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Home My WebLink About[03] MinutesCITY OF ST. JOSEPH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AURTHORITY Meeting Minutes – Wednesday, April 27, 2011 Present: EDA Board Members, Chad Davey, Steve Frank, Tom Skahen, and Dale Wick. Absent: Carolyn Yaggie-Heinen. Also present: Former EDA Board Member Ken Jacobson and EDA Director Cynthia Smith-Strack. Call to Order. Chairperson Wick called the April 27, 2011 regular meeting of the St. Joseph EDA to order at 3:04 p.m. Agenda. Chairperson Wick introduced the agenda. Davey request the addition of item 6(d) clarify BFA guidelines. Motion by Frank, second by Skahen to approve the agenda with the requested change. Motion carried 4- 0. Presentation of Appreciation Plaque: Ken Jacobson Wick introduced the agenda item and former EDA Board Member Ken Jacobson. Wick noted Jacobson took the oath of office as an EDA Commissioner on September 15, 2004. Wick, on behalf of the entire EDA, thanked Jacobson for his years of service and active participation in the EDA. Wick presented Jacobson with a plaque from Shamrock Leathers. Skahen thanked Jacobson personally for his service saying he was instrumental in the EDA’s numerous advancements over the previous six years. Strack noted Jacobson was the initiator of the BFA Grant Program which has been highly successful. Jacobson shared an idea for another grant program with the EDA. Jacobson suggests the EDA provide a maximum $1,500 grant to demolish dwellings used for student rental in commercial zoning districts to make way for new commercial development. Jacobson noted the St. Cloud Technical College was seeking opportunities for practice burns for fire fighter training. The practice burns could be an effective means of removing substandard dwellings and paving the way for new commercial development on previously built-up urban lots. The EDA members expressed an interest in considering such a program in conjunction with the 2012 budget process which is to begin in June 2011. Approval of Minutes. Chairperson Wick introduced the minutes of the March 30, 2011 regular EDA meeting. Davey noted that on page four of the minutes, fourth paragraph, third line, second word should refer to “City Council” and not “EDA”. Motion Frank, Second Skahen to approve the minutes from the March 30, 2011 regular EDA meeting with the change noted by Davey. Motion approved 4:0. Accounts Payable and Monthly Report. Chairperson Wick introduced the agenda items and reviewed accounts payable in the amount of $2,676.85 for MDG services, $27 to Shamrock Leathers, and $300 for Scenic Specialties who designed landscaping for the Ehlert property at 29 East Minnesota Street to be consistent with the landscape/streetscape plan completed for the EDA in 2010. March financials. Motion Frank, Second Davey to approve accounts payable. Motion carried 4:0. Ð¿¹» î ±º îí Wick introduced the March financial report noting the transfer of $13,100 from the EDA CIP to the EDA th meeting. operation fund as authorized by the EDA at the March 30 Motion Frank, Second Davey to approve the March financial report. Motion carried 4:0. Follow Up from 3.30.11 Discussion With Mayor Schultz. Wick introduced the agenda item. Strack noted the EDA and Schultz had discussed several issues in th regular EDA meeting. A key point was communication from the EDA to rapid succession at the March 30 the public. Mayor Schultz was unable to attend the EDA meeting. Wick noted that at a meeting on March 31, the Council directed the EDA to submit a one page, bulleted list of work items on a quarterly basis. th called by Mayor Schultz who spoke positively about the Davey noted he attended a meeting on April 11 EDA’s activities. Skahen inquired as to whether or not EDA meetings would be televised. Wick noted the Council had not directed televising of EDA meetings at this time. Frank inquired as to the status of researching data privacy materials. Frank questioned whether Wick, City Administrator Weyrens, City Attorney Jovanovich, and Strack had met to discuss data practices act as it related to the EDA. Strack noted that her understanding from the March 31, 2011 workshop was that the issue was going to be discussed at a future work session and there was no direction for the four persons identified to meet. Wick noted Davey brought up a good point at a previous meeting regarding sharing of information and potential impact on economic development especially if individuals needed anonymity to protect integrity of development. Davey agreed. Frank noted the data practices law required public bodies to begin with the concept of all data was public unless specifically found to be private under law. Consensus was to invite the Mayor to another meeting. Landscaping Plan Implementation. Wick introduced the agenda topic. Strack noted that in 2009 the Economic Development Authority authorized a landscape/streetscape plan by locally-owned Scenic Specialties. The plan focused on an area from the Wobegon Trail Center to West Minnesota Street/CSAH 2. The purpose of the landscape/streetscape plan was multifaceted but included connecting the Wobegon Trail and Downtown and encouraging unique look/feel in downtown area. In order to continue attempting to implement the landscaping/streetscaping discussion by the EDA was kindly requested. Frank noted that he thought the concept was a good idea but was not sure the timing was appropriate given the tight budgets the City was facing. The Board discussed the possibility of working with the Park Board to pursue a trail segment by the water tower. The Board requested a Park Board Representative be invited to the EDA meeting to discuss cooperative efforts. Update Rental Housing Working Group. Wick introduced the agenda item and Strack noted the Rental Housing Working Group, requested by the EDA was due to report to the City Council at the May 5, 2011 meeting. Strack noted the update to the Council would include background information on the formation of the Working Group, a timeline of events leading up to the Working Group formation, and an update on products created by the Working Group over the previous months. Such products included: brainstorming ideas, a sub-area map of rental units by type superimposed over zoning classifications, ideas for each sub-area of the map, potential resources for encouraging transitions, and meeting/survey materials presented to/completed by rental housing property owners. The EDA reviewed the products created by the Working Group. EDA Minutes – April 27, 2011 Ð¿¹» í ±º îí 2 Clarify BFA Guidelines. Wick introduced the topic. Davey referenced an email from Mike McDonald relating to the BFA Guidelines and new construction or renewed grant requests. Those present agreed the program was indeed to stimulate redevelopment – even if that included razing a building and construction a new facility. The Board also found it was indeed the intent of the BFA Program to allow property owners to re-apply annually. The EDA suggested minor clarifications be added to the BFA policy. Board Member Announcements. None. Adjournment. Meeting adjourned by consensus at 4:45 PM. Cynthia Smith-Strack EDA Director EDA Minutes – April 27, 2011 Ð¿¹» ì ±º îí 3