[0:00] payments of $66,541
[0:05] uh primarily legal and insurance fees.
[0:10] » I'll make a motion.
[0:12] » Second.
[0:12] » A motion from Austin, a second from
[0:14] Nick. All in favor?
[0:16] » I.
[0:16] » Any opposed? Motion carries unanimously.
[0:20] Uh we'll start things out this morning.
[0:22] We have a guest from the Southern
[0:24] Minnesota Initiative Foundation here to
[0:26] share some things with us.
[0:29] » All right. Thank you for having me. Uh,
[0:31] is it okay if I pass out some folders?
[0:32] » Absolutely. Awesome.
[0:38] » Thank you.
[0:38] » Thank you.
[0:43] » Thank you.
[0:44] » I still got mine.
[0:46] » Okay.
[0:53] [clears throat]
[0:54] Okay. Well, um, thank you everyone for
[0:58] having me here today. Uh, it's I I
[1:00] consider it a real opportunity. Um, and
[1:03] again, thank you for your long-standing
[1:04] partnership with Southern Minnesota
[1:06] Initiative Foundation. Um, just a brief
[1:08] introduction. You know, New Prague EDA
[1:11] has been a valued Smith supporter since
[1:14] 2003. Um, and has contributed a total of
[1:16] $11,000 over that time to Smith. Uh we
[1:20] truly appreciate your commitment to
[1:22] strengthening communities and supporting
[1:24] economic development through southern
[1:26] Minnesota. Just to give you a refresher
[1:28] who Smith who we are at Smith at
[1:30] Southern Minnesota Initiative
[1:32] Foundation. Um so we are a regional
[1:35] development and philanthropic
[1:36] organization serving 20 counties, 175
[1:39] communities, and one native nation
[1:41] across southern Minnesota. Our mission
[1:44] is to foster economic development and
[1:46] community vitality uh through
[1:48] collaboration, partnerships, investments
[1:50] and uh philanthropy.
[1:53] What we do uh so entrepreneurship and
[1:55] economic development, business lending,
[1:58] uh startup financing, gap financing,
[2:00] technical assistance, entrepreneur
[2:02] support, rural entrepreneurial uh
[2:05] entrepreneurship development, and more.
[2:07] Um, also early childhood development,
[2:11] just to kind of give you an idea here,
[2:13] um, early care and education grants,
[2:15] early literacy grants, child care
[2:17] workforce initiatives, uh, free provider
[2:20] training, uh, community early childhood
[2:22] partnerships. And then the last pillar
[2:25] is community vitality,
[2:27] um, small town grants, placemaking
[2:29] projects, community beautifification,
[2:31] downtown improvements, community
[2:33] leadership development. basically making
[2:35] these small towns um across our region
[2:38] places that people uh want to live
[2:40] because there's so much value there, but
[2:42] not it's not always easy to maybe see
[2:44] that. And so we want to give small towns
[2:45] a fighting chance to to um hold and
[2:50] retain um everything that makes a town
[2:53] and a community so wonderful. Um and
[2:55] then also philanthropy. So this is uh
[2:57] for example community foundations,
[2:59] endowments, donor advised funds, legacy
[3:02] giving, regional grant making, really
[3:03] just giving people um a pathway to uh
[3:07] supporting their communities in all the
[3:10] diverse ways that they could or want to.
[3:12] Every community has unique needs and so
[3:14] for example, our community foundations
[3:16] are there to uh allow communities to
[3:18] rally around those needs. So
[3:21] um why Smith partners with EDAS?
[3:25] One of the reasons Smith enjoys working
[3:27] with EDA's EDA offices is because we're
[3:30] pursuing many of the same outcomes,
[3:32] um, business growth, workforce
[3:34] attraction and retention,
[3:36] entrepreneurial support, childcare
[3:37] availability, community development,
[3:39] quality of life improvements.
[3:42] Um, typically Smith serves as an
[3:44] additional tool in an EDA's um, toolbox.
[3:48] So, we help communities connect
[3:50] businesses to capital, identify opport
[3:52] grant opportunities, provide technical
[3:54] assistance. You know, we can work with
[3:57] uh businesses starting out all the way
[3:58] up to advanced businesses. Um, for
[4:01] example, Quickbooks, um, how to keep
[4:04] your taxes organized, pretty much
[4:05] everything. Um, so it's pretty cool. We
[4:08] can come alongside a business and help
[4:10] them flourish. Um, support
[4:12] entrepreneurs, you know, that's kind of
[4:13] the name of the game. strengthen local
[4:15] philanthropy, improve childcare
[4:17] capacity, development, community
[4:19] projects. So rather than replacing local
[4:21] economic development efforts, we help
[4:24] communities bring additional resources
[4:26] and expertise to the table. So kind of
[4:28] diving in here, and I'll be I'll be
[4:30] brief. Um, but the Lassour County uh
[4:33] impact since 1986,
[4:35] um, $6.9 million has been invested in
[4:38] the Lassour County. 322 grants have been
[4:41] awarded, 30 loans provided to support
[4:44] entrepreneurs. Uh 3,370
[4:48] entrepreneurs supported uh 72 children
[4:51] supported through recent initiatives
[4:52] within the last three years. Um just to
[4:55] kind of give you an idea, we have around
[4:57] 31 develop approved training sessions
[4:59] throughout our region annually. Uh these
[5:02] are training sessions that childcare
[5:03] providers or really anyone that works
[5:04] with children um in a licensed capacity
[5:07] can come and um not only receive
[5:10] accreditation by the state um but learn
[5:12] best practices in terms of how to run
[5:14] their business and how to uh best serve
[5:16] our children. Um so, uh to give you kind
[5:20] of an idea, um return on investment for
[5:24] every dollar donated from Lassour
[5:25] County, approximately $21 has been
[5:27] invested back into Lassour County
[5:29] through grants, loans, programming, and
[5:31] technical assistance. So that's the
[5:33] power of leveraging local support with
[5:35] state, federal, philanthropic,
[5:37] corporate, and private resources as
[5:38] well. Um so again, I kind of already
[5:41] mentioned this, but business loans, this
[5:43] is one way that we support economic
[5:45] development. uh we provide financing um
[5:48] from starting up all the way to equity
[5:49] investments. So um that technical
[5:52] assistance, cash flow planning, loan
[5:54] readiness, growth strategies, um you
[5:56] name it. But in fiscal year 2025, Smith
[5:59] provided around 35 and a half hours of
[6:02] business technical assistance here in
[6:03] Lassour County with an estimated value
[6:05] of around $2,840.
[6:08] So, these are businesses here um that
[6:10] are that are benefiting from that again
[6:12] because of the partnership that Smith
[6:14] and the EDA have and also others. Um so,
[6:17] we're so grateful for that.
[6:18] Entrepreneurship highlights Montgomery
[6:21] uh Rev initiative. Smith awarded a
[6:23] $20,000 grant to support Montgomery's
[6:25] rural entrepreneurial venture program,
[6:27] REV. Uh the project focuses on business
[6:30] outreach, one-on-one entrepreneur
[6:32] visits, identifying barriers to growth.
[6:35] Uh this initiative creates stronger
[6:36] local businesses and more informed
[6:38] economic development strategies.
[6:41] Uh the promise act [clears throat] the
[6:44] promise act grants um recent lassour
[6:46] county recipients included uh $50,000
[6:49] awarded to lassour farming corporation
[6:52] $25,000 awarded to the lawn barber
[6:54] service services in lassour um
[6:57] supporting business stability payroll
[6:59] retention equipment modernization and
[7:02] business growth. Uh the new Prague
[7:04] impact here um early childhood and
[7:06] education. New Prague area schools um
[7:08] early learning program Smith invested
[7:11] around $17,000 to support parent
[7:13] resource bags, early childhood
[7:15] engagement, school readiness
[7:17] initiatives, and uh full day preschool
[7:19] programming for atrisisk students. uh
[7:22] New Prague Area Community Foundation.
[7:24] Smith awarded $10,000 early care and
[7:26] education grant to support childcare
[7:29] provider resource library provider
[7:31] training, parent education, and then
[7:33] community early childhood initiatives.
[7:36] Um New Prague Area
[7:38] Early Childhood Initiative received a
[7:40] $12,000 grant um again for parent
[7:43] education, educator professional
[7:45] development, and um and play-based
[7:48] learning. So, um, and and I can go on
[7:50] and on about about this, um, but and
[7:52] it's just so special. Again, it just
[7:53] highlights the power of our our kind of
[7:55] our synergistic, um, relationship here.
[7:57] It's really great. Um, community
[7:59] vitality impact, the city of New Prague,
[8:02] um, smalltown grant. They received
[8:04] $6,631
[8:05] for improvements to Southside Park Disc
[8:08] Golf Course, uh, wayfinding signage,
[8:10] park enhancements, uh, visitor
[8:12] experience improvements. also forward
[8:15] new Prague Foundation uh small town
[8:17] grant in the total of $9,685
[8:20] for landscaping uh native vegetation
[8:23] trees and shrubs uh outdoor performance
[8:25] space improvements things that just make
[8:27] the community a wonderful livable place
[8:29] um that kind of enhance it. Community
[8:31] foundations, of course, we do community
[8:33] foundations work like I mentioned. I I
[8:34] won't go over everything, but uh we
[8:36] support our community foundations. We
[8:38] sort of do all the backend work, the
[8:40] legal work, tax stuff like that. uh
[8:42] freeing up the board um of the community
[8:45] foundation to focus on what is most
[8:46] important and pressing in their
[8:48] community. And so that's really really
[8:50] great. So we supported uh recent support
[8:52] in the last three years. Uh for example,
[8:54] this uh in 2025 we supported the new
[8:56] Prague Community Foundation at $6,000
[8:59] around $6,000. So um and of course
[9:03] Montgomery, Lassour, Alleion, you know,
[9:06] the they have community foundations as
[9:08] well that uh we work with. So, under our
[9:11] Smith umbrella, I should say as well,
[9:14] um, child care matters to the economic
[9:16] development. Obviously, parents need a
[9:18] place to drop off their kids. Um, of
[9:20] course, and and there's many reasons why
[9:22] that matters as well. So, when
[9:23] businesses tell us they struggle to find
[9:25] workers, childcare is frequently part of
[9:26] that discussion. Um, so child care
[9:29] impacts, workforce participation. Um,
[9:31] there's there's many and I'm sure all of
[9:32] you know most of them. So um today
[9:35] childcare is economic development and
[9:37] that's why Smith continues investing
[9:39] heavily um in that. So um I can make you
[9:43] aware of some upcoming grants. I'll just
[9:44] say one. The small town grant uh is
[9:46] actually opening this month. Um typical
[9:49] deadline is in October. Uh who can apply
[9:52] would be cities, local governments,
[9:54] nonprofits, and community organiza um
[9:56] community organizations. Um this is
[9:58] again beautifification for the
[10:00] community, public spaces, downtown
[10:02] improvements. um and so on. So, um with
[10:06] all of that, I just want to say thank
[10:08] you for for your time. I hope I went
[10:11] over um I was thorough enough. I um your
[10:14] investment helps Smith continue
[10:16] supporting entrepreneurs, businesses,
[10:18] communities, um early childhood
[10:20] initiatives, and so much more in the
[10:22] Lassour County and southern Minnesota
[10:24] area. On behalf of Smith, I specifically
[10:27] ask that the new PRA EDA continue uh its
[10:31] support at the same level as last year
[10:32] at the thousand level. Um and again, we
[10:35] just gratefully appreciate your
[10:36] partnership and leadership and your
[10:38] commitment to creating a stronger future
[10:40] for New Craig. So, thank you.
[10:42] » Thanks, Aaron. Any questions, anyone?
[10:48] » Appreciate all that you and the
[10:49] organization do in southern Minnesota.
[10:51] Great to have you join us and keep us
[10:53] posted.
[10:53] » Thank you very much. Thank you,
[10:54] » Honor.
[10:57] » Uh, next up on the agenda, Joe, updates
[11:01] on BRNE.
[11:04] » We have Do you want me to go to the
[11:06] microphone or
[11:07] » Up to you. I'm fine either way.
[11:09] » We have three um visits since your last
[11:12] meeting. Um, the first was at Hi and
[11:15] Austin. Brooke and I were able to attend
[11:17] that one. It was interesting because the
[11:20] first time we had visited them was six
[11:22] months after they opened. So it been
[11:24] five years since
[11:26] um they grew from 13 full-time employees
[11:29] to 30. Um Colton the manager has very
[11:32] positive say attitude towards Craig and
[11:36] the area said that customer growth has
[11:42] the street improvement project had a
[11:44] slight impact but it was shortterm
[11:47] otherwise very
[11:53] That's about right. Yeah, good.
[11:56] » And then the second one was at Heras
[11:58] floors and um again another positive
[12:01] one. They are in the downtown. Um their
[12:05] building consists of three600 square
[12:07] foot or 4,800 square feet. Right now
[12:10] they are still looking at expanding and
[12:12] moving to the side of town and that
[12:14] would be an expansion from 4,800 to
[12:17] 14,000 square feet.
[12:19] Positive growth for the community.
[12:23] They have four full-time employees and
[12:26] they have subs that also assist both
[12:29] this store and the one
[12:32] that attended [snorts]
[12:34] comments on that.
[12:36] » No, I mean they made the normal comment
[12:38] of parking is
[12:39] Yeah, especially on that area downtown
[12:50] » No, I think things are generally going
[12:52] well for them.
[12:54] They're hoping to make their move sooner
[12:56] than later.
[12:57] » Yeah, they got the work for the new
[12:59] building out to bid. We had actually
[13:00] approved and had a building permit
[13:02] sitting there and they just never move
[13:05] forward to pick it up. So, we got to
[13:07] re-re the permit with the new
[13:10] contractors that they may bring on
[13:11] board.
[13:13] Sounds like a positive
[13:15] project.
[13:16] » Yeah. Continuing to grow, too. I think
[13:17] one of the things I took away from there
[13:19] is they're looking at adding some
[13:21] appliance sales and services. So, some
[13:23] additional lines of business. So, it's
[13:26] it's good to see them having success
[13:28] here locally.
[13:31] » That's nice. A long-term family
[13:33] business.
[13:34] » Yeah.
[13:38] And then we also had a visit at funeral
[13:43] home with a new owner. That was nice
[13:46] meeting a new business person to the
[13:49] community. It's himself and then he
[13:53] wellated
[13:55] wants to become involved with the
[13:56] different organizations.
[14:01] This is his first funeral home that he's
[14:02] kind of run, but he has family business.
[14:07] » Yeah. Out of Lakeville.
[14:12] » Yeah.
[14:13] » That puts us at 10 for the year and has
[14:15] been calling. So, if you have any
[14:18] businesses that really like to go out,
[14:20] let me know. And I'll
[14:23] » All right.
[14:27] » Sounds good. Thanks, Joe. [snorts]
[14:30] uh business updates, guys.
[14:32] » Yeah, real quickly. So, we did issue uh
[14:35] another new home permit in July. So, up
[14:37] to our total of 2025 uh with a total of
[14:40] three, which is again, not a lot. Um, as
[14:43] we've talked, we just need more lots. We
[14:46] did uh wrap up last Monday with the city
[14:49] council the concept plan review for
[14:51] Harvest Fields development, which is 185
[14:54] lots on um 60 acres. I had a follow-up
[14:57] meeting with them yesterday. They are
[14:59] shooting for their plan unit development
[15:02] uh and annexation uh formal applications
[15:05] by our October 7th deadline. Uh right
[15:08] now what they need to get done is kind
[15:10] of more preliminary design um from
[15:12] grading to the traffic study and um
[15:16] they're actively working on both of
[15:17] those right now. And uh yeah, they're
[15:20] just trying to get the all the
[15:21] entitlement work done here uh before
[15:23] they close on the land obviously and
[15:25] know that they have uh land use approval
[15:27] uh to move forward. Uh like with any
[15:30] project, you know, they got to make sure
[15:31] that they have um you know, the
[15:33] financial uh stability in the project
[15:36] from not only the beginning of the
[15:38] project, but through how long they think
[15:39] it would take to phase it, which is
[15:41] about a fiveyear time period, generally
[15:43] speaking, um for the 185 lots, all
[15:47] pending market conditions and
[15:49] everything. So, uh positive on on that
[15:52] project, at least for now.
[15:54] » Ken, well, that that'll be the first one
[15:56] since Eastland, right?
[15:58] uh or has
[15:59] » We've had other plats, you know, under
[16:01] 10 lots [snorts] throughout town and
[16:04] replplats and different things, but of
[16:06] of substantial size. Yeah, definitely.
[16:08] » Definitely.
[16:09] » Um we did and we've had town home
[16:11] developments, I should say, since
[16:12] Eastland as well. But
[16:14] » Um other than that, the uh Chart
[16:17] Industries property or not property, the
[16:20] company was acquired by Baker Hughes
[16:22] back in July. Um, we have not heard
[16:24] directly from the new ownership, but uh,
[16:27] everything I've read is that they
[16:28] continue to uh, operate as they have uh,
[16:31] here in New Prague uh, for the time
[16:33] being. I don't know if anybody else has
[16:34] heard anything differently um, on the
[16:37] EDA's end, but uh, that was something I
[16:40] didn't know that was happening. I don't
[16:41] know if maybe Josh did. No idea. Um,
[16:46] other than that, we did get the building
[16:47] permit for Bold North Hemp for the uh,
[16:49] cannabis cultivation at the mill
[16:52] property. um just working on some um
[16:55] code things with them on that building.
[16:58] And then uh TP Insurance uh is also
[17:01] doing some internal alterations to their
[17:03] uh building on Main Street. So it's kind
[17:06] of the the bulk of the projects over the
[17:08] past month here that we've had. One note
[17:11] to add just just from yesterday
[17:13] actually. So there was a rumor
[17:15] circulating around town that the post
[17:17] office is no longer moving. Um the last
[17:19] couple days there have been a lot of
[17:21] vehicles over there. We actually did
[17:22] send a staff member over and had
[17:24] internal confirmation that uh they are
[17:27] working for USPS to renovate that
[17:31] building. So,
[17:33] » That was my assumption. I I was going to
[17:34] pop in there yesterday, too, just as I'm
[17:36] being our neighbor, but what I noticed
[17:38] yesterday was they had basically pulled
[17:40] all the ventilation hoods off the roof.
[17:42] So, I was like, "Okay, they're not
[17:45] » It's not going to be a restaurant any
[17:47] longer," which to me kind of
[17:49] » Yeah. I mean, it's I mean, our building
[17:50] official was the one that went over and
[17:52] took a look because while this uh USPS
[17:55] does not need any permits or okays from
[17:59] the city, if for some reason it wasn't
[18:01] USPS doing work, then you would have had
[18:03] to put a stop to it.
[18:04] » So,
[18:06] the postal service does not they can
[18:08] just buy a building and start doing
[18:10] whatever. No notification to you. No,
[18:13] » They don't even have to own it. They're
[18:14] just leasing it and it's situation. So
[18:17] yeah, they they
[18:18] » To the point of they don't even have to
[18:20] follow a lot of laws. Like they have
[18:22] parked their vehicles illegally on Main
[18:24] Street and our police officers have just
[18:25] been like, "Can you guys please move
[18:27] them? Like we can't make you move them,
[18:29] but and they've just no we're good." So
[18:32] yeah, they tr they are truly above every
[18:36] law of which we as a city could possibly
[18:38] try to hold up to.
[18:39] » Oh, the fed boys.
[18:41] » Interesting.
[18:42] » Oh, you're in the wrong business, man.
[18:44] You need [laughter] to be in the federal
[18:45] government. I don't want to dabble with
[18:46] any of that. That's that's dark arts
[18:48] over there.
[18:48] » But but yes, we we had heard a few
[18:50] because I mean we because of that
[18:52] they've never formally informed us they
[18:54] were going in there. Um we had actually
[18:58] heard rumors. I we got a few phone calls
[19:00] from a couple residents. I think even
[19:03] the paper reached out to both of us
[19:05] » Trying to figure out, hey, we'd heard
[19:07] that they' broken their lease and
[19:08] weren't moving anymore and you know more
[19:10] than us then because we know nothing.
[19:13] and our boots on the ground just sending
[19:15] the building official in uh kind of
[19:18] confirmed that they kind of are ramping
[19:20] up and I think they've almost gutted the
[19:22] building.
[19:23] » Yeah, it's completely gutted at this
[19:24] point.
[19:24] » Yeah, they a day
[19:25] » They moved pretty quick because I I was
[19:27] out of town last week but they I think
[19:29] it was Thursday and Friday there before
[19:32] I left the week prior saw a couple
[19:34] vehicles and then it was just boom.
[19:36] » Yep.
[19:36] » But to that point, Nick, it has caused
[19:38] problems. I know.
[19:39] » I can't imagine. Well, they don't have
[19:41] to notify you, do any code reviews,
[19:43] everything. Oh, sounds great.
[19:45] » I was say the problem comes, especially
[19:48] when they try to sell or if they're
[19:49] leasing the building. Like, if they're
[19:50] no longer in there,
[19:52] » The building owner is now stuck with a
[19:53] building that isn't code compliance.
[19:55] » They think, well, it's the federal
[19:55] government. It's got to be up to snuff.
[19:57] Well,
[19:57] » They do.
[19:58] » So, federal government owns the building
[20:00] or they found a private buyer and they
[20:02] lease it.
[20:03] » I believe the building is still actually
[20:05] owned by the same owner.
[20:07] » It's leased. They typically do 99ear
[20:09] leases. They're just under a long-term
[20:10] lease of federal government.
[20:14] » But the [snorts] new postmaster, you
[20:15] know, I don't know how long he's been
[20:16] there. Maybe a year, three quarters a
[20:18] year. He did announce it at city club.
[20:21] » Oh, [laughter]
[20:23] » So you missed the official meeting.
[20:25] » Missed the official meeting.
[20:30] » You stood up there and say, I got an
[20:31] announcement. I'm the so and so and we
[20:33] are moving to the
[20:34] » So much shady about this entire thing
[20:36] that's going on. It just doesn't feel
[20:38] good.
[20:40] Okay, great for our new post office.
[20:42] » All right.
[20:43] » I just hope it still looks like a pizza
[20:44] ranch when they're done. Pull up looking
[20:46] for pizza.
[20:46] » Oh, no. It's drive-thru chicken. Hey,
[20:49] [laughter]
[20:49] » Get the drive.
[20:52] » God, there you go. Nice.
[20:54] » That wrap it up, Ken.
[20:55] » That does. Yeah.
[20:56] » Okay. Uh Joe, CDA updates.
[21:00] » You clarified new happenings have a lot
[21:02] of different uses. [laughter]
[21:05] » That's hard to believe. Well, all the
[21:07] Facebook, so you can go in with the real
[21:09] information and no one will believe you.
[21:11] » Um, CDA updates, we are undertaking our
[21:14] strategic plan for the next five years.
[21:16] So, starting today, we'll have a social
[21:18] media post with a link to a community
[21:21] survey, happy to send that link out to
[21:23] you as well. But if you have input on
[21:25] the direction and focus that our agency
[21:28] should have the next few years, get your
[21:30] input.
[21:32] And um today we are hosting tax tips for
[21:35] businesses from 11 to 12:30.
[21:38] Aaron Anderson from Dems Consulting will
[21:41] be presenting free lunch if you want to
[21:43] come.
[21:45] Finally, uh Fastrack Challenge. Our
[21:47] applications closed for this year's 10th
[21:50] annual event and we applications from
[21:53] four cities. So our board will be
[21:57] finalist within the next
[22:02] Great.
[22:04] Uh we do not have anyone from the school
[22:06] district with an update today. So that
[22:08] moves us along to Josh with the
[22:10] executive report.
[22:11] » Uh yeah, just a few general updates of
[22:14] various things going on. Um as you know,
[22:17] um CVF Racing has submitted a TIFF
[22:20] application to the city. We continue to
[22:22] try to work through that process on our
[22:24] end. Um, of note, I don't know if I
[22:26] updated this to you guys before, um,
[22:29] they have also submitted and are running
[22:31] through the same process over in Bell
[22:33] Plane at the moment. Um, there are
[22:36] between the two cities, our offers are
[22:37] very different, but our assumptions are
[22:39] also very different through that. And
[22:40] so, um, we are just trying to present
[22:43] the best possible offer that makes sense
[22:44] for us as a city without necessarily
[22:50] piffing back money that CVF may not
[22:52] necessarily need for the project. So, we
[22:54] continue to work through that process.
[22:56] Hopefully, we'll um come to a
[22:58] conclusion. Hope more hoping
[23:00] [clears throat] good than bad sooner
[23:01] than later so it doesn't remain open,
[23:03] but we continue to work through that. Um
[23:06] did the TIFF application reflect just
[23:09] the parcel that he's considering or was
[23:12] it for the entirety of that parcel
[23:14] that's for sale there?
[23:20] » Just I think it be just for that
[23:21] building. Yeah, just just for the port
[23:23] portion that he is using
[23:24] » Like 12 [snorts] whatever acres. Yeah.
[23:27] » Yep. That answer that's
[23:29] » His plan at this point would be just to
[23:30] annex as far as we know that small
[23:33] portion of the property
[23:34] » For his property for his building. Yeah.
[23:36] Okay.
[23:38] » Uh other notes. Um
[23:42] city center over here. I know we've
[23:43] talked about there possibly being trying
[23:45] to use up money over there. I don't
[23:47] think we're going to be able to use all
[23:48] the money at this point. We kind of
[23:49] heard back yesterday that there are
[23:51] certain things that are eligible to use
[23:53] the money for and other things that
[23:54] aren't. And so
[23:57] I know dur kind of during our
[23:59] discussions we talked about well uh what
[24:02] if the city or EDA kind of opens up kind
[24:05] of business loans, low low interest or
[24:08] forgivable loans to businesses to help
[24:09] do improvements? We may actually have
[24:11] money to be able to do something like
[24:13] that um and be looking to spend it uh so
[24:16] that way we don't have to give it back.
[24:17] So Ken and I will kind of keep looking
[24:19] into that as we wrap [clears throat] up
[24:20] that uh city center process. Really now
[24:24] at this point I think is we just need to
[24:25] get on a call with Bolton Mink who's
[24:27] been helping us through that as to okay
[24:29] they're telling us we're able to use
[24:32] 500,000 of it for grading andor storm
[24:35] water improvements. Just how do we get
[24:36] that unlocked get that move forward so
[24:39] we'll know exactly how much we'll have
[24:40] left then to put into some sort of
[24:43] initial pot or something for business
[24:45] loans.
[24:47] But yes, Chuck.
[24:49] » No, I was just wondering once we get
[24:51] that done, are we going to market that
[24:53] north part of it?
[24:54] » I think that would kind of be the next
[24:55] step of that of now what do we do with
[24:58] the rest of that lot? It might be the
[25:00] selling of the rest of that lot is what
[25:02] kind of helps finish off some of those
[25:04] sidewalk improvements and park that
[25:06] area.
[25:08] » And what's the latest on the last two
[25:10] lots that we sold? Um, as far as
[25:13] » Yeah, so yeah, they've been closed on.
[25:15] Um, okay. I don't believe they've
[25:17] submitted any building permits for those
[25:18] at this point. They do have a full year
[25:20] to get a shovel in the ground, which I
[25:22] believe is May.
[25:23] » Yep.
[25:24] » Next year. So,
[25:26] » That's not unheard of. I believe Scott
[25:27] Equipment, it was about
[25:29] » Nine months after we closed that they
[25:31] finally submitted their stuff. So,
[25:33] they're aware and we are certainly
[25:35] willing to work with them however we can
[25:36] to make sure
[25:38] » That those two lots build successfully.
[25:44] Uh, that is all I've got unless you guys
[25:45] have other questions about happenings
[25:47] around the city.
[25:48] » About city hall. How's that? The new
[25:50] city hall.
[25:50] » New city hall. Well, if you voted
[25:52] yesterday, you would have got to check
[25:53] it out.
[25:54] » Um, otherwise, no. We had our first
[25:57] meeting with the uh parking for the
[26:00] election. Was it
[26:04] » Uh I think for 98% of the day it was
[26:08] good from what I've heard. And Ken can
[26:10] probably speak to it as he was one of
[26:11] the head judges. So, if you didn't like
[26:13] how the elections turned out, talk to
[26:15] him. Um, I think parking was generally
[26:18] good from what I've heard for most of
[26:19] the day, other than there was kind of
[26:21] about probably a 20 minute window where
[26:23] you had the
[26:25] » First crew and second crew change over
[26:29] » Plus the lunch rush.
[26:30] » Plus the lunch rush all trying to use
[26:32] all that parking at one time. I think it
[26:34] got a little hairy,
[26:35] » But there's plenty of street parking
[26:36] around there and I think the street
[26:38] parking was able to absorb it.
[26:40] » Good. So, street parking did what street
[26:41] parking was meant to do, and that is
[26:44] » Be parking.
[26:45] » So, I think talking to Chief Applin and
[26:48] our other um judges that we think that
[26:51] we're going to try to find an
[26:53] alternative location for our judges to
[26:55] park because when we had the the
[26:57] changeover, we had nearly 30 cars u
[27:00] filling up the north parking lot and
[27:03] » Yeah, there wasn't much place for the
[27:05] public then at that point. So, we're
[27:06] going to maybe talk to the hotel. Um
[27:09] that's generally not full during the
[27:11] middle of the week,
[27:12] » Right?
[27:12] » So see if we can park over there.
[27:14] » A pizza ranch.
[27:15] » Yeah, [laughter] depending on
[27:17] » We don't know what's going on there.
[27:19] » Yeah, for all we know, it's a vacant
[27:20] building, so we can just park at Pizza
[27:22] Ranch.
[27:24] All right.
[27:27] » Oh,
[27:28] » To answer your question. So, we had our
[27:30] first design meeting here like two weeks
[27:32] ago and kind of went over general
[27:34] concept of what the city's looking for
[27:36] and uh I believe we're meeting on Monday
[27:39] here again. They were going to kind of
[27:40] come back with some few a few options of
[27:43] high levels of okay, this is what we
[27:45] could do or this is what we could do.
[27:47] Kind of a few options of that. And I
[27:49] think the plan is to go to the city
[27:50] council then and say, "Hey, here are
[27:52] kind of some of the options we're
[27:53] looking at
[27:55] how would you guys like us to proceed?"
[27:57] And uh and then hopefully there's not
[28:00] it's not a ton of work. It's not like
[28:01] we're redesigning the whole building.
[28:02] And so I hope I'm I'm hoping by October
[28:06] we certainly got this whole design phase
[28:08] wrapped up and they can get the um
[28:11] construction documents drawn up and we
[28:13] can kind of figure out how the
[28:15] improvements are happening from there. I
[28:16] know they were going to look at stuff so
[28:18] far as the this is the stuff you need to
[28:20] do now. This is stuff we'd recommend you
[28:22] doing, but you could wait three, four,
[28:23] five years if you want to put some money
[28:25] away so you can take care of it then.
[28:32] » All right. Any other items? If not, take
[28:35] a motion to adjurnn.
[28:37] » So move second.
[28:39] » Motion from Nick, second from Troy. All
[28:41] in favor? I.
[28:42] » Thanks all. You