Committee Minutes

BUSINESS FRIENDLY GRAND FORKS TASK FORCE
Tuesday, August 5, 2003 - 7:00 p.m.___________________

Members present: Council Members Gershman, Brooks, Kerian; Brad Gengler, Gary Sondreal, Al Grasser, Rick Duquette, Keith Lund, Judd Graham, Roxanne Fiala, Bill Schoen.

Gershman stated that we are looking for information of ways that Grand Forks can do things better and build upon things that are doing well; that some of them have received e-mails and phone calls about some concerns that people have had and also that he has received calls and e-mails with good experiences that people have had at City Hall, and doesn't look upon any criticism of the City as being someone who is disinterested in Grand Forks - his best customer tells him when something is wrong, tends to learn more from mistakes. He stated there are two people who would like to speak.

Jan Burke, JB's Saloon, across street from City Hall, presented information and some difficulties she had in the installation of bathroom accessories and incurred a lot of additional expense to meet ADA requirements - taking standards higher than ADA. Mr. Grasser stated that with Codes there are some interpretive issues - Mr. Duquette stated that our Codes follow State building codes and wouldn't think that the State would be higher standards than ADA. Ms. Burke stated two incidents of not being able to use product that comes within ADA guidelines cost her $500.00 and was for higher standard for her in her situation. She noted timing issue for opening her business because of plumbing issue took 2 1/2 weeks longer. The question was raised if not getting proper info from inspector, to go to higher level for opinion. Mr. Grasser stated there was a process where should be able to go up chain to supervisor.

Bill Schoen reported present.

Mary Weaver, Browning Studio, 23 S. 4th Street, stated she hasn't had any specific bad experiences but has had several positive experiences as a small business owner, that she had an issue approx. year ago when they revamped alley dumpster situation because they did put one gigantic dumpster in the middle of the alley instead of smaller dumpsters at close location to various businesses - called to complain and put two smaller dumpsters but still in the middle of the alley for all the businesses on the entire block of 3rd and 4th between DeMers and Kittson - doesn't know if it is garbage trucks or people using dumpsters and lot of trash ends up on the ground and a long way to haul trash; that she has called about that and it seems as if people are unwilling to take the two and put them a little closer to the ends of the alley so each end of the alley would have a shorter distance to go.

She stated in years gone by Grand Forks used to be a city that was comprised just about totally of small specialty shops and chain stores on smaller scale and as years have gone by we've gone to large chain stores and franchises and since flood, the city philosophy has tended more towards the very large business or attraction or feature to get out of towners to come here - that she spoke several weeks ago about water rate issues for the low end user (she is one), the rates are fixed at a middle level which is somewhat of a break or more fair proposition for those higher users but a hardship for the low end users - and that philosophy has spilled over into the business attitudes of our city because it seems as if a lot of decisions being made are geared towards benefiting large business and franchises, chains - that she knows several single proprietor businesses in town and some, including hers, are on shaky financial ground the last year and a half (not saying it is the City's fault) but has to do with economy, recession, war, politics in Washington, etc. but our City does focus on attracting the large industry, vendor, etc. and that small specialty shops is lost in the shuffle and requested that when the City makes decisions that are going to change financial and economic picture and a 1% or half percent change may not mean great deal to a large business with large gross income but if decision is made that will affect things city-wide (whether sales tax or increased assessments on his landlord who might have to raise the rent and if drops her income one-half of 1% that could be 4 months rent that could make or break her) and some issues that seem insignificant to a larger business are very significant to a smaller business; she asked don't lose sight of the smaller businesses, and keep in mind the smaller businesses and specialty shops.

Kerian stated that she agrees that the small stores are what makes it interesting downtown and when hears talk about sales tax, taxes being an issue that may affect their income by raising rent, and sales tax may decrease customers - knows that Downtown Leadership Group is spending a lot of time re-evaluating the Art Fest and hopes she gets comments to them as well. Ms. Weaver stated there is going to be a program on public TV this month showing how various cities have revitalized their downtowns and things they have done.

Gershman stated they may have to put things in high gear so that people can get things through the council quicker because of our short season and something probably be working on with input from staff so don't get into 30-day back and forth, some of it state law, can't change some things through P & Z but not be irresponsible of this task force to recommend that the City contact the State Legislature for the next round and have to think about some of these things because of our short building season - and thought could get League of Cities to come with us, certainly major cities.

Brooks stated we talk about short building season and is something we face and if there is particular issue, we staff at single staffing level year round and in looking at areas of inspections, if that is issue where increase number of inspectors, etc. and if that is issue we could address. Mr. Gengler stated he has been reviewing site plans for about 3 years and has seen can go throughout the winter months and into early spring and don't see lot of activity in site or development plans and get large amount in late spring or early summer and that puts everyone in a time crunch, and to have additional people come in to help with that workload would be difficult. Brooks stated he was looking at what impacting - in inspections have lot more volume. Mr. Duquette stated he didn't know if adding additional staff as much as during that busy season having a little more internal coordination with staff we do have, that in occasion there are site plans and development plans that are in various departments but some times with some plans don't know where they are at and have to chase it down and will suggest that part of our looking at this is how we can better internally coordinating vs. adding staff. Brooks suggested hiring someone to help with coordinating.

Mr. Gengler stated IS is ready to get information they need and they are in the process of developing a computerized internal tracking system and they came up with some good ideas and now up to Planning, Engineering, Inspections to give the rest of the input to IS, but hopefully what come up with is if individual comes in with site plan, gets put into the system and at that point everyone will have access to it and will know what has to be done, and as starting with internal tracking system can provide check on one another and will produce a certain level of accountability and everybody will have their name on it. Mr. Graham asked if there was any way to even out the workload and if some way to encourage builders, developers to do something earlier in the season to be able to get through that rather than having it all crunch at the same time. Mr. Duquette suggested what IS doing, there is need for some type of contact person, esp. in large developments, of a relationship manager and hopes committee will make that one of your recommendations; and that the follow-up call was really important. Kerian stated they should have some data so they can gauge the quantity at different times, know what the staff mode needs to be, and surveys of how satisfactory that was - and time lines and what are standards so can develop those to see where vary from them.

Mr. Schoen stated the way Sioux Falls managed this scenario was when somebody walked into City Hall they were immediately referred to one of half dozen people in the Planning Office who became responsible upon their first conversation with a perspective business and at that time they are instructed to enter into the computer their conversation and who they were talking with and what they wanted to do and what want to achieve - and immediately a relationship manager is established and time log is established and these things are being done elsewhere and are great tools to help our staff do a better job and keep everybody informed.

Mr. Grasser stated first step is in how do tracking and how different things can impact the timing on a project, some City issues and some private issues, some financing issues, infrastructure issues - one of there things that can impact a business is when they come into town and would like to build in an area that does not have any services and that is not a quick fix and engineering spends lot of time trying to figure out how far can we push the system - and track system good idea because engineering may be working with architect, etc. and applicant not aware of that, and sees tracking system as most important first step, customer attitude is another issue.

Mr. Sondreal stated in Sioux Falls they have a map where they could go if wanted to fast track, all set up for that type of business. Mr. Grasser stated making that information available is important and not everybody might know who to contact to look at that - a lot of this on communication.

Mr. Grasser stated in Inspections to make their inspectors more efficient or more time out in the field is they have put in some support staff in the office as inspectors at one time spent some time writing permits and brought in support staff to help do the permit writing, would be cautious about putting somebody in there that doesn't have any of the background as some issues get fairly technical, Code portion, engineering part of it, zoning issues, has to be right body. It was stated that the relationship manager doesn't know all of the answers but knows where to go and that is the glue that keeps it together. Ms. Fiala stated in setting up the system, even is set up as an old fashioned tickler file, comes back and says if you have contacted these people, look at project and give phone call and if started that way would soon see if we really need more staff, that Planning walking the people through but find out when get a system in place if need someone. It was stated that attitude goes further than anything.

Mr. Sondreal stated that now if department had a sign-in sheet for everybody that came in and if someone took that at end of day; Mr. Grasser stated that big projects get attention of department heads and ones that need it need bit more finesse because we can't handle them all, smaller and medium projects that need ticklers that come in and those that need help are the ones doing their own site plans. Mr. Lund stated that person in relationship manager is marketing in sales, checking in with receptionist is person, so someone can enter it in the log and not necessary to know building code; that in talking about communication and developers in other communities, City tells them how long it is going to take to do something and that maybe doesn't happen in Grand Forks, that Brad is working on brochures to hand out to people but for somebody going to build a garage, or need a variance and important to have the literature and on the web, someone researching a project have access to that information.

Mr. Schoen stated he had thought about interns, concept could be employed, don't want to put interns out front, and interns would take pressure off the people who are best suited out front talking to businessmen as they come to town.

Gershman thanked those who came, heard problems and where did well - regroup and come up with another meeting the beginning of September.

The meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.

Alice Fontaine
City Clerk