Minutes - Economic Development Authority - 05/14/2020

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and Council, it was not contemplated to prorate the fee and the direction was to proceed with the waiver of the one year on-sale liquor license renewal fee. Councilmember Musgrove asked when the license term begins. Economic Development Manager Sullivan replied that he was unsure of the begin date but noted that renewals are due in June. He noted that all of the businesses on the list were open prior to the pandemic and will hopefully continue to remain in operation. He provided details on the topic of waiving the advertisement fees for Ramsey businesses with the Ramsey Resident. He noted that both the EDA and City Council approved this program moving forward and advised of the potential cost of $2,000 to add 4 pages to the publication. This cost is proposed to be funded through the EDA. He stated that the offer would only apply to the late summer edition and provided details on the different size ads that could be provided. He stated that the most impacted businesses have been bars, restaurants, and salons and therefore the policy direction thus far has been to place priority on those businesses that have been forced close the longest. He stated that the Business Expo has been canceled for 2020 and this would provide another opportunity for those businesses to advertise to residents. Chairperson Steffen asked when the deadline is for the late summer edition and asked how this program would be advertised. Economic Development Manager Sullivan replied that the staff would reach out to Prime Advertising, who completes the ad portion of the Ramsey Resident to alert them of the offer. He stated that staff could also reach out to the businesses that were scheduled to participate in the Business Expo to advise them of the program. Member Heineman referenced the comment of the Ramsey Resident being ad heavy and asked if the cost to mail the publication is covered by the advertising or whether it is subsidized by the City. Deputy City Administrator Gladhill stated that the ads cover a portion of the Ramsey Resident, but the City also provides an allocation to cover the remaining cost of publication and distribution. He stated that a special insert could be included to focus on the business community or a business resource guide in addition to the advertising. Chairperson Steffen asked for input on the size of the ads and the number of ads anticipated. Economic Development Manager Sullivan stated that the decision would need to be made on the maximum advertisement size and whether the City would limit the number of free ads that it would allow. He noted that some of the business that advertise, may or may not quality for the funding assistance. He stated that the majority of the ads typically found in the publication are 1/8 page. Member Riley stated that he supports the idea of this concept. He stated that a 1/8 ad would make the most sense. He stated that he does not have an issue with the priority order listed. He stated that typically a commission rate is paid to the advertiser for a portion of the ads sold and stated