Economic Development Committee

Economic Development Committee - Apr 15 2026 Agenda Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at 4:00 PM : Hamlin School, 829 Sawyer St, Economic Development Office Google Meet joining info Video call link: https://meet.google.com/yzz-joei-fsf Or dial: (US) +1 662-493-2488 PIN: 362 313 067# Page A. Attendance 1. Attendance Record - Committee Members Name Title Present Julie Curran Chair, EDC Joel Ouellette Vice Chair, EDC David Cekutis Member, EDC Donna Larson Kane Member, EDC Martha (Marty) Riehle Member, EDC Ralph Humiston Member, EDC Ryan Hamilton Member, EDC 2. Attendance Record-Staff and Public Name Title Present Lea Duffy Econ Dev Director Ted Choi Econ Dev PM Joshua Reny Asst. City Manager Page 1 of 7 B. Public Comment 1. Public Comment “Public Comment – Members of the public will be given up to 3 minutes to speak on any item on or off the agenda during when the Committee opens the Meeting to accept comments from members of the public. Members of the public who wish to spoke at the meeting should do so at this time. The one exception to this public comment practice will be for those individuals who have an item on the Committee Meeting Agenda and who have been requested to present/speak on that particular item. Those individuals will be allowed to present/speak when the item they have been invited to present/ speak on comes up on the meeting Agenda.” C. Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes 1. Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes 4 26-03-18 (March) DRAFT EDC Minutes.pdf D. Action of Old and New Business 1. Economic Development Planning & Policy 1. Comprehensive Plan - M.Riehle update on schedule/progress 2. Development Review Process - no update 2. Economic Development Programs 1. City ED RLF program. T.Choi PM update 2. Brownfields EPA Grants. T.Choi PM update 3. TIF Activities. J. Reny/T.Choi a. TIF 101 and SoPo Active TIFs b. New TOGI TIF proposal 3. Business Retention and Attraction 1. Business Outreach-see ED monthly report 2. Business Spotlight-R. Hamilton: April Move Forward PT presentation recap 3. Annual Business Awards-no discussion 4. Workforce Development and Employer Connections Next meeting: May 14, 2026, 7:30 am - 9:30 am Location: Grateful Culinary Collaborations, 18 Ocean Agenda discussion: DECD programs including Dirigo Business Incentives, adult ed program updates, SMCC Pathways, Boys & Girls Clubs, Housing/daycare and other Page 2 of 7  challenges questionnaire, round robin updates from all attending. 5. Economic Development Department Activity Report Staff report on departmental activities over the last month. E. Informational Items F. Items for Upcoming Agenda G. Adjournment Page 3 of 7  ​ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE (EDC)​ ​MEETING MINUTES​ ​Date:​ ​March 18, 2026​ ​Time:​​3:00 PM- 4:28 PM​ ​Location:​​Hybrid/Econ Dev Office, 829 Sawyer Street,​​South Portland, Maine​ ​A.​ ​Attendance​ ​3:06 P.M. Meeting Called to Order​ ​Attendance Record​ ​P=Present/A=Absent/V= Vacant​ ​Staff​ ​Present​ ​EDC Members​ ​Present​ ​Lea Duffy​ ​P​ ​Julie Curran (Chair)​ ​P​ ​ED Director​ ​Joel Ouellette (Vice​ ​A​ ​Ted Choi,​ ​P​ ​Chair)​ ​EDPM​ ​David Cekutis​ ​A​ ​Tavia Godfrey, ED​ ​Donna Larson Kane​ ​P*​ ​Intern​ ​A​ ​Marty Riehle​ ​P​ ​Josh Reny -​ ​P​ ​Ryan Hamilton​ ​P*​ ​Asst City Manager​ ​Ralph Humiston​ ​P​ ​Guests / Other​ ​*Via Zoom/Phone​ ​B:​​Public Comment​ ​Subject​ ​1.​​Public Comment​ ​The City Council has asked all City Committees to take Public Comment.​ ​Page​​1​​of​​4​ ​Economic Development Committee of the City of South Portland | Meeting Notes March 18, 2026​ Page 4 of 7 ​The format will generally follow that used by the South Portland City Council.​ ​The following is to be read prior to the commencement of Public Comment at​ ​each EDC Meeting.​​“Public Comment – Members of the​​public will be given up to​​3​ ​minutes​​to speak on any item on or off the agenda​​during when the Committee​ ​opens the Meeting to accept comments from members of the public.​ ​Members of the public who wish to speak at the meeting should do so at this time.​ ​The one exception to this public comment practice will be for those individuals​ ​who have an item on the Committee Meeting Agenda and who have been​ ​requested to present/speak on that particular item. Those individuals will be​ ​allowed to present/speak when the item they have been invited to present/ speak​ ​on comes up on the meeting agenda.”​ ​There were no members of the public in attendance at the Meeting and​ ​therefore no Public Comment.​ ​C:​​Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes​ ​Subject​ ​1. Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes: 2-18-26​ ​Motion to accept minutes as presented: M.Riehle, Second: R. Humiston​ ​Vote: motion passes, all present (4 ayes, 3 absent)​ ​D:​​Action on Old and New Business​ ​Subject​ ​1. Economic Development Planning & Policy​ ​A.​ ​Comprehensive Plan Committee Report: M.Riehle gave a brief update.​ ​The committee has small rewrites from public feedback. Marty will update​ ​more in the April meeting.​ ​B.​ ​Development Review Process - no discussion​ ​Subject​ ​2. Economic Development Programs​ ​A.​ ​EPA Brownfields Assessment and RLF programs and Economic​ ​Development Department RLF. Both programs. Reference report from T.​ ​Choi that was issued in the meeting.​ ​B.​ ​TIF - TIF 101 presentation in April meeting. J. Reny provided a​ ​summary of the TI TIF extension request which is proceeding with​ ​anticipation on Council agenda for April 21st. Two existing TIF districts​ ​(Growth Area and TOD) will be sunsetted and the TI TIF will incorporate​ ​some of these parcels as well as the transportation corridors. The​ ​proposed map and more detail in the April meeting.​ ​Page​​2​​of​​4​ ​Economic Development Committee of the City of South Portland | Meeting Notes March 18, 2026​ Page 5 of 7  ​C.​ ​Active City Financial Assistance Loan update - Reference report from​ ​T. Choi that was issued in the meeting.​ ​Subject​ ​3. Business Retention and Attraction​ ​A.​ ​Business Recognition Program​ ​●​ ​Out & About-March social media series by T. Godfrey​ ​highlighted women owned businesses.​ ​●​ ​Business Spotlight-EDC reviewed all nominations and selected​ ​Move Forward Pt for April, Stem Coliseum for May and Wicked​ ​Pickle for June. Motion to accept selections: M.Riehle, Second:​ ​R. Humiston. 5 ayes, all present.​ ​●​ ​Annual Business Awards - EDC/Staff recapped the event.​ ​Suggestions for future awards presentations included​ ​acknowledging Spotlight recipients during the presentation in​ ​addition to New Businesses. Setting up primarily with tables​ ​vs. auditorium seating. Plan ahead for better audio/video.​ ​Consider a manufacturing/industrial based award category.​ ​B.​ ​Education programming: Energy Management for Businesses.​ ​R.Hamilton/L.Duffy upcoming conversation with Climate Resources​ ​Group/Onpoint Power. Report with more details in April.​ ​Subject​ ​4. Workforce Development and Employer Connections​ ​Next meeting: May 14, 2026.​ ​Location proposed Grateful Culinary Collaborations (18 Ocean, old​ ​Snowsquall)​ ​Agenda ideas: housing/daycare, Maine Dept of Education update on State​ ​level programs, DECD Office of Business Development incentive programs​ ​presentation, adult education programs, SMCC Pathways, Boys & Girls Clubs​ ​Bridge to Success program, summer internships.​ ​Suggestion to make a Jotform questionnaire for the May meeting asking​ ​about desired topics such as housing/daycare and other issues that challenge​ ​businesses to create potential agenda items in October and future meetings.​ ​Subject​ ​5. FY26 Meeting Schedule​ ​No discussion.​ ​Subject​ ​6.Economic Development Department Activity​​Report​ ​L. Duffy distributed ED monthly summary in the meeting.​ ​Page​​3​​of​​4​ ​Economic Development Committee of the City of South Portland | Meeting Notes March 18, 2026​ Page 6 of 7 ​E:​​Informational Items​ ​No items were presented or discussed.​ ​F:​​Items for Upcoming Agenda​ ​●​ ​April 15: Work Plan tasks, TIF 101 & TI TIF Extension​ ​●​ ​May 20: Work Plan, WFRT recap​ ​●​ ​June 17: Finalize FY27 Work Plan, summer subcommittee schedule and​ ​FY27 meeting schedule, Select Biz Spotlights July-Aug-Sept​ ​G:​​Adjournment​​4:28 PM​ ​Motion to adjourn: M. Riehle, Second: R.Humiston. Vote: 4 ayes, 3 absent​ ​Page​​4​​of​​4​ ​Economic Development Committee of the City of South Portland | Meeting Notes March 18, 2026​ Page 7 of 7