February 18, 2025 Bloomington Port Authority Meeting
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Topics Discussed (11)
Commissioner Oath of Office
Introduction of New Employee
Appointment of Port Authority Officers
Consent Agenda Approval
Grocery Space Recapture Agreement Updates (Carbon 31)
Local Affordable Housing Aid Usage
Appointment of Bond Counsel and General Counsel
Port Authority Economic Development Strategic Plan Adoption
2024 Budget Adjustments
Annual Report (2024 Accomplishments) and Work Plan (2025 Priorities)
Legislative and Staff Updates
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“I believe in the past it may appear that we've been somewhat pro forma in doing this and I don't think any of us intended do that. I think we vote for people who we believe should do the jobs and, have done a great job and brought that with us.”
“we need to be cautious about making sure that we've plan for the future and transitions as many of us continue wrinkle in this.”
“I would agree with Commissioner Keller that we just need to make sure that as as we move forward with our discussions and any of the work that we're that we we make it as broad a tent as possible as we do our discussions... to make sure that it's as broad as possible within the Commission here so that as we wrinkle we all do that there's that there's that additional knowledge there's that additional understanding that additional appreciation of the work that that institutional knowledge.”
“I know on that one that Commissioner Hunt usually abstains and I think if Commissioner Had is okay what we can do is just note that she's abstaining if we have one motion that she's abstaining with respect to the depositories electronic funds transfer external auditor or municipal auditor financial management policies and then alpha be estoppel certificates.”
“The changes focus on simplifying recapture agreement so that that space is more easily marketable and the agreement is more easy for a new tenant to understand and realistically it's about removing the three step waterfall calculation... to a base bonus rent.”
“of course one of the things that's critically important is that a lot of us thought that there wasn't much of any effort to really solicit the people that lived in buildings around there when they opened the store.”
“This grocery store we're working with is Latino market with a grab and go option and quick service dining and they're also a destination grocery store... So rather than just being your local normal grocery store, we're hoping that this really is a destination and drives people.”
“if they do perform well then it's potentially a recapture amount of about 600,000 at the end of the term for the city. So we potentially recapture a little bit less than we had the maximum out but that was not guaranteed or we could recapture nothing.”
“Our General Counsel Bond Counsel Julie Eddington who was previously at In Graven has served the Port Authority for a very long time. It has transferred over to that firm and we have the option to continue to work with her on 120 day term will be recovering our records from Kennedy and Graven and then we will be performing an RFP for both services.”
“So it just so I'm clear on this this is for for interim for 120 days and then goes out to a full RFP to figure out where we where we go next that correct. Okay. For both the bond counsel and the general counsel services, thank you.”
“There's also desire to see the Port Authority start to offer a wider of economic development services specifically coming of the pandemic. There was a lot of interest in business assistance looking at small business support building those relationships but there are a wide array of things that economic development services can include.”
“Bloomington is a leading center in the region fostering innovation, supporting local businesses and enhancing the quality of life for all residents through equitable strategic and sustainable development.”
“I hope we focus in on the industries we want to focus on and not try to just be everything to everybody. We have some really good base already and we should really focus in on where we can make the most.”
“the thing I like the most is that we our principles and I might agree with you, Mr. Peterson. Commissioner and I think we will have to make choices but when you have first order principles to look at at least that those decisions can be made in light of those things.”
“What we're trying to accomplish and to use the principles we used to work with somebody where principles were the main thing in any plan that we had and I learned very well from that that if you focus everything around the guiding principles and keep coming back them as you work through the objectives, as you work through the strategies as you work through the individual specific kind of work that you're looking at doing if, you can keep coming back to the guiding principles. It's just a it's a huge help and a huge anchor for the entire in the entire plan.”
“Based on the actuals compared to budget our budget adjustment request for 2024 is basically some of the unspent budget for the Small Business Center materials and reallocating that to the salaries. And then we're also asking to carry forward some of the unused to 2025.”
“I don't know that we need to this conversation right now in terms of approving this but at some point we should have a conversation in terms of policy that if we don't spend the money I don't know that we carry it over... I think it's a larger conversation as we go forward on that just because you know, we had a position not filled for part of the year and it didn't cost as much don't I don't see the reason in that case to carry that money over to the next year and use it for something else.”
“I think there's a there's a we want to encourage the behavior if there's a planned expenditure and from a timing perspective it doesn't end up in the right fiscal year. We want I think we want to be kind of easy to move money from fiscal year to fiscal year because if we're not if we're not careful about allowing that on a routine basis or kind of a particular expenditure just from a timing perspective it puts department in the position of kind of use it or lose it for spending money and I think it the wrong sort of behavior.”
“the Port has grown about 15 times in size in a very short amount of time. It used to be just centered around the Mall of America expanding to South Loop which is that orange triangle there and we now work.”
“The Facade Improvement Grant Program you heard committed $223,000 which is leveraging over $5 Million in improvements. So that's been a significant impact.”
“This is a this is a good size robust team and a very talented team and to be honest, they're doing a good chunk of already. A lot of this is to to grow and expand the work for example the outreach to the business community and the work that we're doing with with the support and the Facade Program and so on and they're doing it already and to to push it forward I think to to be even bigger and better is something that this group can do. I got confidence them and I, I think the whole he's put together a good team.”
“And you know, there's an old military aphorism about plans for what you have until the first minute you engage with the enemy and then everything throws out the windows. I, I just don't think we can require or it be a good idea to require any further level of detail because then we'll be subject to someone saying walk in . But you said in you know on June 13th you take a left hand turn at 30 miles an hour you want at 29 miles an hour what the heck's the matter with you people so.”