IEDC Minutes 04-07-2009MEETING MINUTES
MONTICELLO INDUSTRIAL and ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
7:00 a.m. Boon Island Room – Monticello Community Center
MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair, Lynne Dahl-Fleming; Vice-Chair, Don Roberts; Dan Olson;
Dick VanAllen.
MEMBERS ABSENT: Bill Tapper, Patrick Thompson, Marshall Smith. Zona Gutzwiller,
Rich Harris, Wayne Elam, Charlotte Gabler, Elaine DeWenter, Clint Herbst, Glen Posusta.
STAFF ABSENT: Megan Barnett
CHAMBER LIAISON ABSENT: Sandy Suchy
Call to Order
Approval of March 3, 2009 Minutes and Economic Development Director Update
Staff was unable to attend today’s meeting. Minutes and updates wil be provided at the May
meeting.
IEDC Monthly Meeting Structure
Chair, Dahl-Fleming noted that a Secretary position has not yet been established and filled by an
IEDC member. Typically this position is designated in January. The position of Secretary would
need to be established.
Chair, Dahl-Fleming reported that staff has told her that as chair, she will no longer have any
input into the Agenda that goes out to members prior to the meetings. In the past, the Chair of
IEDC and the Economic Development Director would work co-operatively to develop the
monthly meeting Agenda prior to it being sent to members allowing both staff and the Chair to
provide the agenda items for the upcoming meeting. The members present agreed unanimously
that it was important for both the chair and staff to have input into the Agenda prior to meetings.
The question came up as to why staff felt they needed to have control of the Agenda without
input form the IEDC. Since staff was not present at the meeting this question would need to be
asked at the next meeting so an answer could be provided.
Recently, staff attempted to cancel the April 7, 2009 IEDC meeting due to the fact that staff had a
mandatory meeting that day and could not attend. Barnett sent an email to membership on March
25, 2009 as a notice to cancel the meeting and the Chair and Vice-chair had agreed to keep the
meeting as scheduled. Another email was sent by the IEDC Chair also on March 25, to the
membership and staff indicating that the April 7 meeting would be conducted as scheduled even
though staff could not attend. Chair, Dahl-Fleming and Vice-chair, Roberts had requested that the
meeting not be cancelled because staff could not attend, that meeting notes could be provided to
staff, and that the IEDC should still meet at its regularly scheduled meeting time. The members
discussed the fact that in the past, even though staff could not attend, IEDC still met and they saw
no reason that this procedure should not continue. The members present agreed unanimously that
it was not necessary to have staff present in order to hold a regular scheduled monthly meeting of
the IEDC. Again, the question arose as to why staff was trying to control the direction of the
IEDC meeting without regard to input from the chair and vice chair. Since staff was not present at
the meeting this question would need to be asked at the next meeting so an answer could be
provided.
Not only was the structure for the monthly IEDC meetings discussed but also the purpose of the
group. The Action Statement document for the IEDC was referenced and the “Purpose” was
noted as follows:
PURPOSE:
To operate as an independent organization serving as an advocate to influence and assist
Industrial and economic development in and for the city of Monticello, Minnesota with
An emphasis on industrial development.
Another document was referenced which was the Amended and Restated Resolution adopted by
the Monticello City Council recognizing the IEDC on May 27, 2008. The members present
discussed item #2 which reads:
“The IEDC as an independent organization shall make recommendations, advise, and
assist the City Council, the Economic Development Authority, and other City boards and
commissions on matters relating to industrial development and job creation and
retention.”
The members present agreed unanimously that the IEDC required direction from staff and
Council as to what they thought the above two statements meant and how it related to how the
IEDC structures and operates itself. The future of the IEDC would be dependent on how the staff,
Council and the IEDC members defined how the group should move forward. The Chair was
directed by the members present to ask staff to place this item on the Agenda for the May meeting
as a topic to be discussed by the group so that an outcome could be determined. Dahl-Fleming
noted that she would follow-up with staff by providing notes from today’s meeting and requesting
that Agenda items relating to staff control of monthly meetings and discussion of the purpose of
IEDC and specifically the meaning of Item #2 from the Council resolution be topics on the
Agenda for the May 5, 2009 meeting.
Reports
City Update: There was no report provided.
Fiber Optics: The question was asked as to what has happened since the last court date
relating to the lawsuit by Bridgewater Telephone (TDS). Dahl-Fleming had attended the
March 4, 2009 appellate hearing and reported that the judges stated they had 90 days
from the that date to provide their opinion. Nothing has been heard to date and the City
is still waiting for that outcome. In the meantime opportunities exist for application of
stimulus funding for the fiber optic project which is the city is looking into and the
general manager from HBC (Hiawatha Broadband Communications) was on board and
assisting City staff with operations of the fiber backbone. Patten has scheduled April
dates for “Lunch and Learn” sessions for businesses relating to fiber optics.
Chamber: Sandy Suchy was not able to attend the meeting but provided a short update
via email to members prior to today’s meeting. An update would be provided at the May
meeting.
Other: Chair, Dahl-Fleming reported that previous IEDC member, Don Toman’s
Company UMC (Ultra Machining Company) has received an MJSP (Minnesota Job
Skills Partnership) grant of $269,000 to support a three-year training collaboration
between UMC and Anoka-Ramsey Community College. UMC will contribute over
$328,000 to fund the training project. Congratulations were in order and a grant
signing ceremony would be taking place at UMC on April 8, 2009 at 4 p.m.
Planning Group Updates (Transportation, Business Retention/Communications, Land Use)
There were no reports provided.
Adjournment
With no further business the meeting was adjourned at 8:00 a.m.
Next meeting date: May 5, 2009