City Council - 06/05/2012 (5) APPROVED MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP & OPEN PODIUM
TUESDAY,JUNE 5, 2012 CITY CENTER
5:00—6:25 PM, HERITAGE ROOMS
6:30—7:00 PM, COUNCIL CHAMBER
CITY COUNCIL: Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens, Council Members Brad Aho, Sherry Butcher
Wickstrom, Kathy Nelson, and Ron Case
CITY STAFF: City Manager Rick Getschow, Police Chief Rob Reynolds, Fire Chief George
Esbensen, Public Works Director Robert Ellis, Community Development Director Janet Jeremiah,
Parks and Recreation Director Jay Lotthammer, Communications Manager Joyce Lorenz, City
Attorney Ric Rosow, and Recorder Lorene McWaters
Workshop - Heritage Room H
I. GREATER MSP
Three representatives from Greater MSP—Kathy Schmidlkofer, Executive Vice
President; Sara Perlman Barrow, Director of Investor Relations; David Griggs, Vice
President of Business Investment—gave a presentation about their organization.
Schmidlkofer said Greater MSP was formed in late 2009 as an outgrowth of the Itasca
Project. The founders of Greater MSP were concerned about data that showed that even
before the current economic recession began, the Minneapolis St. Paul region had fallen
behind the national average on job growth. Greater MSP's research also showed that
although a number of organizations in Minnesota focus on economic development, the
greater Minneapolis St. Paul region lacked a coordinated business development effort.
Greater MSP aims to accelerate job growth and capital investment in the 13-county
region through economic strategy development, branding and marketing the region, and
serving business clients as a one-stop shop. Greater MSP is a public-private partnership
with investors from the business sector as well as a number of cities and counties. Efforts
are focused in three areas: business retention, expansion and attraction. Their ROI
estimates forecast that every dollar invested stimulates $8 in revenue, $50 in new payroll
and $100 in increased gross regional product.
Community Development Director Janet Jeremiah asked if there are goals regarding the
ratio of private and public membership. Schmidlkofer said the goal is to be private-sector
led. Mayor Tyra-Lukens asked what tools Greater MSP uses for retention. Griggs said
they bring in their regional partners to understand what a company needs and why they
are looking outside the area. Jeremiah asked how much Eden Prairie would pay for
membership in Greater MSP. Schmidlkofer said Eden Prairie would pay $25,000 per
year to participate.
Council Member Case asked Economic Development Manager David Lindahl to put
together a summary of the pros and cons to membership in Greater MSP and forward the
report to the City Council for consideration.
City Council Workshop Minutes
June 5, 2012
Page 2
Open Podium - Council Chamber
II. OPEN PODIUM
III. ADJOURNMENT