EDA Minutes 02-10-2010EDA MEETING
MINUTES
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
6:00 p.m.
Mississippi Room - 505 Walnut Street, Monticello, MN
Commissioners: President Bill Demeules, Vice President Dan Frie, Treasurer Bill Tapper, Bill Fair, and
Council members Tom Perrault
Commissioners Absent: Bob Viering and Brian Stumpf
Staff: Executive Director Megan Barnett, Finance Director Tom Kelly, and City Administrator Jeff
O'Neill
1. Call to Order:
2. Approve Minutes:
MOTION BY TAPPER TO APPROVE JANUARY 13, 2010 MINUTES SECONDED
BY PERRAULT WITH SPELLING AND GRAMMER CORRECTIONS. MOTION
CARRIED. 5 -0
3. Consideration of additional agenda items:
Economic Development Director stated Bob Viering submitted a letter of resignation.
Staff will work with the HR Director to post for the EDA open seat.
4. Approval of EDA Invoices:
MOTION BY TAPPER TO APPROVE INVOICES SECONDED BY FAIR, MOTION
CARRIED. 5 -0.
5. Elect Officers for 2010.
MOTION BY FAIR TO ELECT BILL DEMEULES AS PRESIDENT, DAN ERIE FOR
VICE PRESIDENT, AND BILL TAPPER AS TREASURER SECONDED BY
PERRAULT. MOTION CARRIED. 5 -0.
6. Review EDA Fund Balances.
Finance Director Tom Kelly reviewed EDA fund balances including TIF and GMEF.
Barnett stated the final fund balances would be reviewed by the EDA at their August
meeting.
MOTION BY FAIR SECONDED BY FRIE TO APPROVE PRELMINARY EDA
FUND BALANCES AS PRESENTED. MOTION CARRIED. 5 -0.
7. Follow up discussion regarding TIF Districts 2, 5, 6
Director Barnett stated this agenda item is a follow up to the joint workshop held in
January. Barnett stated the services of Kennedy and Graven were solicited to determine if
fund balances from Districts 2, 5, and 6 could be utilized for purchasing real estate from
downtown willing sellers.
Barnett explained the memo included in the EDA packet reviews in detail the legal
opinion regarding available funds in each district. To summarize District 2 contains about
$52,000 available funds to utilize for land acquisition. Legal counsel is recommending
against a budget amendment for TIF District 2 based on the upcoming required
decertification date. Districts 5 and 6 have the flexibility to be amended in order to allow
for additional land acquisition dollars.
Barnett noted the Monticello Downtown Association submitted a letter regarding
opinions on how to best utilize surplus TIF dollars. The letter states the Association
would like to see dollars used for planning purposes for downtown first and then
potentially look at purchasing real estate in the future.
EDA members requested clarification on what would trigger a budget amendment.
Finance Director clarified that if the EDA stays within the dollar amounts outlined by
Kennedy and Graven in the applicable districts, budget amendments are not required.
However, if the EDA wanted to purchase property that exceeded a budgeted dollar
amount the EDA would be required to amend each budget accordingly.
Director Barnett recommended running parallel tracks: send a letter to downtown real
estate owners requesting willing sellers to submit an inquiry form, continue to move
forward with a downtown RFP redevelopment and revitalization plan, and take a look at
other priority projects.
Dan Frie questioned if this is basically information gathering at this point. He made the
statement we are not committing to anything at this time.
Bill Tapper stated his opinion would be to initiate a concept plan or vision for downtown
along with looking at key parcels to purchase from willing sellers. He suggested taking
the budgeted land acquisition amount in District 2 for purchasing property and utilizing
the remaining funds for planning.
Bill Fair stated his opinion would be to see what responses the City receives from
downtown real estate owners. After we have gathered this information, then possibly look
at initiating a planning process. It is his opinion that if we have more control of the land
upfront the planning process will be more successful at the end. Past precedent has shown
the City has completed a plan and the downtown land owners have not been willing
participants.
City Administrator O'Neill reviewed the process and past scope of work completed as
part of the 1997 redevelopment plan.
The EDA discussed some of the struggles the City has faced in past efforts to redevelop
the downtown.
MOTION BY TAPPER TO UTILZE $52,000 OF EXISTING TIF IN DISTRICT 1 -2
FOR LAND ACQUISITION, DIRECTING STAFF TO SEND AN INQUIRY LETTER
TO DOWNTOWN REAL ESTATE OWNERS, AND BEGIN WORKING ON A
PLANNING, TRANSPORTATION, AND FINANCING RFP FOR DOWNTOWN
SECONDED BY FAIR. MOTION CARRIED. 5 -0.
Further discussion occurred regarding the budgeted amount for the planning project if the
RFP's exceed the TIF budget amount. The EDA also asked staff to identify other priority
projects for downtown and bring back at a future meeting.
8. Director Report
Staff updated the EDA on efforts being made for the BR &E program.
Perrault asked staff for a review of the recently attended Ehlers conference.
9. Marketing Update
No new update at this time.
10. Adjournment
MOTION BY FAIR TO ADJOURN SECONDED BY FRIE. MOTION CARRIED. 5 -0.
Bill Demeules, President