At this morning's EDA meeting, several actions were taken.

First, we reviewed and final 2006 work plan assignments; the person in parenthesis for each item is the point person person for that initiative. These initiatives include, but are not limited to:

• Enhancing the relationship and communication between the EDA and City Council (Bill Cowles)
  
• Implementation of the Q-Block redevelopment project (after the Master Plan has been approved and adopted by Council) (Galen Malecha)
  
• Increasing land resources for business and industrial expansion (Rick Estenson)
  
• Monitoring Rice County economic development initiatives (Dixon Bond)
  
• Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) (yours truly)
  
• Housekeeping - review of EDA organizational structure and practices (Bill Cowles)

Next, we approved a funding request of $45,000 for the Northfield Enterprise Center. This was planned and budgeted last year. The NEC was initially founded as an initiative of the EDA, and the NEC mission is viewed as an implementation arm of the EDA's function as a body.

Since we were in the mood to spend money, we also approved a $5000 contribution to the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, which has provided grants, loans, management and technical assistance to several core Northfield businesses, such as All-Flex, the recent recipient of the Chamber's "Business of the Year' award for 2006. This expenditure had also been planned and budgeted for 2006.

Then we approved the commitment to issue a lease revenue bond to fund the construction of the new community swimming pool. There was some discussion about the timing and advisability of this move, in light of several factors including the potential for partnering with the prospective YMCA, but the resolution was approved on a 4-2 vote.

Finally, there was some discussion of the move of College City Beverage from Northfield to Dundas, including the desire to learn as much as possible from both the process and the outcome, and create and inform new strategies for business retention as much as lies within our power given our limited land options.

That's a wrap.

Posted by the Webmaster on 07:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

At the last EDA meeting, we approved the Master Plan prepared by Dahlgren Shardlow Uban. The plan is available in PDF format from the City website. You can read about it in the Northfield News article, but the link won't work unless you log in as a subscriber.

Posted by the Webmaster on 08:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by the Webmaster on 04:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a new report outlining strategies for balancing a community's need for parking while protecting environmental quality. From the report:

“. . . The way we develop our communities has a major impact on the quality of the natural environment. Regions with walkable, mixed use, compact neighborhoods, towns, and cities, knit together by a robust network of transportation and environmental corridors, protect human health and the natural environment.”

What a concept.

Posted by the Webmaster on 02:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tonight, the EDA and City staff were invited to meet with the Northfield Downtown Development Corporation for "Beer & Brats" at the Rueb-N-Stein. There was no agenda for the meeting, just an opportunity for both organizations to get to know each other and to discuss ideas and issues of mutual relevance. Ross Currier, Executive Director of the NDDC, opened things up by thanking everyone for attending, and asking what the NDDC could do to support the EDA in their mission.

Some of the ideas discussed included the Q-Block development; strategies for marketing the Northfield community; business retention and expansion, particularly of downtown businesses; and the facilitating of dialog within the City and the business community. Read Ross Currier's blog for his perspective on the meeting.

All in all, it was a profitable time of communication between two organizations deeply concerned with the economic well-being of our community, and I want to thank the NDDC for taking the initiative to organize the meeting. I hope we can look forward to more opportunities to work together in the future.

Posted by the Webmaster on 08:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Okay, here by popular demand is the preliminary Northfield "Community Assessment" document from TIP Strategies. Feel free to comment here, or start a discussion on the Issues list.

Posted by the Webmaster on 04:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last week, TIP Strategies, the firm retained by the EDA to create an economic development plan for Northfield, returned for their second "context mapping" session in which we met with local officials and business representatives to present and discuss TIP's findings to date. I put up a very ugly HTML version of the PowerPoint presentation from the meeting. I'd welcome any questions or comments, with the caveat that the full analysis is not complete, and the specific recommendations will not be known for another month or two. (You can follow the developments and timeline on TIP's project website for Northfield.)

Don't touch that dial! More to follow, Real Soon Now.

Posted by the Webmaster on 08:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)