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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997 01 08 Commerce & Industry Development Board Meeting Minutes MINUTES COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT BOARD JANUARY 8, 1997 -- REGULAR MEETING 1. Call to Order Chairperson Glickman called the meeting to order at 8:25 a.m. in the conference room, Municipal Building. 2. Roll Call Also present Sally McGinnis, absent Jackie Gieseler, absent Roger Owen, present Mel Glickman, Chairperson, present Walt Dittmer, present Ron McLemore, present Owen Beitsch, Real Estate Research Consultants Tom Grimms, Comm. Development Coordinator (8:55) 3. Approval of the December 11.1996 Ree:ular Meetine: Minutes Motion: Approve the December 11, 1996 Regular Meeting Minutes. Motion by Owen. Second by Dittmer. Chairperson Glickman stated that the minutes stand approved as read. 4. Presentation bv Owen Deitsch. Executive Vice-President of Real Estate Research Consultants (this item was presented after item #5) Copies of a memorandum to the Commerce and Industry Development Board from the City Manager (attached hereto), and copies of a report on impact fees were distributed. Manager McLemore reiterated his strategies listed in the memo. The city needs to have an ongoing inventory of vacant community buildings. A correction was made on page 2 of the memo; item #7 should read: "Contrary to strong opinion, the private sector moves more deliberately that government." Beitsch gave a synopsis of his firm. He basically agreed with Manager McLemore's memo, and the order in which the items were listed, but did make a few comments. He believes there is always room for improvement in the permitting process. Land assemblage is probably more difficult than the City Manager describes. Financial incentives mayor may not have a place in any community; if placed, there needs to be a very firmly established criteria before they are available to any user. Impact fees are appropriate in some cases, and in other cases, the fees are an unnecessary burden. Grimms and the board members were asked to define economic development. Beitsch stated that the first step is to figure out what can be accomplished as a city, and what the city's opportunities are. He eXplained that cities incorporate because they believe their particular part of the county has different needs and requirements. He speculated that the City of Winter Springs exists primarily because it had interest in preserving a fundamental residential character, and also in providing services that supported the MINUTES COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT BOARD JANUARY 8, 1997 - REGULAR MEETING PAGE 2 OF 3 residential character. If someone has been in the community 15 years or less, they are probably an interloper. In other words, their vision is not consistent with why the community was established. Fundamentally, the city is many, many years away from being a prime business location. The Interest (417) spilling out into this jurisdiction could possibly make the area a candidate site for some suburban type office or low-density campus situation which can begin to grow. This puts the city's opportunities into retail. Retail provides lower paying jobs, but will diversifY the tax base. He added, job creation is not the board's mission; their mission is probably tax base enhancement. The easiest way to see it through is with diversification and becoming more accommodating. He summarized the roles of the different government levels: state, region, and local. Florida is at the top of the list in terms of its rigid control over what one can do as far as affecting the states tax structure. The region is probably the most important player. Although the Central Florida recruitment efforts tend to leave small towns feeling like their not participating, it is probably one the most well-organized and functioning regional trade groups. Regional recruitment groups have the access to the communities potential clients. The local level controls the rules, regulations, and sites. A business locates at a site, not a region. The site factors are costs, needs, service area, and certainly, availability. The board's role is to participate as closely as possible with the regional organization, and understand who the players are at the Economic Development Commission that are most responsible for this community. The city needs to know what they can and can't do in order to build the relationship with the Economic Development Commission. The city can be sure to have ready and available sites. They can be sure that the permitting and regulatory environment is compatible with the image that the city wants the Economic Development Commission to be throwing out. If this city's opportunity is retail, then the city needs to be committed to satisfYing the site requirements of retail development. If the city wants retail development, the city needs to be prepared to offer places to live. The city's Future Land Use Map can begin to identifY critical sites as opportunities for the future. There should be people who will stay active in current Economic Development Commission affairs. In addition to designating sites on a map, there has to be infrastructure available to support the sites. Rules and regulations have to be simple and clear to avoid delays in processing. A service attitude is needed, but it takes time and money. Beitsch doesn't think there is an impact fee in this state that has been calculated correctly, and it is the judgement of the city whether or not to continue to collect them or not. The reality is that most of the times, regardless of the law and local ordinance, the fees are not being paid into the system that is correcting an immediate problem, but are being paid to correct a past deficit. The ill will that's created by the imposition of impact fees is probably not offset by the revenue that is attributed to their collection. On the other hand, the thought "there is nothing built in this town because we have impact fees" is equally bogus. Returning to the subject of "service attitude", Beitsch explained that word spreads about a community which has a good service attitude, and the community is viewed as encouraging development. The problem that the city had with the mall was an indication that they didn't want to encourage development. Although it was one of the most logical opportunities. MINUTES COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT BOARD JANUARY 8, 1997 - REGULAR MEETING PAGEJOF J Beitsch stated that another incentive could be to have an adopted economic element in the comprehensive plan. Opinions and concerns were expressed regarding impact fees and corporate welfare. Beitsch said that the board should be thinking about what the city is, what it is going to look like in ten years, and where growth is going to occur. A plan should be made to extend infrastructure. Also, development regulations can be looked at to assure compatibility. Manager McLemore said that Winter Springs is dependent upon property taxes. House prices need to start at $150,000 to $200,00 in order for the city to make money. The impact fee report includes what is currently budgeted this year to spend, what the impact fees are, what the rates are, and what the five year plan of expenditures are for the impact fees. Chairperson Glickman requested an inventory of available land within the city. Discussion about a zoning classification for flex base (C-3), and LDR modifications. The LDR's, Land Use Plan, and zoning maps have to be harmoniously in support of the opportunities of the city. 5. Uodate on Breakfast (this item was discussed before item #4) Chairperson Glickman said that the board seems pretty set as to what they want to do at the breakfast. The Senior Center has been reserved for March 19, 1997. They want to introduce the mayor, the new police chief, and the parks director. Invitations to the breakfast are being considered instead of a letter from the mayor. 6. Commerce and Industry Develooment Board Bude:et This item was tabled until the February 12, 1997 meeting. 7. Adiournment The meeting adjourned at 10:00 a.m. Minutes submitted by: Martha Jenkins, Deputy City Clerk City of Winter Springs, Florida