WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 1
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=D0hlrNyGprI

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: D0hlrNyGprI):
- 00:00:03: Call to Order: MEEDC FY27 Budget and Toolbox Funding
- 00:02:21: MEEDC's 20th Anniversary and ROI Presentation Begins
- 00:05:26: Milestones of MEEDC Over the Last 20 Years
- 00:08:27: MEEDC's Three-Bucket Strategy: Business, Tourism, Development
- 00:09:49: Company Investments and Job Creation Statistics Presented
- 00:11:48: Councilor Questions Begin: Business Growth and Applications
- 00:14:12: City Planning Services and Self-Sufficiency Questioned
- 00:16:24: Grant Dollars and Attracting Business to Downtown/Mall
- 00:21:21: MEEDC Recognition and Other Cities Taking Notice
- 00:23:28: Envy of Other Communities, Value to Residents Explained
- 00:25:53: Discussion of City Planner Role, Tax Increase Mitigation
- 00:33:56: Clarification on Planning Agent, Fire Station Funding
- 00:36:44: Move to Next Item: Economic Development Toolbox Funding
- 00:39:58: Comments on Ease of Use and Supportive Small Business Services
- 00:41:14: Meeting Adjourned


Part: 1

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call to order the finance committee meeting on April 13, 2026 at third 6:30 p.m. Uh we have two items on the agenda this evening. We have a transfer request in the amount of $87,000 $87,000 $524

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uh from economic development to MEEDC funding for the FY2027 operating budget. We also have a transfer request in the amount of $150,000 uh from economic development to MEEDC funding for the economic development toolbox. Um, I will be I will begin with

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order number 26-1009716, uh, which is the transfer request in the amount of $87,524, uh, from economic development to to MEEDC funding for the FY2027 operating budget of MEDC. And I'll begin by reading the letter

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submitted by the mayor. Dear councelor President Oing and counselors enclosed for your review and approval are two transfer requests for the Marro Economic Development Corporation MEEDC in the amount in the amount of $87,524

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for its operating budget and $150,000 to continue funding the economic development toolbox program. Uh included for your review is the FY2027 operating budget and narrative from executive director Meredith Harris. I'm grateful that our strong local hotel tax

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revenue enables us to invest in economic development initiatives in our city through MEDC. The Marbor Economic Development Corporation is consistently recognized as a leader in business development support and the attraction of new investment across Massachusetts.

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This success reflects its ongoing commitment to bringing new businesses to the city while strengthening community engagement through initiatives that support local small businesses and host special events that drive interest in Malro. Executive Director Harris will be

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available at a future meeting to answer any questions you may have. Sincerely, Jay Christian Dumis mayor. And with that, I'll bring up executive director Harris if you want to go through your slideshow. And Linda, >> yes. Lyn Martins, thank you.

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>> Thank you so much. Good evening. >> Good evening. Thank you for having us tonight. A little different from a slideshow. This is our 20th year. >> Thank you, council. >> Is that better? Thank you. Um, so just

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we're going to go through a little slideshow. MEEDC was created in 2006. So, this is the 20th year anniversary. So, we thought it might be a good time to take a look back and see kind of the ROI um on the the funds that have been given to this organization over the years that we've been been around. So,

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I'm going to do my best here with the There we go. Okay. So, a little bit of a backstory. Um and I'm not going to read every word. You guys obviously have this in front of you, but the reason we were created um and the next slide kind of goes through the story as well, but in 2006, many of you might remember,

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Fidelity left the city in what felt like overnight um took with them about 5,000 jobs from the city. And that that impact was felt pretty deeply um by our small business um you know, community across the city, whether it was Rocks Barber Shop, you know, folks not coming in to

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get haircuts or Hunts, folks not coming in to get gas. So, a bunch of folks much smarter than myself came together and said, "Hey, we got to make sure that this doesn't happen again." Um, and in how do we get some boots on the ground to make sure that we're talking to the business community and that if anybody is going to leave like this again

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overnight, we'll at least know about it and we'll have an an opportunity to either save them here in the city or or work with them to to face their challenges. So, we were created at that time um with the goal of stabilizing the residential tax base and we do that by increasing the commercial tax revenue

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that comes into the city. Well, it doesn't look like our chart made it onto the the screen here, folks. Sorry about that. But here's just some tax rate insights to to look at how we're doing on that. Marro continues to have the lowest residential tax rate over the 13 surrounding communities.

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Marro has the lowest CIP tax rate out of the five surrounding communities that have a split tax rate. And Malro's average single family tax increase was the lowest of the surrounding communities in the last two years. You can't see the chart that we have here on our slides. Um, but I can tell you that

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since FY16, the past 10 years, that the the increase for the average single f family home was about 2.6, 2.7, 3.9, 3.2, 2.59, 1.29, 3.52.

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Uh, in FY24, we all remember there was a negative 3.32% increase, 3.2%, 2% and then the 10.1% which was last year which was the anomaly um that we all remember from last year. So here's kind of our milestones over

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the 20 years. We didn't pick each 20 each year to showcase um something but just some of the things that stand out in our minds of things that we've had a direct um hand in. 2006 again that's when Fidelity leaves prompting the city to create what you might remember as Malro 2010. Uh it was at that time that

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we were still membership based in two 2011. That is when Malro Economic Development Corporation was established. That was via the special legislation that we often talk about. Um and we talked about the master plan that was brought to the table not implemented by this council until 2013, but that's when

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the economic development master plan was created was in 2011. 2012 Boston Scientific chooses Malbor uh Malro Hills which is now home to Quest Diagnostics Caitiva GE Healthcare formerly um and you also have um the

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Hilton Garden in over there the Avalon that whole concept of live work play was created through that development. 2014 the downtown resoning takes place creating the Malboro village district. Uh TJX came to value they called it value way. Uh 2016 the hospitality

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mixeduse district was created. That's Apex. Um GE healthcare opened. Apex came to fruition which I I have to make a a note that Apex because of the cooperation of this council and the city together. Um theo first hotel was actually open from 18 months when the

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shovel went into the ground, which was a huge kudos to the city of Malbor to be able to help them get that up and running in such a short period of time. And then the toolbox, um it wasn't created, it was created in 2015, but 2016 is when it really started to gain some traction. We got some people applying. Um so that was really

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exciting. 2018 the again with your help, the city entrusts me to purchase the facil lot, which is now home to Alta French Hill. You all know that that was many years of work that went into reszoning the area, purchasing the land, finding the right developer, which we now have a really beautiful development

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up there. 2019 was the launch of the Malbor commuter shuttle. Um, that was something that we created as a a pilot program that is still running uh to this day. Um, but we've been able to fund that through grant dollars and then state earmarks to close that last mile

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gap, which pre-COVID was a big topic of conversation of how do you get folks from the south train station that are coming in from Boston and or Worcester. They can't get from South Burrow to Malro. So, how do we help them bridge that gap? 2022 BJ's brings their headquarters to

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Malro. They built that new uh parking garage over there. We were able to help them with a tiff to bring them into the city as well. There's new construction. 2023, Mona and Storius. Those were the two headlines for that year. Um, Malro made investments in the launch of the Malro pop-up shops, which is a

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phenomenal program going into our fourth year this April. And then 2025, we were excited to see that the state crime lab uh chose Malbor as their new home. So, just a quick, you know, brief kind of, I guess, visual on what's our

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strategy. How do we do the things that we do? It's really broken into three buckets for us. Uh business attraction and retention. A lot of what we were just talking about falls into that bucket. Whether it's large business, medium-sized business, or small business. How do we put Malro on the map? How do we market the city and make

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sure that folks that are outside of Malboro know that we're here and that we want them to also join us in being here um in bringing their business here? We also have the hospitality and sports tourism bucket. A lot of that is based around the fact that we have the largest number of hotel rooms outside of greater Boston. We also have the New England

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Sports Center, which is the largest indoor hockey skating largest indoor skating facility um in North America. So, we see about two to three million visitors per year that come through the sports center each each year. So, we want to make sure that we're we're getting those folks to stay in Malro, eat in our restaurants, stay in our

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hotels, and make sure that that industry is is continuing to thrive. And then downtown development. Um I would, you know, kind of expand that to not just be downtown, but more of neighborhood development. Um, French Hill became a big part of that when we were looking at the neighborhood business district. Basically, how do we make sure that the

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neighborhoods have a good community community sense throughout? So, this is how we vacancy rates would be kind of how we track how are we doing from a commercial uh bringing commercial folks into the community. You'll see back in 2012, um, the vacancy rate was

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at a high. Um, the office vacancy rate was at 34%. Um, but we were able to kind of bring that down, um, through efforts with company moves and expansions, TJX, Boston Scientific, Quest, a few that I just mentioned. Once those folks came in, we we filled about 2 million square

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feet of space in those first 5 to 10 years. And ever since then, we've been able to really kind of keep it stable at that. Um, the overall rate is hovering around 10%. Um, and the office vacancy rate has been about 15 for some time, which is pretty healthy. Means we have room for folks to come in. Uh, but we're

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not we don't have a huge vacancy that we're staring at staring in the face like we did in 2006. So, here's some numbers that we put together. Um, I will say too, I think some of these are conservative. Um, the $1.1 billion in company investments,

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that is just the companies that we've been able to partner with the council on TIFFs. Um, so there certainly have been other companies that have come to the city without a tiff. Um, but we we were able to to quantify 1.1 billion in company investments. Again, that's Mona, Sur, Storius, SaitTiva, um, BJ's, Quest

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Diagnostics, Boston Scientific, any of the folks that had a TIFF that we were able to use that tool to bring them into the community. Again, that's the same uh, with the 7,000 new jobs through those larger companies that have come in. We've been able to add $55.7 million

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in new growth applied to the tax levy through our toolbox efforts. 44 small businesses have been assisted through that toolbox fund. That's the grants or the loan fund. $492 jobs either new or retained through that loan fund. And then directly through our office, um

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we've been able to apply for and achieve $17 million in grants that have come back directly to the city to help with infrastructure improvement projects. Thank you. >> Thank Thank you, Meritt. Thank you, Linda. Um, I'd like to say too, you have

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a wonderful team that's supporting you this evening. Wonderful team that I I strongly support. Um, as a a reminder to the council and to residents, too, that the um economic development is funded for the city of Laroo through the uh local option hotel tax for the room tax.

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Um, just wanted to put that out there as well. and I was very happy to see that you did your diligence trying to keep the budget at that 2.96%, you know, increase from the previous year. Um, with that, I'll open it up to the, uh, if you're all set, I'll open up to the finance team if we have any

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questions and the rest of the full council. Thank you, Mary. >> Thank you. >> No, I'll go to council. >> Sometimes people like to wait. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Meredith. Thank you, Linda, and other

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staff members sitting in the audience. Um, and for all the councils that sit here and previous ones, uh, they know my feeling about this being a corpor corporation versus a city department. But the 2.96%,

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thank you for trying to keep your budget within that. Uh, what in in the letter you wrote, Meredith, you wrote about business growth and attractive attract new investment to the city. What applications have been received over the past year? >> I'm sorry. What applications?

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>> I'm dealing with allergies. What What applications have we received in the past year? You had noted applications currently in the pipeline underscoring the continued need for additional funding >> for the toolbox. I'm going to let Linda answer that. Um, we're talking about those are applications that we get for

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that toolbox fund. >> The toolbox. Okay. >> Sure. >> And we did provide you guys a sheet too of any of the the grants that have been provided for this year. And just a reminder to account that will be the second part of the agenda too. Uh we'll be doing the funding for the toolbox. >> Yeah, we can hold off.

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>> So if so it's the toolbox that you were >> So that's a to So this year we had um tackle box was one of them. Um we had the coffee loft was another one. Linda, who am I missing? >> Spill spill books and wine. >> Maha juice bar. Uh race performance

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motorsport shop and mentoring center. Um, Arrow Coffee Roasters and Classic Pizza. >> Yeah. And I just was in Classic Pizza Saturday and they're doing dynamic business with that toolbox. So, so that was good. Um,

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>> the um city planning services, you know, I ask that almost every year. What was offered over the past year for planning services? >> So, the the forward plan, >> the the one I Yeah, we're going to be discussing I believe in urban affairs. Um any other help to the planning board

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through that funding that 50,000? >> Not to date, but we we would be happy to do that if that's something you'd like us to do. >> That's something that always concerns me. We're one of the very few communities that doesn't have a city planner or town planner if it was a town. Um the business retention and

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expansion, any help outside, such as from the Chamber of Commerce or other businesses? because you've heard me ask before of asking why you can't get to being self-sufficient without using tax money that comes into the hotels and could be changed by legislation to go to

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the residents. So the question is is any help from the outside helping you right now with ch like the chamber or others helping with business retention and expansion? >> So I we've got a great relationship with the chamber. I think it's actually gotten better over the last couple

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years. Michelle does a phenomenal job um over there. But one of one of our line items through business attraction retention is workforce development and um we work directly with the chamber to host an event each year, a career fair, career expo um at the Solomon Pond Mall. We actually this year brought together

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six different school districts that came in. Um we had nine different industries that were represented um company reps that you know we worked together to make sure that we filled the panels together. We brought the students in from the different schools. Um really a phenomenal day. we had about 170

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students that came through. Um, but that's just one example of what, you know, working with other groups to to bolster our efforts. >> So that 88,750 represents some of that work you just mentioned at the business retention. >> And let's see, the only other questions

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I have is related to the let me get back to the beginning of it where the questions were. Um, sorry. Um, thank you for the slideshow. And my question was, and by the way, if I Mr. Chair, if hold on for, if I can make an announcement, the personnel

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committee will be meeting after the posted 6:45 p.m. time. So, if anyone's here for personnel, please hold on. We'll be meeting soon. We posted 6:45. I never thought we'd get this done in 15 minutes, but that's fine. Um the

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the uh grant dollars you mentioned, is that just the bus that you're getting grant dollars for or do you have any other grants that we're getting through MEEDC? >> No, we do we do a a lot of grants actually. So Lindsay actually um applies for the cultural district grants, anything that you see money that goes

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into the downtown village association for the food truck festival, other events that they use those funds for. Um, probably the largest grants that we go for are the Mass Works or now called housing works grants. That's where the bulk of that 17 million you saw came from, whether that's to do the uh main

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street project. There was a Simono Drive one Cedar Hill. Um, so we we are the office that applies for and hopefully receives those grants when we apply for them. >> And my last question before final comments, any idea how we can get and attract business to downtown and the

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mall? uh because both seem to be slowing down and that's just not Marro. I know it's throughout the world country. Uh you see malls closing up left and right and I walk downtown to the right of town city hall here and you'll find businesses are closing and it's it it's

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hard to see that. But >> could you explain what could be done to prevent that? >> Yeah, I mean I honestly I think downtown's doing better um than it has in past years. I mean, our efforts through the the popup program, we saw two of our pop-up users that actually

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ended up in brick-and-mortar stores downtown. So, I think continuing those types of efforts. Um, we also were able to provide Pico with a toolbox grant to help them get up and running. Uh, LSU, similar, I know that's many years ago at this point, but help them purchase the equipment that you see inside of their

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business. So, I think all those efforts that we that we have been doing in the past, I think we should continue to do those things. Um our biggest challenge downtown it happens to be landlords. So if you have a landlord that is um you know in control of a property that doesn't share the same vision that the

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city or that necessarily MEEDC you know it's difficult to help incentivize businesses when the landlord's not on the same page. But we continue to try to um bolster those relationships, nurture those relationships and and offer the tools that we do have in our tool belt which I will say is more than our

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surrounding communities. nobody else has the types of programs that we have access to, which I think is what gives us a leg up. Um, in that sense, the mall, I think, is a different story. You know, we're we're not trying to attract business to the mall right now. The mall is under new ownership that has a different vision for what they want to

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do with that site in the next couple years. So, we're really trying to work closely with them um, you know, on the new zoning that was implemented a few years ago to think about future opportunities, what they can do with the entire parcel. Um, but the goal there is not necessarily to bring business to the mall, but to help the folks that are

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there stabilize, um, and to help help the new owners realize their vision for the long term. >> Thank you. And as you know, the city council's here to work with you as well. The tiffs are so important to get business in tomorrow. Tax incentive funding is so important because they get a break to come into the city. I can

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look at the mayor right now and he knows we're very happy to have the crime lab which we were in competition with another city but we offered a tiff that being we the city council which brings me to where I stand on this and I would really appreciate the work you do your

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great employees all of you but I prefer to see this on I'd rather not have it as a corporation but as a department of the city of Marorrow so we as city councils when we visit our constituents can justify the million dollar we spend a year on economic development, which is,

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and don't take offense to this, very a lot of money compared to any city or town in the state of Massachusetts. This is a million dollars. And as a city councelor, I worry about the west side of the city. We need a fire station. Could have some of this money gone there. We need a school, but that's not

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as much what the hotels are causing as an issue, but the fire station and the elderly. We have a counselor at the other end of this floor to be councelor Vital like to see some of that money go there. We have $2.3 million in this

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account right now and I understand that your budget was very clear. You you're very transparent. I appreciate it. But I prefer it to be under city rule. And I've mentioned that to one of your staff members already. I've mentioned on this floor. I see a benefit to saving money

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if we bring it inhouse. And that's my comment. Mr. Chair, thank you for allowing me the time to question and comment. >> Thank you, Council Mr. Chair. >> I'm going to go to Council Vital and then President Austin. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, over the last, I don't know, 5 to 10 years, I I've seen

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numerous uh recognition for MEDC and the Worester Business Journal and the Boston Business Journal, newspapers, just about everywhere. And um you know, I'd like to think that our the model that we have in this city is

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we may have a a budget that's up there, but we also provide an awful lot more than what other towns and cities have. And I and I think I know this the answer, but I'll ask it anyway. Have other cities come to you and said, "How

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do you do it?" You know, and you know, do you sell the Kool-Aid because we need some in our city? Yes. Um so over it was actually becoming a joke at MEEDC a couple months ago that um you know we should we should be

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charging for the services. I I spend a lot of time at other communities in the evenings going to their EDC meetings. I was in Northboro this past year helping educate their count their uh board of selectman on why tiffs are important, how they work. Um you know so to answer

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your question yes we get calls all the time from other communities >> big ones. >> Yeah. Framingham when they were setting up their model, which is very similar to ours, they they literally called um to ask if they could they could take a look at the playbook. Um and we're happy to help. Um we don't want to give away all

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the secret sauce, but we we do understand that there our model again, which was a brilliant model way before my time. Um has gotten very high recognition throughout the Commonwealth. >> Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. >> Mr. President, President Massie. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh so a couple

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things uh first on the uh the the um budget submitted by MEEDC 2.96% outstanding. I'm hoping the mayor can do something similar. Um I I will point out uh that we are the envy of all the surrounding communities that have

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planners and I've spoken with those planners in the other communities and they all want what we have. All right. It it is very clear. I council norm and I are diametrically opposed on this issue which I understand but I will tell

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you if these four individuals were working for the city and we had to fund all the benefits that the city has to pay this would not which would cost a lot more than what it costs to run this outfit right now. the the value that the residents get for this particular group

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MEEDC is outstanding and it shows based on the taxes that are being charged and the development that comes into the city. So I wholly support the uh the budget and I hope the finance committee would give a favorable recommendation uh to support the budget as well.

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>> Thank you, Mr. President. Councelor Fillo. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you guys for being here. I uh >> Thank you. Just a couple of things and I think I think uh President Austin really hit the nail on the head when he said the value that the residents get, right? I think there's this misconception that because of the way this is this is

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funded in some way that the money isn't going to residents. That couldn't be further from the truth. Th this budget that we're approving tonight, right, is directly going to impact folks because you are a public-f facing organization despite being a corporation. I can't think of an event that's happened in Malro in which you guys weren't a part

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of right in some way, shape or form. You know, I know for myself anytime I've needed to talk about economic development, anything, I can just come into the office and talk to you guys. You know, I drop in all the time whether or not you always want to see me in that, right? But the point is, you are accessible and you are public facing,

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right? You are businessf facing. Everything that you do in this community, and councilor said it himself, you are transparent in how you operate. So, I I have nothing but good things to say about the value that you bring to this community, to our business community, and to our residents. Um, you know, I'm in full support of your budget

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tonight. I'm also in full support of the toolbox, right? It's a statistic that I hadn't heard before that I thought was fantastic. I know we're doing the toolbox next, but 44 small businesses you've been able to help through this program. Almost 500 jobs, small business jobs retained in the city of Malro when those could have went online or could

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have went to another community, right? That's incredibly impactful stuff for our residents, especially for some of our younger residents. I was down in the pop-ups last year. I saw kids that I went to high school with who were starting small businesses in in Malro in this pop-up and someday hopefully have a brick and mortar store in town. So, um

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just so grateful for what you do and and uh in lie of other comments, happy to keep the discussion going, but would move to approve uh the transfer requests in the amount of $87,524 uh to fund MEDC's uh fiscal year operating budget. >> Thank you, Council Patel. Motion's been made. I will second that to approve

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order number 26-1009716. a transfer request in the amount of $87,524 uh from economic development to MEEDC funding for FY2027 operating budget of MEDC. Uh any further discussion? Council

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Ducet. >> Thank thank very much, Mr. Chair. Thank you for showing up and thank you for the uh overview of the budget. I thought that was the best thing I've seen you guys do yet. Um describing what it is. Um, so your funding basically comes from

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a specific tax, okay, which is the hotel tax and and that. Um, when when times are good, there's going to be lots of hotel activity. So the the buffer gets big, if we get into lean times, that may shrink. So stabilizing it the way you are is actually great because I'm not

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sure what the future will bring as far as hotel traffic. I'm hoping it's going to continue to be fine. Um and the work that you've done with the small businesses and the big businesses have demonstrated themselves over and over again. Um you know the the one thing

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that a city planner would do that you guys wouldn't do is really addressing the housing >> because that's not econ that's not true economic development, right? So if we're going to get a city planner in here at some point in the future, it would have to be some sort of relationship with you

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and trying to get it to work if we were going to do that. Um, but I think as far as economic development goes, you guys have done an outstanding job. Um, I I think that we need to also address housing issues as part of economic

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development, you know, but um that's not necessarily something to be addressed as part of this. That has to be something to be brought up with the mayor and worked on that way. So >> to your point, I think what MEEDC does that a planner does not do is business development. you know, if planners are

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not, you know, doing business attraction and retention the way that our um force, our team, you know, we're boots on the ground doing business business development, which a planner would not do. >> Right. Right. And, you know, there's with business development comes a lot of opportunity approach, you know, like you

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you don't think of what's there, you see what's there and then you pull them in, you know. So, that is a different attitude and approach for businesses. I think that's great. So um and I think that as we continue to do this, I think we will continue to lead the area for

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with this type of innovation. So you said that Framingham was going to look at our playbook. Are they doing their own economic development organization? >> So they're doing they're it's similar. It's called the Framingham Economic Development Council. I want to say they're trying trying to emulate what

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we're doing um >> with or without state approval. >> Not with the state approval. That's the difference. That's That's where I was going. >> Correct. That's the big difference. >> Has any other municipality gone for state approval? >> No. Not that I'm aware of. >> Okay. Cuz the state approval actually gets the hook into the tax the tax

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income. Right. >> Correct. >> Okay. >> Yep. >> Yeah. So without that, your your big benefit is that your funding gets approved by us but is actually separate from us. >> Correct. >> You know, so that you have your own stream that you tap into. And I think

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that's one of the biggest benefits you guys have. The only other thing I want to comment was you talked about the hotel the money that comes in we did see a dip during co >> you know >> fancy that. >> Yeah. So so to your point during difficult times you know we did see that revenue you know come back a little bit

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and and if you look back at our previous budgets you know we we did respond to that >> um at that time frame so it can happen. >> Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Appreciate >> the council council noun council n >> thank you Mr. Chair.

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I'm going to try and keep my comments. Um, I know we got the forward plan coming to Urban, so I'm going to try and not go too much on the policy stuff that you guys um are working on and the successes you've had. I don't know if folks saw an article in the Wall Street Journal this morning that highlighted uh unfortunately a community in Western

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Massachusetts that is currently contemplating a 50% property tax increase over the next four years. Um, and it kind of it talks about how it's the canary in the coal mine and how these challenges are coming for a lot of

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us. I know President Ning um educates us frequently on the need um to keep our growth in line, but I can't help but think of that article um when I'm listening to you guys tonight. the the amount of work that this organization has done to mitigate the tax increases

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by design as you noted, but um it's it is it is an incredible success. Um you guys are funded by your successes, which is kind of interesting um by your successes both past, present, and future. um you're not off books because this is tax revenue that's coming into

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the city, but it is it is awfully close to that um considering the fact that it is designated specifically for you guys, but it's revenue that you are generating directly and I think that is what makes this um so creative and also helps to make it so successful. you guys have

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just as much a stake in this. Not only because, you know, as a city resident, but also um because you guys um know that the key to your future successes lie in the seeds that you planted in the past. You know, the ROIs that you guys have highlighted are very clear. Um we see them on a day-to-day basis. The ROIs

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are significantly outweigh the $87,000. Um if we had kind of spent that or returned it to residents, I want to be careful um for what of these comments are clipped and sent back to the residents somehow. um you know but by returning $87,000

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you know to the tax roles um so people could see a marginal reduction versus what we get from investing it in your organization. Um I think it just it pales in comparison and so I I think that's incredibly important. Obviously you have successes and we we

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all benefit from that um from attracting these developers. The thing that I think is so interesting that the the intangible that we don't talk about a lot is the fact that you guys show developers, businesses, people who are looking to come to the city just how

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serious we are about our economic development and you show why, right? You don't show that it's economic development for economic development if it's economic development for the benefit of our city and the benefit of our residents. And so that is an intangible that I think doesn't often um get quantified. And so, um, I want to

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thank you for that. Um, the last piece I want to touch on as we talk about the city planner, and councelor Ducet just touched on this a little bit in your comments as well. You guys aren't city planners. You don't claim to be city planners. And in my opinion, I think that the work that you

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do is just they they're not mutually exclusive, but they are very different. Um, I don't want you guys doing the work of a city planner. we have that kind of debate back and forth when we talk about housing projects that come into the city. Um, but you guys aren't taking it from that standpoint. Um,

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I have constantly struggled with the fact of bringing a city planner into the city. I would like to see some of those benefits. Sitting on the city council um for a couple of years now. I the main concern I would have about bringing a city planner in is that they would be a department head and um you know,

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councilorm talks about how they would be accountable to us. Um, and I would say that the um, department heads in this city are very responsive to us, but they are accountable to the man in the corner and not to the people who are sitting around this horseshoe. Um, and you guys

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have always been very clear that you are are accountable and responsible to a large host of entities um, the city council included. And one of the things that I think is so beneficial to your budget are those planning dollars that get included in your budget every year.

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um we have not taken as much advantage as perhaps we should and we should certainly do so and find creative ways to get the answers that we're looking for. Um you know my concern has always been that the the role of the city planner and the views of the city planner will reflect the person who sits on the fourth floor. And whereas that is

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a completely reasonable expectation of a department head as a city councelor who's often looking for a little bit more accountability to the 11 of us is something that I I have a little bit of a concern with. So um I'll leave it there. I know we're gonna have a lot more conversations about this in the forward plan, but um I am not on the

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committee, but I will be supporting this budget when it comes to the council. Thank you, Mr. Chair. >> Thank you, Council New Council. >> Yes, if I can clarify myself, I'm not trying to have you as the planning agent. I work for many cities and towns and they have planning agents and yes,

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they're accountable either to the selectman or to the mayor, but we as city councils also have tremendous input. So the planning agent is not something I'm planning for MEDC. What the cost of the services for rent,

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payroll, insurance, that's where the cost savings comes in if you're under the city roof as well as the fact there's other issues that we could look at. I see your I know your responsibilities different from a planner. I've worked with an economic

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development coordinator in a town that had also a planning agent. So, I understand that. I've been around it too many years to not understand it. My concern is that I represent the people that elect me into this seat to

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determine the best way to spend our money. And I don't see that cost of services. You know, rent alone is close to what 37,900. I mean, if you were inhouse, there'd be savings there in other areas. And most cities and towns don't have four people

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working under their economic development department. So that's what I'm trying to bring out to everyone. I've been around the horn a lot in municipal government, so I understand how it works. And yes, you're doing a great job. I'm not underestimating anything you and your staff have done through the years. I see

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a better way. I see a better way so monies that come from the hotel tax can help the people on the western side of this city. And it's basically locked in due to legislation that was created before my time here to only allow it for

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economic development. And someday some way when this council may have to change, we'll see that. And we'll see that highcost items like a fire station, this could have helped. But that's all I want to say right now. I'm not here to debate. You will understand why I can't

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support this. But I want you to understand I appreciate your services. Thank you. Motion has been made and seconded. Seeing no further discussion, all in favor? One, two, three, four. All opposed? One. It carries. 421.

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Moving on to the next item uh is order number 26-1009716. Uh the transfer request in the amount of $150,000 from economic development uh to MEEDC funding for the economic development toolbox. And again, I want

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to thank Linda's very much for the spreadsheet and what councelor Fchillo said because uh hearing young entrepreneurs out there, it's always good to see that growing in in America, of course, and of course in the city of Malro. Um I just wanted to read one thing that Mer director Harris had had

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given us in a letter. Um so last year the city approved a similar 150,000 appropriation uh to support the toolbox. With those funds, MEEDC awarded $135,750 in grants to six new and existing small

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businesses supporting both OP openings and expansions within the community. Uh MADC also launched a new grant program designed to assist long-standing Malboro businesses with equipment and expansion costs. uh demand for these programs remain strong with several applications

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currently in the pipeline underscoring the continued need for additional funding to sustain small business growth and attract new investment to the city. To me, that pretty much sums that up, but I will open that up to the uh finance team for any comment. Council Vital,

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>> one of the things we haven't talked about a lot tonight, but I I think it's pretty exciting if you think about it, is that some of these companies that we've funded are um not only are they entrepreneurs, uh but they come from our Brazilian communities, from our Mexican communities, and some of our minority

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communities. So, we're we're reaching out to those neighborhoods and providing uh valuable money so that they can start up businesses or approve their businesses. So, I think that's something that sometimes gets overlooked when we're talking about the toolbox. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. >> Council,

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>> Mr. Chairman, motion to approve. This is a fantastic program and it helps local business. Thank you. >> Thank you, Council Orm. Motion has been made and I will second that to approve order number 26-1009716. Transfer request in the amount of

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$150,000 from economic development to MEEDC funding for the economic development toolbox. Any further discussion? Councelor Ducet. >> Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Um, I completely support the works of this and supporting business the small businesses

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and you know the benefit to the uh citizens of the country is that these b these businesses are upgraded for capabilities makes it easier for them to do business with these business these companies. And you know, basically it's tough to see this or this type of

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structure being done within a municipal budget. So I think that this demonstrates the effectiveness of the economic development corporation. So thank you. >> Thank you. Council Deter, can I ask for a suspension for these two transfers, please?

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>> Good. Good. I was going to bring that up. Thank you, sir. Thank you, council. Yes, absolutely. If that's okay with the finance team fin uh suspension up. Thank you, Councelor Naven. >> Thank you very much, uh, Mr. Chairman. I can't believe how how supportive everybody is giving money to small businesses. What a what a novel concept.

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Um, I make the same comment every year, and I'll stop making it when I stop hearing it from people on the street. Um, Linda, you guys you guys do a great job on this. You guys all do. And thank you. >> The thing I >> It is odd. We don't often hear from people about like random programs and whatnot that the city has, but the the

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comment I always hear is just how easy you make it. Um, that it is quick. um that you guys will drive somewhere, you will fill out the application for them, you will help submit it. Um you really usher it through and it has had real meaningful change for a lot of these businesses. So kudos to you. Um it's a

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great program that I'm happy to support. Thank you, Mr. Chair. >> Thank you, Councelor N. >> I can I just Yeah. Can I just add to We talk a lot about the toolbox, but sometimes we don't talk about the loan program either, but just want to mention the the four banks in the community that also put money into the this

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programming. Um not for the grants, but for the loans. But DCU, St. Mary's, um, Avidia, and Main Street Bank are all phenomenal partners with the city to to keep the program running. So, just want to give them a shout out. >> Thank you. Thank you, Meredith. Motion has been made and seconded. See, uh,

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seeing no further discussion. All in favor? One, two, three, four, five. It carries. >> Thank you, director. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Make a motion to adjurnn. >> Motion's been made and seconded to adjourn. All in favor? We are adjourned

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at a 7 7:11 p.m. Thank you. >> Note