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Home My WebLink About2002-08-06 Business and Economic Development Committee Minutes , ' BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE TUESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2002 � Meeting Minutes , Councilors Attending: Frank Farrington, John Rohman, David Nealley, Gerry Palmer � Staff Attending: Ed Barrett, Sally Bates, Jonathan Daniels, Rebecca Hupp, � Mike Dyer, Norm Heitmann, Steve Bolduc, T.]. Martzial, Rodney McKay Others Attending: Ken Buckley, Doug Clendenning, Leanne Judd, Linda � Packard Meeting convened at 5:00 p.m. ' 1. Consent Agenda � a. Approval of sale and acceptance of offer for 231 Randolph Drive. Council Order 99-12 authorized B & ED to approve sales on Randolph Drive. , b. Amendment of agreement with Packard Design Associates to include development of symbols to appear on interpretive and gateway signage � for waterfront project. The consent agenda was approved. � 2. Bass Park Report a. Update on HOK/CSL Auditorium Replacement Study , Daniels updated the committee on the six hours of ineetings over a two-day ' period starting with a premium seating analysis, and then a visioning workshop. HOK will evaluate our wishes against the market information that CSL is developing. The market information, noting the capacity of a replacement � auditorium, should be in our hands within the next 4-5 weeks. HOK will come up with a preliminary design, once they receive the market information. The groups � met with various business entities throughout the city, including CVB, Chamber of Commerce, hotel industries, restaurants, and the interim Athletic Director from the University of Maine. � � � � � Rohman asked how soon the Council will be able to review the recommendations � and reports. Daniels said market information should be available at the beginning of September, and will be presented to the Committee. It will be up to the Committee as to how this will be presented to full Council. Rohman asked � who the active players were for the Auditorium replacement, to which Daniels replied Palmer and Crowley. Barrett noted that we should still utilize the SCOFA � committee along with B & ED committee and the full Council to evaluate the data. I � Palmer asked for Mike Dyer's feedback. Dyer said that he expected that CSL would give a thorough honest assessment of the market and its potential. He expects that HOK will come through with something that everyone can "latch ' , onto" and that the design will be right for this market at this time and the future. b. Bangor State Fair � Dyer said that the figures he presented the committee are the preliminary numbers for gate admission, and that we are down about 5,600 people. The ' bulk of this happened on the two wrist band days, which are normaliy strong days. Total ride tickets sales $402,994, is $20k over the all time previous high of , $380,000 in 1998 (the first year we brought in a flume ride), and considerably ' more than 2001 ride ticket sales of $355,600. Our commission for ride sales was up $19k from last year. This year we had three paid shows, the Paisley concert , should yield approximately $16k net profit, St. James should be about $1,500 net and the Wrestling show will not show a profit, however this show used to be free and we took in $9,150 in ticket sales, so the cost to the fair is about $3k. , Bottom line profit margin should be in the $50-60k range as we had last year. Nealley commented that the fair seemed a lot cleaner than previous years, he ' attended on the last Saturday. Clendenning asked how the agricultural part of the fair went. Dyer said that they � were down on dairy cows and sheep, and up on horse pulling. They still managed to payout $42k. � 3. Bangor International Airport Report ' a. Security Screening Update Hupp updated the Committee on the transition to Federal Security Screening. � The new federal security director for Bangor is John Booth, a retired navy person. Hupp has met with him several times to discuss the TSA process. The site assessment team is still at the airport working on developing the lanes for � � � I � the checkpoints for security screening. The TSA has determined what an ideal template for security screening should be, and there may be some minor � modifications to the Bangor Airport. The check baggage-screening deadline is the end of December 2002. Hupp said that the airport has been working with Lockheed Boeing to determine the best location for it. The final piece is the r transition of our local staff to the federal security screeners workforce. This transition has been taking place, as the TSA is recruiting in the area. The airport , will be meeting with empioyees to discuss the time frame for the changeover. Hupp expects the changeover to occur within the next 30 days. Rohman said that he is surprised that BGR is continuing to show increases. , Hupp said to remember to take into account that ComAir was not running last July. BGR has additional capacity as well, which accounts for increased , passengers. Continental is satisfied with their first month of service. Next month should be a true test of comparison as ComAir was running at that time last year. � Hupp updated the committee on the runway construction project. The $2.3 � million that the Airport received should be done with the current phase of the project. Every 3 years the Airport is required to do an emergency exercise, as part of the , FAA requirements. Hupp asked for volunteers to be victims. Farrin9ton asked if there was any impact on the Federal government with their , transition of our City employees to the new screening positions. Hupp said the directive is that BGR's screening will be completely federal, and we do not have ' any options with it, as this is according to federal law. The Federal wages are typically higher than the wages BGR has been paying. Hupp said that BGR would be adjusting wages retroactively based upon the Federal wages. � 4. Agreement between the City of Bangor and the University of Maine regarding Art Museum � Barrett presented the Revised Final Agreementwith the University of Maine for ' the Art Museum. He noted the following changes, the schedule dates have been adjusted with an opening in October/November, language requesting that the University make their best effort to accomplish certain things, rather than telling ' them to do certain things, for example the Museum being open 60 hours per week, the number of art objects has been reduce to 4,200 from 4,500, and revised scholarship language. � � , � , Since dates and other factors have been changed or modified, Barrett said it was � appropriate to seek Councii ratification of the actual agreement prior to distributing any of the City's $400,000 matching grant. � Barrett introduced Mark Anderson, of the Universiry of Maine, who has been working on the agreement with the City. � Farrington asked if the scholarships would end after 10 years. Barrett said yes, that the value of the scholarships would approximate the City's contribution � toward the Museum, $400,000. Anderson noted that the University plans to be in the facility longer than 10 years, and that the scholarships may continue. , Rohman commented that part of the appeal for the Art Museum being in downtown was the aspect of offering classes to generate the influx of people to the downtown area. Anderson said that the Art Museum budget has been , increased and this may include the acquisition of an art educator. The committee approved the agreement to full Council. , 5. Executive Session —Tentative Developer Status — Advanced Data Systems. , The committee moved that Rohman had a conflict of interest due to WBRC's connection with Advanced Data Systems. , 6. Discussion and possible action on Tentative Developer Status. ' The committee decided not to discuss this item. 7. Committee Workshop 1 Packard Design Associates updated the committee on their background research around the state of Maine gaining information pertinent to Bangor to utilize in 1 the development of the positioning statement and creative strategy for the City of Bangor. , The committee conducted a "brainstorming session" with the ultimate goal to get ideas, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that will show Bangor as � unique, as it relates to other cities in the State of Maine, and New England. � Meeting adjourned at 7:15 p.m. � ,