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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-10-13 ACE MINUTESALLIANCE F OR COMMER CE IN ENGLEWOO D October 13, 2005 I. CALL TO ORDER The regular meet ing of the Alliance for Commerce in Englewood (ACE) was called to order at 11:40 a.m. in the City Council Conference Room, Chair McDermott presiding. Present: Absent: Staff: Guests: Guinther, Panetta; Schalk, Vasilas, McDermott Verbeck, Alternate Member Wolosyn, Council Liaison Penning, Chamber Liaison Councilman Woodward Lonborg (excused absence) Economic Development Coordinator Hollingsworth Se nior Planner Graham P atty Silverstein, DRP Karen Leeker, DRP II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES September 8, 2005 Chair McDermott called for consideration of Minutes from the September 8, 2005 meeting. Vasilas moved: Panetta seconded: The Minutes of September 8, 2005 be approved as written. The motion carried unanimously . III. MEMBER RESIGNATION Harold Cook Chair McDermott asked that Mr. Hollingsworth update the Commission on this . Mr. Hollingsworth stated that two or three weeks ago, he received a voice-mail message from Mr. Cook that he was relocating to Nevada in the very near future, and would be resigning from the ACE. He expressed his pleasure with serving on ACE. Mr. Hollingsworth stated that he called Mr. Cook back and stated that we needed a written resignation from him, and was assured that this would be forthcoming; however, he has not received a written resignation as of this time. Chair McDermott stated that this leaves ACE with a vacancy in the voting membership; Mr. Verbeck is the alternate member. She suggested that if Mr. Verbeck is willing to serve, that a recommendation be forwarded to City Council asking that Mr. Verbeck 's membership be up- H :\G rou p\BOARDS\ACE\M inutes\2005\ACE I 0-13-05 .doc 1 graded to full voting privileges. Mr. Verbeck stated that he is interested in serving as a voting member. Chair McDermott asked that Mr. Hollingsworth prepare the communication to City Council ask- ing that Mr. Verbeck' s membership on ACE be upgraded to that of a voting member. IV. BUSINESS Il\.1PROVKMENT DISTRICT Chair McDermott asked Mr. Vasilas for an update on possible formation of a Business Im- provement District (BID). Mr. Vasilas reported on the latest meeting of the steering committee with PUMA representatives . He also reported on meetings with the City Council, and that City Council has agreed to a re- quest to assist with funding a contract with PUMA. Mr. Vasilas stated that PUMA answered questions that members of the steering committee posed, City Council members are supportive, and the committee has decided to go forward to create a BID. Chair McDermott asked if the City assistance on funding is in the form of a "loan'', or a "grant". Mr. Vasilas stated that at this time it is a "loan" because that is what the steering committee re- quested; he stated that the BID may request that the "loan " become a "grant". Mr. Woodward entered the meeting and was seated with the members . Mr. Vasilas stated so far, no opposition has been voiced by those to whom the steering commit- tee has spoken. He stated that the committee is in need of volunteers to canvass a wider segment of the business community, and stated that, hopefully, by this time next year the BID will be ready to be voted on. Ms. Wolosyn entered the meeting and was seated with the members. Appointment of BID board members was discussed. Mr. Vasi las stated that there are three op- tions for consideration. • City Council appoints board members; • Board members are elected by members of the business community; • BID steering committee recommends a "slate" of candidates to City Council, which may or may not approve the slate for appointment; if not approved, the slate of candidates is referred back to the steering committee for further consideration. Mr. Hollingsworth stated that the proposed contract with PUMA has been referred to the City Attorney's Office for review; there are a few minor changes that have been suggested and should not serve as a barrier to signing the document. A map of the BID area will be prepared, a data base of land owners/business owners will have to be prepared, and there will be more meetings with members of the business community. Mr. Hollingsworth noted that there will be some new members on the City Council and they will have to be updated to provide an understanding of the BID. Chair McDermott asked what will happen if one business or land owner in the middle of a block decides they are not interested in the BID do not want to participate. Mr. Vasilas stated that if H:\Group\BOARDSIACE\M inutes\2005\ACE I 0 -13 -05 .doc 2 the property owner has a "large block of land" it could be excluded from the BID; however, if it is a small parcel mid-block, and the majority of the block is in favor of the BID and resultant taxation, that small parcel will not be excluded from the district and the majority opinion would apply. Chair McDermott commended Mr. Vasilas and the steering committee for their diligence on the BID, and noted that to get the concept this far is a great accomplishment. V. STAFF CHOICE Chair McDermott noted that a member of the DRP team has not yet arrived, and suggested that we proceed with discussion of other items on the agenda. Mr. Hollingsworth stated that copies of State Statutes governing Bills were included in the meet- ing packet. Mr. Hollingsworth referenced a map and listing of sites that have received, or are contacts for possible future assistance from the Department of Community Development. Mr. Panetta asked what comprised "technical assistance". Mr. Graham stated Community Development recently received the results of a parking analysis study; information from this study can be used to assist business owners in their planning for growth; utility information and contacts can be obtained to assist businesses -a variety of information can be obtained and made available to the business community. Mr. Schalk inquired about information in the parking analysis. Mr. Graham stated the analysis establishes hours of peak parking demand in the downtown business district, makes projections for five to 10 year needs -information that can be valuable for development or redevelopment. He noted two sites -the 3400 block of South Acoma Street, and the Masonic Temple site on South Sherman Street -that may potentially be redeveloped with residential units. These devel- opments and the attendant parking needs will impact parking availability in the downtown busi- ness district. Mr. Schalk inquired about construction of a parking structure. Mr. Graham dis- cussed some development scenarios on the Acoma Street site , and noted it appears that a parking structure will be a necessity if we hope to attract any of the possible developments cited. Mr. Hollingsworth then referenced a copy of the quarterly report published by the Community Development Department -this is a synopsis of activities within this specific Department for the past quarter year. Mr. Hollingsworth also referenced construction updates provided by the Public Works Depart- ment to the City Council on a weekly basis. He stated that these updates are a quick way to be informed on construction/development progress in the City. Chair McDermott stated that she found these reports -the Public Works update and the Commu- nity Development report -most informative and helpful to the ACE membership. Mr. Hollingsworth was asked to continue submitting these reports to the membership as they become available. H :\Group\BOARDS\AC E\JVlinutes\2005\ACE I 0-13-05 .doc 3 Mr. Hollingsworth reported that ACE has a member representative on the Englewood Small Business Development Corporation (ESBDC); this group has considered several projects in re- cent months, providing financial assistance to the Artarama business opening in the old Guys and Dolls site on South Broadway; financial assistance has also been provided to a new Bar and Grill opening soon, and another prospective business . VI. PR IMARY EMPLOYER STUDY Industry Cluster Study Chair McDermott noted that Ms . Silverstein of Development Research P artners (DRP) has ar- rived, and the employer study will now be considered. Mr. Graham introduced Ms. Patty Silverstein, and Ms. Karen Leeker, and stated that the City has contracted with DRP on several occasions over the past few years to conduct a variety of studies. This particular study focuses on "industry clusters ". Ms. Silverstein addressed the Commission, presenting a brief background on this type of study, which began back in the 1980 's. Briefly, it is a study of companies with similar tendencies: workforce size and educational requirements, type of products, needs from support businesses to produce the end product. Why do businesses choose to locate in particular areas, and why some businesses are more competitive. Companies that thrive can "export" their products to other companies in adjoining communities, states, or countries. Ms . Silverstein noted that some re- gion al companies may be classified in the "retention mode", such as telecommunications , and air transportation; other companies may be classified in the "growth mode" such as the aerospace industry , energy businesses, software businesses. Ms. Leeker gave a brief visual presentation on the cluster businesses and growth patterns . She and Ms. Silverstein discussed the "multipliers" impact from primary employers. A multiplier is an indicator of the economic impact of a job within the community. High multiplier jobs create greater wealth in the community by turning dollars locally . Ms . Silverstein stated that six "cluster industry" businesses have been identified in Englewood: • Automotive • Business Support Services • Construction • Life Sciences (including 3 subclusters) o Medical Products o Health Care o Veterinary Services • Manufacturing • Sporting Goods Mr. Graham discussed business types that were targeted in the Economic Development Strategy for recruitment efforts, including sporting goods-related businesses, health care -related busi- nesses, and entertainment. Mr. Graham stated that the City will not be recruiting businesses that require a lot of land, because that is not available in Englewood. Mr. Hollingsworth and Mr. Graham both noted that several businesses have relocated out of Englewood because they needed H:\Group\BOARDS\ACE\Minutes\2005\ACE 10-13-05 .doc 4 to expand, but could not find a site to accommodate their projected growth and development needs. Ms. Penning asked if all of the businesses are located within the boundaries of Englewood. Mr. Graham stated that some are outside the corporate boundaries. Ms. Silverstein commented on the review processes their company uses to study the business characteristics, and noted that it can be difficult to ascertain exact boundary locations. Mr. Graham noted that the automotive businesses do generate sales tax revenues, not only from car sales, but parts used in repair of autos are taxed. Ms. Silverstein stated that DRP is trying to identify businesses that are advantageous to the City -businesses that have "linkages" to the cluster businesses that are already located in the City, or a type of business that may not be al- lowed in one jurisdiction, but that is permitted in Englewood. She emphasized the need for "small suppliers" to serve the large businesses. Mr. Panetta asked what role the quality and type of housing availability play in the study. Ms. Silverstein stated that housing can have a very important role -one needs to understand the type of workforce a business has, the size and price of housing that workforce can afford, and the proximity of the housing to the work site. Also, we need to explore what a cluster industry busi- ness may need from the rest of the business/industrial community -what type of support services are needed to assure growth and stability for the cluster business. Mr. Woodward suggested that in addition to the quality, quantity and price of housing, one needs to consider the quality of the school system for the workforce, also . It was agreed that education quality is very important to attract families. Chair McDermott asked how businesses to study and interview are chosen or targeted. Ms. Silverstein stated that they hope that ACE members provide suggested businesses to be targeted or interviewed. Mr. Graham stated that ACE members can submit suggested business names to either Mr. Hollingsworth or himself for transmission to DRP. Mr. Schalk commented that when he sees the used car lots along South Broadway, he does not think about future economic development growth in Englewood. He stated he is in favor of in- creasing revenue from the properties that are now used for used car sales. Ms. Silverstein pointed out that the used car lots do require other "support services", and have an "export" type of business. Used car lots do not, as a rule, employ many people and attracting businesses need- ing a large workforce could be a focal point. Members of ACE suggested several businesses to Ms. Silverstein. Clarification of "Business Support Services" was requested. Ms. Silverstein stated that this is a broad category, and can include such services as legal services, financial -including banking and accounting, and other typical "support" services. Mr. Woodward suggested that Sports Authority has attracted some new businesses to the area. It was noted that bicycle shops have located in Englewood, as has New Balance Shoes. Mr. Ver- beck noted that Ouray Sports Outlet will be moving because they have outgrown their space . Mr. Hollingsworth state he understood this business is seeking approximately 100,000 square H:\Group\BOARDS\ACE\Minures\2005\ACE l 0-13-05.doc 5 feet of space, and want to consolidate all facets of their business under one roof; unfortunately , right now Englewood cannot meet the space needs of this business . Life Sciences category suggestions included the new MRI/Surgical facility in the 3400 block of South Elati Street. There is an audiology business that has opened in CityCenter, and the Veteri- nary Hospital on South Inca was suggested. Also noted were Spalding and Craig Hospitals, and suppliers of medical needs such as wheel chairs, crutches, etc. Construction businesses were considered. Chair McDermott stated that she is affiliated with a development company, and would be happy to interview with DRP. Mr. Woodward suggested that some aspects in Englewood are understated. He noted that tap fees for water service are reasonable, and suggested that this be better publicized. Brief discussion ensued. Chair McDermott thanked DRP representatives for their presentation . VII. COMMENTS AND EVENTS Ms. Penning reminded members of the Chamber luncheon on November 1. No further business was brought forth for discussion. The meeting was declared adjourned at l p.m. L 6:u.A J 1JM:- Gertrude G . Welty .,. J Recording Secretary H:\Group\BOARDS\ACE\Minutes\2005\ACE I 0-13-05 .doc 6