The Crookston Housing & Economic Development Authority (CHEDA) met on Monday for a regular meeting at 5:00 p.m. at the Valley Technology Park. After the Call to Order, the meeting began with the board approving their meeting minutes from their last meeting on November 21 and their special meeting on November 28.
CONSENT AGENDA
The Consent Agenda included approving the EDA Financials and the Crookston Jobs Loan Status and Financials. It also included the approval of the Community Investment Financials, the Financials for Prairie Skyline, the Grants and Financials for B3, and the Financials for Epitome Energy. Next, it resolved a Revolving Loan Fund for Crookston Jobs and Loan Status and Financials. It also resolved Financials for Oak Court Public Housing, Housing Choice Voucher, Workforce Housing, and Rehab Housing. The final item on the Consent Agenda was to approve the Financials, Building Occupancy, and Expended Business Incubation of Valley Technology Park.
APPROVE CHEDA PAYABLES
The board then made a motion to approve the board’s payables. CHEDA Director Dylane Klatt explained that they were paying $46,672.97 for their payrolls and bills from December 8-14 and $2,161.63 for their Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for a total of $48,834.60.
HOUSING REPORT: TAHRAN
The board then heard from Administrative Assistant Theresa Tahran with an update on a Public Housing Report on the Oak Court Apartments. She reported that they were completing a lot of renovations for the apartments.
Section 8
Tahran then gave an update on Section 8. She noted 138 vouchers were issued during the month of December.
Workforce Housing
Tahran then gave an update on the 1410 Eickhof Boulevard, saying they will not have any more updates on it until the ground thaws and construction can be completed in the spring.
OLD BUSINESS
The board then heard from Director Kari Kirschbaum with an update on the loan with Epitome Energy, saying that due to Epitome planning to build their Soybean Processing plan in Grand Forks rather than Crookston, they had returned the loan they had given to Epitome. “When Epitome announced that they’d be moving to Grand Forks, they gave us a check for $250,000 to make the City of Crookston whole in the loan that they had. Today, the board approved to relinquish the security that we had on Epitome, so they’re completely absolved of anything else, and we’re all clear legally,” Community Director Kari Kirschbaum explained. “We wish them the best of luck and wish they were making their home here, but hopefully, the next project will be even better for Crookston.”
MAIN AGENDA
The board then began discussing several deals they had with local businesses for improvements and renovations at Oak Court Apartments. The first item that Kirschbaum brought forward was a bid for a new water heater after the last one had begun leaking. The board had received bids from Adams Heating & Cooling and HN Quality Plumbing Inc. and decided to go forward with HN’s bid of $24,484.13. The next item was for them to replace the standpipes and commence a five-year maintenance plan for $3322.59. The next item she brought forward was for a new painting job by Chuck’s Painting across the building and in several apartments for $480 ($30 per hour). The final item she brought forward was an application for a $100,000 business loan for the redevelopment of a building, “We’re going to take security as there’s a property that has about $50,000 owed on it,” Kirshbaum explained. “It’s worth approximately $200,000, and we’ll award $100,000, so we’ll be in second place on that mortgage. That will move through the process, and I’ll give the big announcement as soon as we have that all handled.” The board approved all motions unanimously.
The next CHEDA meeting will take place on Tuesday, December 27, at 6:30 p.m. in the Crookston City Hall Council Chambers.
