This transcript is from the Oakdale Economic Development Commission (EDC) meeting. Based on the context provided and the dialogue within the text, I have identified the speakers, including City Administrator Christina Volkers, City Clerk Sarah Ludwig, City Attorney Jim Thompson, Staff Liaison Max, and various Commission members. [0:07] **Commission Chair (Aaron):** All right, welcome to the June 5th, 2024, Oakdale Economic Development commission regular meeting. We're going to take roll call. Jeff? (Here) Bobby? (Here) Dave? Tony? (Here) Frank? (Here) Stacy? Gary? (Here) Robert? (Here). All right, we are going to move to the Pledge of Allegiance. Frank, if you'd like to lead us. [0:43] **Frank (Commissioner):** Sure. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [0:56] **Commission Chair (Aaron):** All right, on to the approval of agenda. Hopefully everyone has reviewed the minutes from the February meeting. Can I have a motion to approve the agenda as presented? [1:09] **Commission Member:** I'll move that. [1:10] **Commission Member:** Second. [1:11] **Commission Chair (Aaron):** All in favor please signify by saying aye. (Aye) Motion carries. Oh sorry, that was for the agenda. Now we'll approve the minutes. Any discussions or corrections? Motion to approve the minutes? [1:27] **Commission Member:** So moved. [1:28] **Commission Member:** Second. [1:29] **Commission Chair (Aaron):** Motion carries. All right, we will move on to the open Forum which we will start the open Forum with the advisory body training for the EDC, which is presented by City administrator Chris Volkers, city clerk Sarah Ludwig, and City attorney Jim Thompson. [1:44] **Christina Volkers (City Administrator):** Hi Madam Chair, Commissioners, thanks for having me. What we're going to do is—the council asked for us to do some standard training and talk about a lot of things that have to do with your jobs as Commissioners. We've done this with four of five commissions, so you're the fourth. So bear with us. Please interrupt us if you have any questions; don't wait till the end. We’re going to talk today about the city as a whole, your agendas, and the rules surrounding that. Our city code outlines exactly how we're supposed to handle meetings, and that applies to the commissions as well. [3:16] **Christina Volkers:** We want to encourage any conversation to be among your Council liaison, who is Noah Her, and then it's also Max as your staff liaison. We want to encourage conversations between you and them and not as a group because there are open meeting laws. I'll do a little bit, then we'll pop to Sarah for the details of the agenda, and Jim Thompson, our City attorney, will go over Robert's Rules and state laws concerning open meetings. [4:02] **Christina Volkers:** City information: one mayor, four council members. You've got Mayor Zabel here. Council member Ingebrigtsen is up for election but not running. Council member Morcomb is new, and Council member Wribring has been on the council for a while. The city has a Mission, Vision, and core values statement. We are working on a strategic planning effort and will be updating this. [5:36] **Christina Volkers:** Regarding the organizational chart: the elected body are the policy makers. They hire a City administrator (me) who runs operations. We’ve got the City attorney who is on contract. The council approves his contract. You guys are here to support the council; they appoint you. Staff are not giving you direction; it is a council role. [7:07] **Christina Volkers:** Staff leadership: I’m Chris Volkers. Andy Gitzlaff is the Community Development Director. Lori Pulker is Communications. Kyle is the new Finance Director. Fire Chief Kevin Wold is wearing two hats doing Public Works also. Melanie Lee is HR, Nick Newton is Police Chief, and Julie Williams is Recreation Superintendent. I’m going to let Sarah take over the boards and commissions. [8:00] **Sarah Ludwig (City Clerk):** Hi, good evening everyone. I am the city clerk. The city of Oakdale has five advisory bodies: Tree Board, Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, the Economic Development Commission, and the Environmental Management Commission. Each has a staff liaison. Luke McClanahan for Planning, Julie Williams and Jeff King for Parks, Max for your commission, Hannah Dunn for Environmental, and currently Chief Wold for the Tree Board. [10:14] **Sarah Ludwig:** We heard feedback that you want a handbook, so we are working on finalizing that. There are a few things that advisory bodies do: provide feedback to Council, recommendations, and participating in City initiatives. There are things you do *not* do: direct the work of City staff, take responsibility for financial performance, or speak on behalf of the city without permission. [12:15] **Sarah Ludwig:** Special roles: The Chair is elected annually. There is also a Vice Chair. The staff liaison (Max) prepares the agenda and takes minutes. The Council liaison (Noah Her) provides updates between the body and the Council. [14:10] **Frank (Commissioner):** Is it a good objective to try and get the commissions to turn over? Some people have been here, Bob and I have been here for what, 20 years or so? Is it probably a good idea to rotate? [14:41] **Sarah Ludwig (City Clerk):** I wouldn't say we would want to kick people off. If you're passionate and dedicated, absolutely continue to share your thoughts. [14:55] **Frank (Commissioner):** There was a period years ago they started a policy where after three or five years they would eliminate a person... it didn't work very well because they had trouble filling those positions. Anyway, Bob and I have been here since about 1985, right Bob? [15:36] **Christina Volkers:** I love that! [15:43] **Gary (Commissioner):** In my opinion, there's value to have that background and educational experience to contribute. [16:10] **Sarah Ludwig (City Clerk):** Now for Commission meetings 101. Your meetings are the first Wednesday of each month at 5:15. Max takes the minutes. Minutes are a record of what was *done*, not what was *said*. We have an open Forum period now, which is a time for public comment. Even if you don't see anyone here, please still open up that time. [18:48] **Gary (Commissioner):** For the open forum, is there any consideration for remote attendance or does this have to be in-person? [19:28] **Christina Volkers:** Have you been reading the paper about other cities that have opened it up? They’ve had problems with "Zoom bombing" and people that aren't even from the area. It becomes unruly. Staff has not proposed that at this point. [20:30] **Gary (Commissioner):** I was just aware of such situations and wanted to clarify. [21:01] **Sarah Ludwig (City Clerk):** Touching on attendance—chronic absences may lead to member removal. Regarding Quorum: it is the minimum number of voting members that must be present. We also ask for ethical conduct—avoid speaking over others or insulting ideas. Please use business casual dress, speak clearly into the microphone, and do not speak until called upon by the chair. I'll turn it over to our City attorney. [25:33] **Jim Thompson (City Attorney):** Hi, I’m Jim Thompson. I’ve been the City attorney since 2010. Robert's Rules are designed to help you run an efficient meeting, not to obstruct. We have a short video that gives you the basics. [26:55] *[Video Narration on Robert's Rules of Order plays]* [29:04] **Jim Thompson:** The one thing different from that video is you don't vote by a show of hands; you use "ayes" and "nays." Four laws apply to you now as commissioners. First: Open Meeting Law. It prohibits actions from being taken at secret meetings. A meeting is defined as a gathering of a quorum where you discuss City business. [32:56] **Jim Thompson:** If a majority of a commission is at a bar and you socialize but don't talk City business, it's not a meeting. But be careful of the perception. Regarding emails: treat emails or texts like a phone call. One-way emails are okay, but "Reply All" can get you in trouble because you start a group discussion. [39:24] **Jim Thompson:** Second: Data Practices Act. Government data is data relating to City business, regardless of where it's located. If you use your private phone to email about City business, that is government data. Third: Conflict of Interest. If you have a financial interest in a decision, you have a conflict. Disclose it and abstain. [45:10] **Jim Thompson:** Fourth: Gift Law. You can't receive a gift from any "interested person"—anyone who has an interest in the outcome of a decision. No free lunches from applicants. Any questions? [46:03] **Gary (Commissioner):** You mentioned the electronic meeting thing? [46:06] **Jim Thompson:** During COVID, there was an easier way. Now, it's more restricted. You have to post the meeting three days ahead of time, and your location (even your home address) must be accessible to the public. The Oakdale Council has stayed in person even during the pandemic. [48:47] **Christina Volkers:** To clarify, Frank, if three of you go out tonight for a beer, that's fine. It only applies if there is a quorum present. [49:22] **Christina Volkers:** Wrapping up: on our City website, please sign up for subscriptions to get EDC alerts. Reach out to your Council liaison. Council member Her just texted me and apologized for missing tonight; he forgot the new date was on his calendar. Lastly, we need more folks on the commissions, so talk to your neighbors. Read Chapter 8 of the city code—that is your guide. [55:10] **Commission Chair (Aaron):** All right, we're now going to invite members of the public to speak... we don't have any members of the public in attendance, so we will close the open Forum. Next, we start with old business. I’ll turn it over to Max for the Bria program update. [55:36] **Max (Staff Liaison):** Thanks, Aaron. I’ve got seven business visits to cover. First, Home Furniture on February 9th. They have 50 employees and are seeking tenants for two pad sites. Second, All Family Dental on February 20th. They have nine employees and feel income is consistent. Third, Canvas Health on March 15th. They have 140 staff in Oakdale and it serves as their main admin hub. [59:45] **Max:** Fourth, Marcus Theaters on March 19th. They have 86 employees and really praised the Hadley roundabout. Fifth, Open Cupboard on April 3rd. This is a nonprofit food shelf serving 4,900 families a week. Sixth, Superior Third-Party Logistics at the Forefront campus. They have 60 full-time staff. Finally, Game Related on Century Avenue, which focuses on board games and tournaments. [1:04:45] **Commission Chair (Aaron):** Are there any more on the docket? [1:04:50] **Max:** We just had one for the Forefront campus as a whole, and the St. Paul Chamber is working on scheduling more. [1:05:01] **Commission Chair (Aaron):** We will move to the next item: approval of the 2024 EDC work plan. [1:05:15] **Max:** The Council reviewed our plan and did not recommend changes. We're looking for a motion to adopt the 2024 work plan. [1:05:58] **Commission Member:** Motion to adopt the work plan as presented. [1:06:02] **Commission Member:** Seconded. [1:06:04] **Commission Chair (Aaron):** All in favor? (Aye) Motion carries. Next, the Oakdale development bus tour reflection. [1:06:40] **Max:** We had over 35 people for the tour on May 7th. I wanted to open the floor for takeaways. [1:07:05] **Frank (Commissioner):** I thought it was just great. We hit all the high spots. People ask me questions all the time, and now I can tell them exactly what's going in. [1:07:46] **Stacy (Commissioner):** It was really informative. There was so much information I couldn't keep up with my notes! It was good to see the public works site; that is huge. [1:08:53] **Commission Chair (Aaron):** I like the event because it gives us the opportunity to develop relationships with City officials that we don't see on a regular basis. [1:09:20] **Commission Chair (Aaron):** We will move to new business: the Oakdale zoning code update. [1:09:30] **Max:** The zoning code guides land uses. We are looking for the business perspective on commercial and industrial standards, signs, and the permitting process. We want to update and streamline the ordinance. [1:13:58] **Stacy (Commissioner):** I'm thinking of exceptions to code. For example, if someone wants a small business in their home, like a hair salon. Is there a process for that? [1:15:03] **Max:** We call those "home occupations." We did permit a salon recently. We just have to make sure they have the proper equipment and licenses so it doesn't become too intense for a residential garage. [1:16:15] **Stacy (Commissioner):** Under the background section, it mentions "housing reinvestment." Is that referring to affordable housing or rezoning one-acre lots? [1:18:13] **Max:** It’s more about promoting people to reinvest in existing housing stock—like siding or redoing buildings—rather than a full Citywide rezoning. [1:20:25] **Commission Chair (Aaron):** Staff liaison updates? [1:20:32] **Max:** We are doing a Parks system plan study. In an upcoming meeting, we'll ask for your input. Keep an eye on Facebook for surveys. [1:21:45] **Commission Chair (Aaron):** I had a conversation with the new landlord at Bergen Plaza, Hempel. They seem eager to spruce it up and modernize the signage. [1:22:15] **Commission Chair (Aaron):** Commissioner updates? We'll start with Robert. [1:22:23] **Robert (Commissioner):** I don't have anything, but Max already knows—this will be my last meeting. I’ve served five years total between Planning and EDC. I own a business in St. Paul and expanded recently, and I need to turn my attention to that. It’s been a pleasure to serve with you all. [1:23:25] **Commission Chair (Aaron):** Thank you, Bob, for your service. [1:23:33] **Stacy (Commissioner):** Just a reminder: Oakdale Summerfest is the last weekend of the month. It starts on Thursday. [1:24:08] **Frank (Commissioner):** We’re having a Chamber meeting tomorrow at Forefront. We have a motivational speaker. If you’re free, come on by. [1:24:24] **Commission Chair (Aaron):** I will ask for a motion to adjourn. [1:24:27] **Commission Member:** Motion we adjourn. [1:24:28] **Commission Member:** Second. [1:24:30] **Commission Chair (Aaron):** All in favor? (Aye) Motion carries and the meeting is adjourned. Thank you.