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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-14-14 Economic Development Council MinutesPage 1 of 7 THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (EDC) MEETING BOZEMAN, MONTANA MINUTES Friday, February 14, 2014 For the minutes linked to the video go to: http://www.bozeman.net/Departments/Administration/City-Commission/Streaming- Video/Archives A. Call to Order – 10:30 a.m. City Hall (121 North Rouse Ave.), City Commission Meeting Room Council Member - Erik Garberg: Present Council Member - Cheryl Ridgely: Absent Council Member - Teresa McKnight: Absent Council Member - Tracy Menuez: Present Board Chair - Daryl Schliem: Present Board Member - Bryce Ledbetter: Present Commission Liaison Chris Mehl: Present Staff members present at the dais was Economic Development Director Brit Fontenot and Economic Development Specialist David Fine and Deputy City Clerk Aimee Brunckhorst. B. Public Comment Daryl Schliem opened public comment. No person commented. C. Minutes - January 9, 2014 Motion and Vote to approve the minutes of the January 9, 2014 EDC meeting as submitted. The motion passed unanimously. D. Non-Action Items 1. Welcome Bryce Ledbetter to the EDC (Schliem) 10:35:47 AM Brit Fontenot welcomed new member Bryce Ledbetter and the latest Commissioner liaison Chris Mehl. Bozeman City Commission Minutes, February 14, 2014 Page 2 of 7 10:35:28 AM Bryce Ledbetter said a few words about himself. 10:36:47 AM 2. Welcome new member Sean Becker - new ex-officio member to the EDC (Schliem) Sean Becker was not able to attend but his intern was present. 10:37:25 AM 3. Welcome Chris Mehl, Commission Liaison, to the EDC (Schliem) 10:38:07 AM 4. 2014-2015 City Commission Goals and Playbook (Fontenot/Kukulski) Brit Fontenot introduced this topic. Daryl Schliem asked about the expectations for the Council going forward. Brit Fontenot spoke regarding ongoing projects. These include: • Sector development initiatives • Funding for two efforts that are underway – outdoor and photonics • Gearing up for high tech (already started) • Discussion phases for social (non-profit) sector Chris Mehl mentioned that the social sector was not on the sector priorities list and asked Mr. Fontenot to explain his vision for that. 10:41:18 AM • Health care sector and the social sector have support in the community of businesses that the timing is right. 10:42:05 AM Brit Fontenot spoke to the importance, reasoning and planning for starting a social (non-profit) sector development initiative. • Large number of social organizations that provide jobs, services • Social sector helps build a fabric of the community - quality of life • Environmental, HRDC, EagleMount, etc. Just under 400 of these social sector organizations in the community. • Emerging trend to look at a fee for services to offset donations • Social sector organizations seeing themselves as a business providing a service for a fee. • Function in a more sustainable way over the long term 10:44:35 AM Existing 5 sectors on the priority list are bioscience, outdoor, high tech, photonics and manufacturing. Bozeman City Commission Minutes, February 14, 2014 Page 3 of 7 Bioscience is already organized at the state level through the Bioscience Alliance. They are getting support at this time. 10:45:24 AM Chris Mehl asked questions regarding staff capacity. 10:46:08 AM Capacity Strategy Brit Fontenot spoke to their capacity strategy saying they plan on taking two sectors per year to focus on. They look to their partner to help mitigate lack of capacity. For example, the city partnered with Prospera to work with photonics sector development. He spoke regarding this initiative further. The city partnered with the Northern Rocky Mountain Economic Development District to work with the Outdoor sector development initiative. Casey Walsh with Simms is helping us to shape that initiative. The goal is to create a self-sustaining organization that can then be run by the businesses themselves. The city and its partners can help start up the initiative and then back out when they are ready to go on their own. Mr. Fontenot provided further detail on this strategy. 10:48:15 AM Daryl Schliem said that photonics has already taken the step for the industry itself to step in. There is enough interest in the community to assist. 10:48:46 AM Strategy for Budgeting Brit Fontenot explained the intention is to request funding for the start up phase of sector development. Last year it was $7,500 per sector. In the next phase of a particular sector development they will continue support but at a lower level of cash support. they will likely be making budget requests for the second phase of the photonics and outdoor sector development while making requests for initial start up of the next two initiatives - high tech and social sector development. 10:50:30 AM Chris Mehl says he values all of the sectors. The sectors to develop were well thought out by all of those previous groups. Chris Mehl said the EDC should keep their eye on the Convention Center and the Downtown efforts but they are well staffed through other organizations. The EDC should focus on the sectors and projects that cannot move forward without the EDC. 10:52:19 AM Brit Fontenot spoke regarding downtown and the connection and importance to Broadband infrastructure. 10:52:56 AM Broadband Plan Bozeman City Commission Minutes, February 14, 2014 Page 4 of 7 Brit Fontenot spoke to the Broadband plan and its complexity. The Economic Development Department is taking a lead on a broadband master plan project. They will soon release to the public a request for proposals and qualifications for a consultant to look at what the broadband needs and assets are and what the benefits could be. We are interested in an open access relationship, embracing the private sector. There will be policy implications that will ultimately be examined by the Commission. When we overlay our master plan map once completed we want to know what projects will be happening in that same area so the conduit pathway is created when the ground is open, thus reducing the cost. If we are successful with broadband we can really elevate our community. 10:56:15 AM David Fine spoke further about the importance of Broadband to economic development. 10:57:39 AM Erik Garberg asked about hurdles we might see from the private sector. 10:57:51 AM Brit Fontenot spoke regarding being very conscious of inviting the private sector into the discussion from the beginning. He spoke further regarding the broadband initiative. 11:01:01 AM David Fine spoke further regarding private sector collaboration. 11:01:56 AM Brit Fontenot spoke regarding a data center concept - an important piece of the puzzle. The Innovation Campus is contemplating a data center in their main building for their needs. They are looking into the possibly of leveraging that somehow for a broader swath of the community. 11:02:59 AM Tracy Menuez asked whether there is additional work that needs to be done beyond support for Gallatin College that could be done to move forward the workforce development priority in the economic development plan. She is happy to see the non-profit sector being highlighted as an area for economic development, because non-profits are a significant employer and are good at bringing outside dollars within the community. There is a really good tie here to social enterprise to workforce development. It is important to look at what can be done to help the non-profits with training. HRDC is exploring how they could partner with Gallatin College and use the Community Café to provide food service training and restaurant management. 11:05:04 AM Brit Fontenot spoke regarding workforce development being extremely important. He explained they are engaging Gallatin College and MSU the best they can. For example, Career Services from MSU and Stephanie from Gallatin College were invited to the meetings regarding the Outdoor Sector. He spoke further about making connections between industry leaders and training leaders. 11:07:16 AM Daryl Schliem explained that workforce development is one of the key initiatives at the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce this year. Bob Hietala and Stephanie at Gallatin College will be chairing a committee on that. Daryl Schliem spoke in further detail about the Chamber’s efforts in this area. Bozeman City Commission Minutes, February 14, 2014 Page 5 of 7 11:09:32 AM Brit Fontenot spoke further regarding budget requests he will be bringing forward to the Commission shortly. E. FYI/Discussion/Updates (Schliem, et al) 1. 11:10:38 AM 2014 PhotonicsWest Conference; Brit Fontenot spoke about this experience saying it was like walking into one huge science fair. They were able to connect with a large number of businesses. He was surprised to see so many business people there from Bozeman. This trip was extremely important to show local businesses that the city is there to support them. Mr. Fontenot was able to see what other communities are doing to support this industry. He saw cities and universities and tech transfers partnering up. The relationship to the University is very important in this regard. Mr. Fontenot provided some examples. John Rogers from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development sponsored a Montana centric social after hours meet and greet event. This event was enormously successful and was an exciting opportunity. They are making plans for next year regarding how to partner more with MSU and tech transfer and companies to have a bigger presence at this show. He also spoke regarding taking these experiences and using them at other shows in other industries. 2. 11:15:00 AM Sale of the North Park property; Brit Fontenot said they now have two offers on this property. They have received a buy-sell and a letter of intent and are evaluating these now. He spoke regarding this further. 3. 10:53:00 AM Broadband; See notes above at 10:52:56 AM 4. Sector Development See notes above at 10:41:18 AM 5. 11:16:36 AM Marketing Brit Fontenot spoke regarding a meeting between himself, David Fine, Theresa McKnight, Cheryl Ridgely regarding plans for a marketing collaborative. They came up with some ideas including how to work with the airports closed circuit television system. they met with them, but did not have a break through yet but will continue talking with them about it. Brit Fontenot also announced the launch of the city economic development FaceBook page. 11:18:05 AMDavid Fine said we do want to help tell Bozeman’s story with the FaceBook page. He asked that members please send good stories to him for posting. 11:18:37 AM Aimee Brunckhorst, Deputy City Clerk spoke regarding how to leverage likes and comments to increase the number of people that see FaceBook posts. Brit Fontenot spoke regarding the need to have a better way of explaining who we are as a Bozeman City Commission Minutes, February 14, 2014 Page 6 of 7 community. 11:20:33 AM He spoke regarding Bozeman as a town of Aspirations, Innovations and Elevations. He spoke further about what this means and how he sees this idea playing onto the marketing effort. Bryce Ledbetter will be included in the next marketing committee meeting. 11:22:05 AM Bryce Ledbetter spoke regarding how marketing really needs a well thought out, centric plan. Brit Fontenot said he is still interested in working with other organizations to co-market and co- brand in a way that is consistent. 11:23:18 AM Jeff Krauss spoke regarding the TBID slogan “only in Bozeman” and how he does not feel it is working well. 11:23:54 AM Daryl Schliem spoke regarding looking at new markets and how the TBID could look toward a joint marketing campaign as well. He spoke regarding a regional multi-million dollar collaborative campaign to get people to the region through the airport and the north entrance of the park and then everyone is on their own to get people to their own particular locations. 11:26:01 AM Brit Fontenot spoke regarding a visit with the Apptus management team in San Mateo. They are excited to open a branch in Bozeman. They are looking forward to being in Bozeman. 11:26:57 AM 6. 2014 EDC vacancies. Brit Fontenot spoke regarding this vacancy. 11:27:42 AM Aimee Brunckhorst explained we have two applicants for this position and said the appointment is tentatively scheduled for the March 3rd City Commission meeting. 11:28:50 AM Brit Fontenot suggested that the EDC weigh in on the budget recommendations he will be preparing for City Commission consideration during the next meeting. 11:29:14 AM Mayor Jeff Krauss introduced Becky Mahurin, the Director of Technology Transfer at Montana State University; one of the EDC applicants. She moves projects out of research and into the private sector. She works for the brand new appointee, Renee Reijo Pera, the Vice President of Research and Economic Development for MSU. Gary Bloomer is one of Becky’s employees. Mayor Krauss said she has lots of connections to the technology that moves out of MSU. There is not anyone on the EDC that can speak authoritatively about the industries that come out of MSU that might present the type of opportunities we are looking for. Mayor Krauss said he would highly recommend the appointment of Rebecca Mahurin to the EDC. Bozeman City Commission Minutes, February 14, 2014 Page 7 of 7 11:31:36 AM The EDC spoke regarding whether or not to recommend an appointment to the EDC but could not make a formal motion and vote as it was not listed as an action item on the agenda. 11:32:34 AM F. Adjournment Daryl Schliem adjourned the meeting at 11:32 a.m. Minutes prepared by Aimee Brunckhorst.