time, staff has completed about 26 percent of the survey with information regarding approximately 1600 employees. The results show that a majority of Airlake • employees live in Lakeville, Faribault, Farmington, and Northfield. Lakeville Economic Development Commission January 25, 2000 Meeting Minutes Page 7 • 7. Other Business Ms. Erpelding stated that this month's packet included the Planning Commission minutes. Ms. Erpelding asked whether these would provide the EDC with sufficient information regarding current planning actioris. The EDC stated that the Planning Commission minutes provided the desired link to other advisory groups. Ms. Erpelding distributed a letter of intent from Neil Hansen, President of D.R. Horton, Inc. stating that they want to enter into an agreement with the City of Lakeville for the development of an office building for their Regional Corporate Headquarters within the Fairfield Business Campus. Mr. Erickson stated that D.R. Horton plans to occupy the site by the end of this year. 00.06 MOTION Comms. Pogatchnik/Brantly moved to receive the letter-of- intentfrom D.R. Horton and direct staff to work with them to bring a proposal to the EDC. Motion- carried unanimously. Comm. Emond asked about the status of the Itron building in the Fairfield Business Campus. Mr. Erickson responded that staff is currently working with a potential user for a portion of the facility. Staff has indicated to the property owners an interest in having the option terminated, thereby allowing the City to market the lot north of the facility. • 8. Adjourn. The meeting adjourned at 7:50 p.m. Respectively submitted by: Attested to: , Penny B g, Recordi S cretary R.T. Brantly, Secretary •