IEDC Agenda 03-06-2012
AGENDA
MONTICELLO INDUSTRIAL & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
7:00 a.m., Boom Island
MEMBERS: Chair Luke Dahlheimer, Vice Chair Joni Pawelk, Rich Harris, Patrick Thompson, Bill
Tapper, Dick Van Allen, Dan Olson, Zona Gutzwiller, Wayne Elam, Jim Johnson, Chris
Kruse, Don Roberts, Tim O’Connor, and Wes Olson
LIASIONS: Sandy Suchy, Chamber
Clint Herbst, Mayor
Glen Posusta, City Council
1. Call to Order
2. Approve Minutes:
a. February 7, 2012
3. Consideration of adding items to the Agenda
4. Reports:
a. Economic Development Report
b. City Council
c. Chamber of Commerce and Industry
5. Continued discussion with the Monticello School District
6. BR&E Follow-Up Survey (per adopted work plan)
7. Adjournment (8:30am)
MINUTES
MONTICELLOINDUSTRIAL&ECONOMICDEVELOPMENTCOMMITTEE(IEDC)
Tuesday,February7,2012
7:00a.m.,BoomIslandRoom
MEMBERSPRESENT:ChairLukeDahlheimer,ViceChairJoniPawelk,PatrickThompson,Bill
Tapper,DanOlson,ZonaGutzwiller,WayneElam,JimJohnson,Don
Roberts,TimO’Connor,andWesOlson
LIASIONSPRESENT:SandySuchy,Chamber
ClintHerbst,Mayor
GlenPosusta,CityCouncil
MEMBERSABSENT:RichHarris,DickVanAllen,ChrisKruse
STAFFPRESENT:EconomicDevelopmentDirectorMeganBarnett-Livgard,City
AdministratorJeffO’Neill
1.CalltoOrder
LukeDahlheimercalledthemeetingtoorderat7:00a.m.
2.ApproveMinutes
BILLTAPPERMOVEDTOAPPROVETHEJANUARY3,2012MINUTES.MOTION
WASSECONDEDBYWAYNEELAM.MOTIONCARRIED11-0.
3.ConsiderationofaddingitemstotheAgenda None
4.Reports
Staffsuggestedmovingforwardwiththeagendaratherthanprovidingverbalreports.
5.MonticelloBranding&ImageCampaign
StaffrecommendedthatMonticelloinitiateaCity-widebrandingandimagecampaignto
createaunifyingmarketingstrategywhichincludesallofMonticello’samenities.
Brandingisnotjustaboutalogoortaglinebutinsteadawaytodefinethecommunityand
takestrategicstepstoclearlycommunicatethatmessage.Establishingabrandwouldset
Monticelloapartfromothercommunities.Statisticsindicatethatsiteselectorsoften
choosealocationfortheirnextbusinessbasedonbrand.
ThecitiesofLakevilleandElkRiverwentthroughabrandingprocessandtheStateof
Minnesotaiscurrentlydoingthesame.StaffnotedthatElkRiverretaineditslogobut
addedthetagline,“PoweredbyNature,”whichisbeingembracedbylocalbusinessesasa
waytomarketthemselvesinpartnershipwiththeCitybrand.
IEDCMinutes02/07/12
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TherewassomediscussionaboutretainingMonticello’scurrentlogoandtagline,“Your
kindofplace.”Severalonthecommitteehadneverheardofthetagline.
StaffindicatedthatthepurposeoftheRFPwouldbetosolicitmarketingfirmstodefine
researchandimplementationmethods,atangiblewaytomeasureresults,andalong-term
communicationsstrategyforthebrandingcampaign.Staffestimatedthatthesurvey
componentofthisinitiativecouldbecompletedwithin2-4months.Atimelinewouldalso
bedevelopedforrealisticimplementationofthiseffortforthisyearandthenextfiveyears.
FundsareavailableintheEDAGeneralFundbudgetforthisinitiative.TheCitywould
alsoapplyforagrantthroughtheInitiativeProgramandpursueprivateinvestment
partnershipstoimplementthiseffort.ManyCitydepartmentshavemarketingbudgetsthat
mightbeutilizedasapotentialfundingresource.Thereweresomecommentsaboutthe
long-termmarketingcommitmentrequiredtobesuccessful.Staffpointedoutthatastrong
brandcouldbringabouteconomicgrowth.
ManyontheIEDCseemedtoagreeinprinciplethatbrandisimportanttoacommunity.
Therewassomediscussionastowhetherornotthetimingwasrighttoestablishabrandfor
Monticelloduetoalltherecentinitiatives.Staffsuggestedthatthetimingmayactuallybe
idealinthattherehasrecentlybeenmuchdatagatheredaboutMonticelloandsignificant
momentumhasbeenestablished.Therewassomeconcernthatmorediscussionwas
neededbeforedecidingtoproceed.
DONROBERTSMOVEDTORECOMMENDTHATTHEEDAFURTHER
EVALUATEDIRECTINGCITYSTAFFTOPREPAREABRANDINGANDIMAGE
RFPANDALLOCATEAMAXIMUMOF$30,000OFEDAFUNDS.MOTIONWAS
SECONDEDBYPATRICKTHOMPSON.MOTIONCARRIED11-0.
6.PresentationbytheMonticelloSchoolDistrictregardingSTEM(Science,
Technology,Engineering,&Math)programinitiativesandopportunities
MonticelloSchoolSuperintendentJimJohnsonpointedoutthateducatorsmustchange
theirteachingstrategiestopreparestudentsforaverydifferentworldthanthatoftheir
parents.Hesaidthatknowledge-basedlearninghasbeenreplacedbycontinuallearning.
Thefocusisnowonteachingkidshowtothinkandproblem-solve.Heindicatedthatthe
currenteducationalstandardsdon’tprovidestudentstheskillstheyneedtosucceedinthe
workplace.SchoolsarelookingtoprogramssuchastheScienceTechnologyEngineering
andMath(STEM)andProjectLeadtheWaytoaddressthatissue.
Heindicatedthatstudentsareexposedtohands-onskillbuildingearlierintheireducation
andthroughouttheirschoolday.Hediscussedthedifferinglevelsofabilityatschooland
howteachersmeetstudentswheretheyareatandworktomovethemahead.Heresponded
toquestionsabouthowthedistrictaddressesholdingbackstudentsthathaven’tmet
requirementsaswellasthesupportservicesprovidedforthosestudentsandhigh
IEDCMinutes02/07/12
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achievers.
HeaskedthattheIEDCworkwiththeschoolstohelplegislatorsandparentsunderstand
thatafour-yearcollegeeducationmaynotprovidetheskillsneededtosucceedinthe
workplaceandthattargetedhighschoolinitiativescanpreparestudentstoearnaliving
ratherthanaccumulatedebt.HepointedoutthatthedistrictisnowpartneringwithSt.
CloudTechandAnoka-Hennepintoprovidemanyopportunitiesforcollegecreditforhigh
schoolclasses.MonticelloschoolsalsoplantopairupwiththeCityofBeckertoworkon
roboticsandtheCityofMonticellotoworkonvideoproduction.
TheschooldistricthasalsobeenpartneringwithlocalindustriesUMCandProduction
Stampingtoprovidereallifeproblem-solvingscenariosforstudents.Therewassome
discussionaboutthedifficultyofobtainingstudentinternshipsbecauseofliabilityissues
andrestrictionsintheworkplace.JimJohnsonemphasizedthevalueofjobshadowing
especiallyinthejuniorandsenioryear.
Staffnotedthatarobustschooldistrictiskeytosuccessfullymarketingacommunity.The
IEDCwillconsiderideasforpartneringwiththeschooldistrictandoptionsfortouringthe
highschoolattheendofMarchorbeginningofApril.
7.Adjournment
BILLTAPPERMOVEDTOADJOURNAT8:31AM.MOTIONWASSECONDEDBY
DONROBERTS.MOTIONCARRIED11-0.
Recorder:KerryT.Burri__
Approved:March6,2012
Attest:_______________________________________________
MeganBarnett-Livgard,EconomicDevelopmentDirector
IEDC 3.7.12
6. Consideration of creating a BR&E follow up survey:
A. REFERENCE & BACKGROUND:
The adopted IEDC 2012 work plan includes distributing a follow up BR&E survey. Several
aspects need to be discussed, such as:
purpose of survey
target audience
format
type of questions
Two years ago the City initiated a BR&E program that included interviewing 60 businesses.
Several great projects were initiated and completed due to information obtained through the
survey process. Due to the fact it has been two years since we have specifically checked in
with the businesses interviewed, it might be appropriate to do a follow up survey to once
again check in with the businesses that were originally interviewed. We could ask questions
such as: how is business going, are they aware of any BR&E implementation projects, is there
any specific follow up they believe could/should still be completed, etc.
Staff would like to obtain specific direction related to the BR&E follow up survey task
identified in the IEDC’s 2012 work plan.
B. STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Based on discussion
C. ALTERNATE ACTIONS:
Based on discussion.
D. SUPPORTING DATA:
None