2015-06-30 HRA_Special_Meeting_Minutes

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HRA Special Meeting Minutes – Tuesday, June 30, 2015 Page 2 1 Ms. Kelsey further reported on the ratio of affordable units for a 15-year span, after which they will 2 revert to market rate units. Ms. Kelsey encouraged the HRA to view the most recent Sherman project 3 constructed in St. Paul, opining that you could tell no difference between the affordable units and 4 market rate units in the buildings. 5 6 Member Wall expressed his concern or lack of information with the actual success of the HRA’s 7 business retention efforts to-date, opining that from his perspective he feels more work is needed in that 8 area. Since the major HRA project on Dale Street had fallen through for the HRA, Member Wall 9 opined that they could not chalk that up on the plus side of the ledger, creating the need to make better 10 efforts to target those types of projects moving forward as the body defined its role and expectations. 11 12 Member Majerus asked Member Wall to expound on that further, opining that the HRA’s role and their 13 relationship with the City Council was the elephant in the room and needed to be discussed frankly. 14 Until that is addressed, Member Majerus opined it would be difficult to proceed with any strategic plan 15 without having that clear picture. 16 17 Member Wall noted that could be discussed as the group moved into more details beyond this initial 18 overview, with many of the HRA projects having already been in process long before his appointment. 19 Member Wall opined that he liked the work done by the HRA on the rental licensing program, which he 20 thought beneficial to the city and rental tenants, and suggested that program be continued and expanded. 21 Member Wall stated his sense was that it was providing and improving communication between the 22 City and apartment owners and their tenants. 23 24 Chair Maschka concurred with the positive accomplishments as part of the rental licensing program, 25 and suggested a subtitle under apartments/rentals should be “student housing.” 26 27 Member Etten concurred, noting the need to address not only student rentals, but rentals in general. 28 29 Specific to business retention, Chair Maschka admitted that it was not all it was intended to be yet, but 30 was a work in progress, and involved collaborative efforts of Chambers of Commerce, HRA staff, and 31 other agencies. 32 33 Member Wall suggested there needed to be a way to measure the success of business retention. 34 35 Member Majerus asked how the HRA got involved with businesses or development of more business in 36 the community. 37 38 Chair Maschka responded that it may involve assemblage of parcels by the HRA. 39 40 At the request of Ms. Raye, Chair Maschka confirmed that this would be an opportunity on the housing 41 side. Chair Maschka also noted the success of the neighborhood and commercial enhancement 42 programs (NEP and CEP), another program the HRA had done well. Chair Maschka spoke in support 43 of a minimum of one substandard home demolition per year. Chair Maschka also expressed his 44 personal anticipation of the current HRA loan programs picking up now that policy standards had been 45 recently revised. 46 47 At the request of Member Wall, Chair Maschka and Member Etten both agreed and clarified that the 48 increased interest being seen was a direct result of that change in loan policy; with three loans currently 49 in process. 50 51 Member Lee spoke in support of the HRA’s involvement parcel assembly to spur development. 52 Member Lee suggested land banking or encouraging that process, opining it would be huge. Member 53 Lee noted that, if the HRA didn’t own the parcels, they had little to say on how they were assembled; 54 and based on her work with a number of land bank properties, when you own the property you can