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HRA Meeting Minutes – Tuesday, September 30, 2014 Page 3 1 HRA will have an opportunity to view it and make comments related to the content, ease of 2 navigation, and other information. Once this new design goes live, Ms. Kelsey noted that the 3 former “Living Smarter” page would be eliminated and segregated with the new City website 4 and expanded City News newsletter, with the last page devoted exclusive to business interests. 5 6 Discussion included making the hardcopy newsletter available to businesses; coordination with 7 the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce on their quarterly business series. 8 9 Ms. Kelsey reported that the next quarterly business meeting of the Chamber series is 10 scheduled for December 18, 2014 from 7:30 – 9:00 a.m. at the Roseville Radisson Hotel. Ms. 11 Kelsey noted the timing programmed to allow those attending to get to their office by 9:00 am. 12 13 Ms. Kelsey advised of an additional cooperative effort of the St. Paul Area Chamber of 14 Commerce and the Roseville Visitor’s Association for a free event scheduled for December 4, 15 2014 from 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. at the Marriot Courtyard in Roseville, which had been recently 16 remodeled, making a wonderful venue for this event. Ms. Kelsey noted that this event would 17 provide an opportunity for businesses to network and exchange ideas and information rather 18 than have a formal presentation series, and would be similar to the Shoreview Business 19 Exchange held semi-annually, where City staff and elected officials meet and greet business 20 owners, managers, and their representatives and make resources and relative information 21 available to them. Ms. Kelsey asked the HRA to attend this networking opportunity. 22 23 b.Fall Workshop Series at the Library 24 Executive Director Kelsey reviewed the success of previous HRA sponsored workshops held 25 at the Ramsey County Library – Roseville Branch, as a supplement to the success of similar 26 workshops held at the annual Living Smarter Home & Garden Fair. Ms. Kelsey advised that 27 this last workshop is scheduled this coming Saturday with the topic on crime prevention by 28 design, presented by the Roseville Police Department. Ms. Kelsey noted that the library was 29 very receptive to the workshops and the product brought forward by the HRA; and asked that 30 they provide two more seminars in the future: one for first-time homebuyers, and another on 31 how to prepare credit and down payments in order to purchase a home. 32 33 At the request of Chair Maschka, Ms. Kelsey reviewed the advertising and promotion provided 34 by the HRA and Library through various media sources. 35 36 Discussion included the value in this outreach for the community; the need to promote and 37 challenges in reaching out to tenants in apartment buildings when only a main address is 38 known and seldom posted on site by managers/owners to spread the word, and potential ways 39 to connect with those tenants who may be interested in first-time home buyer information; staff 40 discussion at this time with banks about offering a free workshop with potential continuing 41 education credits for those qualifying as part of their professional education efforts; and staff 42 marketing of the workshops through area realtors and organizations locally and regionally. 43 44 Ms. Kelsey advised that to-date, the HRA has not had to pay for these experts to present; 45 however, in the future it may be necessary to make a donation to their professional or trade 46 organizations at a minimum. 47 48 Some additional resources were discussed; and the consensus of the body was for staff to 49 continue offering and coordinating these great outreach efforts. 50 51 Update on Studies: SE Roseville and Motel/Hotels 52 Executive Director Kelsey provided an update on the SE Roseville study just initiated with 53 graduate students at the U of MN; meetings held to-date with student volunteers; and various 54 directions to be undertaken as part of the students’ backgrounds and interest levels. 55