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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-26-26 EDC Agenda Packet Chair: • Jud Murchie (2028) Commissioners: • Ted Brausen (2028) • Bobby Bonine (2026) • Jessica Daniels (2027) • Kyle Sorenson (2027) • Kristine Poelzer (2027) • Ihsan Isik (2027) • Kayleigh Shrom (8/31/2026) Council Liaison: Councilmember Emily Rousseau Arden Hills Economic Development Commission Meeting August 26, 2026 1245 W. Highway 96 Arden Hills, MN 55112 651.792.7800 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 Regular Economic Development Commission Convenes 7:30 AM Call to Order 1. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. July 29, 2026 Minutes 3. COMMENTS AND REPORTS A. Report from the City Council B. Report from City Staff C. Economic Development Commission Comments 4. UNFINISHED AND NEW BUSINESS A. Business Connect B. EDC Work Plan 5. ADJOURNMENT A quorum of the City Council may be present at this meeting. Some Commission Members may be participating in this meeting by interactive technology/remotely. Meeting materials are available online at: http://www.cityofardenhills.org/agendacenter CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION JULY 29, 2026 7:30 A.M. – ARDEN HILLS COMMUNITY ROOM CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Present: Chair Judd Murchie (left at 8:30), Commissioners Ted Brausen, Kristine Poelzer, Jess Daniels, Bobby Bonine, Ihsan Isik and Kyle Sorenson (arrived at 7:40) Absent: Commissioner Kayleigh Shrom Also Present: Senior Planner Elena Fransen, Community Development Director Jake Reilly and Council Liaison Emily Rousseau 1. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA Chair Murchie called the meeting to order at 7:37 A motion was made by Commissioner Brausen and seconded by Commissioner Daniels to approve the agenda, as presented. Motion passed unanimously. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. May 27, 2026 A motion was made by Commissioner Poelzer and seconded by Commissioner Daniels to approve the minutes, as amended. Motion passed unanimously. Page 4 – It states there are two gateway signs. It should read three. 3. COMMENTS AND REPORTS A. Report from City Council Council Liaison Rousseau thanked everyone who volunteered at the 75th Anniversary Celebration. Council is going to have a work session discussion about lessons learned at the event. Discussion will surround if the city wants to plan to expand this to an annual or bi-annual event. There was a lot of positive feedback about the event. Council Liaison Rousseau said the first Economic Development Authority (EDA) meeting of the year was held this week. Commissioners Brausen and Sorensen have joined the EDA. They discussed what is in the Council’s purview and what is the EDA’s purview. EDA meetings will be ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION – JULY 29, 2026 2 held bi-monthly. It could be changed to monthly depending on need. They are going to look at the bylaws. The bylaws outline that the president of the EDA is the Mayor, the vice president is the Mayor Pro Tem. She would like to see those positions be opened up to the other members of the commission. Council Liaison Rousseau said there is a developer interested in building a 167-unit multi-family development at the Catholic United Financial site on Lexington Avenue. There was a lot of resident concern regarding the location and traffic. The applicant will address the concerns they heard and bring the proposal back to a future Planning Commission Meeting. Council Liaison Rousseau said an environmental review process is underway for the Primer Tracer site. Residents in Shoreview by Shamrock Park are anxious about what this might mean for traffic on that road. Council Liaison Rousseau said the North Heights Church property is active with the construction of the Senior Living development. Council Liaison Rousseau said the ribbon cutting for the new fire station is at 2:00 today. B. Report from City Staff Senior Planner Fransen said permits were issued for the apartments at the North Heights site and construction is underway on the 119-unit senior living development. Commissioner Brausen asked if the City required the developers at the North Heights site to develop a 55 and older building. Discussion ensued that some 55 and older developments restrict residents by age but if they can’t fill the units, they open it to everyone. Developers receive tax breaks for building the age restricted development but change their model later. It is up to the management company to rent the units according to the approvals they have received. The market will dictate what gets built. Chair Murchie said it is difficult to pencil out a single family or multi-family. There are tax credits for senior housing or affordable housing. The affordable housing gets such pushback from the community developers to go senior living because that gives them the ability to build a project. They can figure out the loophole if they aren’t able to rent the units to seniors. Discussion ensued that there are tax credits to build senior housing. The credits come from the Federal and State government. If the City is subsidizing anything it would be a good practice to include in a development agreement that if the dynamic of the project changes, that should be paid back. Council Liaison Rousseau said Council has received notification from the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office (RCSO) that there will be a 10% increase to our contract with them. Nearly half of our taxes go to public safety, including RCSO and Lake Johanna Fire Department (LJFD). They use the number of calls they respond to, to determine the contract amount. A large number of calls are medical assists. Council Liaison Rousseau said she asked this developer what happens when the generation turns over and they said they didn’t know. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION – JULY 29, 2026 3 Senior Planner Fransen said the North Heights apartments are approved under a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). Part of that was to review traffic conditions. There is potentially less traffic with the 55 plus than if this were a building open to all ages. If there were a shift to some other mix of residents, that could trigger a review of new conditions because that change could bring about different traffic conditions. The City would be made aware if they shift any of the terms and we would look at what those larger impacts would be to the community. Commissioner Bonine asked who monitors that. Senior Planner Fransen said the management company would be completing those checks. If they get the tax breaks and in the future want to sell it, we would typically see a request to determine what approvals were received. We would tell them the approval is for a 55 plus apartment building. If they wanted to change anything, they would need to apply for a new CUP or amend the existing one. It would be reviewed by the Planning Commission and ultimately go back to City Council for approval. Commissioner Daniels said that would be the process if they were selling the property or if the current ownership wanted to change something. Senior Planner Fransen confirmed. Commissioner Brausen asked for confirmation that the police contract will go up by 10%. Council Liaison Rousseau confirmed RCSO has given us that notice. LJFD added three full time captains. They agreed to hold off this year before asking for the other three positions. Commissioner Daniels asked if spending about half of the budget on public safety is standard. Council Liaison Rousseau didn’t know how it compares to surrounding cities who have their own department. Discussion ensued that public safety is usually the most expensive budget item. Further discussion ensued that RCSO does a good job. C. Economic Development Commission Comments None. 4. UNFINISHED AND NEW BUSINESS A. 75th Anniversary Celebration and June Business Connect Events Discussion Senior Planner Fransen said the discussion will be on lessons learned at the June Business Connect Event and the 75th Anniversary Celebration. Senior Planner Fransen said the Business Connect Event was held by the Twin Cities North Chamber of Commerce at Flaherty’s. There was great EDC participation. The Business Connect events were added to the work plan. It’s a way to connect with businesses. She is seeking feedback on how things went. She also asked for discussion if the EDC would like to continue hosting an ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION – JULY 29, 2026 4 Arden Hills specific event to supplement what the Chamber is doing. The work plan update to City Council is due next quarter. She would like to discuss possible updates to the existing work plan based on feasibility and short-term priorities. We can identify more long-term items as a group. She asked the commission to discuss the Business Connect event. Commissioner Sorenson said he is friends with the Chamber President and the feedback he heard was excellent. He liked the engagement from the City of Arden Hills. He said no one sees this as an Arden Hills event, it’s all Chamber. He likes that the EDC can partner with them because it’s easy. If they’re willing to do that once a quarter, it’s justified and the EDC can help them promote it to the Arden Hills businesses. He acknowledges it took a lot of manpower to put together the breakfast held by the EDC in October of 2025. Chair Murchie agreed it didn’t feel like an Arden Hills event, other than being held at an Arden Hills business. He thought we could write a summary of the connect event from the Arden Hills perspective. A lot of the attendees are small businesses that our residents would be interested in knowing about them. We could use a recap to highlight the businesses in Arden Hills. That would help the EDC be the bridge between the City and the business community. Maybe it’s a paragraph in the newsletter or an Instagram post. Discussion ensued about needing to be fair to all businesses. It was pointed out that giving that update may encourage more businesses to attend. Further discussion ensued regarding if businesses are highlighted, it can come as a “letter from the EDC” or some other mechanism that places the EDC in the middle, as the bridge. Council Liaison Rousseau said the Chamber has events in other communities. They market to everyone on their list. Senior Planner Fransen said there are multiple groups that meet with the Chamber. We can have some more opportunities to make suggestions about the meetings where Arden Hills is co-hosting or the location is in Arden Hills. Commissioner Sorenson said we could collect the information on Arden Hills businesses that attend. He doesn’t think summarizing who attends is playing favorites. We aren’t promoting the business, we’re just highlighting who was there. Chair Murchie said it can be a sensitive topic because in the past when a business was highlighted other businesses asked why they aren’t being highlighted. This is a report from the volunteers. It can outline what happened, what we do and who was there. It doesn’t need to be the newsletter. We just need to figure out a distribution platform to make that happen. Commissioner Sorenson said as a business owner, if he saw that in the newsletter he would think to himself, he should have shown up. It is just highlighting who came to the event. Commissioner Daniels said that also makes it feel worthwhile. Commissioner Poelzer said if attendees will be invited to talk, there should be a microphone to pass around. She would like to see a check-in table with a sign-in sheet to capture business information. Name badges would be a good addition. Some kind of center piece on each table that outlines what EDC is. She would like to showcase Arden Hills businesses. She thought reminding people of when the next meeting will be, with the time and location, will help people be thinking ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION – JULY 29, 2026 5 about future meetings. She would like to see the next Arden Hills meeting take place in the City Hall Community Room. Senior Planner Fransen said she is hearing interest in continuing an Arden Hills specific business event in 2027. Chair Murchie would like to attend another Shoreview Arden Hills Business Connect keeping lessons learned in mind. We may be able to meet our objectives and goals that way. Commissioner Sorenson said we can have open communication with the Chamber to identify our wants. It’s not our event so we can’t expect them to change their format for us. He agrees the community room is a good space for such a meeting. Discussion ensued that the objective is to promote businesses. Holding a meeting in an available space at one of those businesses is an advantage. Senior Planner Fransen said the Council is still finalizing the date for the State of the City. That would be an opportunity to engage with businesses. Council Liaison Rousseau said the event has moved around based on election cycles. This year it will be in March. It’s an update on Public Safety, Economic Development, Street Improvements and Parks. Attendance tends to be a little light from the business perspective. She would love to have more businesses involved. It could be just sending a link after the event to make them aware. B. Gateway Signs Senior Planner Fransen said this was originally brought before the EDC in late 2024 to discuss. Other initiatives took priority and this has been on the back burner. This item links to the strategic plan with the goal of establishing clear city boundaries for the community. She outlined the potential locations that have been identified. She asked the EDC to discuss if there are other priority locations and the design of signage. Commissioner Brausen said Snelling is one area that should have one. He drove by the one on the five corners. He never noticed it before this discussion, and he goes past it all the time. The lights aren’t good. He thinks LED lighting might be better. Commissioner Daniels asked what the best practices are. Is it based on traffic flow? Senior Planner Fransen said the existing gateway signs are in transition locations between communities. This topic can be approached a number of ways and that is why the EDC is being asked to consider it. Discussion ensued regarding if the current signs would be brought up to the standards of any new ones. There are annual budget dollars that go to the maintenance of those signs. The existing signs are built into the grade. EDC could discuss if any changes need to be made to existing signs to make them comparable to any new ones. Further discussion regarding lighting could be improved but they seem to fit into their locations, as they are. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION – JULY 29, 2026 6 Commissioner Bonine asked what is included in the $360,000 estimate? Before we can discuss locations, understanding how many we can pay for, will determine priority locations. Is it $30,000 per sign? Is it $60,000? Senior Planner Fransen said the estimate is from 2017. Those details will be fleshed out later. The goal is to identify top three locations, still keeping in mind there may be more locations that are a good choice, as well. Once we know the preferred location, we can determine cost based on the grading and designing needed for that location. Commissioner Bonine asked if there are more qualified people to decide the top three choices. The EDC has opinions. It will be good to have more clarification. Senior Planner Fransen said the designers need a location to start with before they can estimate cost and provide details. Commissioner Bonine said he has connections who could heat map the city to say what areas should be considered. He thinks having a consultant help us visualize is beneficial. Commissioner Sorenson agreed. He doesn’t think updating existing signs needs much consideration. Discussion ensued on the amount budgeted for signs. It 2025 $270,000 was budgeted. That wasn’t used and was reallocated to a future year. The budget for 2027 has $40,000. There is a total of $310,000 earmarked for this. Further discussion ensued on how much an estimate for one sign might be. Senior Planner Fransen said the EDC is being tasked with discussing possible locations and design. Once the EDC makes a recommendation, the EDA and City Council review will include the next steps for cost and feasibility. Chair Murchie said our business district at Lexington and County Road E doesn’t have a sign. The other glaring spot is Lexington and 96. Commissioner Bonine said when thinking about TCAAP, it would be nice to have the developers place a gateway sign. Chair Murchie left at 8:30. Senior Planner Fransen will make note of that suggestion. Her goal from this conversation is to summarize the location recommendations from this group. Staff did reach out to MnDOT and New Brighton regarding signage on the noise barrier walls. Communities were offered the opportunity to request signage when that was constructed. At that time Arden Hills did not request signage. If that is identified as something the EDC would like to recommend, we can explore what that looks like. She said previous discussion from the EDC was to install banners or flags along the Arden Hills side of Lexington and up County Road E. That can be a recommendation. Vice Chair Poelzer was of the opinion that the EDC is a fiscally responsible commission and it is better to make these decisions when we have a budget. She supports gateway signs in the locations that have been discussed, particularly on 96. When you see flags you know you’re in Arden Hills. The placement of these signs isn’t going to bring anyone in. Once they’re here, they’ll know they ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION – JULY 29, 2026 7 are here. Whereas, on 35W, if we have something, people might take the exit and see what’s here. Since New Brighton and Roseville have taken advantage of that offer, it would be worth it to check out what that might cost. Council Liaison Rousseau said we also have Highway 10 and the future home of the TCAAP site. She wondered if there is a chance the County would put up a banner that says this is the future home of Rice Creek Commons in Arden Hills. Commissioner Bonine said initially we thought spending on these signs wasn’t necessary. That’s where the conversation stalled. The deeper question is what is the point of the sign? There is pride in the City surrounding our business districts. He asked what happens to the money if we don’t spend it? Senior Planner Fransen said this relates to the City’s strategic plan to enhance our identity and strengthen our partnerships. One of the goals is to establish clear city boundaries for the community. We want there to be distinction between us and Shoreview, specifically along Lexington Avenue. Council Liaison Rousseau said she has had mixed feelings about spending money on this, as well. If there are other ideas on how to establish clear city boundaries she is open to it. Commissioner Bonine asked what the point is of putting up walls of distinction between Arden Hills and other communities. The big one on 96 makes sense. We’re a small city; $300,000 is a lot of money to spend on our ego. He’s not challenging the work put in on the strategic plan. If we are being tasked with location and design, that’s fine. As a resident of the city, he wonders why it’s so important to mark our territory. If the desired result is to enhance the visibility of the city, we put them in the business district, where we see the most traffic and where tourists visit us. He’s not sure if that’s $300,000. Commissioner Brausen said Arden Hills has always had an identity problem. We sit in the middle of Shoreview, New Brighton and Roseville. He thought we could use the flags on stop lights as you enter town that say, “Welcome to Arden Hills”. Council Liaison Rousseau said the gateway signs have been a long-standing conversation at the EDA. She said they are open to other ideas on establishing clear city boundaries. Commissioner Bonine said Roseville took down their street signs on their main roads. They put up decorative directional signs for Rosedale Mall or Evergreen Park, for example, which gives it a small-town feel. It allowed them the opportunity to brand the city and to promote the districts and areas within the city. That has to be way cheaper than a gateway sign. It can be used to promote sections of the city. The gateway signs feel like we’re trying to keep up with the Jones’s. Can the money be spent on a different idea, or does it have to be gateway signs? Council Liaison Rousseau said it is looking to establish clear city boundaries. Commissioner Bonine said we have gateways at the major corners but if we’re trying to establish city boundaries, there may be other and cheaper ways to achieve that. Commissioner Sorenson said it sounds like the EDA is waiting for the EDC to make a recommendation. And the EDC is waiting for the EDA to make a recommendation. There isn’t ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION – JULY 29, 2026 8 clear direction on who is reporting to who and who gets to make what decisions. He said for now, it’s safe to say we want one on 96 and Lexington across from the Shoreview sign. Let’s approve one for this year and get something done. This has been talked about for five years or longer. We should get a quote on installing that one and the EDA can make the final decision. Council Liaison Rousseau said it may be helpful to identify the places on the map that have been flagged as possible locations for a gateway sign and offer an alternative in that area, if a gateway sign is not the best option. Commissioner Bonine agrees the sign on Lexington and 96 makes sense to start with. The location and size has been decided by Shoreview. He isn’t sure if EDC is the best group to decide the design. Council Liaison Rousseau said the money can be used for other things like grants for businesses or new businesses. Commissioners all agreed the sign at the corner of Lexington and Highway 96 is a good place to start. Vice Chair Poelzer said she thinks these signs and flags foster residential pride. She is proud to live in Arden Hills. She wants it designated. She is continually amazed how people have no idea where they are. She said there has been previous discussion on how flags designate a downtown area. Signs for the parks would be good. A QR code on a sign could be helpful. Senior Planner Fransen said she is hearing a recommendation to move forward with the priority location at Lexington and Highway 96 and the EDC is interested in flags on the Arden Hills side of Lexington and going down County Road E. She also said EDC may want to rethink what defining clear boundaries is, outside of gateway signage. Maybe it’s way-finding signs or flags. She is hearing a desire to think more broadly than the established in ground signage. Commissioner Bonine suggested the City or JDA look into if developers can be asked to build the gateway signs at TCAAP. He said for the gateway sign on Lexington and 96 it doesn’t look like irrigation and lighting were part of the quote. It would be important to include those. Vice Chair Poelzer said she would like to see an estimate for City Monument Sign-Concept One in the agenda packet. She would like to have that estimate show what the original 2017 quote was vs. today’s cost. She wants to see everything on that list implemented for this sign but also include a QR code. The QR code can bring them to the city website. Senior Planner Fransen said she will share the feedback and return to the EDC with updates on next steps. A motion was made by Commissioner Bonine and seconded by Commissioner Sorenson to recommend the proposed sign at Lexington and Highway 96 move forward, including irrigation and lighting. Motion passed unanimously. With the time remaining the EDC discussed the 75th Anniversary celebration A lot of commissioners got really good feedback from residents. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION – JULY 29, 2026 9 Commissioner Brausen said older residents may have stayed away because of the heat. He would have liked the booths to be closer to each other so there was not so much walking. He thought it would have been nice to have a cart to help the vendors. Council Liaison Rousseau got feedback from the Rotary who were surprised that they got a piece of grass. There were no tents or tables. Commissioner Brausen said sometimes city employees don’t understand customer service. They should have made it clear there were not tables. Commissioner Sorenson said it was very clearly defined by the city that you had to bring your own table and a tent, if you wanted one. He said the Slice of Shoreview is the same way. You get space to set up. We do not want to go down the road of supplying tables and tents to every sponsor. Senior Planner Fransen said it is helpful to hear from a business, as a sponsor. Commissioner Brausen said his staff had a great time and it cost him $300 and beer. Commissioner Bonine thought the sponsorship pricing was right on. It could even be raised a little more if we do it again. Commissioner Sorenson said there may be benefits to spacing it further from the Slice of Shoreview event. Businesses may not want to spend money to sponsor both. Vice Chair Poelzer said she was in the volunteer tent. It was the first time we’ve done an event like this. In the future she would like to see more use of volunteers and a clearer picture for what volunteers could expect. There were no snacks provided for volunteers. It would have been good to have a list of the food vendors to plan ahead. She thought the volunteer t-shirts were perfect. Senior Planner Fransen said Council will continue to have conversations and Staff is thinking about how this could look if we continue it in the future. She thanked everyone who volunteered. She said the EDC is a reminder of how involved and how proud Arden Hills businesses and residents are in this community. 5. ADJOURNMENT Vice Chair Poelzer adjourned the meeting at 9:06 a.m. Page 1 of 2 EDC AGENDA ITEM – 4A MEMORANDUM DATE: August 26, 2026 TO: Economic Development Commission Chair and Commission Members FROM: Elena Fransen, AICP, Senior Planner SUBJECT: TCNCC Arden Hills/Shoreview Business Connect Discussion Requested Action Review the updated Process Document draft for future Business Connect events with the Twin Cities North Chamber of Commerce. Background Staff shared a draft process document for Twin Cities North Chamber of Commerce Arden Hills/Shoreview Business Connect events at the May Economic Development Commission meeting. The document (Attachment A) outlines how City staff and EDC members are involved with the planning and implementation of the business connect events, particularly when they are hosted at an Arden Hills location. The EDC affirmed the process document content and agreed that the process would be put into effect for the June Business Connect and the group would debrief at the July EDC meeting. At the July meeting, the EDC had a debrief discussion about the June Business Connect held at Flaherty’s Arden Bowl. The EDC discussed what worked and what could be improved. It was noted that the Business Connect events are Chamber events, not EDC events, so the EDC may make suggestions and support the events, but the format and facilitation are determined by the Chamber Director. Staff captured the EDC’s suggestions from the July discussion, with the parties responsible noted, and have evaluated how the suggestions may be incorporated into future events by the EDC. The suggestions have been added to the EDC process document where applicable. Discussion EDC Suggestions for future Business Connects Page 2 of 2 Responsible party - Chamber Director and Event Location - Microphone to assist when members of the audience introduce themselves and share out - Sign-in sheet (could be provided by EDC/City staff for Business Connects in Arden Hills) - Name tags (could be provided by EDC/City staff for Business Connects in Arden Hills) Responsible party - EDC Members and Arden Hills staff - Draft follow-up email to local businesses. Email to include the topic of the meeting, who attended, and details for the next meeting (email could be sent by City Staff) - Table centerpieces describing the EDC and what it does (could include names and pictures of members). (for Business Connects in Arden Hills) Future Business Connects September Business Connect Logistics - Date and time – Wednesday September 16, 8-9 AM - Location – Oliver’s Restaurant in Shoreview - Speaker – NA, Networking to be focus of event - EDC members planning to attend - EDC members willing to assist as speakers, helpers, recruiters, etc. on the day of the event December Business Connect Logistics - Date and time – Wednesday December 16, 8-9 AM - Location – TBD (Arden Hills Community Room recommended) - Speaker – TBD Future Considerations - Possible Arden Hills Business Event in 2027 o Notable dates to avoid conflicts  March – Arden Hills State of the City and Business Connect in Shoreview  June – Business Connect in Arden Hills  September – Business Connect in Shoreview  December – Business Connect in Arden Hills Next Steps Staff to revise the process document for the EDC’s involvement in future business connect events. Staff will share feedback for the Chamber Attachments Attachment A – Draft EDC Process Document for Business Connect events Draft EDC Process for TCNCC Arden Hills/Shoreview Business Connect events Location Staff role: work with TCNCC, Shoreview staff, and EDC to identify, communicate with, and confirm locations for events EDC role: suggest Arden Hills locations that can accommodate 30 plus attendees with audio-visual abilities with a microphone and speaker available. Past locations: Flaherty’s Arden Bowl, Bethel University Anderson Center, Arden Hills City Hall Community Room, Lifelong Wealth Advisors, SpringHill Suites, and Dunn Brothers. Speaker/Topic Staff role: work with TCNCC, Shoreview staff, and EDC to identify, communicate with, and schedule speakers and topics EDC role: use input from business representatives to identify topics and potential speakers that are timely and relevant to audience at Business Connects. Recruit potential speakers Promotion Staff role: share Business Connect dates and physical materials with event information with the EDC and the City’s communications coordinator. Post notices. EDC role: share event details with network of Arden Hills businesses, targeting businesses that may be particularly interested in the speaker, topic, or event location Preparation Staff role: present information about current and pending development updates relevant to Arden Hills and the business community. If microphone and speaker are not provided by location, coordinate with Recreation department to borrow City’s portable microphone and speaker system. EDC role: suggest topics for updates, including specific, relevant business updates that may be shared at the event Refreshments – TBD pending budget information/request Tent. Staff role: coordinate the who, what, where, when of refreshments for events Tent. EDC’s role: support staff with coordinating refreshments for Business Connects, procure refreshments as needed and transport to the Business Connect location Day-of Support Staff role: Arden Hills Business Connects – provide sign-up sheet, provide name tags, provide table centerpieces describing the EDC and its activities, attend Business Connects, network with attendees, present City update on Arden Hills development news, take notes on attendees for future discussion with the EDC, City Council, and other AH staff, use takeaways to inform future events and work plan items EDC role: All Business Connects - attend Business Connects when available and relevant, network with attendees, consider giving an update at the next EDC meeting, draft follow-up email to Arden Hills businesses to be shared by Arden Hills staff Page 1 of 2 EDC AGENDA ITEM – 4B MEMORANDUM DATE: August 26, 2026 TO: Economic Development Commission Chair and Commission Members FROM: Elena Fransen, AICP, Senior Planner SUBJECT: EDC Work Plan Requested Action Review draft EDC work plan update for the City Council and discuss potential additions and modifications to the work plan. Background At the April 13 City Council Work Session, staff and members of the EDC presented a draft work plan. The presentation highlighted how the EDC work plan connects to the strategic plan and how the EDC is an asset available to be leveraged by both the City and the business community. The City Council acknowledged that the EDC work plan closely aligns with the strategic plan and supported the proposed work plan direction for the EDC. Attachment A is the most recent work plan which includes gateway signage and a progress report for items addressed in 2026. The EDC has made progress on work plan items associated with the Twin Cities North Chamber of Commerce Business Connects, the 75th Anniversary Celebration, and Gateway Signage. The updated work plan draft includes a placeholder for an Arden Hills business event in 2027 as EDC members previously discussed a shared interest in hosting an Arden Hills business gathering. Other updates to the work plan include anticipated timing and tasks related to items identified for City Engagement such as City Business Resources Webpage, City Newsletter, and City social media. City engagement items are on hold, pending the development of a City Communications assessment and improvement plan as identified on the City strategic plan, now underway. Discussion Questions – - Are there new work plan items that the EDC would like to add to the draft work plan for future discussion with the City Council? Page 2 of 2 - Looking ahead to 2027, what work plan items would be your top three priorities? - What additional information, resources, or guidance can staff provide to help the EDC make progress achieving the work plan items? - Should the EDC consider a budget request ask of the City Council for particular work plan items? Next Steps Staff will incorporate feedback from the EDC discussion into the updated work plan draft. The EDC should consider a motion to recommend the work plan draft with updates as of August 2026 for City Council consideration at a future Work Session. If needed, based on work session agendas, the EDC may have an opportunity to revisit the August work plan update prior to being invited to the Council work session to report on progress in 2026. Attachments Attachment A – August 2026 Draft 2026-2027 EDC Work Plan with Updates Page 1 of 7 EDC Work Plan – August 2026 version EDC Objective - Be the bridge between Arden Hills businesses and the City of Arden Hills In order to achieve this objective, the following goals should be met: 1. The EDC is connected with businesses in Arden Hills and communicates with them to understand their needs 2. The EDC leverages the City’s operations to support Arden Hills businesses with their needs EDC goals tie back to the following goals identified in the City Strategic Plan Summary: 1. Enhancing the city’s presence for clarity and identification 2. Increased business participation 3. Improved communication reach 1. Connection and Communication: Engage with AH businesses A. Arden Hills/Shoreview Business Connect – Twin Cities North Chamber of Commerce (TCNCC) hosts quarterly in-person events in Arden Hills and Shoreview. Desired outcome is to connect current businesses operating in both communities with each other, the chamber, and the municipalities. Possible EDC role: promote events with businesses and attend as they are able; suggest speakers and locations for Arden Hills events Desired EDC outcome: EDC is familiar with the Business Connect events and shares the information and opportunity with local businesses to increase their participation with the city and other local businesses Anticipated timing: Q2 and Q3 2026 Action items Timing Updates/Outcomes Review current process for Business Connect events May 2026 Completed review of process document at May EDC meeting Promote event with business community May-June 2026 Attend events as members of EDC June 2026 Completed, 6 members of the EDC attended June 17 Business Connect meeting Debrief event July 2026 EDC discussed feedback and updates to process document at July EDC meeting Compile feedback to staff and TCNCC August 2026 EDC to confirm updates and next steps Page 2 of 7 B. 75th Anniversary Celebration – A community-wide celebration event on Friday, Jul. 17th. at Cummings Park. Possible EDC role: promote events with businesses and attend as they are able; connect with businesses about sponsorship opportunities Desired EDC outcome: EDC shares the opportunity for businesses to participate in the community event and highlights the role businesses have played in the City’s history Anticipated timing: Q1 and Q2 2026 Action items Timing Updates/Outcomes Promote sponsorship with business community April-June 2026 EDC members visited businesses to share event details and sponsorship opportunities Promote events with business community and residents April-June 2026 Attending event as members of EDC July 2026 2 EDC members volunteered at the City’s booth, with other members participated as business sponsors Debrief event July 2026 EDC discussed feedback about event overall and how sponsorship involvement compared to other events Compile feedback to staff August 2026 Staff to prepare C. State of the City Address – annual event, produced by City staff and City Council, updates relevant to residents and businesses, slated for March 2027 Possible EDC role: promote the event with businesses and attend Desired EDC outcome: EDC helps businesses get “in the know” about new and ongoing development and improvement projects at the city and be an active participant with the city Anticipated timing: 2027 Action items Timing Updates/Outcomes TBD D. Arden Hills Business Event – event hosted by the EDC with support from the EDC staff liaison and other City staff. Possible EDC role: plan, promote, and host event for Arden Hills businesses Desired EDC outcome: EDC engages directly with Arden Hills businesses and connects local businesses to resources and information that is timely and relevant. Page 3 of 7 Anticipated timing: Future, 2027 Action items Timing Updates/Outcomes Draft process document based on October 2025 Business Event August 2026 Staff preparing document Identify topics/speakers and tentative plan for AH business event Execute scheduling for date, time, location, and speaker for event Identify and confirm event sponsors and determine event budget Work with Communication Coordinator to develop promotional materials Confirm agenda and EDC member roles for event Promote event with business community Attend events as members of EDC Debrief event Compile feedback and update process document E. Sponsorships – opportunities for businesses to support the City’s mission and benefit the community Possible EDC role: Share the sponsorship policy throughout the calendar year with specific emphasis leading up to City events such as the Spring Egg Hunt (April), Touch-a-Truck, Barks and Rec, Flashlight Pumpkin Hunt, Penny Carnival, and others Desired EDC outcome: EDC connects businesses to opportunities to be in community with Arden Hills residents and participate in local events Planned for: Future, 2027 Action items Timing Updates/Outcomes Discuss City’s sponsorship policy and key information Ahead of city events, promote sponsorship opportunities Compile feedback on sponsorship opportunities Page 4 of 7 Make recommendations for continuous improvement of sponsorship policy 2. City Engagement: Support City business operations A. City Business Resources Webpage – source of information, maintained by City Senior Communications Coordinator, available to all, includes links to other resources Possible EDC role: review business-related webpages, make suggestions for handouts/guides to make processes easier to understand and follow Desired EDC outcome: EDC adds business perspective to improve the City’s main source of communication and help businesses get the information they need about operating within the city Anticipated timing: Future, Q4 2026 through 2027 (timing to follow Communication assessment and improvement plan) Action items Timing Updates/Outcomes Develop a recommended strategy for future city communications with businesses Review current Business Resource Webpage and what resources are available to businesses Draft recommendation for updates to the webpage In collaboration with staff, create content for webpage B. City Newsletter – timely source of information, produced by City Senior Communications Coordinator with contributions from other staff, reach is to current residents and businesses, also online Possible EDC role: suggesting possible features, promoting with business community, participating in grand opening events Desired EDC outcome: EDC helps the communications team improve outreach to businesses and to share up to date business highlights Planned for: Q3 2026 through 2027 (timing to follow Communication assessment and improvement plan) Page 5 of 7 Action items Timing Updates/Outcomes Develop a recommended strategy for future city communications with businesses Review recent issues of the Newsletter content for businesses Draft recommendation for updates to the newsletter In collaboration with staff, support content for newsletter C. City social media – maintained by City Senior Communications Coordinator to share information and interact with businesses online through social media channels such as X, Nextdoor, Facebook, and LinkedIn Possible EDC role: recommend content posted to city social media accounts with specific consideration for using Instagram to reach younger and business demographics. Identify gaps in communication opportunities Desired EDC outcome: EDC provides business and demographic expertise to help city communications engage with the business community Planned for: Future, Q4 2026 through 2027 (timing to follow Communication assessment and improvement plan) Action items Timing Updates/Outcomes Develop a recommended strategy for future city communications with businesses Hear about the communications strategy from the Administrator/ Communications staff Provide insight into the usefulness of social media platforms Draft recommendation for updates to social media In collaboration with staff, support new social media content D. Business License/Registrations – annual process led by city clerk’s office; renewal process begins each fall Page 6 of 7 Possible EDC role: Review and recommend updates to form; draft informational handouts and website information; connect with businesses before and/or after renewal process; put together a business inventory list to cross reference with the list of licensed and registered businesses Desired EDC outcomes: • EDC connects all businesses to the City’s process for engaging with businesses about resources and other opportunities to participate with the city • All business types in Arden Hills are included in outreach and communication channels, including but not limited to businesses of the “new economy” such as independent contractors/consultants, sole proprietorships, home-based businesses, professional service providers, and other business models that may not rely on a brick- and-mortar location Planned for: Future, 2027 Action items Timing Updates/Outcomes Work with Communications team to develop informational content on license and registration process Launch updated license and registration information Connect with businesses before renewals begin Share updates from businesses (renewing or not, other needs) Use feedback from process to inform updates to the 2028 work plan E. Gateway Signs – support the EDA and City Council in their initiative to establish locations for gateway signs Possible EDC role: Review past discussions about gateway signs and their proposed locations; consider locations that are considered gateways to the city and if new locations should be considered; make recommendations to the EDA; provide comment on signage designs and site locations once established Desired EDC outcomes: EDC uses expertise as residents and business representatives to recommend opportunities for identification signage across the community to solidify physical identity of city boundaries. Planned for: Q2 2026 through 2027 Page 7 of 7 Action items Timing Updates/Outcomes Review working document gateway signage locations (current, proposed, and potential) May 2026 EDC reviewed the working documents and maps for gateway signage at the May EDC meeting Using business insight, provide recommendations for signage locations July 2026 EDC recommended a priority location and further direction for gateway signage at the July EDC meeting Provide comment on proposed signage design and locations on identified sites as requested July 2026