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EDA pushes housing, childcare and industrial-park work; asks council to increase professional-fee budget
Summary
Economic development staff urged a higher professional-fee placeholder—about $80,000—to support housing, childcare and industrial-park initiatives (including surveying and legal costs), and discussed Valley Tech Park maintenance and a proposed $350,000 roof CIP.
Crookston’s community development staff asked council to increase the department’s professional-fee budget to support three near-term priorities: a housing project near Casey’s, childcare facility planning, and industrial-park development tied to a planned railroad spur.
Staff said they had secured roughly $8–9 million in grants for city and community projects since 2022, and recommended raising the professional-fee placeholder from $50,000 to $80,000 to cover expected surveying, legal and consulting expenses if the projects move forward. “We’ve got to finance that project… surveying is the biggest challenge out there this year,” a community development staff member said, asking that council budget more realistically for anticipated costs.
On the Valley Tech Park, staff reported recent capital maintenance (furnace and entry heaters) and a failed light pole. They recommended restoring a previously removed $350,000 roof CIP item pending updated contractor quotes and noted that rents and utilities are being held near current levels while the park transitions tenants.
Staff also described grant administrative fees and temporary-salary placeholders for grant-funded positions; one recently awarded housing trust fund includes a 10% admin allowance that the EDA board matched. No votes were taken; staff will return with more-detailed cost estimates and potential sources for professional-fee needs.
