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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-09-10 Study Session minutesDublin City Council Study Session Thursday, September 9, 2010 Minutes of Meeting Mayor Lecklider called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers. Present Council Members: Mayor Lecklider, Mrs. Boring, Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher, Mr. Gerber, Mr. Keenan and Vice Mayor Salay. Mr. Reiner was absent (excused). Staff: Ms. Grigsby, Mr. McDaniel, Ms. Crandall, Mr. Langworthy, Ms. Puskarcik, Mr. Tyler, Ms. Gilger, Ms. Ott and Ms. Colley Mr. McDaniel stated that staff appreciates the high priority placed on economic development over the years, as reflected in Council goals. He plans to provide Council tonight with a brief overview of their program. Seven strategies have been proposed as a framework for the City's economic development program. Economic Landscape Dublin is in constant competition regionally to keep and attract jobs. Others within the region have "caught up" with Dublin in many ways — the built environment, amenities, infrastructure, incentives offerings, affordability, and speed to develop and build. This region of the state fares better economically than many other areas, but southwest Ohio is becoming very competitive. Dublin is in competition nationally as well with certain other economically competitive areas. He was in Cleveland yesterday on a mission to attract a particular business to Dublin and discovered that the other remaining competitor was Austin, Texas. There are obvious indicators of the economic vitality of Dublin. Income tax revenue is a good indicator as to the general health of Dublin businesses. Generally, income taxes have been flat and down in growth rate compared with past years. However, W2s are consistent with no major layoffs. The local unemployment rate remains low at 7.2 %, compared to the state, regional and national level. He closely watches the vacancy rate of suburban office. Dublin's is 14.2 %, within the optimal range being 12 -15 %. While it is good to be in that range, other communities with high office vacancies and lower costs are more difficult to compete with. He provided a square footage vacancy rate chart comparing Dublin with neighboring communities. He noted that Economic development currently has 22 active projects, with a total of 2,000 potential jobs. More opportunity is being seen now than in past months. Mr. Gerber asked how Economic Development becomes aware of the opportunities. Mr. McDaniel responded that some are the result of notices from the State to the Columbus Chamber who, in turn, sends out emails to interested parties with potential "leads." Most of Dublin's leads come from the real estate and development communities, and a smaller number are intelligence from "off the street." Vice Mayor Salay asked if there is a typical timeframe from initial point of contact to decision making by the company. Dublin City Council Study Session September 9, 2010 Page 2 of 12 Mr. McDaniel responded that also varies -- from very quickly to perhaps 18 months. In cases, where there is interaction with the state, Dublin will assume the role of brokering the deal. In some cases, a site consultant oversees the deal, but in other cases, it is best to sidestep a third -party consultant and deal directly with the company. Economic Development Threats Mr. McDaniel noted that some trends in threats are: lack of new buildings and speculative buildings; banks are changing rules and changing way of accessing money; increase in equity position that the developer must take and commit to lease; small to medium size facilities preferring to build their own buildings and discontinue leasing; fewer landowners willing to sell; lack of small tracts of land; commercial foreclosures; regional competitiveness; speed to build; diversity of product type; service /retail support. Mr. McDaniel noted that it might be necessary to consider other products, such as flex spaces. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher asked for a definition of flex spaces. Mr. McDaniel responded that it would be a combination of office and warehouse. A recent example of this need was a situation with e- Cycle, a Dublin company owned by a Dublin resident. They tried to help them find flex office /warehouse space, but Dublin did not have the product. The company relocated to Hilliard. The company was named to the "Top 1,000 Fastest Growing Businesses" list this past week. Three or four other companies were also lost by Dublin for the same reason. He has worked with the development community to determine if there would be any interest in building this type of product somewhere appropriate within the City. There is interest, but the capital is not available at this time. Mr. Keenan asked where an appropriate location would be for this type of flex space. Mr. McDaniel responded that his recommendation would be the COIC area or the 100 - acre area on Houchard Road, which would be an appropriate location for a light industrial tech park development. There is also some land on Shier Rings Road across from the City Service complex. Previously, it was considered difficult to attract research and development (R &D) companies, because of the cost of $300 /sq. ft. to build. However, staff has learned that R &D companies are satisfied with an office /warehouse space with HVAC, sink, and a garage door. They can 'roll in" the equipment they need into that space. There is a medical device company that just received a $6M grant to develop a new device, which is now located in the Spectrum building but is seeking that type of space. Mr. Keenan asked if appropriate development text would be useful for that type of business. Mr. McDaniel responded that it would be very helpful in attracting that type of development. Service and Retail Support Mr. McDaniel stated that he is not aware of whether Dublin currently has sufficient restaurant and retail support for Dublin businesses, although it was sufficient in the past. Dublin City Council Study Session September 9, 2010 Page 3 of 12 Opportunities Mr. McDaniel stated that there are several opportunities staff has identified. - They frequently encounter individuals who want to locate their businesses in Dublin because they live in Dublin. - There are an increasing number of companies who want to own and not lease. - Finance, professional services, architects, engineers, and corporate consolidation are a good mainstay of Dublin's economy. The headquarters of those businesses are often located in Dublin. - The number of R &D or IT facilities is increasing, including high tech assembly and manufacturing. - Diversity of product. Attract or expand businesses of various types and sizes to fill any vacated spaces. - Change of ownership of larger buildings, particularly in Frantz Road corridor. Some are now owned by local groups. - Company creation. Creating or expanding "home grown" companies brings loyalty to the community. Council Goals Mr. McDaniel stated that they are mindful that their efforts are connected to Council's legacy goals and the new goals that will soon be adopted. Mr. McDaniel stated that he proposes eight strategies for Economic Development. Strategies • Retain /expand • Create and keep • Attract • Workforce • Targeted industry cluster program • Incentives and competitiveness • Development • Infrastructure Mr. McDaniel stated that the first three strategies have been the framework of his program since he first initiated it. The remaining five strategies are supportive to those. To further those strategies, he recommends the following initiatives. Retain and Expand To retain and expand, he recommends increasing engagement effort, including increased staff time and involvement of Council. Economic Development has good relationships with the business community. He recognizes that Council wants to be involved, and he agrees and will support that focus. He has forwarded some suggestions to Council and will welcome any particular guidance. At the same time, he Dublin City Council Study Session September 9, 2010 Page 4 of 12 has included several events on Council's calendar, should they be interested in being involved in those activities. Create and Keep He suggests securing a long -term lease of the Dublin Entrepreneurial Center (DEC), perhaps by using a community improvement corporation or a similar mechanism. They currently have a 60 -day notification of lease termination; however, a longer -term lease is desirable. Economic Development has a good relationship with the owners of the building who are pleased to have them in the building. However, if the owner had the opportunity to lease the entire building to a company for 10 years, the owner would most likely exercise that option. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher inquired who the owner is. Mr. McDaniel responded that the owner previously operated Buckeye Check Cashing, although that business was sold. Mr. McDaniel stated that he is interested in implementing a global center for business development at the DEC. A good amount of international activity occurs within Dublin. Ashland and OCLC have a presence in over 100 countries; Cardinal Health and Wendy's have extensive outreaches. Fifteen percent of Dublin's population is Asian -- primarily Indian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Dublin should capitalize upon the opportunities of its Asian business connections. It would be desirable to establish a physical place in which to facilitate a bridge to international markets. He has discussed this potential opportunity with Dwight Seeley of Sequent. There are corporations in Dublin interested in participating. This would be a collaborative effort, as was the DEC. He will be bringing back a proposed initiative for Council's consideration. Attract It will be necessary to focus additional staff time on this. They will need to "step up" the effort with their site consultant engagement with the real estate community. It is important to identify and be aware of the facilities available within the community so they can propose a site to a potential business. As noted previously, having a global focus will also be important. At the recent Intelligent Community Forum, he met with the Mayor and the Manager of Tallinn, Estonia, which is the headquarters of Skype, who mentioned that they were interested in a relationship with a community such as Dublin for a potential exchange workforce program. Going global would present many opportunities. Wo rkfo rce A proposed initiative is to "Develop a 21 sc Century Learning Center" — one of Council's new goals. In line with that will be an initiative to "Keep aging workers skilled and relevant." There has been much discussion about the young talent, but the aging generation may be working longer than originally anticipated. Many members of the retired community are interested in other opportunities for remaining involved in the workforce. Dublin City Council Study Session September 9, 2010 Page 5 of 12 Another initiative will be to "Attract and retain the knowledge /talented workforce with the built environment." Areas such as the Bridge Street Corridor -type housing and amenities can help to attract and retain the younger workforce. Targeted Industry /Cluster Program This is a study that he will request Council fund next year. He would like to engage Battelle, who has a particular focus in the area of cluster analysis, to help provide understanding as to what Dublin has in place. The "cluster" concept is businesses that attract like businesses or supporting businesses. Much of that is occurring within the City, but Battelle has the ability to conduct a comprehensive analysis, including emerging trends around clusters, declining or growing existing clusters, and potential new clusters worth pursuing. For example, it should be possible to build a significant I.T. cluster in Dublin. Recently, he spoke with a consulting firm that performs analytics for site consultants. He was surprised to hear their assessment that, unfortunately, in spite of the presence of one of the largest universities in the country, this area is not producing computer scientists. Battelle would be able to first provide an understanding of what Dublin has, then identify potential clusters the City could develop, and finally a "roadmap" on how to orchestrate that. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher asked how that initiative relates to the Columbus 2020 initiative and the Columbus Partnership's focus of targeted clusters. Mr. McDaniel responded that the Columbus Chamber and the State of Ohio have conducted cluster analyses. He is interested in having Battelle conduct a cluster analysis for Dublin because they have conducted one of these studies, and that experience would be beneficial to Dublin. The Columbus Chamber's national and internal marketing emphasizes the clusters that exist in the area. Much of their promotion focuses on logistics distribution and finance. Those are the burgeoning areas in Columbus, in which they anticipate success. However, that does not identify Dublin, which is a cluster of corporate headquarters with some high finance and insurance businesses. He believes Dublin also has more I.T. businesses than is realized. Staff has frequent contacts with I.T. companies and has the opportunity to bring more into the City. He believes that should become an area of focus for Economic Development efforts, and the items necessary to support that effort should be identified. That would overlap with the workforce goal, because it would then be possible to go to one or more local universities and ask how they could better support that type of cluster. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher stated that although there is rhetoric about a regional cluster concept, the way it is "playing out" is exclusive to the City of Columbus. That is a challenge for Dublin, because it is necessary to define how to position Dublin to benefit from this. It seems that Westerville, Gahanna and other cities are devising incentive packages that have brought businesses to their cities. She would like more information about their incentive packages. Are there some options that Dublin does not use that the other municipalities are using? What is in Dublin's Economic Development "toolbox "? Dublin City Council Study Session September 9, 2010 Page 6 of 12 Mr. McDaniel responded that "Incentives and Competitiveness" is listed below. He would recommend conducting that type of study. Ms. Gilger recently completed an inventory of what economic development incentives are being offered within the region, so Dublin does have that list. However, he would like to engage a consultant who can conduct an in -depth analysis of what others are doing and what tools might be available to Dublin. He believes Dublin has done well and continues to do well in this area, however. He believes that some communities have gone too far with incentives. They are now experiencing the consequences, particularly with regard to abatements. Dublin could, however, offer some form of abatement such as "green" abatements. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher stated that she is not opposed to studies, as they provide a gird of knowledge. However, it seems Dublin frequently becomes involved in studies that take so long to complete that valuable time is lost. Ms. Gilger has completed a survey and perhaps a study could utilize that information. Dublin needs to make some timely moves and make some decisions to "arm" itself with the tools necessary for this difficult task. She agrees that Economic Development has done an outstanding job, but she is concerned about the future. Dublin was far ahead for a long period of time, but Dublin no longer is in that position. There is serious competition that Dublin must address as quickly as possible in order to retain and expand its current businesses. She is disappointed to hear of the e -Cycle company that recently relocated elsewhere. Could Dublin have worked with a developer or with DBS to retrofit an existing, empty building? Mr. McDaniel responded that was the problem — there was no existing product of the size they required. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher stated that there is available land. Perhaps it would have been possible to incentivize them to expand an existing building. Mr. Keenan asked what amount of space they required. Ms. Gilger responded that they required 40,000 square feet. Mr. Keenan asked if the land and potential expansion space were available, how long would it require for Dublin's approval process? That is the issue he often hears. Mr. McDaniel responded that in this case, it would have taken too much time. Mr. Keenan stated that it would not have been practical in this case, as it would require 8 months to 18 months before they could break ground. That is the issue. Mr. McDaniel agreed that it is definitely part of the problem. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher stated that it might be a challenge. However, while there may be some communities where the development approval process requires less time, Dublin has examples of some major projects that have been successfully completed in an efficient timeframe. If e -Cycle was a project that the City considered important to retain, the City could have shepherded them through the process. Mr. McDaniel stated that he agrees that studies are not the total solution. He requests this because he needs some tools — and needs some knowledge of how to leverage this initiative. He needs to know what Dublin has. Mr. Keenan stated that if the standards were established to meet this need, a text established for a building expansion, with the objective of a shorter timeframe for Dublin City Council Study Session September 9, 2010 Page 7 of 12 approvals, which would be a tool Economic Development could use proactively when the need arises. Mr. McDaniel agreed. The Bridge Street Corridor redevelopment will be critical to Dublin's diversification of product and its ability to attract more commercial development. The COIC Area Plan needs to be completed. He is not referring to the 200 acres that the City owns, but to the greater 1,300 -acre area. The residents of Ballantrae and other neighbors would like to know more specifically about what that area will look like. Although there is established text for the City -owned area, that needs to be broadened into an area plan and a vision that he can market. He uses the Community Plan as a marketing tool on a regular basis. It is important for the City to look at the diversification of product and speed to build it for the COIC area. It may also be worthwhile to consider an RFP for a master developer of the land the City owns so that there is someone helping the City broker that. Mr. Keenan asked if Duke was the master developer for the Rickenbacker development. Mr. McDaniel responded that Duke had a large section of it. There are several developers who oversee those types of developments -- from marketing through the development process. Mr. McDaniel added that, although Emerald Phase 8 is not yet constructed, they have received several recent inquiries about potential projects for that extension. Incentives and Competitiveness Mr. McDaniel stated that they would step up their efforts in this area. Dublin already does this well; many others model Dublin's incentives. However, some entities are now using tools that Dublin does not apply. Dublin does not necessarily need to use those tools, but perhaps there is another mechanism that would be equally competitive. Many communities use abatements. However, if the land price were to be removed from a project, that would be better than an abatement. Dublin has 200 COIC acres that it can leverage, if the right project comes along. Infrastructure Dublin is second to none in regard to its infrastructure. Dublin practices forward planning — making the investment to spark development. Dublin has the capacity and agility to respond when an opportunity presents itself. That is one of the strongest tools Dublin has for economic development. Mayor Lecklider asked if the plan includes a strategy for Dublin to remain competitive in the face of the Columbus 2020 economic development initiatives. Mr. McDaniel responded that Dublin has been very involved with them and he has provided his input in their plan. One of their new members, Ken McDonald, recently visited, met with Economic Development and toured Dublin. He will be conducting specialized marketing for Columbus, and shared with them that "those who are ready will benefit." He stated that he is aware of Dublin's reputation for being ready, and being ready to respond will position Dublin well for deals that will come about for this region. Dublin City Council Study Session September 9, 2010 Page 8 of 12 Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher asked who in the inner circle of the corporate community is speaking on behalf of them, as that is the key. As it now stands, the Tournament fundraising concert has moved from Dublin to Columbus. Who does Dublin need to recruit to politically position Dublin in those groups that are making those decisions that are economically based? Mr. Gerber asked if they have invited members from Westerville and other areas to be part of this. Mayor Lecklider asked how Dublin could gain a seat at the table. Mr. McDaniel responded that Dublin does not have a seat at the table. The suburbs of Columbus will have representation through one of its members who sits at the table. In his opinion, however, the best thing that Dublin can do is support their effort and stay engaged. Every time Dublin is invited to be at the table, they do so. There has not been a specific discussion about 2020, however. The best course Dublin can take is to do site selector engagements and build its own database of relationships as much as possible. That is the best Dublin can do, other than forming its own 2020 -type group. Mayor Lecklider asked if there should be a coalition of city managers and economic development directors from the suburbs who can join together to have a greater voice in this arena. Mr. McDaniel responded that they actually did so, and as a result, there is a seat at the 2020 table that represents the suburbs. That representative is through the economic development group called Mid -Ohio Economic Development Exchange or MODE — that is a seat that the suburbs did not previously have. Mayor Lecklider stated that the suburbs cannot succeed without a strong City of Columbus; likewise, Columbus cannot succeed without strong suburbs. It is important for Dublin to be healthy, too because Dublin's strong position benefits the region. Mr. Gerber stated that Mr. McDaniel's staff is doing a good job, but from his perspective, he is not certain that Dublin has a full mastery of what the market conditions are. Dublin has many good businesses, but it is essential to better understand them and their future. Although Mr. McDaniel may understand what companies are looking for in a community in terms of relocation and expansion, Council does not. He would like to know more about that. It appears that Economic Development needs more tools, perhaps from planning, zoning or tax incentives. He would also like to know more about that, and have a discussion on how to provide staff with the needed tools. In addition, he would like to know what is occurring in the marketplace. Whether Dublin is able to participate in the Columbus 2020 dialogue or not, Dublin has many desirable assets. Many of the corporate people he represents would prefer to be in Dublin, or a similar suburb, versus downtown. Perhaps that is Dublin's niche. Mr. McDaniel responded that is exactly Dublin's niche. Mr. Gerber stated that an Emerald Phase 8 Marketing Plan is listed. That could be a full night's discussion in itself. Dublin City Council Study Session September 9, 2010 Page 9 of 12 Mr. McDaniel responded that it actually is not. The point is that Dublin needs to put effort into promoting Emerald Phase 8. There are two development opportunities in Dublin — Emerald Phase 8 and the COIC land to the west. In addition, there will be the Bridge Street Corridor opportunity. Everything else remaining is infill. All of those need to be looked at in a different way, and need to be promoted and marketed differently. Emerald Phase 8 will be the next great opportunity, and interest is being expressed in it. That road construction needs to occur soon. Mr. Gerber stated that many of the existing businesses in Dublin have no awareness of what the City's Economic Development division does or how the City could help them. Dublin excels in understanding its residents' needs, but perhaps needs to improve its corporate resident outreach. Because the income tax base is critical, it needs to be kept vibrant and cutting edge. It appears that some of that edge has been lost, so the City needs to identify what the corporate community really needs to encourage them to stay and grow in Dublin. Mr. McDaniel asked in what way Mr. Gerber believes Dublin has lost any of its edge. Mr. Gerber stated that it appears to him that to many of the businesses, it is important that they move quickly through the permitting process; to others, the infrastructure is important, or their proximity to Battelle, Ohio State or an airport. It seems today that businesses are much more analytical in their site selection. Twenty years ago, businesses selected attractive areas. Consequently, Dublin needs more tools to influence that analytical selection. Mr. McDaniel stated that is exactly what he is trying to convey. There are additional tools needed, and some of those are embedded in his presentation. He is presenting a broad brush overview, but he could break it down more specifically for Council. One of the tools is time and getting "face to face" with the businesses. Mr. Gerber stated that he would prefer to have a more focused discussion on the tools needed and on the environment. Council always seems to have an overall report for the year, but what does that really accomplish? He would prefer that Council focus on specifics. Does the City need an ambassador that has a presence at the State House, at the Chamber or on economic development trips to China or Europe? Does Dublin need to be involved in efforts of that nature? It is a worthwhile discussion. Mr. McDaniel stated that he, too, would be interested in that type of discussion. Tonight's discussion focused on operational ideas that he would like to advance as quickly as possible — operating tools that they need to have. His sense of "going global" aligns with Mr. Gerber's suggestion. The question is how to become involved and how to leverage the resources and people they know in this town or elsewhere to help accomplish that. Mr. Gerber stated that one goal of Council — the Learning Center, might attract a lot of people to work and develop a business in Dublin. Dublin City Council Study Session September 9, 2010 Page 10 of 12 Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher stated that she is in agreement with both Mr. McDaniel and Mr. Gerber. However, Council has already expressed all of this in the Council's goals. The question for her is when Council will have the information to make those more strategic decisions. She is hearing now that additional studies are needed. What is the timeframe in which those studies can be completed so that Council can know what the tools are that will be needed? Mr. McDaniel stated that he could provide that information to Council. He had hoped tonight to determine if Council would be supportive of his proposals. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher responded that economic development is Council's number one priority. Council has certainly been aggressively addressing it in the last two years because of the economy. He should be aware that Council is supportive of all of these efforts, based on their goal setting discussions. Mr. McDaniel stated that, as noted at the outset of the meeting, he appreciates Council's support and that they have made Economic Development a priority. However, he did not know whether Council would support his strategies and related requests. This is the first time in the five years he has served in this position that he has requested Council support for the level of requests that he has made tonight. Mr. Gerber asked if what is being requested from Council is an action plan. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher asked if the meeting materials include a specific list of the items that Mr. McDaniel is requesting. The items appear to be listed separately within the report, not together in a consolidated list. Mrs. Boring stated that Mr. McDaniel has referred to the interest and the marketing for Phase 8 of Emerald Parkway, yet it is not built. Mr. McDaniel responded that currently, they are working on a deal of a significant nature for an interested party who needs 20 acres to build their complex. It is doubtful Dublin can secure this deal. One of the areas they cited was Emerald Parkway Phase 8. If they were to announce tomorrow that they wanted to build in that area, the City could have the road constructed by the time they are ready to build their complex. That is what occurred with Cardinal Health, and there have been a number of businesses for which the City constructed the infrastructure as needed. The road design is nearly complete, so that would be feasible. Mr. Gerber asked if the resources requested in the report would provide him with the tools he needs to move forward. Mr. McDaniel responded affirmatively. Mr. Gerber inquired about the timeframe for the studies. Mr. McDaniel responded that the KPMG study was done a couple of years ago and would need to be updated. It is also necessary to target certain regions in which there is competition. This is the kind of information that Columbus 2020 or a liaison would require. It is also the tool he needs, so that he won't have to rely on someone else to provide that information. Dublin competes with markets of Atlanta and Wilmington, Delaware. The reason that competition is present is that Ashland Chemical purchased Dublin City Council Study Session September 9, 2010 Page 11 of 12 Herculean Chemical. He is hopeful that Ashland Chemical will consolidate this business in Dublin. Dublin receives many hits on its website from New Jersey, and Dublin has attracted a couple of companies from New Jersey. Having the needed comparative data is essential to him when he is at the negotiating table. Mr. McDaniel summarized the additional requests. - The Community Improvement Cooperation related to the DEC. The DEC can survive, but they would like to find a way to restructure that. It is not, however, something that needs to be addressed immediately. - The Incentive Analysis has had a good start, but he would like to have Squire, Sanders or another firm involved in writing those laws provide information to Dublin about what other communities are leveraging that Dublin is not. He would like to fully analyze what Dublin is doing and come up with some new ideas. That analysis could be completed quickly. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher suggested that Council approve three studies tonight. She would be initially interested in the Industry Cluster, the KPMG and the Incentive Analysis. The costs, as noted, would be $150,000. If Council approved those tonight, would it be possible to have reports by the end of the first quarter in 2011? Mr. McDaniel responded that two of the three could be completed within that timeframe. He cannot respond tonight about the Battelle study timeframe. Mr. Gerber expressed support for that recommendation. Mayor Lecklider asked why Council would not approve moving forward with all of the proposed studies at this time. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher responded that the COIC and DEC studies do need to be done as well, but it seems the first three would provide the initial information needed ultimately for the DEC or the COIC. It is an issue of prioritization. Mr. McDaniel noted that staff has been doing work on that internally. The costs listed for the COIC study were for the information essential to assemble an area plan — the utilities, transportation modeling, and service cost analysis. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher moved to direct Ms. Grigsby to identify funding for the following three studies: the Industry Cluster, the KPMG update, and the Incentive Analysis in order that the RFPs can be sent out this year. Mr. Gerber seconded the motion. Mr. Gerber asked if Squire, Sanders would be asked to conduct the Incentive Analysis. Ms. Grigsby responded that they would be a good resource, as they are knowledgeable about the available tools and the State regulations. In some of these studies, there could be one firm that serves as the lead consultant, but other contacts that would do follow up. The City has used Squire, Sanders extensively in the past to identify new incentive opportunities. They have a focus on public financing and public entities. Dublin City Council Study Session September 9, 2010 Page 12 of 12 There are some items that could be accomplished with the 2010 budget. One area of available funds is for incentive payments -- what was budgeted for this year is higher than what will be paid out. She will review other options. Mayor Lecklider asked if there is $150,000 currently available to fund these studies. Ms. Grigsby responded that the KPMG and the Incentive Analysis could easily be funded. With regard to the Battelle Industry Cluster Study, the proposed cost of $120,000 may not necessarily be the initial cost. Perhaps there are components of higher priority that could be funded earlier than the other components. Staff will review the components and costs of that study. Mayor Lecklider requested clarification of the motion — is it to identify the funds available for the studies or to actually fund the studies? Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher clarified that her motion is to fund the studies. She added that funds are likely available in the budget for 2010 from monies not expended. Vote on the motion as clarified: Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher, yes; Mr. Gerber, yes; Mr. Keenan, yes; Mayor Lecklider, yes; Vice Mayor Salay, yes; Mrs. Boring, yes. Ms. Chinnici - Zuercher stated that the other studies are important as well, but they are quite costly. She would like to read the information more closely before the budget hearings, when there would be an opportunity for more discussion. Mr. McDaniel responded that he appreciates Council's support for these items ahead of the 2011 operating budget process. Mr. Gerber commented that he does not care for the current branding being used for the Economic Development program. Several Council members indicated that they do like the current branding. Mr. McDaniel responded that staff receives many compliments about it. Staff has discussed whether to retain this branding or move to a more traditional City branding. He welcomes Council feedback at any time. The meeting was adjourned at 7:33 p.m. Clerk of Council