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EDC Minutes <br />April 2, 2014 <br />Page 4 of 5 <br /> <br />C. Business Retention and Expansion <br /> <br />Associate Planner Bachler explained that staff had recently completed a course on Business <br />Retention and Expansion through the University of Minnesota Extension. The final course paper <br />written by staff was included in the EDC packet and it discusses what some of the important <br />milestones might be for implementing a BRE program in Arden Hills. He asked the <br />commissioners to provide staff with feedback on the course paper. <br /> <br />Commissioner Radziej commented that the BRE program outlined in the paper involved a large <br />number of different groups in the implementation process, such as the Leadership Team, the <br />Task Force Team, and the EDA. He expressed a concern that having so many groups working on <br />the project may lead to inefficiency and confusion. <br /> <br />Associate Planner Bachler commented that the University of Minnesota Extension advised that <br />the different groups described in the course paper be included in a BRE program. He added that <br />the framework recommended by the university would need to be adapted to fit the particular <br />needs of Arden Hills and that this may include having fewer working groups. <br /> <br />Chair von Holtum commented that he knew of several local businesses with pressing needs that <br />may require them to relocate. Having open lines of communication between the City and the <br />business community will be critical in retaining these companies. He recommended that the EDC <br />serve a prominent role on the Leadership Team and that this group make recommendations to the <br />EDA and City Council. <br /> <br />Community Development Director Hutmacher explained that the City Council should be <br />actively involved in the decision making process throughout the BRE initiative considering that <br />many of the proposed projects will require public funding. She recommended that the Leadership <br />Team include at least two members of the City Council. <br /> <br />Commissioner Radziej asked if the business survey in the BRE program could be set up so that <br />businesses could complete the survey online. <br /> <br />Associate Planner Bachler commented that the face-to-face interviews with participating <br />businesses are an important component of the overall BRE program. He explained that the <br />information gathered from these interviews would likely be more valuable and thorough than if <br />the surveys were completed online. <br /> <br />Community Development Director Hutmacher added that doing face-to-face interviews with <br />businesses would allow the City to more easily identify warning flag issues that may require an <br />immediate response. <br /> <br /> <br />4. UPDATES <br /> <br />A. TCAAP Update <br />