Northfield Economic Development Authority Meeting - March 23, 2026

Acting Chair Jessica Peterson White called the meeting to order at 6:07 PM. Four members were present (Peterson White, Stager, Beumer, Thompson), three absent (Blazis, Yoder, Allen). Staff present included Community Development Director Scott Wopata, Community Development Associate Emery John, Meeting Associate Matt Bailey, Meeting Associate/Translator Will Estrella, and Youth Representative Pablo Torres-Bermudez (non-voting). The agenda and minutes from the February 23 and March 9, 2026 meetings were approved unanimously.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of the agenda and the minutes from the February 23, 2026 EDA retreat and the March 9, 2026 EDA meeting, all carried by a 4-0 vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comment was received.

Discussion Items

• January and February EDA Financials: Community Development Associate Emery John presented the financial reports for the first two months of 2026. No vote was taken.
• Micro-Grant Application for Aldana Painting LLC: Laetitia Aldana, representing Aldana Painting, LLC, appeared with translator Will Estrella to present the application. She described the equipment and supplies the micro-grant would fund and the additional services it would enable. The EDA approved the micro-grant (M2026-001) unanimously (4-0).
• EDA Financial Assistance Presentation and Discussion: Community Development Director Scott Wopata and Emery John delivered a presentation on the EDA’s financial assistance programs. The EDA discussed the accessibility and effectiveness of these programs, continuing a conversation from the recent EDA retreat.
• EDA February Retreat Recap: Emery John recapped the February 23, 2026 retreat. The EDA discussed the recap and asked questions.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimous approval of the Aldana Painting LLC micro-grant application (Motion by Beumer, seconded by Stager; vote 4-0).
• Unanimous approval of the February 23, 2026 and March 9, 2026 meeting minutes.
• The meeting was adjourned at 7:17 PM (Motion by Beumer, seconded by Stager; vote 4-0).