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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-01-17 HEDC Minutes MINUTES OF THE HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION 1830 COUNTY ROAD B EAST, MAPLEWOOD, MINNESOTA JANUARY 17, 2019 6:00 P.M. 1. CALL TO ORDER A meeting of the Commission was held in the City Hall Council Chambers and was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by Chairperson Jenkins. 2. ROLL CALL Commissioners Denis Dupee, Commissioner Present Brian Finley, Commissioner Present until *7:40 p.m. Mark Jenkins, Chairperson Present Jennifer Sauer , Commissioner Absent Joy Tkachuck, Vice Chair Present Dennis Unger, Commissioner Absent Staff Michael Martin, Planner, Economic Development Coordinator Steve Lukin, Maplewood Fire Chief Jason Brash, Building Official 3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Commissioner Tkachuck moved to approve the agenda as submitted. Seconded by Commissioner Finley. Ayes – All The motion passed. 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Dupee moved to approve the HEDC minutes for September 20, 2018 as submitted. Seconded by Commissioner Tkachuck. Ayes – All The motion passed. 5. NEW BUSINESS a. 2018 Business Engagement Program Report i. Economic Development Coordinator, Michael Martin gave the 2018 Business Engagement Program Report and a video was shown about the business retention and expansion program and various businesses in Maplewood. The commission would like to continue the business engagement program. With the help of the SPACC the commission felt they were receiving better data. The feedback received has been positive. The commission asked what the cost to the city was to be involved with the SPACC. The Business Council would like there to be an increase in the number of meetings. January 17, 2019 1 Housing and Economic Development Commission Meeting Minutes The commission felt business networking is valuable and meeting every other month plus maybe 2 other networking events would be valuable. The commission wondered if there could be a link on the HEDC page on the city website for contacts. No action was required. b. Housing and Economic Development Commission Rules of Procedure – Annual Review i. Economic Development Coordinator, Michael Martin gave the report on the Housing and Economic Commission Rules of Procedure – Annual Review. After a lengthy discussion the commission requested Amendments to B2 and D2 in the Rules of Procedure. Commissioner Dupee moved to recommend the revisions to the HEDC Rules of Procedure with the amendment to maintain Visitor Presentations with a 3 minute time limit and to move it to the end of the agenda. Seconded by Commissioner Tkachuck. Ayes – All The motion passed. c. 2018 Housing and Economic Development Commission Annual Report i. Economic Development Coordinator, Michael Martin gave the 2018 Housing and Economic Development Commission Annual Report. Commissioner Finley moved to approve the 2018 Housing and Economic Development Commission Annual Report. Seconded by Commissioner Tkachuck. Ayes – All The motion passed. Chairperson Jenkins will be the HEDC representative at the February 25, 2019, city council meeting with Commissioner Tkachuck as the alternate if he cannot attend. d. Election of Officers – No Report Commissioner Tkachuck moved to recommend Mark Jenkins to continue in the role as the Chairperson of the HEDC. No second to the motion was needed. Ayes – Commissioner’s Dupee, Finley & Tkachuck Abstention – Chairperson Jenkins Commissioner Dupee moved to recommend Commissioner Tkachuck to continue in the role as the Vice Chairperson of the HEDC. No second to the motion was needed. Ayes – All The motion passed. January 17, 2019 2 Housing and Economic Development Commission Meeting Minutes e. Recent Business Outreach Events – (No Report) i. Economic Development Coordinator, Michael Martin stated because one of the commissioners has to leave the meeting a little early he wanted to move ahead to the Rental Housing Licensing discussion and this item was briefly touched on during the Business Engagement discussion. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Rental Housing Licensing Discussion i. Economic Development Coordinator, Michael Martin gave the report on the Rental Housing Licensing Discussion and answered questions of the commission. ii. Maplewood Fire Chief, Steve Lukin addressed and answered questions of the commission about fire and safety inspections. Commissioner Finley was concerned about the burden of the fee for the rental program for single family homes and in the draft ordinance under 12-613 (1) letter (m) regarding the excessive calls to the police and fire and (n) pursue of eviction of tenants. He also asked about Air B & B not being in the ordinance. *Commissioner Finley had to leave the meeting during this discussion item at 7:40 p.m. Commissioner Dupee was mostly in support of the rental housing licensing idea. Chairperson Jenkins believed the intent is to have a safe environment for renters and for the property owners. He asked Fire Chief Lukin to address the rental screening process. To him the license types and inspection schedules are a concern to him. If you have a rental property on a 3 year licensing and inspection process or a yearly rental license and inspection process the level of income to the city changes. If there is a rental property that has no problems and is very well behaved there would be one type of license and a property that has been a repeat offender could be another type of license. Do we license out of a behavioral scenario or out of a fiscal scenario where we need to maintain a certain level of licensing in order to keep the program fiscally neutral. He said he understood the sliding scale but he would like to see if everyone is a type A license the program is still sustainable. One scenario would be what if you have a property owner with multiple rental properties and one property is a type A and one property is a type B and another is a type C property etc. how does the property owner remember to pay the fee once a month, once every 6 months or once a year. Ideally the city would love to have all rental properties a consistent type A. An annual license would be easier to enforce and inform regardless of the level of compliance and then adjust the fees according to the good or bad behavior of the property owner. If everyone is on a 3 year program the income is a lot less to the city compared to an annual license. Chairperson Jenkins wants to make sure the rental program is fiscally sustainable. Commissioner Tkachuck enjoyed the discussion on the rental licensing and asked how hotels, senior housing, and nursing homes were handled and inspected which Fire Chief Lukin discussed. No action was required and this item will come back to the HEDC in the spring. 7. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS None. January 17, 2019 3 Housing and Economic Development Commission Meeting Minutes 8. COMMISSION PRESENTATIONS Chairperson Jenkins said if you would like to serve on the Maplewood city council you can apply to serve as a city council person and for more information go to the City of Maplewood website www.maplewoodmn.gov for further details and the application process. 9. STAFF PRESENTATIONS a. Development Summary – (No Report) i. Economic Development Coordinator, Michael Martin gave a summary of development projects in the city. a. A CUP for 1690 McKnight Road for G7 Laundry. b. A CUP for 1800 White Bear Avenue for the former Junior Achievement building for a multi-use building for a banquet center, fitness center, etc, c. A CUP for 1955 County Road D, the old Ziebart business for a used Auto Sales building. 10. ADJOURNMENT Chairperson Jenkins adjourned the meeting at 8:08 p.m. January 17, 2019 4 Housing and Economic Development Commission Meeting Minutes