Economic Development Commission - Regular Meeting

am only speaking. I have a feeling that we haven't been recording for this whole time. Okay. That we haven't been recording this whole time. No. Uh, no. It does say that we've been recording for an hour and 50 minutes, which would be correct. I don't know how it would have been paused, but okay. We've got an hour and 15 minutes on the time. Sorry.

That's fine. Um I was just going to say that as an individual council member speaking only for myself and not for the council, um I I would love the opportunity to have um an interactive time where the council could hear from the EDC and offer our perspectives as well as hear from you. you know, I give a report, a very brief summary report at the council meetings. Um, but obviously there's a depth of conversation that can't be relayed in a summary report. Um, and so as a new council member, I'm still figuring out how best to pursue those um more in-depth conversations on a variety of topics, the EDC being one of them. Um,

when is the next council meeting? Tomorrow. Oh, yeah. That's a lot of quick. My thought was if we had instead of you, like you said, you give a brief summary of what we discussed at our meeting. If it was a presentation to the council that says, you know, I went to the meeting, this is what they discussed. Here's what's been laid out as what they believe are their potential responsibilities or objectives. and they're going to have a work session based on these things after we the council tell them what we want them to focus on. I mean, that's just another thought.

Yeah. And and as a council, I would think that there's, you know, an item like that would have to actually go on the agenda. So then there's the timing, you know, obviously for all of that. That's why I asked when the next meeting was, right? Yeah. And then um also the potential for it to be part of a council work session as well.

So um just to just to kind of back or get back on on our subject. Uh the way I see it is that as um an economic development commission um if we can get our recommendations um you know in line and um hopefully it won't take you know too too many work sessions. Uh I I I've definitely heard the commission and you know you would like to to choose you know from you know have have something tangible to choose from not you know start off with a blank slate. uh have all of our kind of um as it were opportunities for to progress with our responsibilities based on the objectives or the goals and objectives that have already been laid out for us. we, you know, inform our session with the drafted mission, vision, values, um, and then proceed to our recommendations to council. And those are, it's not going to be, uh, an all-encompassing fiveyear plan. Uh, it will probably be a lot less than that. You know, it will be, you know, maybe our top three things that we can move on and do, what we can what we can operate on straight out the gate.

2026 plan would be great. 2026 to-do list. I would just like to offer one other Oh, sorry. Go ahead.

Admin, that's right. Just one little other little administrative plan or idea that would probably fall on you, Dawn, to be honest, is because I think I think Kate, you might have mentioned this. Um, we we hopefully will have people cycling on and off of this commission that some sort of a homework packet be kept up for that new person, whoever that be. You know, again, it's that, "Oh, here's the opportunity. we're ready kind of thing. Yeah. Um I

once we determine what we're doing so they come in and they so when a new person comes in they can sort of know because I have to tell you that I did not get that. Well I did and I'm just now I'm just now figuring out what it is our role and my role are here. Well um and I'm hoping that tonight you know you did Don that wasn't intended to be a dig on you at all. I'm sorry if I came across that line. No, no, no. I I do hope that tonight's presentation was to help clarify, you know. Super helpful. Super helpful. Good. That was great.

And as far as our Oh my gosh, I forgot what I was gonna say now. Uh I do think it's getting late.

Agreed. Uh, we I I I did try to do a better job with bringing Cole on. Um, and Kate. Um, I had a an email that had some introductory things. I was like, "Yeah, here's your here's your responsibilities, your roles, responsibilities. Here's the link." Um, and it wasn't too, you know, flushed out or anything, but it was to at least provide you the opportunity to educate your or to have an education on what your roles and responsibilities would be, what our plan documents are, you know. Um, I'm sure I shoved him into the deep end right off the pier, you know, but it's um I'm I'm glad that we've had this presentation though to to really go through what these are. And um yeah, the work session of I do see that there's you know we h we have some we have a place to go now we have direction. Does everybody feel good about our work session? Our next uh meeting being a work session?

Yes. But are we going two months before then? because of the holidays, we need to kind of confirm or get get narrow down a date of if we're going to do this before the end of the year. Yeah. Um if we our next date is December 29th. Um, and so if that is going to if you and I, you know, not really pop quiz, if you you guys can have a chance to look at your um calendars and make I'm I'm definitely out of town between Christmas and the new year. Okay, good to know. And that's the Monday between

Yeah, it is. So, um, we want to wait that long. It's our next scheduled meeting, but this is a work session, not a meeting. That's true. Uh, I just I didn't want to um assume that I could take more of your time than I was already allowed. So, that's what we're here for. We'll see. And now I'm I'm uh I'm all excited. I've got some interest here. So

So avoid uh give a couple weeks, but avoid uh Thanksgiving. So we have the week of November 17th, we have the week of December 1st, the week of December 8th and then you know holidays, end of school, etc. starts you know starts. Yeah. Uh, and it those would be my personal three possible weeks. I would prefer to do it sooner rather than later. So, like the week of the 17th, November 17th. Like, well, don't we need to get rotted on this too though? Right.

We do. So, um, a decision on a on an alternate date is not something that we'll necessarily solve right now because we don't have Rod, uh, to weigh in on it. And, uh, I would want to put out, you know, I'd want to put it on,

you know, pen to paper where everybody can review these are our potential days, what, you know, who does it work for and who not. As of right now, I can do any of those Mondays that you that you rattled off. Any of them are fine with me. So, whatever y'all want to do and check in with Rod and if you need a plan B, I'm good with any of them. So, any of them would be a good plan B. Okie dokie. So, the sooner that we do it, the better though, because I can't promise that'll be forever. Yeah. Right.

Right. Uh so what we're looking at are uh Monday, November 17th, Monday, December 1st, um or Monday, December 8th or 15th. The the 8th and the 15th. I'm I'm traveling out. I will not be around. Throw in throw on November 10th, too. Just in November 10th. I'm I'm out of town November 10th. Okay. Well, yeah. And I don't think I'd be able to get everything together by November 10th, but

November 17th. Are we Is that out? November 17th or December 1st? Yeah, those are both good. It doesn't have to be Monday either. It's a work session, so it could be true. I know. But I But I have stuff almost every other night of the week. Like I work one night of the week in my shop. I have a standing thing on Tuesdays. I already have Mondays available. Yeah, we'll do a fine. We'll just do a poll. I think a poll would be a lot easier um says people who check email

time to look at their uh calendar. Uh, Becky, do you wanna um if if either I'm voting right now. Either of those two days is fine with me. Okay. You don't have to ask me again. The 17th or the 1st. Uhhuh. Okay. I cannot do the 17th. 7 to 8:30. Okay. Yeah. So, December 1st um is the only day only Monday. Only Monday. Do we can see if you want to do it a different other day then you'll have then I do have to check.

Okay. Um, how do how does the ETH or 15th work or No, David, you said those don't work for you. Correct. I'm traveling out of the country then. All right. I would just suggest send out a poll. Yeah. See what we could do. Okay. Because And Don, I would suggest we may have to throw out some January dates. Okay. Also,

we absolutely can. Absolutely will. All right. So, on to our skipping back to our agenda. Thank you all by the way.

U going uh thank you all. Uh unless there's any other questions about the work session or anything, I'm going to send out a poll on our date and start working. those uh and to go back to our agenda and uh business license uh summary. This is going to be extraordinarily quick, but I'm very excited that we are finally um up where we should be with our number of licensed businesses. Uh, as far as we've had people that have gotten up to date that were several years in a rears and they are finally good. There are some that are still out there. Uh, but uh, 314 sports cards finally got up to date.

Oh, good. I gave them a ton of money this weekend, so that's great.

So did we. Yeah, he came back with a $6 card and I was like, "Oh, great." Uh, uh, it is it is really nice uh to to see that number up where it's supposed to be to uh, you know, and and to have a better relationship with businesses. It will help us next year and having a better number right away. So unless there was any questions on that uh yeah I already spoke to this slide and that is to show you how this year in 2025 the numbers at the bottom uh we have been picking up those previous years all the way up until recently. So, uh there's there's a lot of overlap, you know, when people fall behind, but uh we've been able to get I I feel like if I don't have to go through too much, you know, uh too much to get them to pay, then I we don't have uh fees. Uh we are but we've definitely put in um the fee amounts uh for emailing and mail not emailing but mailing people. Uh I know this year we've sent out three mailings uh to our delinquent businesses which um you know it's over five bucks uh just just in mail. So, uh, that does add up pretty quickly. Uh, as far as our distressed and underarming underperforming properties, I think that this needs to be updated, uh, for us because

we have at least one of these is not or it's possibly not going to be vacant. the 9611 uh as they may uh the enchanted bride may continue um operating if they can get up to code. So uh yeah, did anybody have any questions on these or is this something that we can uh the distress and underperforming property? Did anybody have any questions? I think it's something good to have in mind for when we develop our plan for 2026.

And, you know, I I do agree with Nate with what you said. Uh it it's like catching um you know catching a bird in flight when your your property is going to come up for a business and it's going to the business owner is going to want to look at the business or the property or not going to want to look at the property for all different kinds of reasons that have nothing to do with incentives. um we can you know we can posture ourselves in all kinds of ways but never be prepared for the actual business that proposes an end use for the location. So I can see how um the preparation is feutal in a lot of ways but um it we will certainly not be prepared if we don't prepare whatsoever and if we don't understand our programs if we don't understand our plans uh then we won't have anything um what's the word um not positive but compelling to say when we make our case And we always need to have a compelling statement on behalf of our city to promote our city. All right, soapbox jumping down. We're not going to do election of officers. As far as news and events, what's coming up? Uh Veterans Day, we're closed. Uh coffee with the mayor, November 12th. Uh oh. Uh the there will be or there is proposed a uh restaurant at the easy storage building. The public hearing for that will be at our next not our next

city council meeting I guess but um it the public hearing is for November 18th. Uh they it's a really cool or Chinese uh restaurant. Uh it's their first location. So there's no website or anything or menu to to pour over, but they certainly seem like nice folks. And um if they can make the if they can make that space work as a restaurant, I think it would be lucrative. It's a Chinese restaurant.

Yes. Yeah. Case of Jan Nang. Nan. I keep wanting to say Nang. Jan Jang Jang Nan. Oh, I just tried that and biffed. But the most important thing coming up is the turkey trot, right, David? We already have a thousand runners. It's going to be spectacular. We have the Great Heart Brewing Company as the exclusive beer sponsor moving forward all of its own. And the wine merchant, it's also supplying all sorts of booze and drinks. It's going to be fun. Bring your friends and family. That will that's almost enough to make me want to run. You could just come and volunteer.

Nonrunners. What do non-runners do to participate? You come and volunteer. You can uh serve drinks. You can just hang out and listen to uh Mark Bernaki scream. It's amazing morning. It's the best way to start any holiday. You're you're in you're the chair. Yeah, I am the resident organizer of the race. Yes. There is no commission here. Whatever. Really? Let me know. Yeah. Really? Oh, we'd love to have you. We would love to have you. Whatever you need. I don't run. I walk pretty well, but I don't run. I don't run. I don't run either. I just sit there and freeze. Wonderful. I did that once. I I volunteered one time and froze my juujis off.

Well, you could work on the hot beverage station. That's That's what I did last time. It was still cold, but I'm happy to volunteer. I'll just show up. You'll put me to work. You're the best. Thank you. And we did have it on one of our previous slides that encouraging the our commissioners to be out in the community to be our public face to to put that positive um I I want I wanted to say by to put to ambassadorship for the city can't all fall on the shoulders of the council.

Way more professional than Vibe. Thank you. But yes, to to get out in front of the in front of the community as much as we can is something that we want to encourage uh for our commissioners. So the turkey trout would be a wonderful opportunity and I think I would like to volunteer as well, but I'm going to have to look at Oh my gosh, this is overwhelming support and I could not be more happy at this moment, but I would like to volunteer. You will be welcomed with open arms and fresh donuts. Oh, now you didn't mention donuts before. Now I'm totally in. Donuts are my jam. Donuts and beer. Twist arm.

Almost as good as ice cream and beer. Um, Carlos, did you have anything to add for the meeting? I think we're good. Okay. Are there any questions or anything? Becky and David, you're good. All right. Good. Oh, and thanks for letting me stay home, kids. I appreciate it. Oh, well, one more thing. Um, Kate, what do you have um from city council to infer?

I mean, there's not really that much from city council. Um, but I do think it's interesting that the city council because we have new members, three of us that are new within this year, um, we are doing kind of a preliminary goal council workshop. We're not developing goals at this workshop. we're just having the opportunity to talk about it. So, I think it's interesting especially as it aligns with the work that EDC will be doing at their next work session. Um that hopefully there'll be some some good overlap there and and definitely this conversation helps inform that conversation that's coming up at our work session on November 4th. And then just a brief report, yes, not yesterday, October 25th, it feels like yesterday was a great city active day. Um, we had a river to pair trash bash cleanup in the morning. Don and I were both there waiting in the river picking up trash. And then, um, the evening was the harvest festival.

Uh, what was that, Becky? Where was the trash bash thing? Where was that? We accessed the river to pair right behind Murphy company. So, back it's like 1,400 price.

Um, yeah. So, it was all back in that area. Really beautiful area and a decent amount of trash. Not too bad, thankfully. Um, but it was good good to be out there and to do a cleanup. Um, that's regionwide, but it's nice to have an oliveette site as well. Um, and then the harvest festival in the evening was wonderful. Um, I'm curious to hear the report from parks and wreck on the turnout and numbers and um, just feedback from people, but certainly everyone that I talked to was having a great time. Um, fun to have the tables out set up outside, the petting zoo, the hay rides. It was a great event and it seemed just from my perspective to be very well attended. So, I was glad to see that. And it's

Oh, that's great. one of those really fun like the turkey trot bringing out the community. Oh, this is predominantly families with younger kids. I I'm being told it's the second best event at all of it every year.

No, I talked to Beverly today. She said it was an awesome showing and like the they used to have the Boo Bash and the this year's uh event was significantly better and well attended. So, congrats to everyone and to UK for being part of it. I didn't do anything but show up in a costume and hand out some treats and talk to people. But yes, Parks and Wreck, I think their entire staff might have been there for that event. Um, it was they really worked very, very hard pulling that event together and I'm sure they were exhausted at the end of the night. So, kudos to our parks and recck team. They they are amazing. That's all. Well, thank you very much Kate for the review and um if there's unless there's anything else uh I think our chair our vice chairman should call it. The gavl has swung. Thank you all and have a good night.

All right. Bye everyone. Thank you. See you guys.