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`-' Mr. Pederson stated this could be an appendix. Mr. Habein stated that the new grocery <br />store is employing a lot of people with no infrastructure investment from the City. Hunt <br />Technologies also created a lot of jobs with no burden to the City. Mr. Pederson stated <br />that there should be a goal. Why the Industrial Park? If we are going to expand, we need <br />to ask why and the why needs to have a goal behind it. What kind of pay scale? There <br />are so many intangibles. <br />Ms. Brown pointed out that there may be inaccuracies in the number of employees in the <br />Business Park. The 2008 Business Inventory listed her business as only having 2 <br />employees. (Staff verified the numbers used in the report were correct for the other <br />businesses.) <br />Mr. Marohn stated that there could be a comparison done of the three areas and the <br />number of jobs per area. <br />Mr. Williams asked if there was a goal in the Comprehensive Plan to grow at cost. <br />Or is the goal of the community sustainability — maintaining open space, maintaining tax <br />base and businesses as they are? Mr. Adams stated that in the various sections the <br />Comprehensive Plan talked about maintaining a rural atmosphere and encouraging <br />business, but it did not say we want industrial businesses throughout the City. Mr. <br />Pederson stated that we need to define what we want and put that intent into a goal. You <br />cannot measure results without a goal. We want to be open for growth if it makes sense. <br />Mr. Adams stated our Business Park is under utilized. Mr. Williams stated the City <br />should stay out of the real estate business. Private individuals should do that. The <br />Business Inventory does not state where the employees live; it would be nice to know if <br />they have children in our school system and live in our community. Mr. Adams agreed <br />that expansion should be done by private parties. <br />Ruth Ann Hanson wondered why this degree of detail was put into this piece of the Plan. <br />She also stated that there could have been a difference in the success of the Industrial <br />Park given the decreased lot regulation and if some of the lots hadn't been given away. <br />She also asked if just the dollar figure was the measure of success. She suggested <br />BLADC could help with information. Mr. Adams stated that this is why we are having <br />the discussion. If someone has a different view of the numbers, we encourage them to <br />come back to this body and discuss it. <br />Mr. Williams stated that we got into this level of discussion because of a statement made <br />that the City made money on the Park. Mr. Marohn stated we should not proceed with a <br />false pretence which to a certain degree is believed by a large group of people. As we <br />plan for the future, is it to grow tax base? Is it to lower taxes? Is it to create jobs? Is it to <br />bring people to the community? We need to state what we are trying to accomplish and <br />then evaluate a future project or approach. <br />Minutes 2 <br />Pequot Lakes Planning Commission <br />March 18, 2010 <br />