IDC Minutes 04-19-2001• MINUTES
MONTICELLO INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Thursday, April 19, 2001 - 7:00 a.m.
Twin City Die Castings Company - 520 Chelsea Road
MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Dick Van Allen, Vice Chair Tom Lindquist, Don Smith, Bill
Tapper, Don Roberts, Mike Benedetto, Mary Barger, and Susie
Wojchouski.
MEMBERS ABSENT: Kevin Doty and Tom Ollig.
COUNCIL PRESENT: Mayor Roger Belsaas.
STAFF PRESENT: Rick Wolfsteller, Jeff O'Neill, Fred Patch, and Ollie Koropchak.
GUESTS: Bruce Starook, Technical Director, Magnesium Division, Twin City Die Castings.
Shelly Johnson, previous IDC member.
Call to Order.
Chair Van Allen called the IDC meeting to order at 7:00 a.m.
Approve the February 15 and the March 15 2001 IDC minutes
• Mary Barger made a motion to approve the February 15, 2001 IDC minutes. Seconded by Bill
Tapper and with no corrections or additions, the minutes were approved as written.
Bill Tapper made a motion to approve the March 15, 2001 IDC minutes. Seconded by Don
Roberts and with no corrections or additions, the minutes were approved as written.
Recognition of Charter IDC member Shelly Johnson
On behalf of the IDC members, Chair Van Allen expressed "thanks" to Shelly Johnson for his
years of service to the IDC and of his continued interest in the recruitment of industrial
development.
4. Summarize the March IDC meeting and a report on the negotiations to acquire the
Chadwick/Goeman land for industrial development
Chair Van Allen noted the March IDC minutes summarized the meeting. Wolfsteller reported on
the latest negotiations with the Chadwick Group. The initial negotiations (1999) included an
exchange of the City/Remmele 64 acres for 130 acres of the Chadwick property plus $100,000.
Chadwick retained the 45 acre mining site. The latest Chadwick offer to the City was $3.2
million or $2.5 million with exchange of the Remmele 58 acre property. Chadwick retains 38
acres along I-94 and the city acquires the 140 acres including wetlands/mining area. With the
estimated costs for improvements from WSB, Inc., Wolfsteller indicated a ``maybe" as to
presenting the offer to the City Council. It appears the Chadwick Group has interested buyers for
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IDC Minutes - 4/19/01
the I-94 property for commercial use. The MOAA and the City agreed on the land use as
industrial. WBS, Inc. previously indicated the 27 acres along I-94 and abutting West Chelsea
Road could be served by gravity flow. Bottom-line the negotiations are further apart.
The IDC asked "What's next?" Options: 1. Gold Nugget parcel. MOAA and City need to
resolve land use differences. 2. Bohanon parcel -Infrastructure more difficult and land use
difference. Asking the Mayor, if the City was ready for industrial development? He responded,
"Not at this time, not until a change of mind of Council." Smith recalled the differences
between the City and Township during the NSP annexation in 1973-1974 when Mayor Con
Johnson and Franklin Denn had one-on-one discussions which resulted in an agreement between
the city and township. The Mayor reported he and Denn have met several times and agree, the
Council is not in agreement. O'Neill again mentioned the Planning Commission on several
occasions have been asked to address a land use change on the Gold Nugget property but have
responded "no." As an outsider, Shelly Johnson suggested the need to talk to each Council and
Planning Commission member about the impact of industrial development to the community.
Smith sees the issue as more complex today than previously. Chair Van Allen suggested a
subcommittee of MOAA, township, and Council to brain storm for development of a working
agreement. O'Neill stressed the importance of including the Planning Commission. Suggestions
included a subcommittee consisting of Planning (Dick Frie), Township, Council (Bruce Thielen),
County (Pat Sawatzke), and IDC (Mike Benedetto and Dick Van Allen). The IDC summarized
the discussion: 1. For the IDC to proceed with the recruitment of a township representative as a
member of the IDC. 2. For the Mayor to continue addressing Council members on the
• importance of industrial development and the need to resolve land use issues. 3. Chair Van
Allen and Benedetto to meet to discuss strategies for the potential formation of a subcommittee
to address the need for cooperative land use decisions and its impact to the community (meaning
city, township, schools, hospitals, county, businesses and residents).
Approve the recommendation of the Membership Subcommittee.
Smith reported on the membership subcommittee meeting held between Lindquist, Van Allen,
Smith, and Koropchak. The subcommittee agreed and recommends the IDC accept the leave of
absence request of Bob Mosford with a review at annual appointments. Each member was to
contact an individual identified by profession for interest in IDC membership. Van Allen
reported Hospital Administrator Barb Schwientek said "yes" and Lindquist reported Dan Olson,
local insurance agent said "yes". Koropchak reported Darrin Lahr was over-committed at this
time; however, will help out via the HRA/EDA and suggested the name of Ellen Perrault,
Communications Coordinator, Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant, as the local utility
representative. Smith reported on positive conversation on the recruitment of a township
representative and will report more next month. Don Smith made a motion to accept the names
of Barb Schwientek, Dan Olson, and Ellen Perrault as IDC members, to accept the leave of
absence request from Bob Mosford with review year-end, and to accept moving forward on the
recruitment of a township representative. Motion was seconded by Bill Tapper and with no
further discussion, the motion passed unanimously.
TOUR OF TWIN CITY DIE CASTINGS.
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IDC Minutes - 4/19/01
6. How can the [DC improve on the Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) activity
Koropchak asked: [s the IDC interested in participation of BRE activities? Or if they saw merit
in the program? Stating previous years when IDC members each visited industrial leaders as
community ambassadors. Low-key, how are you, what's new, what's going on in your business?
This was part of MN DTED's Star City Program. Van Allen described it as "outreach" to
encourage interaction. Perhaps this might to better served by retired IDC members? !-loglund,
Kendall, Johnson, Lungwitz, Grimsmo, etc? With the lack of a quorum further discussion was
deferred to Marketing Committee.
7. Report from the Chamber relative to the status of the transferred IDC funds.
Susie reported the IDC funds were intermingled with the Chamber fiords; however, the funds
were not withdrawn. The Chamber is looking for direction from the [DC. If for marketing:
Perhaps Chamber Website Link or Economic Development advertisement in the Community
Guide (maybe to late). This was deferred to Marketing Committee.
Report on the status of the April 26 Industrial Gratis Luncheon coordinated by the Chamber.
Susie reported very few had responded to the luncheon invitations, only 1 1 RSVPs. Will call.
9. Consideration of updates.
Marketing Committee No report.
b) Economic Development Report. See Attachment.
Mavor's Report. No report.
10. Other Business.
None.
11. Adjournment.
IDC meeting adjourned at 9:10 a.m.
Recorder
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