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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004 [10] Oct 20CITY OF ST. JOSEPH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY Meeting Minutes -Wednesday, October 20, 2004 Present: Chairperson Ross Rieke, Board Members Bruce Gohman, Larry Hosch, Ken Jacobson and Tom Skahen. Also present: Cynthia Smith-Strack of Municipal Development Group. Chairperson Rieke called the regular meeting of the St. Joseph EDA to order at 3:07 p.m. Agenda. Moved by Skahen seconded by Gohman to approve the agenda with the addition of item 5(d) Memberships in Chamber Organizations. Motion carried 5-0. Approval of Minutes. Chairperson Rieke introduced approval of the minutes from the Wednesday, September 15, 2004 EDA meeting. Gohman noted the minutes from the discussion regarding the EDA statutory levy were somewhat ambiguous. After further discussion it was suggested the final sentence in the paragraph be amended by adding the following: ".. ,operations, therefore the EDA will not exercise its statutory levy authority. " Motion Gohman, seconded by Skahen to approve the September 15, 2004 Regular EDA minutes with the aforementioned change. Motion approved 5-0. EDA Accounts Payable. Strack provided an overview of the accounts payable in the amount of $2,205.22. Motion by Gohman, second by Skahen to approve EDA accounts payable in the amount of $2,205.22. Motion carried 5-0. Financial Report Strack indicated that financial reports for August and September were not available due to a staffing change in the City Accountant position. Reports for the months of August -October should be included in the November EDA packet. Update Economic Development TIF Assistance -Midnight Haulers. Chairperson Rieke introduced the agenda item. Strack provided the history of the request to the EDA Board and indicated the applicant withdrew its request for City Council consideration prior to the October 7, 2004 City Council meeting. JOB Zone Modification Process. EDA Chairperson Rieke introduced the agenda item. Strack provided background information on the project by noting that at the August 2004 regular EDA meeting the Board discussed the pursuit of JOB Zone modification as a means of facilitating future projects within the community. At the August meeting the Board encouraged staff to research the zone modification process as a means of preparing for the potential use of said process in the future. Strack indicated the job zone modification process is used when "swapping" or exchanging acres from a current JOB Zone to parcels in another JOB Zone or parcels outside of a JOB Zone. Modifications are only considered if there is a qualified business ready to locate onto the requested parcel(s). For the parcels where acreage will be removed from a JOBZ sub- zone aresolution from an authorized city or township official approving the donation of acreage is required. For the parcels where acreage will be added, resolutions approving the addition from the county, school district and city are required. Construction projects receiving tax exemptions under JOBZ are required to pay prevailing wages as defined in Mn. Stat. 177.42, Subd. 6. EDA Minutes -October 20, 2004 Page 1 The Board discussed the use of the information provided noting the EDA would not actively promote the JOBZ program since no acreage within the community was currently available but would retain the option to investigate facilitation of a JOBZ modification petition in the event a qualified business requested a proposal from the City. Board Member Gohman suggested staff remain up-to-date on the rules for the use of JOBZ and be prepared to speak to the requirements of the JOBZ program in discussions with prospective businesses. Gohman stated the requirements/rules of JOB Zones, such as the requirement to pay prevailing wages for construction projects, may actually increase the cost of the project to levels which exceed the benefit realized via tax exemptions. Staff will retain such information on file in the City offices. Buettner Business Park Covenant Amendment. EDA Chairperson Rieke introduced the agenda item. Strack provided background information on the topic resulting from the review of a revised landscaping plan at the September 15, 2004 EDA meeting. The EDA at that time noted a lack of implementation of the required installation of a three foot drop in grade between a parking lot and a public right-of-way. At the September meeting the EDA requested staff pursue an amendment to the Buettner Business Park Covenants which would eliminate the reference to a three-foot drop in grade. Since that time staff had re-drafted a proposed amendment and restatement of the covenants and contacted several of the property owners within the Business Park. Gohman noted he was unable to attend the September EDA meeting but indicated he felt the language requiring a drop in grade should remain in the covenants but be supplemented with the alternative for a berm included as well. He noted most developments within the park have incorporated berms versus a drop in grade. Gohman questioned why when reviewing the landscape plan approved at the September meeting the EDA did not require a berm versus a drop in elevation. Strack noted the current covenants did not give the EDA to ability to enforce a berming requirement, only the drop in grade which in the previous instance would have led to rear yard elevations which would potentially be subject to flooding. Board Member Hosch also noted that none of the other developments within the business park had adhered to the drop in grade requirement. Jacobson questioned the intent of the drop in grade requirement. Strack indicated in addition to providing aesthetic benefits the change in elevation also prohibited storm water from being discharged directly from the parking lot into the public right-of-way and associated storm sewer mains. Gohman noted the drop in grade prevented headlights within the parking lot from reaching the public right of way. Gohman expressed a desire to abstain from additional discussion on the matter. Motion by Skahen, seconded by Hosch to change approach to the proposed amendment and retain existing reference to a three-foot drop in grade between a parking lot and a public right-of-way supplemented by an option for athree-foot berm between a parking lot and a public right-of-way. Motion approved 4-0 with Gohman abstaining. The EDA directed Strack to contact Mr. Jeff Ramler to inquire as to whether or not it would be possible to install athree-foot berm adjacent to a proposed parking lot. Membership in Chamber Of Commerce Organizations. Chairperson Rieke introduced the agenda item. Strack indicated she had a conversation with City Administrator Judy Weyrens earlier in the day regarding Ms. Weyrens' discussion with a member of the EDA. Weyrens reported the EDA member inquired as to why the EDA was not more active in various Chamber organizations, like the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce. Strack provided information on the area chamber and background on her discussion with the City Administrator. EDA Minutes -October 20, 2004 Page 2 Chairperson Rieke indicated that he had spoke to the City Administrator but on a slightly different note. He indicated he wished to involve more people in a presentation by the Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict regarding the history of the Mother House and its role in the community. Strack noted she apparently might have misunderstood the City Administrator's request earlier in the day. Rieke requested input on whether or not the City's elected and appointed officials should be notified of a pending presentation on the subject to the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce. Rieke noted he had witnessed the presentation when it was given to the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce and was pleasantly surprised and energized by the information presented and felt others may have the same reaction. Discussion as to whether or not the presentation was to be given to the St. Joseph Chamber ensued. Director's Report. A prospect list/activity report outlining communication with various contacts was included in the EDA's packet. Strack reported on an upcoming decision regarding the location of a water treatment plant which could potentially impact one of the projects. Hosch excused himself from the meeting at 4:01 p.m. Board Member Announcements. Gohman expressed a desire to forecast EDA meeting dates for the remainder of the year and for 2005 so as to allow incorporation of said dates into Board Members' schedules in advance of receiving the informational packet. Staff to provide said meeting dates at the November meeting. Adjournment Motion by Gohman, seconded by kahen to adj urn. Motion carried 4:0. Meeting adjourned at 4:09 p.m. /~ ~ ~~~c~ EDA Minutes -October 20, 2004 Page 3