02-25-26 EDC Agenda Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION – JANUARY 28, 2026 10 do we support connections with businesses? What does that look like? The question is how do we capture the missing parts? Chair Murchie thinks Commissioner Bonine is saying the subcommittee could be helpful for engagement. We should focus the next meeting on the work plan. We’re engaging businesses. We’re trying to make this a destination for businesses. We’re trying to be a bridge between the City and the business community. Commissioner Bonine is saying he wants to be the bridge. It’s important to remember things change over time. He thinks it’s awesome we have a great business inventory. How can we leverage our success to create FAQs or get more engagement? He observed two people saying different things. Neither was hearing what the other was saying and it resulted in Commissioner Bonine’s frustration. Commissioner Poelzer said we can’t have that. She isn’t always able to leave other things at the door. She’s not saying that’s what happened today. However, she believes we do need a subcommittee to address some of the issues of inequality in the business licensing process. She doesn’t think we need to be a part of every detail. Staff are professional. EDC understands Staff works with the City Council and Council appoints EDC members. Commissioner Bonine is trying to stay in his part of the triangle. She agrees a subcommittee can help flesh out some of the issues. Chair Murchie said Commissioner Bonine volunteered to have conversations with people to help solve this issue. He was just told we don’t need to have that. We don’t want to create a space where we can’t express our opinion or promote dialogue. He thinks we can say, we have a work plan, it sounds like the work plan has opportunity for subcommittee. We can discuss it at the next meeting. Community Development Director Reilly said he was asked to state, very clearly, to this group that the standard operating procedure is an entirely internal process. Commissioner Poelzer said he should have said that to Commissioner Bonine. She said Community Development Director Reilly didn’t say he was tasked to say. Community Development Director Reilly said he heard what Commissioner Bonine was saying. Feelings aren’t facts but they are real and valid. He thinks the why is outlined very clearly on the website and it identifies that some businesses have licenses, and why. Other businesses are asked to register for no fee, and why. He thinks Commissioner Bonine is right that SOPs that don’t work, don’t work and agrees that sometimes cities are unsuccessful at effecting change in processes that don’t work. Chair Murchie said having the subcommittee can be the place to walk businesses through the website. Subcommittee members can ask business owners about the information on that page and ask what isn’t connecting. Community Development Director Reilly said he doesn’t know that a subcommittee is effective for a group this small. Chair Murchie said when he thinks of a subcommittee, it isn’t a burden, it’s just a few extra conversations. Community Development Director Reilly said there are only 5 or 6 members on the EDC, plus the youth commissioners. Having a subcommittee that is 3 out of the 5 members doesn’t make