HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-7-12 EDC Minutes •
EN HILLS
CITY OF ARDEN HILLS,MINNESOTA
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
MARCH 7,2012 8:00 AM
CITY HALL -- 1245 WEST HIGHWAY 96
CALL MEETING TO ORDER
Chair Ed von Holtum called the meeting to order at 8:05 a.m.
ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Ed von Holtum, Commissioners Rob Davidson, Dan Erickson, and Jim
Huninghake.
Also Present: Council Liaison Ed Werner, Community Development Director Jill Hutmacher,
and City Planner Meagan Beekman.
• Absent: None.
1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Huninghake moved, Chair von Holtum seconded to accept the agenda as presented. Motion
carried unanimously.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Because the February 1, 2012, EDC meeting minutes were inadvertently omitted from the packet
and distributed by e-mail, it was the consensus of the Commission to accept the minutes at the
next meeting.
3. UNFINISHED AND NEW BUSINESS
A. Newsletter Articles
At previous meetings, the EDC discussed the desirability of including business-focused articles
in the City newsletter. Community Development Director Hutmacher reported that the
Communication Committee would welcome article submissions from the EDC. Newsletter
deadlines are the first Friday of the month, and a newsletter scheduled was included in the
agenda packet. Articles should be 250 — 300 words in length. Ideally, business-focused articles
would appear quarterly in the newsletter. Hutmacher recommended that EDC Commissioners
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March 7, 2011
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establish a schedule so that everyone is aware of submission deadlines far in advance.
Commissioners agreed to a newsletter schedule as follows:
Commissioner Davidson—Areotek, April 6, 2012
Commissioner Erickson—Exos or Smiths Medical, July, 6, 2012
Chair von Holtum—Grey Fox business, September 7, 2012
Commissioner Huninghake — Delkon Systems, either November 2, 2012 or January 4, 2013,
depending on timing of Delkon's move to Arden Hills
Hutmacher asked Commissioners whether the City should promote Minnesota Waste Wise, a
non-profit organization that provides environmental sustainability consulting to Minnesota
businesses and organizations. Minnesota Waste Wise has notified the City that they have a
contract with Ramsey County to provide professional consultation on waste reduction and
recycling at no cost to businesses in the county. Commissioners advised that Hutmacher verify
the relationship with Ramsey County, and then proceed to notify local businesses through the
newsletter and website of the opportunity to work with Minnesota Waste Wise.
B. CGI Communications—On-line Video Tour
Community Development Director Hutmacher reviewed staff research on CGI Communications,
• a company which creates on-line videos highlighting community attributes and characteristics at
no cost to cities. CGI Communications sells sponsorships for the videos and displays company
logos and website links adjacent to the videos on the City's web page. CGI Communications
retains all sponsorship revenue. Commissioners viewed several examples of CGI videos for
cities in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
Commissioners responded positively to the example videos, especially given that they were
provided to cities at no cost. Commissioners recommended that the City further consider the
CGI project with two caveats:
1. The letter to businesses must clearly state that businesses are under no obligation to
purchase sponsorships.
2. The front page link to the video tour must be sized and designed to be compatible with
the City's new web page.
Hutmacher indicated that the proposal would be considered by the Communications Committee
and then presented to the City Council at a work session.
C. Website Design Project
Community Development Director Hutmacher reported that the City had entered into a contract
with CivicPlus to design the new City website and provide hosting and support for three years.
• After a thorough review of both final proposals, the website ad hoc committee determined that
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March 7, 2011
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CivicPlus met the City's needs at a cost significantly less than the alternative proposal. The
Commissioners reviewed examples of recent CivicPlus websites. At the next EDC meeting,
Commissioners plan to prioritize economic development goals for the new website.
4. UPDATES
A. TCAAP & Stadium Development
Community Development Director Hutmacher updated the EDC on the current status of the
Arden Hills and Minneapolis stadium proposals.
B. Commission Members
Chair von Holtum reported that he had contacted Land O'Lakes to promote EDC membership,
but had not received a response.
C. Council Liaison
Councilmember Werner summarized recent City Council actions and updated the EDC on a
• proposal by the Salvation Army to develop a distribution and training center on a vacant property
located at 1300 Grey Fox Road. Councilmember Werner also noted that he has mentioned EDC
vacancies during Council comments at regular meetings.
D. Staff Comments
Hutmacher provided information on Delkor Systems who will be moving into the space formerly
occupied by Celestica before the end of the year.
5. ADJOURNMENT
It was the consensus of the Commission to adjourn the meeting at 9:30 a.m.
Minutes approved by:
, .„ 41, -
Ed von Holtum, Chair Jill H acher
411/ Co unity Development Director