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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004 [06] Jun 166-16-04 Page 1 of 3 CITY OF ST. JOSEPH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Al1THORITY Meeting Minutes -Wednesday, June 16, 2004 Present: Board Members Mike Deutz, Larry Hosch, Tom Skahen, Bruce Gohman (arrived at 3:11) and Chairperson Ross Reike (arrived at 3:13). Absent: None. Also present: Cynthia Smith-Strack of Municipal Development Group. Vice Chairperson Hosch called the regular meeting of the St. Joseph EDA to order at 3:09 p.m. Agenda. Moved by Skahen seconded by Deutz fo approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried 3-0. Minutes. Board Member Gohman arrived. Approval of the minutes from the April 28, 2004 Special City Council/EDAjoint session was introduced. Motion Deutz, seconded by Skahen to approve the Apri128, 2004 special session minutes. Following the motion/second Deutz inquired as to whether or not a schedule for future meetings between the City Council and EDA as discussed at the April 28th meeting were to filed by the EDA or the City Council. Hosch indicated he would bring the matter to the Council for its action. The Board then discussed how often such joint information meetings should be held. Board members suggested two times per year, possibly in the Spring and Fall. Motion carried 4-0. Chairperson Reike arrived and assumed his duty as Chair. Approval of the minutes from the May 19, 2004 Regular EDA meeting were introduced. Motion Deutz, seconded by Skahen to approve May 19, 2004 Regular EDA minutes as presented. Motion approved 3-D with Hosch and Gohman abstaining. EDA Accounts Payable. Strack provided an overview of accounts payable and noted banked hours owed to the City by MDG. Motion by Hosch, second by Deutz to approve EDA accounts payable in the amount of $2,155.70. Motion carried 5-0. Financial Report Strack provided an overview of the EDA Fund Balance (year-to-date), Revenue, Expenditure and Check Ledger reports for the month of May and indicated first half property tax payment to City from County had not yet been received as depicted in the reports. Strack indicated payment expected shortly with settlement statement to follow. Expect July EDA A/P to include TIF 1-3 & 1-4 payments. Strack also presented the change in fund balance report from 2003 Audit which depicts a balance of $4,455.00 in Fund 150 as of December 31, 2003. Moved by Hosch, seconded by Gohman to approve the financial report. Motion carried 5-0. Future Industrial Park. EDA Minutes -June 16, 2004 Page 1 6-16-04 Page 2 of 3 Strack provided an overview of the contact that has been on-going with representatives from the Feld property and the Borgert property visa vie making additional industrial property available within the City. Strack indicated the City had received a request for information regarding the availability of a large amount of industrial property (e.g. 50 - 100 acres) for the location of a re-distribution facility. Strack reported information regarding the Feld property was forwarded and one of approximately 40 parcels being considered. Gohman indicated a need to be able to offer industrial acreage in competitive locations (i.e. close to I-94) to be able to present viable options to such business leads. Other Board Members concurred that this could be a catalyst for initial discussions with St. Joseph Township regarding opening the triangle between I-94, CSAH 75 and CSAH 2/3 for development. The EDA concurred time is of the essence and the development possibilities are quite expansive. Deutz suggested the EDA make a motion to the City Council to put the project on its task list. EDA Board Members agreed a motion may facilitate the process in the immediate future. Motion Deutz, second Skahen to recommend the City Council proactively authorize and initiate a dialogue with St. Joseph Township regarding the expeditious processing of requests for future development adjacent to arterial roadways. Motion passed 5-0. Strack provided an update on the discussions with representatives of SKN/Borgert surrounding the possibility of splitting and/or re-subdividing industrial acreage. Referral of Industrial Leads to Township Industrial Park. Deutz recused himself from the EDA Board. Chairperson Reike introduced the agenda item and indicated those present at the previous EDA meeting did not constitute a quorum following the recusal of Deutz. Therefore, this agenda item was carried over from the previous meeting. Skahen clarified his desire to refer to the issue as the 'referral of leads' versus the 'marketing of the industrial park'. The EDA previously received a request that staff initiate the transfer of information regarding the industrial park when suitable developers contact the City. At the present time, pursuant to a discussion at an EDA meeting in November of 2003, staff acknowledge the presence of the park if a perspective developer broaches the subject. In addition, upon receiving a lead the EDA currently makes every possible effort to exhaust all development possibilities within the City. If all efforts are exhausted the EDA forwards the lead to the St. Cloud Area Economic Development Partnership for regional distribution. The township industrial park is registered with the Partnership. The EDA Board discussed: the benefit of regional economic development on the local economy; the benefits of exhausting every possible alternative for location/expansion within the City of St. Joseph prior to referring leads to other areas; the City's role in information distribution and `customer' relations; and the pros/cons of referring leads directly to other industrial park owners versus to the St. Cloud Area Economic Development Partnership. Deutz departed the meeting at 4:03 p.m. Consensus of the EDA Board is to not deviate from the current policy. Legislative Update Strack provided an update on legislative action/non-action potentially impacting economic development locally, including but not limited to: inclusion of a $14 million allocation in the State bonding bill for the Greater Minnesota Business Development Infrastructure Program (not acted upon); inclusion of a $1 million allocation in the State bonding bill for a new program entitled the Broadband Infrastructure Grant Program" (not acted upon); changes in TIF statutes primarily affecting Housing TIF which was included in the omnibus bill (not acted upon); and, extension of tax abatement eligibility period which was included in EDA Minutes -June 16, 2004 Page 2 6-16-04 Page 3 of 3 the omnibus bill (not acted upon). Whether or not a special session will be convened to consider the bonding or omnibus bills is uncertain at this time. Prospect ListlActivity Report. A report outlining communication with various contacts was included in the EDA's packet. Board Member Announcements. Chairperson Reike noted he had visited the Credit Union facility and met the seven persons employed at the facility and was duly impressed. Reike noted the building remodeling was a notable contribution to the City. Reike also questioned the long-term highest and best use of the property north of the intersection of CSAH 75 and 2nd Avenue and whether or not the EDA was overlooking the potential of that property. Other EDA members expressed a concern for wetlands and hydric soils in the area making it potentially not as attractive for development. Adjournment Motion by Hosch, seconded by Skahen t adjourn. Motion carried 4 - 0. Meeting adjourned at 4:20 p.m. /~ ~~ L~2~~4 ~c~~Zr~~ G~ EDA Minutes -June 16, 2004 Page 3