HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-07-18 EDCCall To Order
Approval Of The Agenda
Minutes
11 -01 -17 EDC Minutes
11 -01 -17 EDC MINUTES.PDF
Unfinished And New Business
Marketing And Outreach Goals
MEMO.PDF
ATTACHMENT A.PDF
Business Retention And Expansion Program
MEMO.PDF
ATTACHMENT A.PDF
Updates
Council Liaison
Commission Members
Staff Comments
Adjourn
ADJOURN
A quorum of the City Council may be
present at this meeting.
Chair:
Dan Erickson
Commissioners:
David Radziej
Liz Johnson
Evan Cordes
Rob Williams
Sheila Bennett
Kilander
Brendan O'Meara
Council Liaison:
Brenda Holden
Economic Development
Commission
February 7, 2018
8:00 am to 9:30 am
City Hall
Address:
1245 W Highway 96
Arden Hills MN 55112
Phone:
651 -792 -7800
Website :
www.cityofardenhills.org
City Vision
Arden Hills is a strong community that values its unique environmental setting,
strong residential neighborhoods, vital business community, well -maintained
infrastructure, fiscal soundness, and our long -standing tradition as a desirable
City in which to live, work, and play.
Agenda
CALL TO ORDER
1.
2.
3.
3.A.
Documents:
4.
4.A.
Documents:
4.B.
Documents:
5.
5.A.
5.B.
5.C.
6.
Call To OrderApproval Of The AgendaMinutes11-01 -17 EDC Minutes 11 -01 -17 EDC MINUTES.PDFUnfinished And New BusinessMarketing And Outreach GoalsMEMO.PDFATTACHMENT A.PDFBusiness Retention And Expansion Program
MEMO.PDF
ATTACHMENT A.PDF
Updates
Council Liaison
Commission Members
Staff Comments
Adjourn
ADJOURN
A quorum of the City Council may be
present at this meeting.
Chair:Dan Erickson Commissioners:David RadziejLiz JohnsonEvan CordesRob WilliamsSheila BennettKilander Brendan O'MearaCouncil Liaison:Brenda Holden Economic Development Commission February 7, 2018 8:00 am to 9:30 am City Hall Address:1245 W Highway 96 Arden Hills MN 55112 Phone:651 -792 -7800 Website : www.cityofardenhills.org City VisionArden Hills is a strong community that values its unique environmental setting, strong residential neighborhoods, vital business community, well -maintained infrastructure, fiscal soundness, and our long -standing tradition as a desirable City in which to live, work, and play. AgendaCALL TO ORDER1.2.3.3.A.Documents:4.4.A.Documents:4.B.
Documents:
5.
5.A.
5.B.
5.C.
6.
CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 1, 2017 8:00 AM
CITY HALL -- 1245 WEST HIGHWAY 96
1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER
Senior Planner Matthew Bachler called the meeting to order at 8:02 a.m.
ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Dan Erickson, Commissioners Kyle Lassen, Liz Johnson, Rob Williams,
Sheila Bennett Kilander and Brendan O’Meara
Also Present: Council Liaison Dave McClung, Senior Planner Matthew Bachler, and Deputy
Clerk Jolene Trauba
2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
It was the consensus of the Commission to accept the agenda as presented.
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
It was the consensus of the Commission to accept the August 2, 2017 and September 6, 2017
meeting minutes as presented.
4. UNFINISHED AND NEW BUSINESS
A. State of the City Review
Senior Planner Matthew Bachler reviewed the memo and asked for input.
Discussion ensued regarding the question and answer portion of the program and options of
improving that portion for next year, as well as how to make the subject matter more pertinent to
attract more attendees.
Council Liaison Dave McClung noted that Land O’Lakes will have their new facility completed
by this time next year and could be a possible location for the State of the City event.
EDC Minutes
November 1, 2017
Page 2 of 3
B. Business Retention and Expansion Program
Senior Planner Bachler noted that this item was placed on the agenda in case Commissioners had
had any updates on the BRE program. No comments were made.
C. 2018 Work Plan
Senior Planner Bachler mentioned that a tentative meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 22,
2018 between the EDC and the Economic Development Authority (EDA) at which the EDA will
consider the EDC’s work plan. He also suggested cancelling the January 3, 2018 EDC meeting.
Senior Planner Bachler reviewed the Goals and Tasks as stated in the memo:
1. Business Retention and Expansion Visits
2. Marketing and Outreach
• Work with the Communications Committee on business-focused articles
• Plan and promote State of the City events
• Track and visit new businesses
3. Advising on Planning and Economic Development Efforts
• 2040 Comprehensive Plan
• Commercial, Industrial, and Higher Education Study
Commissioner Rob Williams asked how the EDC advised the City Council.
Senior Planner Bachler explained that feedback is given in a report directly to the City Council
on certain items such as the Comprehensive Plan and the Higher Education Study.
Chair Dan Erickson noted that the Council Liason also brings back comments to the Council. He
also felt the group is reactionary and underutilized.
Council Liaison McClung mentioned there is now a Communications Coordinator who will work
more closely with the committees and commissions to develop outreach and communications
strategies.
Commissioner Liz Johnson suggested organizing small business events.
Senior Planner Bachler stated that we could work in cooperation with the Cities of Shoreview or
Roseville to cohost events, as well as Chambers of Commerce. He also mentioned that the new
Communications Coordinator could work with the committee to help with getting information out
to the public and planning events.
Chair Erickson suggested having a corporate sponsor for an ongoing breakfast networking event
that would bring awareness to Arden Hills.
Discussion ensued regarding how the committee would like their actions communicated to the
City Council and it was decided that topic should be revisited, as well as the efforts of the business
retention program.
EDC Minutes
November 1, 2017
Page 3 of 3
Commissioner Sheila Bennett Kilander mentioned the City website and felt is should have more
information for businesses that is easier to locate on the site.
Senior Planner Bachler noted that the Communications Coordinator would be asked to help
improve the website.
5. UPDATES
A. Commission Members
None
B. Council Liaison
Council Liaison McClung discussed the Amazon headquarters submission that was put forth by
the State of Minnesota. He also commented on the water study that is being completed for
TCAAP and noted that the study is affecting the timeline of the Master Development Agreement.
Council Liaison McClung mentioned the City is no longer under a moratorium for Higher
Education Land Use. He told the committee that the City Council appreciates the Economic
Development Commission’s input on the moratorium and the Comprehensive Plan.
C. Staff Comments
Senior Planner Bachler explained that the Council accepted the Higher Education Report at the
end of September and the creation of the new Institutional Zoning District for the Bethel
University and Northwestern University campuses.
Senior Planner Bachler noted the Marriott Springhill Suites redevelopment was approved and
demolition is scheduled to begin this fall.
Senior Planner Bachler also mentioned that there was approximately $52,000,000 in commercial
development done in the city in 2017.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 9:18 a.m.
____________________________ ______________________________
Dan Erickson, Chair Jolene Trauba, Deputy Clerk
City of Arden Hills
Economic Development Commission Meeting for February 7, 2018
Page 1 of 1
MEMORANDUM
DATE: February 7, 2018 EDC Agenda Item 4.A
TO: Economic Development Commission Chair and Commissioners
FROM: Matthew Bachler, City Planner
SUBJECT: Marketing and Outreach Goals
Discussion
The 2018 EDC Work Plan includes the following tasks under the goal of Marketing and
Outreach. The Communications Coordinator will be in attendance at the meeting on February 7th
to begin discussing these tasks with the EDC:
Develop strategy with Communications Coordinator to improve communications with the
business community
Develop handouts for new businesses and visit new businesses throughout the year
Work with the Communications Coordinator on business-focused articles for the
community newsletter
The 2018 Work Plan includes two additional tasks under the Marketing and Outreach:
Work with Communications Coordinator to plan and promote the State of the City
Explore opportunities to partner with adjacent communities to organize small business
networking events
Staff anticipates beginning to plan for the State of the City events at the April or May meeting.
Staff will begin reaching out to surrounding communities to see if they have experience with
organizing small business networking events and if they would be interested in partnering with
Arden Hills on these types of events. This item will be brought back to the EDC at a meeting
later in the year for further discussion.
Attachments
A. 2018 EDC Work Plan
City of Arden Hills
1245 West Highway 96 ▪ Arden Hills Minnesota 55112
Phone 651-792-7800 ▪ Fax 651-634-5137
www.cityofardenhills.org
Economic Development Commission
Draft 2018 Work Plan
2018 EDC Goals Work Tasks Timeline
Marketing and
Outreach
Develop strategy with the Communications Coordinator to
improve communications with business community Q1
Explore opportunities to partner with adjacent
communities to organize small business networking events Q1 – Q4
Work with Communications Coordinator to plan and
promote State of the City events Q2 – Q3
Develop handouts for new businesses and visit new
businesses throughout the year Q1 – Q4
Work with Communications Coordinator on business-
focused articles for community newsletter Q1 – Q4
Business Retention and
Expansion Program
Discuss strategy and develop long-term plan for Business
Retention and Expansion visits Q1
Develop priority list for business visits and informational
handouts Q1 – Q2
Complete business visits Q2 – Q4
Analyze results of business visits and complete year-end
report Q4
City of Arden Hills
Economic Development Commission February 7, 2018
Page 1 of 2
MEMORANDUM
DATE: February 7, 2018 EDC Agenda Item 4.B
TO: Economic Development Commission Chair and Commissioners
FROM: Matthew Bachler, City Planner
SUBJECT: Business Retention and Expansion Program
Background
The 2018 Work Plan includes developing a strategy and long-term plan for the Business
Retention and Expansion (BRE) program in the first quarter of the year. The EDC also has a goal
of creating a priority list for businesses to complete visits with in 2018. These visits are expected
to be completed during the second through fourth quarters. Staff would like to begin the
discussion on a strategy for the BRE program at the meeting on February 7th.
Discussion
The goal of a BRE program is to retain existing businesses within a community and to help them
grow. From an economic development standpoint, this approach is seen as a more efficient use
of staff and public resources compared to trying to recruit new businesses to an area. BRE
programs have different forms depending on the type of agency completing the work and their
intended goals. For example, the program managed by Greater MSP, which is an economic
development partnership focused on job growth and capital investment in the 16-county
Minneapolis-St. Paul region, will have different goals than the Arden Hills program.
An important component of a successful BRE program is building strong relationships with
businesses within the community, and the business visits completed by the EDC play a critical
role in this. There are three main objectives for completing these visits:
• Establish open lines of communication between businesses and city departments and
provide excellent customer service
• Respond to immediate problems affecting a specific business, for example the need to
lease additional space
• Identify broader issues that may be limiting business success, for examples issues with
infrastructure or outdated regulations, and develop a response plan
City of Arden Hills
Economic Development Commission February 7, 2018
Page 2 of 2
The business visits can also be important in helping the City identify long-term economic
development policies and strategies based on the feedback received from its local businesses.
Staff would recommend that EDC set a goal of analyzing and summarizing the information
gathered during visits on an annual basis and providing the City Council with a brief report and
recommendations.
Discussion Questions
1. Does the EDC have any general suggestions on the structure of BRE program?
2. Does the EDC have suggestions on how to improve the business survey to better
accomplish the program goals?
3. Does the EDC have any suggestions on materials that should be provided to businesses
during the visits?
4. Does the EDC have suggestions on how annual business visits should be organized? For
example, should the City focus on a specific business district each year or on a group of
similar types of businesses (i.e. manufacturing or technology)?
Attachments
A. BRE Survey
1 | P a g e
City of Arden Hills Survey Reporting Form (rev 4.5.17)
COMPANY NAME/CONTACT INFORMATION
Company Contact:
Company:
Parent Company:
County:
City:
OVERVIEW INFORMATION
Visit Date:
Interview Name:
Interviewer Email Address:
Organization Type (select one):
City
County
Chamber
MNSCU
Port Authority
BSR
Non Profit
Other
BUSINESS DETAILS
Primary Business Sector (select one):
Accommodation/Food Services
Administration/Support/Waste Management/Remediation Services
Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing/Hunting
Arts/Entertainment/Recreation
Construction
Educational Services
Finance/Insurance
Health Care/Social Assistance
Information
Management of Companies & Enterprises
Manufacturing
Manufacturing - Food/Candy
Mining
Professional/Scientific/Technical Services
Real Estate/Rental and Leasing
Retail Trade
Transportation/Warehousing
Utilities
Wholesale Trade
Non Profit
Other
Primary Sector Other:
2 | P a g e
Does Company have a succession plan? YES NO
Has the company ownership changed? YES NO
Or is change imminent? YES NO
Explanation:
Over the past year, have company sales (select one):
Increased
Decreased
Been relatively stable
Fluctuated widely
Not identified
FACILITIES
Type of facility (select all that apply):
Branch
Distribution
Franchise
Headquarters
Home-based business
Manufacturing
Office-operation (non HQ)
R&D
Sales Office
Is there room for expansion at site? YES NO
Is this facility owned or leased? Owned Leased
PRODUCTS/SERVICES
Company’s major products/services:
Has this company introduced new products? YES NO
Briefly describe new products:
LOCAL EMPLOYMENT AND WORKFORCE
Number of Full Time Employees at facility:
Number of jobs at this facility changed (select one):
Increased
Decreased
Stayed the same
3 | P a g e
If increased, was it hard to fill jobs? YES NO
Why are openings hard to fill? (select all that apply):
Poor work ethic
Lack of basic education
Lack of technical skills
Lack of candidates
Challenging location
Competition
Other
Expect the number of jobs at facility (select one):
Increase
Decrease
Be relatively stable
Unsure
Types of jobs do you expect to hire:
Anticipate need to train employees: YES NO
What kind of training will be needed?
TRANSIT/TRANSPORTATION
How well does existing transportation infrastructure serve your business (select one)?
Exceeds needs
Meets needs
Needs improvement
Please explain:
Do your employees use transit (i.e. bus/rail) ? YES NO
Do you think more employees would use transit if it were more readily available? YES NO
MARKET INFORMATION
Company’s primary market (select one):
International
United States
Midwest (including MN)
Minnesota
Local
Not identified
Company’s fastest growing geographic market (select one):
International
4 | P a g e
United States
Midwest (including MN)
Minnesota
Local
Not identified
Does this company export? YES NO
If so, where (select all that apply):
Africa & Middle East
Canada
Europe & Russia
Greater China
India, Pakistan, Central/South Asia
Japan & Korea
Southeast Asia
Australia & Pacific Oceania
Latin America & Caribbean
Mexico
Not Identified
Interested in learning about exporting? YES NO
Percent of sales outside US?
INVESTMENT PLAN
Does this company plan to (check all that apply)
Invest in new facilities
Make major equipment purchases
Renovate/Expand current facilities
None
Not identified
Please explain:
Approximate date of investment (select one):
Within one year
Within two years
Within three years
Unsure
If investing in new location, why (select all that apply)?
Access to labor
Access to markets
Environmental permit obstacles
High state taxes
High local taxes
Labor costs
Lease expiration
No room at this location
Quality of workforce
Transportation/infrastructure
Other
Explanation:_____________________________