06-04-14 EDC Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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EDC Minutes June 4, 2014 Page 2 of 6 Associate Planner Bachler discussed some of the drawbacks of working with the Extension, including the difficulty of adapting the program to the local context, the number of meetings required, and the cost. He added that each city interviewed was able to find some amount of corporate sponsorship to help defray the cost of the program. Associate Planner Bachler provided an overview of the BRE program implemented by the City of Shoreview, which was done without the assistance of a consultant. Shoreview has focused on improving communicationsandvisiting a select number of priority businesses in the community. He commented that a benefit of this city -initiated approach is that the program can be tailored to the specific needs of the community and limited resources can be used more efficiently. On the other hand, this approach requires additional staff time and the data collected from businesses is not as detailed or comprehensive. Commissioner Erickson asked if staff had contacted any businesses or corporate entities about providing funding for the program. Associate Planner Bachler responded that staff was waiting to do this until a decision was made whether or not to work with the Extension's BRE program. Commissioner Erickson asked how flexible the Extension might be in adapting the structure of their program for Arden Hills. He also requested information on the program cost. Associate Planner Bachler commented that it would be important for staff to have conversations with the Extension about the particular needs of Arden Hills before entering into a contract. He explained that the cost of the program would likely range from $10,000 to $15,000 depending on the services included. Commissioner Heikkila commented that he saw advantages in both approaches. Shoreview was able to build on an already in place communication infrastructure, including their website and newsletter. Working with the Extension would bring an important outside perspective to the process. He agreed that customization of the Extension program would be important. Commissioner Altstatt asked how the City would go about prioritizing businesses to interview. Associate Planner Bachler responded that Shoreview used criterion such as number of employees, tax generation, and number of years in the community to develop their list of priority businesses. He explained that the Extension program usually takes a comprehensive approach that attempts to conduct interviews with arange-of different -businesses -in_ the_community._ Commissioner Erickson stated that he believed working with the Extension would be a good approach considering the structure they would bring the process and their ability to complete the program in a relatively short period of time. Commissioner Huninghake expressed concerns about the number of meetings that would be required of volunteers. He questioned whether the expected results of the program were worth the amount of time and effort that would be required of staff and volunteers.