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Gundlach explained a secondary action requested of the Council on January 12th, in addition to adopting <br />the attached resolution, will be to authorize the Mayor and City Manager to enter into this contract, <br />subject to final approval of the City Attorney. Staff recommended the EDC recommend the City <br />Council adopt a Resolution accepting the EDC's Business Retention & Expansion Program. <br />Chair Zisla discussed a slight language change and noted the value of measuring the EDC's efforts. <br />Gundlach provided further comment on how the City and its staff would be marketing Open to Business. <br />She reported Open to Business would be offering office hours at the Community Center on the second <br />Thursday of each month. <br />Commissioner Knight did not believe supporting Open to Business was the best use of the City's funds. <br />He thought the program was strategically flawed. He believed that the market should winnow out the <br />business owners that were not business savvy. He feared the Open to Business program would be <br />assisting people who were doomed to failure. He questioned if taxpayer dollars should be used to assist <br />start-up businesses. It was his opinion that the service was not necessary. <br />Further discussion ensued regarding the Open to Business proposal, along with the benefits new <br />businesses would bring to the community. <br />Gundlach clarified that the proposed contract would not have City funds being used on loans. <br />Peck believed the program would offer assistance to businesses on the low end or those that were just <br />emerging. Gundlach stated the program would also assist New Brighton residents that work out of their <br />home. <br />Chair Zisla questioned how Open to Business would monitor the number of hours that were allotted to <br />New Brighton on a monthly basis. Gundlach discussed how this would be accomplished by Open to <br />Business on behalf of the City. She reported these updates would be provided to the City twice a year. <br />Councilmember Bauman questioned how the City would view the return on investment with Open to <br />Business. She wondered how many businesses in New Brighton would seek assistance from Open to <br />Business on a yearly basis for the $12,500 fee. <br />Commissioner Garcia -Perez discussed the issue of how costly this program would be and inquired how <br />the City would work to reach its established local businesses. <br />Commissioner Murlowski wanted to keep the community vibrant and growing. He thought this program <br />was a positive investment in the City's future. He suggested the results be tracked and monitored <br />closely by Open to Business. He understood that not all businesses would thrive, however, some did <br />and were in need of financial assistance. <br />Gundlach discussed the conversations she has had with the County regarding Accelerate Ramsey <br />County. <br />Chair Zisla did not believe the EDC needed to take any formal action at this time. He recommended that <br />formal tracking be added to the contract, along with a reference to the County's efforts. <br />New Brighton Exchange Updates <br />Gundlach provided the EDC with an update on the development status of Blocks B and D within New <br />Brighton Exchange. This update was for informational purposes only and provided valuable background <br />