10-15-2018 EDA MIN SPECIAL - Laserfiche WebLink

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Economic Development Authority Minutes Page 2 October 15,2018 Commissioner Wagner spent time with the Elk River High School DECA group. • The students were tasked with opening a business in Elk River and went through the process of how to do it. She suggested developing materials in which high schoolers could understand. The process should be simple and make sense. Commissioner Blesener thought the current document was a good starting place. President Tveite added that he liked the time table at the bottom of the pamphlet. Applicants often come in with the best case scenarios and get frustrated when it doesn't go as quickly as they had hoped. Commission Blesener said people applying for businesses cannot do what they want wherever they want, there are constraints.There should be some sort of litmus test they must satisfy to proceed with their business planning. Perhaps the documentation could be geared toward a"Starting a Business 101"level including such things as zoning districts. New business development is welcome as long as it complies with zoning. Ms. Othoudt shared that Sherburne County is currently developing a public GIS program for identifying parcels within Sherburne County and their corresponding zoning district which would direct customers to the appropriate zoning code. President Tveite asked if an online questionnaire could be developed so that once • you have entered simple information in regards to your business,would show you spots that would work for your business needs. Ms. Othoudt commented that may be something they could work on with their website developer, Golden Shovel Agency. Ms. Eddy added that what the commission was describing seemed similar to a program called Open Counter. It would be nice to have a tool that could inform the business developer who gets an idea at 2:00 a.m. Commissioner Westgaard asked staff to research the interactive software Open Counter. He also said it was important to have electronic copies of information available on the website as well as printed copies. Ms. Eddy said some of the departments, such as Planning and Engineering,currently have short videos created to outline how their process works. Commissioner Blesener wished for information on what"hoops" applicants have to jump through while working with Planning,Economic Development, Engineering, Fire, and other departments. Commissioner Westgaard is interested in soliciting more input from the development community. How can the city make the process better and clearer? Is it • currently part of the process to survey businesses after they have moved to town to IrPowEREI R � NATURE