Craig Morem

The meeting focused on several substantial agenda items. Key discussions included a revolving loan request from Matt and Heidi Brown for their new restaurant, Estelle's Eatery, which the committee recommended for city council approval. Financial matters involved approving a payment plan for a revolving loan from Quarter/quarter and authorizing the payment of the first half of taxes for the 35 Main Ave N building. The EDA confirmed legal ownership of the DEED Building at 35 Main Ave N; actions were taken to address immediate maintenance issues and to pay an outstanding invoice to Kingsley Mercantile for a water heater. The next steps for the building involve soliciting proposals by July 15th. Additionally, the EDA approved acting as a fiscal agent for a bonding request related to a trail extension, received updates on the telepharmacy approval by the State Pharmacy Board, and discussed Experience Harmony Projects, including a planned career fair and daycare options.

The meeting included a review and unanimous approval of the minutes from the November 6 and 20, 2014 meetings. The status of loans was discussed with no payment claims noted. The Chamber of Commerce reported on a successful 2014 and ongoing regional promotion efforts. An update on the Experience Harmony Survey highlighted specific community needs, such as additional child care facilities and dental services, leading to a decision to schedule a joint presentation with the City Council and School Board in early 2015. The board reviewed the 2014 work plan, noting that the EDA leveraged over $681,000 through various programs. A major agenda item involved the Harmony Trail Extension Project, where the board voted to request that the city council authorize the EDA to secure options on real estate—estimated at up to $35,000—to extend the trail to the Iowa border. The board also supported drafting a joint letter with the City Council to state legislators advocating for necessary state law changes to authorize the trail extension. Discussions also touched upon updating the city's alcohol ordinances to allow for brew pubs.

Key discussions during the meeting included an update on revolving loans, with past due loans being reviewed. The board approved a commercial rehabilitation loan request of $10,000 for Harmony Repair Service, intended for improvements such as window replacement, accessibility modifications, siding, insulation, and a new roof. In advertising matters, the board decided to put the billboard option on hold and tasked the beautification committee with recommending signage for the old elevator. The EDA also approved placing a 2"x3" advertisement in the Rochester Post-Bulletin's "Visit Harmony" ad. The Chamber of Commerce provided an update, mentioning an advertising exploration and inquiries regarding the use of the Bluff Country space at the Visitor's Center. An operations report for Heritage Grove noted high occupancy, and the board directed two members to review and obtain bids for entryway repairs.

The meeting involved discussions on several key areas. Financial reports prompted a request for staff to follow up with owners of significantly delinquent loans, specifically Wild Cat Properties and KNR Properties. The Chamber of Commerce reported on the success of the National Night Out and Fourth of July events. Regarding the Klip Joint Building, the board decided to readvertise the opportunity since no proposals were submitted by the deadline. For the state trail extension, ongoing efforts to acquire property and seek inclusion in a legislative bonding bill request were noted. The board debated the 2016 EDA budget, suggesting a capital improvement plan might be beneficial to stabilize the tax rate, rather than budgeting solely for excess funds. Other topics included developing a possible downtown mural in coordination with the Arts Board, exploring incentive programs like microloans for desirable projects such as daycares and dentists, reviewing new business ideas for Harmony, and investigating potential opportunities in rural broadband infrastructure and business succession planning. The board reached a consensus to proceed with a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) review to assist Crop Production Service with extending sanitary sewer service to their property, which is projected to create a new tax base and facilitate development of adjacent properties.

The Harmony Economic Development Authority met in a special joint session with the Harmony City Council and the Fillmore County School board. The primary purpose of the meeting was to discuss current project updates, short and long-term goals of each board, and opportunities for collaboration. Key areas identified for potential joint work over the next year include parking in front of the high school, joint community marketing related to Destination Medical Center (DMC) in Rochester, improving day care/child care access in Harmony, and establishing a career awareness event or fair for high school students. No official action was taken by any participating board during this discussion.