06-25-25 EDC Agenda Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION – APRIL 23, 2025 3 Staff would want to put together some information for a better understanding of the process, review the business license application and ask the City Clerk to help understand how those fees were established. She thinks there is an opportunity for a good discussion. She doesn’t see why we couldn’t put some extra boxes on the application to collect additional data. Sometimes the licensing goes through a corporate office in another state. She thinks the next meeting should focus on the Work Plan and determine what the EDC wants to take on. Maybe a business breakfast is one piece of it. But are there other more immediate tasks that could be done, based on the survey responses. Commissioner Brausen wondered if a business’s contact information could be tied to the water bill. He thinks the local store will pay the water bill. City Administrator Jagoe said the limit with the water bill is the messaging goes to all accounts. There isn’t a way to separate out residential properties vs. commercial. Commissioner Brausen said we could include the QR Code on an Arden Hills newsletter. At least residents would know the EDC is doing the outreach. Commissioner Gronquist thinks that would be too confusing. Chair Murchie said it makes sense to look at this at the next meeting. He agrees the EDC’s objective is to understand and hear feedback from the business community. Commissioner Bonine said when he asked the City for help a few years ago, they told him his business isn’t required to pay, based on the type of business. He still doesn’t understand why. Chair Murchie said we need a path to the business community. He thinks we should leave the survey open. It can still be used during the brunch outreach or as PTRC asks for donations. We can still ask businesses to complete it. Commissioner Bonine said for the licensing piece, the business owners may not be who we get the information from. He imagines there is permitting that happens every time someone enters a new lease. It could be a part of that process. That would help capture who is here. Senior Planner Fransen said there are a lot of great ideas. She supports keeping the survey open and having Staff periodically check those results. EDC could work on a new business process and could draft a work flow that Staff could operationalize. Then maybe there’s a landing page on the website for new businesses that outlines the business license and sign permits. That process may use the feedback we have received as a resource for future businesses. Discussion ensued regarding the Work Plan discussion that will be on the next agenda. Commissioner Gronquist agrees the business licensing needs to be revisited. She supports stopping the in-person visits, other than the ones in motion. Even if everyone didn’t follow through and complete the survey, they still made that connection. That business knows the EDC exists. She said we started with a broad thing and now we can narrow it down to focus on those who are interested in engaging. Maybe business owners who didn’t engage will learn about it from another business and maybe they’ll join. It will grow over time. She thinks it would be helpful to have a business list on the website. She thinks that would be helpful. It also connects the City to the business. She said that she reached out about the different fees and some of them are regulated by the State. The fees aren’t necessarily State regulated, but some are. She said Staff sends out letters