CR 11-096 Application for Open to Businessis
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October 13, 2011 City of tlopkin5 Council Report 2011-096
APPLICATION FOR OPEN TO BUSINESS
Proposed Action
Staff recommends adoption of the following motion: Move to approve Resolution 2011-056,
authorizing the application to Hennepin County's Open to Business Program.
With this motion the resolution will be forwarded to Hennepin County to be included with the
City's application to the program.
Overview
Hennepin County has made available funding to help provide a business assistance
program called Open to Business. The program offers one-on-one consultation
services to new, existing, or expanding businesses, as well as access to a variety of
loan programs.
The cost to offer the services is proposed to be $10,000 for a one-year membership.
Hennepin County has set aside funds to provide $5,000 as match, and the City is
responsible for the remaining $5,000. The Hopkins Business & Civic Association has
committed to providing 50 percent of the local match, leaving $2,500 that the City of
Hopkins would be asked to provide. There is no cost to the business owner to receive
• the consultation services.
The City's responsibility under the program is to market the program and make sure it is
utilized. We will work closely with HBCA, the Blake Road Community Collaborative and other
community partners to accomplish this and will utilize all of our communication tools to get
the word out. The program will be evaluated after one year.
Primary Issues to Consider
For a relatively low fee, the City of Hopkins will be able to offer business owners a valuable
service that will be evaluated based on number served, loan activity and customer
satisfaction. Funds for the program will come from the Think Hopkins budget.
Supporting Information
• Resolution 2011-056
Hennepin County 2011 Economic Development Initiative "Open to Business"
Request for Matching Funds
Kersten Elverum
Director of Planning & Development
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Financial Impact: $2500 Budgeted: Y Source: #204 Account — marketing budget
Related Documents (CIP, ERP, etc.):
Notes:
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Hennepin County
2011 Economic Development
Request for Matching Funds
Initiative "Open to Business"
Instructions
Please complete the following questions and return completed form along with a copy of the city
council resolution described above to the following address by mail or e-mail no later than
October 15, 2011.
Patricia L. Fitzgerald, Principal Planning Analyst
Hennepin County Department of Housing, Community Works and Transit
417 North Fifth Street
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401-1397
DIRECT: 612-543-0864 E-MAIL: patricia.I.fitzgerald@co.hennepin.mn.us
Applicant(s): City of Hopkins Street address: 1010 1" St S
Zip code: 55343
Primary contact person: Tara Beard Phone: 612-722-2022 E-mail: tbeard@hopkinsmn.com
• Amount of HCHRA funds requested: $ $5,000
Population size of participating municipality/municipalities: 17,300
Annual fee for "Open to Business" per above fee schedule: $10,000
Source of funds for local match: Hopkins Civic and Business Association, City of Hopkins
marketing funds.
Proposed timeframe for "Open to Business": Start date March 1, 2012 End date Feb 28, 2013
Explain the need for entrepreneur development and small business technical assistance
services in your community and the location(s) in your community that would most likely
receive this development assistance. Hopkins is known for its community of small
businesses, largely centered on Downtown Hopkins' Mainstreet. The city does not currently offer
any sort of formal business assistance, though inquiries from the business community are made
frequently. Hopkins businesses have been affected by the current economic downturn, and have
always seeked to be more competitive in an increasingly "big box" world. For these reasons the
need for entrepreneur development and small business assistance is very high.
2. How would your community promote the "Open to Business" initiative to your
entrepreneurs and small businesses? The city has a close relationship with the Hopkins Civic
and Business Association (HBCA), whose membership includes many potiential "Open to
• Business" users. Through monthly meetings, events and a newsletter "Open to Business" would
be heavily promoted to HBCA members. The City also has multiple tools to promote initiatives
such as "Open to Business": Connections, an email newsletter, Highlights, a print newsletter, two
websites and a promotional campaign, Think Hopkins!
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• 3. How does the "Open to Business" strategy complement other economic development
initiatives in your community, or would this be a new venture for your community? If this
is a new venture, explain how the initiative fits your community's goals and plans. "Open
to Business" would be a new venture for the community, one that would allow the city to direct its
many inquiries for small business assitance to a useful tool. In the past the city has provided small
business loans for property acquisition and improvement, but the funds for this program have not
been available for some time. Hopkins is known for its small town feel, and the personalized,
human scale of "Open to Business" is a great fit for the type of assistance that is needed.
4. Which staff would oversee the "Open to Business" strategy and how would the outcomes
and experiences of this initiative be tracked and utilized? Planning and Economic
Development (PED) staff, primarily the Community Development Coordinator and the
PED Director, would oversee the "Open to Business" strategy in close partnership with
the NBCA. The city would seek data from "Open to Business" about the number of calls
received and assisted from Hopkins, and would pursue a evaluation process for
participating businesses. The city would also ellicit anecdotal feedback from participating
businesses, and all information would be used to determine the need to continue the
program or ways to modify the program that would work better for users.
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CITY OF HOPKINS
HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA
RESOLUTION NO. 2011-056
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING APPLICATION TO THE HENNEPIN COUNTY OPEN
TO BUSINESS PROGRAM
WHEREAS, the Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority is sponsoring
a business assistance program offered through the Metropolitan Consortium of
Community Developers and providing financial assistance for the service; and
WHEREAS, the City of Hopkins has the legal authority to apply for financial assistance,
and the institutional, managerial, and financial capability to ensure adequate project
administration, and
WHEREAS, the sources and amounts of local match identified in the applications are
committed to the project, and
WHEREAS, the City and the Hopkins Business and Civic Association have a common
goal of strengthening the viability of Hopkins businesses, and
WHEREAS, the City of Hopkins believes the Open to Business program will help to
achieve this goal.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Hopkins supports the Hennepin
County Open to Business grant application submitted on October 15, 2011.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that upon approval of its application, the City of Hopkins
may enter into an agreement with Hennepin County for the above referenced project.
Adopted this 18th day of October 2011.
Attest:
Kristine A. Luedke, City Clerk
Eugene J. Maxwell, Mayor