Minutes; Economic Development; August 2008

Economic Development Committee

Regular Meeting
Tuesday, August 19, 2008, 5:30 pm
City Hall, 31 South Madison Street, Evansville, Wisconsin

MINUTES

I. Roll Call. Chair Tony Wyse called the meeting to order at 5:30. Present: Tony Wyse, Gene Bass, Dave Olsen, Janis Ringhand, James Otterstein, Rebecca DeMarb, and Matthias James. Absent: Roger Berg. Also present: Mayor Sandy Decker, City Administrator Dan Wietecha, Chamber of Commerce Director Bridgit Larsen, and members of the public.

II. Approval of Agenda. Wyse made a motion, seconded by Bass, to approve the agenda as presented. Motion approved unanimously.

III. Minutes of July 15, 2008, Meeting. Ringhand made a motion, seconded by Olsen, to waive the reading of the minutes and approve as presented. Motion approved unanimously.

IV. Minutes of July 23, 2008, Special Meeting. Wyse made a motion, seconded by Ringhand, to waive the reading of the minutes and approve as presented. Motion approved unanimously.

V. Citizen Appearances. None.

VI. Co-op Commuter Van. Linda Donaghue distributed some background information and presented her idea for forming a cooperative to own several vans for commuting to Madison. Her next step is to form a steering committee to further explore the idea’s feasibility and to develop a business plan. The Committee was supportive of her idea and encouraged Donaghue to approach the Water & Light Committee about including a survey in the utility bills.

VII. Chamber of Commerce Report. Larsen said that a delegation of local businesses recently met with the Agriculture and Life Sciences College at UW-Madison. They have hired a web designer; the updated website is expected to be ready by November 1. Upcoming membership meetings are on August 28 and Sept 18; the September one will be at the Library for a presentation of the new InfoUSA software and their efforts toward a business resource center.

VIII. Economic Development Entity. Otterstein distributed background information on different types of economic development organizations. There are different advantages and limitations depending on whether the organization is public, private, or a combination. Recent history has shown a trend away from public funding toward private funding of economic development organizations. Otterstein reviewed specific examples from the area and elsewhere in the state.

Funding, representation, and staffing should be considered to ensure an efficient and effective organizational structure. Otterstein noted that regardless of the entity selected, volunteers will still be needed for ongoing support. The Committee said it would like to invite Milton Area Chamber of Commerce Industry and Tourism (MACCIT) to a future meeting to learn more about their experience.

IX. Welcome Signs. An option was presented for refinishing the three “Welcome to Evansville” signs. The Committee had questions about the price for other materials and designs. Bass will investigate other options.

X. Inventors and Entrepreneurs Club. Bass made a motion, seconded by Olsen, to reimburse Terry Whipple up to $250 for travel expenses to come to Evansville to kick off an I&E Club.

XI. 2009 Budget. The Committee noted that marketing was one of the primary focuses of the Economic Development Plan. Until the new Alliance Entity is created and begins implementation, the exact nature of community marketing is unknown. It was also noted that the amount of revenue from the room tax is only an estimate since the hotel and the tax are new. Ringhand made a motion, seconded by Olsen, to recommend a generic “Community Marketing” line as a place holder under the Economic Development Committee for the new room tax. Motion approved unanimously.

XII. Adjournment. Ringhand made a motion, seconded by Bass, to adjourn. Motion approved unanimously at 7:40.