HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007 04-24 Pre
Meridian City Pre-Council Meetina
April 24, 2007
The Meridian City Pre-Council meeting was called to order at 6:00 P.M. on
Tuesday, April 24, 2007 by President Councilman Joe Borton.
Members Present: Mayor Tammy de Weerd, Keith Bird, David Zaremba, Charlie
Rountree and Joe Borton.
Staff Present: Bill Nary and Will Berg.
Item 1.
Roll-call Attendance:
Roll call.
X David Zaremba
X Charlie Rountree
X
X Joe Borton
X Keith Bird
Mayor Tammy de Weerd
Item 2.
Adoption of the Agenda:
Bird: Mr. President.
Borton: Mr. Bird.
Bird: I move we adopt the agenda as published.
Rountree: Second.
Borton: It has been moved and seconded to adopt the agenda as published. All
those in favor say aye.
ALL AYES. MOTION CARRIED.
Item 3.
Presentation of First Quarter Economic Development Report
by Virtus Enterprises:
Borton: I will turn it over to Phil Stiffler, Sr. to begin the presentation.
Stiffler: Thank you. Welcome to the Mayor and all the Council Members. Josh
Grant who is here with me, which I believe all the Council Members also know.
We are very pleased to be here to be able to report to the Council. I will say
some things might be a little bit repetitive that you have heard in a couple of other
instances with some discussions, but we are going to go through those anyway.
One of the things that I would ask to invite as far as the presentation if there is
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April 24,2007
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any questions on the behalf of anyone, we would be very pleased to answer
those.
De Weerd: Mr. President.
Borton: Madame Mayor.
De Weerd: I guess that what I would like to request is that you are right there,
please. I would like to see your (inaudible) contacts. I can't see that far.
Stiffler: That is the first time that the Mayor has actually said to put me in front of
something like this because she knows I like to talk. I guess I want to emphasize
a little bit something that we have very much appreciated and I think the direction
that we have been asked and it has been interesting and I do want to talk about
that word economic excellence, just for a moment. It is kind of an overview for
everything that we are going to present tonight. I would say that by virtue of our
interaction with existing businesses, business leaders as well as looking at future
people that would locate here or be here and in addition to the fact, I believe
David in particular and I would say is well aware of and was at the meeting last
week and so was Charlie at ISU and we heard the word excellence coming a lot
from a lot of people. I would say that one of the things that we have discovered
is that and I pass this on to Council is the feedback that we are getting is that
they are very pleased that we think we are looking at the kind of excellence --
meaning the idea of excellence is the kind of job growth, the kind of quality of life
and the things that you and the Council have represented. We get a chance to
go out and say that is the direction. I have to admit we get a lot of people saying,
I told Tammy I stopped at one business, gave my business card and I tried to talk
to the manager and it took a few minutes and the manager said well what kind of
donation do you want? I said, well I am not here for a donation. I am here on
behalf of the city to talk to you about the fact that we like to know what you have
to say about economic development and how much we appreciate you having a
business in the community. So I would just emphasize that I think that that
overall excellence side has to do with meaning not just short run, it is really long
term. That is the kind of excellence for the success of the city. I think it is
obviously consistent with the other things you are doing. What we tried to do is
to kind of categorize to go down some things that we think are appropriate and
where it is really originally directed and lined up with our initial direction was to
be. First of all on the - if you see the term limed tech district"? The term med
tech, we have talked about - I know there have been previous discussions. We
have made references to what we called a medical district per se. The med tech
corridor or the med tech district is more of a term and I believe I actually - Joe
had a request and I sent an update out to all the Council Members along with the
Mayor of kind of where that status of that is and I did get some responses from
the Council Members, which I appreciate. I know David talked to me about
obviously integrating the Planning and Zoning Commission, which I have to say
Anna had all intent of understanding how that fit and I would defer to her on
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April 24, 2007
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making sure how that fits. Even in a discussion today with Anna, she is feeling a
little bit more on the scale of being able to put those milestones and timeframes
with regard to the design standards and having to do with the other components
are so important with really looking at defining that. Also as I mentioned I will just
summarize, her opinion and related to it is very much indicative of being able to
present what we would call economic development amendments to the Comp
Plan and we have so far not completed all the research, but I think there are
some very direct benefits by having that as an economic development
amendment to the Plan in the context that then it has to do with being an entitled
city; it has to do with some of the other economic infrastructure things; it has to
do with a lot of other opportunities, which are presently as discussed, I think, last
week in your joint meeting of meeting some of those challenges and certain
areas and what would be happening. I also would indicate that in discussion we
know that part of the main - one of the territories there really was related to
Pinebridge and Pinebridge, the development there, I would say to you that one of
the reasons in looking at that more med tech kind of thing, without naming any
particular names of companies already in discussions with the developer there,
there already is substantial interest moving forward. As Council is aware that
actual application process is started there and they are also moving forward with
those elements on the next (inaudible) to relate to getting Pine Street moving
forward. The next piece there on the med tech district, we have kind of added
that and we were going to leave it as a separate component, but I just will touch
upon it for a minute, the ISU exposure - actually right now even related to
Pinebridge and the other medical related type of entities and I will say at the
Prayer Breakfast this morning we had a great opportunity to talk to several of the
people again from ISU who are very much excited and I think what will happen is
that out of the med tech district if we wanted to ask for a catalyst as a catalyst to
really help and focus and provide that educational component, ISU represents
that. I think in my opinion it is one of the most exciting things that has kind of
happened - somewhat disappointed, I think that the President of ISU was very
pleased to see the representation. Charlie and David and Shaun and myself and
Shelley were all there and you were appropriately recognized and I think it gave
a very positive view and I believe that you saw that the President is very pleased
with that and wants to continue that and part of their discussion is how we
actually continue on with the exposure of marketing and showing the alignment
of how that meets. Next on there is on the downtown. Obviously as you are
aware the good about it is one of the challenges and opportunities is by virtue of
the involvement the way it is, the coordination side of what is going on with MDC,
as many of you here are well aware, that communication is probably one of the
best communication links with everything we are doing is really Josh sitting over
there because he is one of the ones that is kind of involved on a more day to day
on both aspects. So it allows for good communication. The bio tech
nutraceutical one is something that has been thrown out there as you know
where would that be? How would that fit? I think those are things that are not in
my opinion things we are not ready to present specifically to the Council yet, but
it is obviously in looking at the kind of diversification and kind of corridors that we
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April 24, 2007
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would like to see. I think again ISU comes back into play in that which is
fantastic. Ten Mile as you are very well aware of and I think I put the word
options there. I think there are still options within some of that concentration as
far as the economic excellence. I also think that this will directly relate to part of
the circles that you had last week in your session a week ago talking about
where are those geographic areas and obviously infrastructure and capability ties
directly to how you can look at marketing and those kind of business enterprise
corridors. Design standards and in any case I will tell you from the research that
we have done with "districts throughout the U.S." and looking at what others have
done, without design standards in an appropriate manner as you are well aware
we lose part of the whole value of what is there. I know that steps are being
taken forward to where actually Anna now is and has been authorized by Council
to go ahead and look at contracting that position to look at making those steps
forward. I will say along with that will obviously be zoning applications. One of
the things we will be presenting to you in combination with Anna will almost be a
matrix of saying okay what are the matrix with the regard to the design
standards, the zoning - how do those matrix into a particular corridor? That is
not a unique idea on our part. It is one that has been used around the country.
In Texas and Colorado Springs and other areas in a way that really define that.
The strategic marketing gets back into that really economic development
amendment. The target and the main focus because of the exposure right now
and looking at it and if you go up to that very top it is going to be consistent with
that med tech kind of environment. When I mentioned with Pinebridge I will
come back is that even their view of being a potential major player in that
overlaid area they have already got interest in and they were only concerned
about being just strictly - thinking it was emphasized as being strictly medical;
even though some of it may be medical and technology combined it really needs
to stay in that venue and there are interests in some areas fairly significant that
could have an impact. On the next page kind of an update on what we call - and
actually outlined an engagement with really the existing or emerging and I say
this emerging Meridian businesses. I think one of the things that has been very
meaningful and I will say this both on direct site visits that the Mayor and I have
had the opportunity to make together as well as direct site visits when her
schedule doesn't allow is that it is great to sit down and talk with some of the
companies and find out a lot of the businesses that we didn't even know existed
here and I say that or even know exactly what they do. One of the most
interesting ones, which I know the Mayor mentioned at the State of the City
. Address, is for example, Conveyor Engineering. Thirty-four engineers and they
are one of the largest mining contractors in the world presently. Their business, I
think Keith knows part of the people and you know their business they are a spin
off of the old Morrison Knudson group and their idea was they told Tammy and I
if we could get 34 more engineers we could double our business. But, great
spokesman to say why they live here, why they work here and if you look at the
job base they have it is fantastic. We may end of having still yet some exposure
for them on CNBC News, not just because of their business but because they
made a treadmill for an elephant, as you may remember. But what has
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April 24, 2007
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happened in discussing with those people, sometimes when they hear the word
economic development they assume the city or somebody could be just going
out chasing some rainbow someplace else and I think they are so happy to hear
that we really care about how we can help you grow. How we can do things to
help you as a business and sort of like the bird in hand and how do we look at it?
So that has been very positive and I think that you as Councilman should be
aware that that engagement and those relationships are starting to communicate
the right kind of message and we have gotten feedback. I know you would be
surprised that every time that that discussion goes on, one of the feedbacks that
we seem to receive when Tammy asked them the question or I asked them the
question "what could we look at or what things could you suggest or whatever"?
Unfortunately traffic does come up. So we get a chance, too, sometimes to
clarify who really is responsible for traffic because we can't assume that is the
case. Enhanced education relationship building with existing businesses -
De Weerd: Excuse me, Mr. President.
Borton: Madame Mayor.
De Weerd: We also have an opportunity to build our list of those that have an
interest in transportation that we email on a consistent basis and also we have
identified areas that they can be a part of the solution in too. So it is not just
going there and pointing fingers, it is telling them how they can engage in that as
well. So never miss an opportunity to make suggestions on how to get involved.
Stiffler: No, you haven't done that - in some cases they have asked how can
you get more involved and we had the opportunity to bring that up to them. So
as a result of that, it is very interesting. I will mention one other example in the
context of just that discussion is Datatel. I don't know how many people are
familiar with Datatel here and theirs is the case where we identified what we were
looking at as far as a professional kind of value based jobs and they smile and
said man that is great. That is just the kind of business that we want. I will say
since then I have actually gotten telephone calls and what happens once you
open the door and hand them the card I will say to you that that is what we are
asking for and therefore responding to that. The one I mentioned here on routine
business appreciation message, I guess, I would just only say is that we are and
maybe the focus of just strictly a - this isn't meant to just be a social call, but it is
identifying and looking at those businesses in a way that isn't the same as like I
just say just solely the chamber, but saying we, the City of Meridian are
interested in what you are saying and appreciate you being here and what else
can we do and the other thing that Tammy said and what we really getting now is
we are starting to say you know do you have a supplier some place or somebody
who you think - because when they say we like living here, we like raising our
kids here, we like having our family here and they look at that kind of opportunity.
The other one is and I just got mailed to me today, Tammy, I just got it in the mail
is on industry publication exposure. I am very pleased to respond and we will
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April 24. 2007
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circulate, yeah, there is a whole bunch of them, but one in particular is one from
the plastics industry that you will see a quote from myself; but one of the
decisions that we requested was to look at participation when (inaudible) paid the
price for their attendance and the State of Idaho paid the price for the booth and
other items, they actually paid the cost of that and what I requested of the
Council was the ability to go and attend and be part of that, which I did about a
month and one half ago or maybe two months now. I will say to you without
knowing that Porter (inaudible) who is the major marketing firm at the Boise
Valley Economic Development Partnership. Without their commitment to set up
actual meetings, where we have the chance to talk to site consultants and to talk
to these publications, I would have not recommended or requested to go
because the trade show - there was good things and we ended up getting some
leads and I will respond to some of the things that even came out of it, but I still
would say that without the others it would not have made sense. We in particular
and the one I really want to report on in that is you will be seen and we have got
received confirmation in the last couple of weeks with a little bit of tenacity and
some follow up on some people's parts is that the June 2nd quarter issue of The
Medical Outsourcing Magazine, it is the bible of medical outsourcing and
equipment tech kind of things, there will be an article that will be talking about the
Boise Valley, but one of the companies that is going to be focused is going to be
Western Electronics and Rob Subea of Western Electronics, I worked with him
and there is going to be - he is going to be giving the testimony of why this is a
great place to be here and I will share with you and they are doing some
interesting things right now in the circuit board side for laser eye technology,
which I don't think - it is just cool. So as Tammy is well aware we have had
correspondence, in fact I have talked with him on almost a weekly basis; he can't
believe that we have been able to give him that exposure; it relates to their
business and now he is one of the examples and when he talks about going to a
convention you will hear us talking about let's create those opportunities where
we can be partners with the businesses that we have here who isn't just shooting
around the dark, your target marketing. You have somebody giving testimony
right there of why they are here; of why this is a great place to do business and
live and work. When you get a chance you will have copies of those, but you find
there is a comment - I will tell you that one of the most interesting one you will
see in the plastics magazine it is the very last one, you will see in there one of
the comments that I was asked was there was a gentleman who wrote for this
national plastic magazine and I would say that Paul Hiller from (inaudible) was
there. Cliff Long from Nampa and some of the staff of (inaudible) along with the
Porter (inaudible) people and the gentleman - we were all telling the great things
about our area and all of the beautiful things and why businesses would be here
and this gentleman turned to me and after I got my chance to give my pitch and
he said well Phil what makes you think you are going to keep yourself from
becoming another California? Well, you will see my response in there. It is not
totally exactly quoted correctly but it had that response of looking at what I
consider to be excellence. It considers to be the kind of leadership and
management that sits in front of me and that kind of thing in order to look at
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April 24, 2007
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having to be that kind of excellence and success. I will tell you that these are
going to continue with regard to those kind of engagements. What happens is I
actually have personally invited the gentleman who writes for the magazine who
is doing the article in June; I have invited him to Meridian and he is very
knowledgeable about - I have said well have you ever been to our area? No.
He covers that Massachusetts triangle and the North Carolina triangle with part
of the Texas triangle. Never seen it and he said wow and you should hear more
about it. Josh is keeping me on schedule, which he normally does. The next
page - update and you are going to hear a little bit more about that, but I call
(inaudible--) involvement collaboration. One of our charges and we feel our
responsibility is to make sure that we collaboratively and participate and work
with (inaudible) and actually maximize that opportunity; still not losing track of, we
are part of a larger valley and doing it in a professional and consistent manner,
but still looking out for the appropriate interest of the City of Meridian. I am very
pleased to say I think the involvement on that - we are continuing to see leads
that come through them and some that come through the state. {Inaudible) still
has got to look at how they can create some of their own leads. Sometimes the
leads that just come through the state are like the ones that are mailed out to
every state and everybody looks at trying to respond, that type of thing.
However, I would tell you and I think it may have been shared before, but one of
the - Porter (inaudible) who (inaudible) actually retained to do part of the public
relations campaign for the whole Valley had to admit that they couldn't buy the
public relations and advertising that they got when Boise State won the Fiesta
Bowl and it was just like you can't buy that. But it so - I will say two things in
talking with companies or anything to get a conversation and looking at that even
at this conference and other things, Boise State and Tamarack - people that
have flown on an airplane or they have had a business executive or an associate
that has shown up, it just seems like it is the conversation starting point.
(Inaudible--) had a picture of a fly fisherman and everybody goes I want to be
there kind of thing. So (inaudible) marketing efforts, I will say this they are not
(inaudible). We now participate - I attend all of the working group meetings, in
addition to the fact that also the other quarterly meetings and I am pleased to say
too on some of the meeting sides that we were doing with (inaudible) it got to be
somewhat cumbersome because the meetings were being called on a as
available kind of aces or canceled and they now have scheduled those meetings
out through the rest of the year and there has become a very strong consistency
to that which we are very pleased to have. I think the national exposure both
from the standpoint of the magazines and looking at it, we do not depend on
(inaudible) to do follow up, we need to pick the things that we know that we can
do follow up and actually help and assist and participate, but kind of push that
and that is an example of even the medical outsourcing article of being able to do
that. The other thing is that if you get a chance you may want to look at the
(inaudible) website. We had an opportunity to have input into that and we will
continue to have input. Each city is going to get a chance to update their pictures
and things that go in there. We still want to keep the focus on that it is not the
Boise, Nampa MSA or the Boise, Nampa, Caldwell MSA, it is the Boise Valley of
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April 24, 2007
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which all the different participant cities are there and it will be important right now;
their link goes directly to the city's website but then goes to the economic
development information. At a later point and time we are going to be talking to
you about what we think to be appropriate updates to the website to make sure
we are at the same level of quality and the responsiveness that needs to be
there. The last one there is probably one of the things that I guess I feel very
strongly, very positive about and I think that Tammy and I and the discussions
and with them is we originally were handed out a target industry group. That
basically what you say that here is (inaudible) going to go forward with what they
considered to be their target marketing and who is that target marketing group
going to be? When we first saw that group, we didn't see it as being consistent
with what I think are the goals and objectives and the strategic objectives of the
city with regard to looking at that economic excellence and we thought a lot of
entities were missing in there particularly with the kind of value added jobs and
some of the opportunities. I am pleased to report that the targeted industry group
that got adopted and I have to say there was some serious discussions about
that is exactly aligned with the targeted industry group including such things as
the nutraceutical, bio and all the other things. I had just mentioned to Tammy the
other day is that I was very pleased that the President of ISU confirmed in a
discussion and I know that David is kind of smiling right now, but we were in a
discussion over at ISU that the President of ISU proceeded to have that same
discussion; very pleased that we were aligned in the same kind of programs, the
same kinds of things and as I think some of you are aware that first $5 million
that was donated there by the Skaggs Family Foundation, I will tell you that there
is approximately another $26 million in research grants and other things that are
being held and in kind of a (inaudible) related to that ongoing development there
and that is part of the discussion that they are going to be having with us, which
means it helps us on some of the targeted kind of things that we coordinate with
now. When I say participation and maximize and economize and development
funding opportunities -
De Weerd: Excuse me, Mr. President.
Borton: Madame Mayor.
De Weerd: I don't see this as retention committee on there.
Stiffler: Okay, okay. This is retention - from the (inaudible) standpoint the Mayor
happens to chair that committee and I apologize for not putting that up there. So,
we stand corrected, but it is a priority and it is consistent with what we are doing
in Meridian. (Inaudible--) Boise Valley but it still requires that coordinated effort.
I think that Tammy has had her first two meetings. We will be actively supporting
her in that in regard to what needs to be done, but also those are the players and
the people all on that group and what needs to be there is still, I would say in its
formative stages, but I think as you all know the Mayor, there will be action items
out of it. The participation maximizing economic development funding - we are
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April 24, 2007
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just trying to look at every opportunity and I think it has to do with the
infrastructure side, the discussions that have been happening with regard to
looking at the CBDG and some of the other things. They try to say how do they
connect. It was very interesting, I will share this. We have a standing meeting
with the Building Department, with Bruce. Bruce was kind of just smiling when
we left our last meeting, which was just a normal update meeting (inaudible) and
said this is great. Well we were just talking about some of the things that he was
talking about with regard to some of the whole infrastructure and he had been
asked to be part of this CBDG looking at other opportunities and talking with Brad
and talking to other people is the nice thing about it is with our standing meetings
with the group even internally to the city the dots to connect - what are some of
those opportunities that can be there? In essence they are almost economic
quality as well as economic development. They are saying where do we look at
those connecting dots to be able to find those other sources and very similar I
know that the Council is aware of is I think it was one when the representative
consulted for CDBG and said look if we can get this grant, we can use that grant
to build on more grants and I have shared and worked with the city right now that
has done most of their old downtown infrastructure through grant funding and
they were very active and very progressive in it and the opportunity is there and I
guess what we view is we need to participate and make sure that we can
enhance that through communication, collaboration or any resources we can. I
would say also that even out of the trip in California, I have had a company that I
talked to that has talked about wanting to provide potential and what you call or
might call mid term financing to those areas of emerging growth companies that
they may have wanted to expand out of California and they are talking about
potentially even putting an office here. Well, I am sure you can say where I tell
them where they need to have the office. That has to do with kind of that overall
next piece of building strategies to great funding partners to support the desired
business growth. The city and the Council, you know you have always done that,
it is related to a developer wanting to do in developing kind of a project, but it
creates in kind of opening our eyes a little bit - what are those other kinds of
funding partners? In a way you can see the kind of public private partnership
joint ventures, even in the issues that could happen even tied to ISU or a
research company or something like that. We have seen it on the west coast, if
you look at some of those things like Microsoft has done and that is not to say
that Microsoft (inaudible) today or those kinds of things would look at those
opportunities that make sense. I would have to say my ISU common vision
opportunity, I could probably put four exclamation points behind there, but
Tammy would tell me to get off it and don't get too excited. But I am excited
about it and I believe it in the context that I think that from the first time the Mayor
and Arthur the President of ISU met, I think there was a common vision. And he
is excited and his direct comment he made over at the press conference on a
sidebar conversation was I am in Meridian, I am staying in Meridian, I am
growing in Meridian and I am aligned with Meridian's vision. He couldn't have
been anymore emphatic about it and he is very proud to be part of it. The last
comment there regarding selective participation, I would say this is that we are
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April 24, 2007 .
Page 10 of 17
not - we believe it is our accountability and responsibility just not to attend
meetings, conventions or shows or whatever; I think our responsibility is to hand
pick where we see value in that, so I have said that when we are - we are still
finding our way through those, but we are not going to just attend the meeting
and although sometimes you include such things as (inaudible) economic
development, but we are trying to pick those where we know that it makes sense
and that is just I guess from experience and past economic development effort
and I really want to target and focus the utilization of the resource to try and get
the most for it. We know have in hand all of the appropriate database
information and everything to go forward with the new marketing materials that
have been designed. Actually the bids have gone out and it is all part of that is
on printing and everything going into last year's budget that is all in hand today.
De Weerd: Mr. President.
Borton: Madame Mayor.
De Weerd: Does that illustrator work?
Grant: It should tomorrow morning.
Stiffler: He has actually taken it to the direct printers. So that will move forward.
The next piece on the city video - is everything on the Council familiar with the
city video?
De Weerd: It has been a while.
Borton: To back you up a little bit further, do you have a copy of what "it" is?
Stiffler: The city video?
Borton: Of the "it" that is being finished tomorrow?
Stiffler: No it is not being printed yet. What we have is all of the data files in
everything that was created - in the whole marketing thing - in fact back in the
original brochure, I think Tammy showed Council and the whole thing - all we are
doing is making sure the data files that were delivered from the group that were
there are fully adequate so that we have no limitations on printing. That is what
we have right now. We have those data files. Josh has delivered them to two
different suppliers in looking at to make sure that we have no concerns about the
ability to completely utilize those. They are not locked. They are not in a format
that would create some other problem. We believe they are correct.
De Weerd: Mr. President.
Borton: Madame Mayor.
Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting
April 24, 2007
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De Weerd: That is the blue folder that you saw late last summer that Cheryl
brought in. It is kind of a tri-fold -
Stiffler: It is consistent (inaudible) flexible, Joe, to be able to (inaudible). It was
designed out of the flexibility so it isn't a one time event. He has got that
capability even in the idea of the stitching inside to change the words, but still
utilize the folder in an appropriate manner. We use kind of the whole mark. City
video, I have to say I am going to defer to the Mayor because of the original - the
initial - how that was initiated; we were kind of brought into that after the initial
kind of discussion, we have been involved, but if you could help me a little bit on
how it originally came about.
De Weerd: Council this is the entity that I met at our last AIC conference that
followed up. They have 30 second video clips for economic development, quality
of life, schools and then we are doing one on our medical district and they load
them onto your website. It is a tool that we use for economic development. Our
legal counsel and our IT did an evaluation and actually you authorized a contract
with this entity last fall. We didn't want them to come and film in the dead of
winter. We really wanted them to come and film when the city started to come
alive. So they will be coming March 23rd, I believe - or I am sorry, May 23rd. So
we are working with our directors and fine tuning some ideas. We are working
with the School District and Shelley has been doing a lot of coordinating with the
different entities - has also met with Shaun of the MDC to really map out what
we want our downtown to look like. What areas in economic development and
subdivisions we would like to highlight to contact them so they can have
everything looking spiffy and so we do have a mapped out plan on where we are
going to send them. Also I might note that KTVB Channel 7 will be highlighting
Meridian in their May sweeps. They generally highlight four cities in the State of
Idaho. This year will be McCall, Twin Falls, some other city, I don't remember
and Meridian. Meridian will be their finale city. We will be having a celebration
for - I am calling it a celebration, but it is between 5:00 and 7:00 a.m. It is self
talk; I am trying to figure it is a celebration at 5:00 in the morning. They will be
doing some pre-productions to highlight some of the areas that we would like
showcased for our community and so we have been working to develop those
areas and working with KTVB Channel 7 on that. But on the 21st we will be
having a celebration and maybe it will be easier just having Shelley come and
update you on it next week. But we will be having - Shelley has met with the
Chamber, some kind of a city celebration that morning from 5 to 7 a.m. So we
can get people to show up. We are going to go for the early birds. Now Ralph I
saw you there this morning, so be expecting a phone call.
Stiffler: The other comment I need to make on the video that I think is very
important is that there have been assurances related and I think that Ted or Bill
even looked at part of the arrangement with them to ensure the multiple use of
that video so that we have that even in our marketing materials and we have an
Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting
April 24, 2007
Page 12 of 17
opportunity to have that CD pocket or taking that to the web and having the other
opportunity. We are trying to maximize that and I would say that one of the new
ones on that now we would (inaudible) and come back to my ISU thing. I will say
the ISU School District connection is one of the things that we continue to see
businesses and employees want to know what is the school opportunities for my
kids. The exciting part is to be able to talk about some of those new specialized
school programs. I look at it selfishly - if it is my granddaughter could go to the
right kind of program here that helps to put her a step ahead and I would say as
even the President of ISU said again, let's talk about careers. Let's talk about
how we can do that. So I think that video has an opportunity to show such a
cooperation between the School District, ISU, the city and the community kind of
commitment to that, which is a major factor in the growth of businesses here and
our employees staying here and bringing other businesses in. The trade show
attendance, one of the things that I would say is that one of the things that we are
really looking at is anything to do - we are not interested in just going to trade
shows and I say this length with existing business relationships. I mentioned it
earlier. If we can find that Micro Tool or somebody has a particular thing and
they know related to companies, we want to try and find a way to participate,
whether it is just the City of Meridian primarily and looking at how that focus can
be and we are going to look at opportunities when it make sense. Creating plan
for focused use of marketing tools and efforts to site planners and businesses.
B-VEP has taken the lead on that. Unfortunately is that it gets back to where we
are trying to make sure on the communication side we are kind of saying wait we
have got to know what happens. If they go make a visit to Dallas and they have
50 site visits there or site consultants that they are working with, we need to
know and we want to make sure the marketing package that goes to them. Not
only to the B-VEP's website, but it has to do with being able to follow up. If they
get eight of those then equally all of the cities and entities have an opportunity
then direct market back on the follow up for those contacts that they have made
and so that is a cooperative kind of thing. Secondarily that target industry
marketing research initiatives, one of the other things that we want to do is we
are going to approach a couple of the others - I might even say potentially the
University of Phoenix or even possibly maybe ISU - it is a little stretch in the
connection except for because of part of the tie. We would like to get a little help
or kind of a cooperative effort almost as a student kind of project for a class
project to help looking at what are some of those really connected. I want them
to help us on the marketing research. It is consistent with kind of what we are
trying to do. It is a good way to allow students to be able to do that kind of
marketing research. It is exciting. It is fun. There is an opportunity for them to
get growth out of it, too, but we get some other information that we could use in
an appropriate manner. I just say again, maximize and leveraging the existing
businesses for related contacts. There is one point before I go to the last item of
information, which I must mentioned, I did not come here with a laundry list, but I
would have to tell you that on a routine basis, on a weekly basis, both by the
virtue of just through the website or the contact, both Shaun at MDC and
ourselves and the EDC and working together, we get contacts on a weekly basis
Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting
April 24, 2007
Page 13 of 17
from appropriate potential developers. In some cases the person might come in
and want to talk to one of us about downtown and they end up talking about
another piece. We also in the last week have had several people come in and
say I am talking about this piece of property here and then we talk to them and I
bring Shaun in and we start talking about downtown and they go, gee, that is
interesting. What is going on? So I would say that I didn't want to list out a list,
but I would also tell you that there are probably - Tammy has actually met, we
have tried to pick and choose when it is a stage when we have somebody from
outside of the area of what is going on. We continue to respond to those people,
have meetings with those people and look at trying to say how do we continue to
work with them in a way that is still consistent with the professionalism that they
want to have with it and I think that you should just be aware of that. I will tell you
it is surprising how many in the last couple of weeks that I have had calls from
that are Las Vegas investors - I had a gentleman that came in a week ago and
has a new heart specialist clinic that wants to know about our medical tech
district and so it is - I guess I would say this - there is a lot of that input. I don't
mean - a lot of is coming to us. It is coming to us because there is an interest
and again part of that exposure, which tells me kind of the message that is being
done.
Borton: So do you keep an internal database of each contact?
Stiffler: Yes, we do; in addition to site visits and it is not something that has been
there. It is actually - we are not totally satisfied with where we need to have it
yet, but we are going to get there. I have to tell you I am the old school guy, Joe.
Josh will smile. I can tell you what we don't have in data, I have in hard copy.
Maybe it is my age, but the rest of the guys keep me in line with regard to what
has to happen. Just being very honest.
De Weerd: Mr. President.
Borton: Madame Mayor.
De Weerd: I guess just a follow up on that question. I know in our business
retention committee we would like to gather data from each of the cities in their
visits on some of the topics or challenges for the businesses and developing our
own strategic plan. So if you do track that we do need to bring that to the next
meeting.
Stiffler: Okay. Actually as you know the digital things that we provide you every
time we go on a site visit, part of that data and what we do is record what comes
out of that and that becomes part of that database too. In addition to the follow
up that I send you or the follow up that I send to the particular client, but it is an
information base for us, which is great.
Zaremba: Mr. President.
Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting
April 24, 2007
Page 14 of 17
Borton: Mr. Zaremba.
Zaremba: In your contacts for these people, I am sure they are contacting other
cities as well in other areas, is there any discussion - I mean do they bring up
some other cities providing us with this incentive and that incentive or can we
stay strictly with the benefits that we offer or are we being twisted to do things we
don't want to do?
Stiffler: My response would be and I will say this because most states at the one
particular I am going to say on the conference that I was at in Anaheim was five
and one half miles long and it is an international conference where you had all of
the states representatives and then you had some cities. I will tell you that
Austin, Texas had one of the best presentation booths I have ever seen and how
they approached it. However, J will say this that in the context we have got
inquiries and what goes on in the person and even in the site visits. We have
had direct meetings with B-VEP, with all of the areas and we will have the
company come in and if they go okay, what incentives can you offer? What will
you do for me? Obviously the standard things that are appropriately, but still
sometimes they don't know; sometimes they have already known because the
state has already forwarded to them. They understand what is already offered
from the state with regard to training and all those things - to be honest they are
somewhat kind of status quo. What happens though and it happened in
California because we got a little bit of that discussion even in the magazine
interviews. It is actually one I like to answer because it is purely this: what is
your cost of doing business? I don't care whether it is workmen's comp, whether
it is housing cost, I mean it goes on between the business and the employees.
Presently today this area from the quality of life - it is present where we sit - is
that if you look at just cost of power, utilities, workmen's comp, insurance - it is
all of those things. Right now, we compete and that is why we see the Boise
Valley is still in Forbes and all of the other - you see it is ranked as it is. That is
where we are today. That is not to say competition still will be out there. But I
will tell - I am going to go back to my first word "excellence". They are very
interested in is does the city have the leadership to maintain the kind of quality
and the excellence? That is the part that is really kind of exciting as it comes to
it. Doesn't mean the guy wouldn't ask, could you give me - will you donate the
land to me - will you give me the new plant - that kind of thing. North Carolina
and a lot of states are doing a lot of things like that. That is not presently
something appropriate in our state legislating and we all know things are a little
bit different. Right now we can compete, particularly I think on the kind of small
to medium sized businesses and the business that really look at that value at and
where we are targeting.
De Weerd: Mr. President.
Borton: Madame Mayor.
Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting
April 24, 2007
Page 15 of 17
De Weerd: I guess, too on the new laws that the - new law passes legislative
session, I know that Phil has been working on how to best utilize that new tool.
Stiffler: In fact, I don't know if anybody is aware of "it, but we can discuss that
later, but actually Will helped me sure and confirm that we got the things because
I wasn't sure at first that it had passed. I was very glad that it had passed and it
is under the guise of the Idaho Department of Housing, but it is an economic
development opportunity. I don't think, again, as you know sometimes
something new like that comes up it could be some opportunity, but we have got
to really fine tune how we can actually look at how it will actually be utilized. I am
going to go from the bottom up here only because Josh is going to give a little
discussion on that top one there on that GIS initiative. But, Community College, I
only put this on the bottom there because I don't want - I just felt as an economic
development thing, I have to say and make my stand that I would say that is a
very significant issue still to this whole Boise Valley. When you start talking to
businesses and employers, I would - not that Council is not aware of that I just
couldn't help but put it up there. I know it is what is being talked about on the
news and everything else, but I must say to you it is an important issue. I think
the initiative that is out there and what goes forward is important. The other one
is I have started discussions with and actually Bill Nary has provided me some of
the information. We have talked again today and we have a chance at looking to
have our next meeting, but researching (inaudible--) talk to Council about what
are the opportunities or where do - call the "t" account, the pluses and minuses
with regard to an auditorium district; particularly given the fact - but the only
issue is that it may not even be for the purposes of what it is today, maybe what it
is in the future by even the designation - because we are finding out that we
potentially can get squeezed in the idea of where that sits between Boise,
Nampa and where it is is we just think it is our responsibility to bring it up.
Collaborative coordination with the city departments, I guess one of the things
that has been very pleasant to us and I will tell you the way we are working with
the departments, we have standing meetings with those appropriate committees
within all those departments. With Planning and particularly with Building and
having - I guess the part the way have enjoyed the collaborative type of thing
where everybody is part of economic development and -
(Tape turned over)
Stiffler: The website that I just touched upon is that we will be talking about how
we think that website can take advantage and what we need to do with kind of
upgrading that. So with that, Josh you may want to come up here.
Grant: The top one the Idaho Economic Development Association GIS initiative,
there is an attachment included with the handout that was provided that gives
you some more details on that. I will provide a brief overview. That is a
statewide initiative that is being led by the Idaho Economic Development
Association and Commerce and Labor to benefit all communities in the State of
Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting
April 24,2007
Page 16 of 17
Idaho. It is still in its exploration phase, but it is a valued tool to benefit site
locators, businesses and developers to identify available land and space.
Obviously in turn it provides the communities back with some valuable
information such as what space is being searched for, what kind of land is being
identified that people need. Again we are currently communicating with
Commerce and Labor and (inaudible) on the progress on this and I will continue
to provide feedback and input to them as well as to the Mayor and Council as we
move forward. But I would encourage you if you have time to read through that
and any questions, please let me know.
Borton: Thanks Josh. Council any questions of Josh?
Bird: I have none.
Rountree: Mr. President just a comment. As your database develops and as
your contacts continue, it would be something I would like to see in terms of a
metric, you know what are we looking at in terms of numbers? What are we
looking at in terms of categories and that sort of thing? So that would be
something tangible.
Borton: Phil, one thing when I go into the report this is - and I think you guys are
doing an awesome job. Two questions as I go through this that jump out to me.
I guess for the second quarter report - sometimes I get a blend of a report of
things that are just happening economically in our city verses the specific things
that Virtus, your company is addressing and tackling; so is it possible to have a
report that maybe outlines maybe five or ten specific goals and I envision a list of
annual goals that you are intending to accomplish and then during your reports
some feedback on some specific activities that are related to accomplishing
things.
Stiffler: I guess it ties a little bit too in what Charlie said too on the metric side
and kind of - but I guess the only question I would ask is that is to drill down the
side of that with regard to activities - do you want us to look at here are these
four entities we work with on a development --? I guess how far of the drill down
of the name of that entity - or use examples. That is my only -
Borton: I guess it depends on how detailed the metrics - information maybe in
the database and maybe it is just compiling it. It would just be helpful. By way of
an example, you know some of the things that you address the Ten Mile issues
and Pinebridge issues - there is economic development concerns for the city
whether or not it is a specific function of your company taking specific action
towards those areas. Do you see the distinction?
Stiffler: Yes, I do. I will say in some case I will use say like Pinebridge, it falls
inconsistent within what we have been told - the business enterprise corridor is
part of the original task that we were looking at. Our support isn't related to the
Meridian City Pre~Council Meeting
April 24, 2007
Page 17 of 17
fact that we are trying to do Planning's job, but we are working with them to look
at doing (inaudible) related to part of identifying (inaudible) the objectives and
part of those objectives is to ensure the customer service and those kinds of
things, but we are not interchanging in the idea of approvals or getting things
outside of our realm of scope of work or what is related to it. But I think your first
comment as I look at it I like it better when you are kind of looking at the idea of
being able to respond with that tracking and those things that show - I will call it
kind of results or activity actions that are there supporting the objectives. That is
what I would -
Borton: Sure and I think you have it. Council any other questions?
Bird: I have none.
Rountree: I have none.
Zaremba: Thank you.
Borton: We appreciate the report and the update. That brings us to the end of
the Pre-Council agenda.
Rountree: Move to adjourn.
Bird: Second.
Borton: It has been moved and seconded to adjourn. All those in favor say aye.
ALL AYES. MOTION CARRIED.
MEETING ADJOURNED AT 6:54 P.M.
(TAPE ON FILE OF THESE PROCEEDINGS)
APPROVED:
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TAMMY DE D, MAYOR
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DATE APPROVED
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