Economic Development Committee

Economic Development Committee - May 20 2026 Agenda Wednesday, May 20, 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 (Outgoing) 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 John Finegan New 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. Election of Officers Julie Curran is stepping off the Committee. A new chair needs to be selected by nominations and vote of the committee. C. 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.” D. Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes 1. Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes 4 26-04-15 (April) DRAFT EDC Minutes.pdf E. Action of Old and New Business 1. FY27 Work Plan Review FY26 Work Plan for tasks completed, ongoing and new tasks to draft FY27 Work Plan. 2. Economic Development Planning and Policy 1. Economic Development Strategic Plan a. Review Comprehensive Plan -ED Goals (Theme 2) b. Review Sustainable Community Initiatives-Climate One, CROZ, Building certifications c. Review 2015 Strategic Plan 2. Streamlining Development Review Process: a. Delegated Authority 3. Economic Development Programs 1. Municipal Loan Program a. City ED RLF program. T.Choi PM update b. Brownfields EPA Grants. T.Choi PM update 2. TIF Program. T.Choi Page 2 of 7  a. New TOGI TIF update b. TIF Policy/Procedure Document 4. Business Retention and Attraction 1. Business Recognition Program a. Business Outreach-see ED monthly report b. Business Spotlight-D. Cekutis: May STEM Coliseum presentation recap c. Annual Business Awards-no discussion Education Series: Energy Management for SoPo Businesses (Fall 2026). R. Hamilton/L. Duffy update 5. Workforce Development and Employer Connections Recap meeting: May 14, 2026, 7:30 am - 9:30 am (All EDC members/staff who attended) 6. Streamlining Processes & Aligning Efforts 1. Development Review Process - no update 2. Delegated Authority-DEP - no update 7. Economic Development Department Activity Report Staff report on departmental activities over the last month. F. Informational Items G. Items for Upcoming Agenda H. Adjournment Page 3 of 7  ​ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE (EDC)​ ​MEETING MINUTES​ ​Date:​ ​April 15, 2026​ ​Time:​​4:00 PM- 6:00 PM​ ​Location:​​Hybrid/Econ Dev Office, 829 Sawyer Street,​​South Portland, Maine​ ​A.​ ​Attendance​ ​4:03 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​ ​P​ ​Tavia Godfrey, ED​ ​Donna Larson Kane​ ​A​ ​Intern​ ​A​ ​Marty Riehle​ ​P​ ​Josh Reny -​ ​P​ ​Ryan Hamilton​ ​P​ ​Asst City Manager​ ​Ralph Humiston​ ​P*​ ​Guests / Other​ ​*Via Zoom/Phone​ ​John Finegan​ ​P​ ​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 April 15, 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: 3-18-26​ ​Motion to accept minutes as presented: M.Riehle, Second: D. Cekutis​ ​Vote: motion passes, all present (5 ayes, 2 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 City Council is reviewing the final plan April 21 at 6:30 at the High​ ​School auditorium. All EDC members are encouraged to attend and speak if​ ​desired regarding the proposed comprehensive plan.​ ​B.​ ​Development Review Process - no discussion​ ​Subject​ ​2. Economic Development Programs​ ​A.​ ​EPA Brownfields Assessment and RLF programs and Economic​ ​Development Department RLF. Reference report from T. Choi, attached.​ ​The Brownfields team would like to present a recap of the​ ​Assessment Grant program in the September EDC meeting that​ ​would be open to the public for attendance. The Board was amenable​ ​to this agenda item.​ ​B.​ ​TIF - TIF 101 presentation and Current City TIFs. See the attached​ ​Page​​2​​of​​4​ ​Economic Development Committee of the City of South Portland | Meeting Notes April 15, 2026​ Page 5 of 7  ​slide deck from the presentation.​ ​C.​ ​Active City Financial Assistance Loan update - Reference report from​ ​T. Choi, attached.​ ​D. Education programming: Energy Management for Businesses.​ ​R.Hamilton/L.Duffy planning a 3 part seminar series with Climate​ ​Resources Group/Onpoint Power for the fall. More information​ ​forthcoming.​ ​Subject​ ​3. Business Retention and Attraction​ ​A.​ ​Business Recognition Program​ ​●​ ​Out & About-April posts highlighting sustainable businesses​ ​●​ ​Business Spotlight-Move Forward Pt April spotlight​ ​●​ ​Annual Business Awards - no discussion​ ​Subject​ ​4. Workforce Development and Employer Connections​ ​Next meeting: May 14, 2026.​ ​Location: Grateful Culinary Collaborations (18 Ocean, old Snowsquall)​ ​Agenda: Maine Office of Business Development incentive programs​ ​presentation is the special topic.​ ​ACTION:​​Create 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.​ ​E:​​Informational Items​ ​J. Curran, chair of EDC, has purchased a home outside of South Portland. May​ ​will be her last meeting. John Finegan, a commercial real estate broker, attended​ ​the meeting and expressed interest in joining the board. He will apply online and​ ​talk with Councilor Walker, who is the appointing Councilor for J. Curran’s seat.​ ​ACTION:​​L. Duffy to forward FY26 Work Plan to J.Finegan​​for his review.​ ​Page​​3​​of​​4​ ​Economic Development Committee of the City of South Portland | Meeting Notes April 15, 2026​ Page 6 of 7 ​F:​​Items for Upcoming Agendas​ ​●​ ​May 20: Work Plan, WFRT recap, elect new chair of EDC​ ​●​ ​June 17: Finalize FY27 Work Plan, summer subcommittee schedule and​ ​FY27 meeting schedule, Select Biz Spotlights July-Aug-Sept​ ​●​ ​July-August: sub committee meetings as necessary​ ​●​ ​September 16: EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant Program Recap,​ ​Workforce Round Table Agenda​ ​●​ ​October 21: Biz Awards nominations campaign, work plan tasks, TBD​ ​●​ ​November 18: Biz Awards recipient selections​ ​●​ ​December 16: work plan tasks, TBD​ ​G:​​Adjournment​​5:38 PM​ ​Motion to adjourn: D. Cekutis, Second: M. Riehle, Vote: 4 ayes, 3 absent​ ​Page​​4​​of​​4​ ​Economic Development Committee of the City of South Portland | Meeting Notes April 15, 2026​ Page 7 of 7