Economic Development Authority Meeting Date: January 26, 2026
To: Members of the Economic Development Authority
From: Emery John, Program Associate
Title
Staff Updates
Body
New Staff:
- We welcomed our new Community Development Director, Scott Wopata, to the team in late December. He is here to introduce himself and answer any questions from the board.
Northfield City Updates
- 5th and Washington: City Council heard a presentation from Thomas Hertzog and Charles Burdick, the developers for the Ebenezer product at the 5th and Washington site. Watch the City Council discussion from January 13th here. <https://northfield.granicus.com/player/clip/2200?view_id=2&meta_id=222086&redirect=true>
- Bonding and Local Option Sales Tax (LST): City Council passed Res. 2026-015, Supporting the Authority to impose a Local Sales Tax to Fund Specific Capital Improvements. Projects with broad support include those that fall on our adopted Capital Improvement Plan, meaning this tax - which must pass via referendum -- will lessen the property tax burden on Northfield’s residential and commercial tax base. Watch the City Council discussion from January 20th here. <https://northfield.granicus.com/player/clip/2206?view_id=2&redirect=true>
- Land Development Code Rewrite: Houseal Lavigne (HL) has been selected and contracted as the consultant for the zoning code update and redesign. Staff recently kicked off this process with the HL team. We will update this board as relevant with progress.
- Ames Mill Dam: Staff continue to work with Post Consumer Brands on the Ames Mill Dam. The main discussion includes timeline of transferring ownership of the dam. The dam is part of our Downtown Historic District, so a certificate of appropriateness and Section 106 review will be required.
- (Other) New Staff: The city welcomes Sara Pabich as our new Sustainability Coordinator. Amongst other projects, she is responsible for administering Northfield’s Sustainable Building Policy.
EDA Board and Commission Updates
- A reminder that the board appointment schedule has shifted to April, as will board elections.
- Andy Beaham has formally resigned from the board due the shifting availability and scheduling. We are grateful for his service on the EDA, and wish him good luck in his future endeavors. The Mayor is working on appointing a replacement to the board in the coming weeks, hopefully in time for our retreat.
Action Requested:
None
Summary Report:
See body.
City Plans & Policies Relevance:
N/A
Alternative Options:
N/A
Financial Impacts:
N/A
Tentative Timelines:
N/A