Minutes - Economic Development Authority - 02/12/2026

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Member Karpen agreed that it would be helpful to have the doors open earlier, with breakfast served earlier as well,to allow for networking,as most people need to leave after the event. Member Riley commented that everything the City did was great. He stated that his impression, based on the feedback, was that the event space operation was mediocre. He stated that running out of coffee is a recurringproblem and is something that should have been fixed. He believed that the venue itself was good because of the size and location, and hoped that the LaFontaine staff could pick up their game. Member Karpen commented that it seemed there were only two employees, which made things run more slowly as well. She stated that perhaps additional staff will be brought on by the event center for the event. Economic Development Manager Sullivan recognized that the event center has a smaller staff and it was unlikely that more would be assigned. He stated that he did notice that there was a point in time when the staff was serving people, which slowed down the line. He stated that feedback was provided immediately, which allowed people to go through the line on both sides. He agreed that the size and location of the venue are a good fit and hoped they could address some of the other issues. Member Stewart commented that perhaps the event center should be reminded that this is also an opportunity for them to advertise their space to the attendees. Chairperson Wiyninger stated that if they target a speaker, he would like to condense that down to 30 minutes rather than 60 minutes, acknowledging that they may run over that, but it would not impact the timing for the overall program. Economic Development Manager Sullivan acknowledged the cost for a keynote speaker and believed that they would most likely want to get the most out of that cost with a 45 to 60-minute presentation. Member Lindahl stated that perhaps 45 minutes is set, acknowledging that they may run slightly over that. Member Stewart commented that she would prefer to keep the 60-minute slot for the keynote speaker and keep the City presentations to a lesser time. She acknowledged that there were other things that caused the delay this year, including a longer presentation from the Police Chief. She believed that City staff members could be directed to keep their presentations within a shorter amount of time. She supported the reduced food recommendation as they continue to have fewer people attend than RSVP. Member Johnson commented that some people choose not to eat breakfast, and perhaps there is an option on the registration that would allow people to choose whether or not they want breakfast. She noted that she is someone who chooses not to eat breakfast. Economic Development Authority/ February 12, 2026 Page 4 of 6