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Home My WebLink AboutI.A - Agenda Notes HEDRA AGENDA NOTES January 14, 2021 6:00pm I.A. OATH OF OFFICE - Commissioners Vaughan, Braucks, and Horsch - Each Commissioner shall recite the Oath of Office separately. II. MINUTES Please see the attached HEDRA Meeting minutes from the December 10th regular meeting for your review and approval. III. BILLS December Bills * Reimbursable Expenses Please see attached general ledger detail from the last two months for further information. IV. BUSINESS A. Election and Appointment of Officers The following annual elections and appointments are due:  Appoint President, Vice-President, and Treasurer, to be elected from citizen commissioners.  Appoint Eric Maass as Secretary  Appoint Chris Eitemiller, Finance Manager as Assistant Treasurer  Designate Dan Fluegel, City Attorney; and Andrea McDowell Poehler as Legal Counsel. Nominations may be made individually or as a group and then voted on by the full Board. Hastings Family Service *$50,000.00 COVID - CARES - Anchor Grant Hastings Chamber *$35,025.00 COVID - CARES - Anchor Grant Hastings Family Service *11,645.85 COVID - CARES - Non-Profit Grant United Way of Hastings *11,645.85 COVID - CARES - Non-Profit Grant Dakota County CDA *$7,975.00 COVID - CARES County - Admin Fee Fraternal Order of Eagles *$6,360.00 COVID - CARES - Non-Profit Grant ReDo Fitness *$5,803.30 COVID - CARES - Non-Profit Grant HFC United *$5,000.00 COVID - CARES - Non-Profit Grant River City Music and Arts *$5,000.00 COVID - CARES - Non-Profit Grant United Way of Hastings *$4,545.00 COVID - CARES - Grant Administration Fluegel Law Firm *$3,256.00 Legal - COVID - CARES Safety Signs $1,050.00 COVID - Downtown Barricade Removal HEDRA Commissioners $88.00 Admin - Annual Meeting Stipend Graphic Design $79.00 Admin - Business Cards - Maass HEDRA Agenda Notes January 14, 2021 Page 2 B. Adopt Resolution #2021-01 Authorizing of Banking Signatories Staff has prepared Resolution #2021-01 for HEDRA consideration. Staff is seeking HEDRA recommendations for 2021 HEDRA President, Treasurer, and Assistant Treasurer. Staff will update Resolution #2021-01 based on HEDRA feedback for those positions. Please see the attached Resolution. C. Adopt Resolution #2021-02 Approving Continued HEDRA Loan Payment Deferral through December 31, 2021 in response to the Covid-19 Pandemic. In April of 2020, HEDRA approved a deferral on all loan payments including the accrual of interest on all HEDRA loans as a way to support local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the current HEDRA loans, monthly payments on those loans total $4,015.17 Since March 2020, that has resulted in HEDRA deferring a total of $$40,151.70 in payments. HEDRA issues loans to commercial and residential property owners to assist with needed repairs and improvements. The COVID-19 Pandemic has created economic hardship through the restriction of business operation. If Resolution #2021-02 is approved it would result in approximately $50,000 in payments being deferred by 12/31/2021. Please see the attached memo and resolution for further information. D. Approve Downtown Property Study Staff presented the draft Downtown Property Study to HEDRA at its meeting on December 10, 2020. After review City Staff believes it is now ready for formal adoption by HEDRA. Staff requests that HEDRA vote to take formal action in approving the Downtown Property Study. Please see the attached Study for further information. E. Authorize Funding for Parklets HEDRA is asked to consider allocating $40,000 towards a grant program for the construction of parklets and seasonal outdoor dining facilities. The funding would be taken from the remaining $100,000 in COVID relief funding that was allocated by HEDRA in April, 2020. Staff is working on the specifics of a grant program that would consist of allocating a funds for the purchase of materials to construct parklets and seasonal outdoor dining areas. These facilities would be owned and operated by individual businesses; the City would not provide any further assistance in construction, maintenance, or storage of the facilities. HEDRA Agenda Notes January 14, 2021 Page 3 Parklets are the temporary conversion of on-street parking areas into private commercial areas for the use of neighboring businesses. They involve construction of a raised platform flush with the level of the curb with installation of barriers along the edges to demarcate the space. Parklets are generally used as table space for restaurants and can be found throughout many larger cities. Staff has conducted a survey of downtown area businesses regarding the parklet experience in 2020. A summary of those survey responses includes: Positive  Downtown attraction  Parklets with concrete jersey barriers seemed to be safer than those without them  Safer environment for dining during the pandemic  Perceived benefit if something that is offered year over year – tourism benefit Negative  Closed sidewalks made it difficult for patrons of non-restaurant customers to access other downtown businesses.  Overall the parklets did not look very nice or cohesive.  Closure of 2nd Street on weekends was an issue for business access.  Signage associated with the street closure gave perception that downtown was closed  Difficult for boaters to access the Hastings Marina  Sidewalk in the street increased level of risk for pedestrians.  Limiting the amount of street parking in the downtown. The DBA has formed a parklet committee to discuss aesthetics, logistics, and execution for what an ideal parklet would be and how it would operate. City Staff intend to review ordinances as well as permitting/licensing processes related to parklets HEDRA Agenda Notes January 14, 2021 Page 4 F. Discuss Preliminary Land Credit Sale – Custom Asphalt Custom Asphalt will be in attendance to discuss the potential land purchase and concept plan for relocation of their business to the City’s industrial park. Staff is seeking feedback from HEDRA as it relates to the sale of one or two parcels and the timeline for the development of those parcels if sold to Custom Asphalt. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends that HEDRA sell one parcel (Lot 4 or Lot 6) to Custom Asphalt for the purposes of their relocation. Lot 4 or 6 appears sufficient to support the proposed Custom Asphalt project. By retaining Lot 5 it affords HEDRA added flexibility to assist future businesses since it would result in the two remaining parcels being contiguous to support a variety of potential project sizes. Staff understands that Custom Asphalt is interested in additional development on a second lot (likely would be Lot 5 to connect to Lot 4 or lot 6) which would then be leased to other businesses, but a timeline for that development is not known. Absent a definitive and imminent timeline for that development Staff recommends that HEDRA retain ownership of the remaining parcels as the sale of land for the purposes of holding it does not meet HEDRA goals of adding employment opportunities and increased tax base. HEDRA Agenda Notes January 14, 2021 Page 5 V. REPORTS AND INFORMATION A. Luke Siewert Apartments Luke will be in attendance to provide HEDRA members with an update on his proposed apartment project. The update will include a revised site plan and architectural elevations. HEDRA should provide the developer and staff feedback as it relates to the site plan and elevations. Please see the attached concept plan for further information. B. Riverfront Lighting As of January 7th, the lighting contractor has finished with install of decorative lighting within Levee Park. Lighted park elements include both archways leading into the park, tree lines leading to the pavilion, the bathroom building, and a large show tree with more than 100 strands of lights in it. Lights will be set to timers and be on from dusk until dawn. Staff has been coordinating with the Hastings Chamber, and Downtown Business Association on an event set to take place on Saturday January 16th to celebrate the newly added lights. The event is going to include carriage rides, a DJ on 2nd Street, and a band within the pavilion. The Chamber and DBA is coordinating with the Parks department on use of the pavilion. The cost of lighting was authorized by the City Council on December 21, 2020. T h e D B A S t C. COVID Business Support – Dakota County Grant Dakota County approved grants up to $5,000 for businesses which hold an active liquor license. Staff has assisted Dakota County in making Hastings businesses aware of this grant funding opportunity by sending three separate notices to eligible businesses to try and make sure businesses were aware. Grant applications were due by January 8th, 2021. As of December 30th, 24 out of a possible 31 Hastings business had applied for the grant funding. City Staff has called the 7 remaining businesses to ensure they were aware of the grant opportunity. HEDRA Agenda Notes January 14, 2021 Page 6 D. HEDRA Project Support Sign At the November 12th, 2020 HEDRA meeting, commissioners expressed an interest in having a HEDRA ground sign created and deployed at development projects when HEDRA has a role in the project. Staff has contracted with Wildside Graphix for an 8’ x 4’ ground sign. The sign cost is approximately $600. E. Commercial Vacancy Available December, 2020 Available January, 2021 Net Change Downtown 78+1 Highway 55 12 12 0 Vermillion Street 13 13 0 Industrial Park 440 TOTAL 36 37 +1 F. Development Update  Schoolhouse Square Senior Housing – Minnesota Housing Finance Agency approved bonding allocation to the Dakota County CDA to support the School House Square senior housing project. With this, the developer is no longer needs requesting conduit financing by the City of Hastings.  The Confluence - Exterior work continues with replacement of roofing and windows. Brick tuckpointing is nearly complete.  Heritage (Sieben) Ridge - 116 home sites, half villa homes, half traditional single family. Located west of General Sieben Drive and south of St Elizabeth Ann Seton Church. First phase of nine lots under construction for the Spring Parade of Homes. Plans for the second phase of 30 homes is expected within the next couple of weeks. HEDRA Agenda Notes January 14, 2021 Page 7 ATTACHMENTS  Oath of Office (Commissioners Horsch, Braucks, and Vaughan only)  Minutes – December 10, 2020  Bills – December 2020  Resolution #2021-01 Authorizing individuals as designated signatories for purposes of authorized banking transactions  HEDRA Loan Payment Deferral: Memo and Resolution #2021-02  Downtown Property Study  Siewert Downtown Redevelopment Building Elevations and Site Plan