06-25-25 EDC Agenda Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION – APRIL 23, 2025 4 and encourages businesses who are not required to pay a fee to still register. When the Sign License was added, that changed it for almost everybody. She asked Staff where those fees go. Staff replied it goes to the General Fund. Her thought is maybe there could be a small fee for all businesses, maybe 10% of that could go towards supporting businesses with events, that might help more businesses comply. Chair Murchie said that is helpful information. The insights from the business owners can help steer what we want to recommend to Council, moving forward. He wondered if we have to request permission from the business to list them on the website. Commissioner Gronquist doesn’t think any business will not want to be on the list. Senior Planner Fransen said the data from the survey showed 19 of the 21 respondents said yes. There is conversation to be had regarding managing and keeping the list up to date. What if a business leaves mid-year? She said if the commission wants to have the business licensing conversation, she will move forward with that on a future agenda. Commissioner Poelzer asked if there is a webpage that lists the businesses. Commissioner Gronquist said just the licensed ones. Commissioner Poelzer asked if we are wanting to put all businesses on there. Senior Planner Fransen said that has been a conversation. There is not currently a process for getting that information. She thinks all of them could be posted but what is that process and how does Staff manage that list. Commissioner Poelzer asked if any business that wants to be on the list could be, if they request it. She thinks it could be beneficial to show businesses that they are on the list or let them know we would like to include them on the list, if they aren’t. Having things on a website is great, on the day you do it. It’s ever changing and keeping up with it would be important. She asked if the list on the website provide links to the businesses’ websites. Senior Planner Fransen said she will pull that information and bring it back. Chair Murchie summarized the survey will remain open to capture feedback as interactions occur, rather than the intentional outreach of the in-person visits. We will look for opportunities to gather that information through interactions and events the Commission hosts or is a part of. The next meeting will be discussion on the website and business license fees. B. 2025 EDC Work Plan Senior Planner Fransen sought direction from the commission regarding the 2025 EDC Work Plan. She summarized last year’s Work Plan included the in-person business visits. Results from those visits were discussed in February and there were ideas regarding an event. Possibly a business breakfast that the EDC could work on this year. An event is a sizable task. She asked if there are items on the list that could be combined with the event or if there are items that could be pulled from the list. She shared the current list of possible discussion items.