Forward New Richmond Committee

Forward New Richmond Committee Meeting Agenda Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at 12:00 PM Council Chambers Page 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. ROLL CALL 3. ADOPTION OF AGENDA 4. CONSENT AGENDA a. Minutes from date: 2-4 Forward New Richmond Committee Minutes - March 18, 2026 b. Community Development Updates: 5-6 Memo: Community Development Updates - FNR April 2026 5. GOALS AND PRIORITIES FOR 2026 a. Forward New Richmond Priorities - 2026 7-8 Memo: FNR Goals and Priorities -2026 6. AGENDA TOPICS FOR FUTURE MEETINGS 7. ANNOUNCEMENTS 8. ADJOURNMENT  Forward New Richmond Committee Meeting Minutes Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM Council Chambers The Forward New Richmond Committee was called to order on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at 12:00 PM, in the Conference Room, with the following members present: PRESENT: Krista Paulus, Joe Green, Liz Pizzi, Bryan Knudtson, Mike Montello, and Pete Kling ABSENT: Ryan Shervey, Kent Elkin, and Aaron Sundeen OTHERS Beth Thompson, Melissa Meschke, Mayor Zajkowski, and Alderman Grady PRESENT: CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL ADOPTION OF AGENDA Krista Paulus made a motion to approve the Agenda as presented. Bryan Knudtson seconded the motion. Carried unanimously. CONSENT AGENDA Beth Thompson added some information to her report by discussing Isometric/Nissha, Northwest Passage, and Accelerated Plastics. Joe Green moved to approve the Consent Agenda. Motion seconded by Krista Paulus. Carried unanimously. APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION #032603 - TERMINATION OF COVENANTS Beth Thompson presented background information on termination of the final set of covenants in the Business & Technical Park. These covenants were recorded in 1988 and are now largely antiquated and outdated. Since the time these covenants were established, the City of New Richmond has significantly updated and strengthened its zoning and subdivision ordinances. Staff believes the City's current ordinances adequately address development standards, land use, and property maintenance within the Business & Technical Park, making the original covenants unnecessary. In 2019, the City initiated an effort to terminate all sets of covenants within the Business & Technical Park. During that process, two of the three covenant areas were successfully terminated. However, the City was unable to gather the required number of signatures needed to terminate the original covenant area at that time. At the October, 2025 Plan Commission meeting, members requested that Forward New Richmond Committee Meeting March 18, 2026 City staff revisit the effort to terminate the remaining covenants. Staff subsequently contacted property owners within the affected area and was able to obtain the required approvals. The covenants require signatures representing at least 75% of the lots and not less than 60% of the collective property owners within the Business & Technical Park to authorize termination. Staff has successfully obtained the necessary approvals to meet these requirements. Per the covenant provisions, termination must be authorized through the adoption of a resolution by Forward New Richmond. Staff is therefore requesting that the FNR Committee recommend approval of Resolution #032603 to terminate the covenants. Following FNR consideration, the resolution will be forwarded to the City Council for final approval. Once approved, the termination document will be recorded with the county. Mike Montello made a motion to approve Resolution #032603 Termination of Covenants and move this item to the City Council for final approval. Pete Kling seconded the motion. Carried unanimously. SRF CONSULTING (ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT) UPDATES Beth Thompson updated the FNR committee on the process for 2026 for SRF Consulting. Beth stated they have completed a review of the industrial zoning code, there will be a community engagment meeting on April 23 and that they are working on the Market Assessment. Discussion followed. GOALS AND PRIORITIES FOR 2026 Discussion ensued regarding the memo summarizing the top nine priorities identified in late 2024 for the 2025 calendar year. It was noted that following prior committee discussions, City staff distributed a survey to committee members to help identify and rank priority areas. The results of that survey established Affordable Housing, New Industrial Park, Downtown Revitalization, and Business Retention and Expansion as the top four priorities. Staff provided a brief update on progress made throughout 2025, highlighting efforts related to Affordable Housing initiatives, Business Retention and Expansion activities, collaboration with SRF Consulting on economic development efforts, and initial steps toward Downtown Revitalization. As the committee looks ahead to 2026, members discussed whether to revisit or revise the priority list. Consensus was reached to continue focusing on the top four priorities, with a particular emphasis on advancing the New Industrial Park. Additional discussion included the importance of being prepared for potential business growth opportunities in the region. The committee requested that Beth coordinate with SRF Consulting to obtain preliminary labor market data, particularly in light of recent legislative changes in Minnesota, to better position the City of New Richmond to respond to prospective businesses. AGENDA TOPICS FOR FUTURE MEETINGS At this time there will be a meeting on April 15, 2026 at noon. Discussion points will be on the priorities. ANNOUNCEMENTS No announcements. Forward New Richmond Committee Meeting March 18, 2026 ADJOURNMENT Pete Kling made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 12:50 p.m. Krista Paulus seconded the motion. Carried unanimously. Forward New Richmond Committee Meeting March 18, 2026  MEMO Prepared for: Forward New Richmond Staff Contact: Beth Thompson Meeting: Forward New Richmond Committee - 15 Apr 2026 Subject: Community Development Updates - April 2026 BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Building / Zoning Updates: January 1 - March 31, 2026 Number of Building Permits - 79 Number of New Dwelling Units - 25 Number of Inspections - 415 Residential Construction Value - $6,868,283.00 Commercial Construction Value - $939,764.00 Building Permit Fees Collected - $82,483.00 Occupancy Updates: In Feburary, the Building Inspector issued occupancy for seven single-family homes, five twin homes and two multi-family. Economic Development Updates: On March 4, 2026 I attended the Annual meeting for Momentum West. Momentum West is a regional economic development organization serving Barron, Clark, Chippewa, Dunn, Eau Claire, Peirce, Pepin, Polk, Rusk, and St. Croix Counties. They provide technical assistance and spearheading talent attraction and development initiatives for the West Central Wisconsin. During the annual meeting, the following were award winners: o Young Professional – Adam Accola – Dunn EDC o Top Development/Redevelopment Project – Eevy Ivy Over Flowers o Top Talent Initiative – Build My Future - SCVBA o Regional Impact – Starter Home Project - SCV Habitat for Humanity SRF Consulting: The City continues to partner with SRF Consulting on several key economic development initiatives in 2026. Their work is currently focused on three primary efforts: completing a Market Assessment to better understand local and regional economic trends, reviewing and updating Industrial Zoning Ordinances to ensure they align with current and future development needs, and facilitating a Community Engagement meeting to gather input from local businesses and stakeholders. These efforts will help guide informed decision-making and support strategic growth within the community. Ribbon Cutting: Jewelltown Café, located within the new library building, was officially welcomed by the community during a ribbon cutting ceremony on March 20, 2026. Community members gathered to celebrate the occasion, enjoying coffee and a variety of freshly baked goods. The event marked an important milestone for the café and highlighted it as a vibrant addition to the library space and the New Richmond community. St. Croix Valley Builders Association: On March 24, 2026, I participated as a panelist at the SCVBA Blueprints and Bites event. The discussion brought together representatives from River Falls, New Richmond, Somerset, St. Croix County, and Pierce County to share perspectives on housing. The panel focused on current housing challenges and identifying strategies to address local and regional housing needs. Page 2 of 2  MEMO Prepared for: Forward New Richmond Staff Contact: Beth Thompson Meeting: Forward New Richmond Committee - 15 Apr 2026 Subject: Forward New Richmond Priorities - 2026 BACKGROUND INFORMATION: At the end of 2024, members of Forward New Richmond completed a survey to help establish Economic Development priorities for 2025. The survey results ranked the following initiatives in order of importance (with #1 identified as the highest priority): 1. Affordable Housing 2. Development of a New Industrial Park 3. Downtown Revitalization 4. Business Retention and Expansion 5. Entrepreneurship / Start-Up Business Support 6. Small Business Support Strategies 7. Enhanced Economic Development Marketing 8. Workforce Development Strategies 9. Public Transportation Based on these results, the committee agreed to focus its 2025 efforts on the top four priorities. Throughout 2025, staff has provided updates and facilitated discussion regarding progress in these areas. During the March 2026 meeting, the committee revisited the full list of priorities to help inform direction for the upcoming year. The outcome of that discussion was to maintain the full priority list, while placing a more targeted focus for 2026 on the following two areas:  Development of a New Industrial Park  Downtown Revitalization Continued Support of Other Priorities While the primary focus for 2026 will be on the two areas above, the committee affirmed the importance of continuing to recognize and support the remaining priorities as opportunities arise:  Affordable Housing  Business Retention and Expansion  Entrepreneurship / Start-Up Business Support  Small Business Support Strategies  Enhanced Economic Development Marketing  Workforce Development Strategies   Public Transportation These areas will remain part of the overall framework and may be advanced as capacity, partnerships, and funding opportunities allow. Next Steps FNR members will further discuss how to move forward with the two primary priority areas, including identifying specific action steps, timelines, and roles. This discussion will help establish a clear path forward and guide implementation efforts for 2026. Page 2 of 2