Rochester EDA Meeting Summary - February 2, 2026
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Rochester EDA Meeting Summary - February 2, 2026
The Rochester Economic Development Authority (EDA) convened on February 2, 2026, to conduct organizational business, approve routine items, and deliberate on the 2026 financial plans and depositories. The meeting consisted of officer reappointments, a consent agenda, and the adoption of resolutions regarding bank depositories and the annual budget before returning to the city council.
Consent Calendar
- Council approved a motion by Councilmember Keene, seconded by Councilmember Doring, to approve all three items on the consent agenda without discussion.
Discussion Items
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2026 Appointment of EDA Officers: In accordance with previous terms, Councilmember Miller made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Wall, to reappoint the 2025 officers to their respective positions for 2026:
- President: Council President Schuebring (referred to as Schubert in remarks)
- Vice President: Palmer
- Treasurer: Keene
- Assistant Treasurer: City Finance Director
- Secretary: City Clerk
- Result: Motion passed unanimously.
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2026 Designation of Depositories: Mr. Brian Anderson reported on the annual designation of depositories per Minnesota State Statute 118A.02. He noted that because the City of Rochester acts as the EDA's fiscal agent, the same depositories must be utilized. The recommendation included designating U.S. Bank of Rochester and Wells Fargo Bank of Rochester as the depositories.
- Project Context: U.S. Bank of Rochester holds the EDA debt issuances from 2007, 2008, and 2020, while Wells Fargo Bank of Rochester serves as the primary checking institution for both the City and the EDA.
- Position: Staff recommended adopting the resolution. A motion by Councilmember Keene, seconded by Councilmember Palmer, was made to adopt the resolution. The motion passed unanimously.
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2026 Rochester EDA Budget: Mr. Anderson presented the 2026 proposed budget of $3,049,753.
- Financial Details: Top revenue generators were identified as City of Rochester Bioscience Payments, tax increment payments, and the D69th Station lease.
- Expenditures: The main expenditures involve principal payments for Series 2007, 2008, and 2028 debt issuances (totaling $1,488,000). The Series 2029 debt was noted as matured in 2025 and removed from the current debt schedule.
- Debt Service & Allocations: After debt service and repayments of the parking enterprise escrow ($629,064), the net flow post-debt service is $172,034, designated for the Bioscience Building. Additionally, the Minnesota Bioscience Building Center has a net available for debt service of $3,064,860, with a total annual debt service of $2,238,000.
- Future Actions: Staff noted they are working with a bond attorney to potentially decertify the TIF (Tax Increment Financing) now that Series 2029 is paid off and to explore call options for the 2007 and 2008 issuances.
- Position: Staff presented the budget for approval. A motion by Councilmember Miller, seconded by Councilmember Doring, was made to adopt the resolution approving the 2026 budget. The motion passed unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Officer Appointments: The 2025 EDA officers were unanimously reappointed for the 2026 term.
- Depository Resolutions: U.S. Bank of Rochester and Wells Fargo Bank of Rochester were officially designated as public fund depositories for the EDA for 2026 (Motion passed unanimously).
- Budget Approval: The 2026 Rochester EDA budget of $3,049,753 was unanimously approved.
- Adjournment: A motion by Councilmember Wall, seconded by Councilmember Miller, to adjourn the EDA meeting passed unanimously, and the body returned to the city council.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments or testimony were recorded during this meeting segment.
Meeting Transcript
We are now in our EDA meeting. And Clerk Raina, could you please call? No, we don't need to call. I will call the meeting to order. And first up is our organizational business. This is uh the appointment of officers for the Rochester Economic Uh Development Authority for 2026. And just as a reminder to council members, uh the 2025 EDA officers were uh council president Schuebring as president, uh Vice President Palmer, Treasurer Keene, and uh assistant treasurer, our city finance director and uh secretary the city clerk. Is there a motion to um make appointments to I'd make a motion to reappoint the 2025 EDA officers to the positions as listed in the packet for 2026? Second. There's a motion made by council member miller, seconded by councilmember wall. Any discussion discussion seeing none, all in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed say nay, motion passes. Uh moving on to our consent agenda. Um are there uh move approval of the three items on the consent agenda. Motion made by council member Keene. Second, seconded by councilmember Doring. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed, say nay. We have no public hearings, reports and recommendations. We have two. And the first report is the 2026 designation of depositories for uh the EDA public funds, Mr. Brian Anderson. Thank you, Council President Schubert, Council members, Mayor Norton, Administrator Zelms. This action that we're taking this evening uh happens on an annual basis and per uh required Minnesota State Statute 118A.02 subdivision one. And it is designating bank depositories for public funds of the city of Rochester EDA. And since the EDA has selected the city of Rochester to act as its fiscal agent, uh we will be it is necessary to utilize the same depositories for the city. Therefore, I am recommending adopting the resolution designating U.S. Bank of Rochester and Wells Fargo Bank of Rochester as depositories for public funds for the economic development authority, and that U.S. Bank of Rochester does hold our the EDA is 2007, 2008, and 2020. Um debt issuances and Wells Fargo Bank is the primary checking for the city and the EDA and what that can stand for any questions. Uh is there a motion on this item? I'll move to adopt a resolution designating US Bank Rochester and Wells Fargo Bank Rochester as depositories of the public funds for the EDA EDA for 2026. Second motion made by Councilmember Keene, seconded by council member Palmer. All in favor say aye. Aye opposed say nay. Item 5B, which is the 2026 uh Rochester EDA uh budget, Mr. Anderson. Yes, thank you. And with that, the 2026 proposed budget is before the EDA in the amount of three million forty-nine thousand seven hundred and fifty-three dollars. And with that going through the revenues, you can see them listed on top with the city of Rochester Bioscience Payments, the tax increment payments, and the D69th station lease. Uh is the top three revenue uh generators for the EDA budget. Uh with that, there are expenditures and the main expenditures with that are the series 2007's 2008 and the 2028 um expenditures uh issuances and the 2029 has been matured in 2025. So that will um be removed. And so with that, the net revenue over expenditures is uh 2,289,098 going down to the principal payments again for the 2007, 2008, and 2028 uh totals the amount of 1 million four hundred and eighty-eight thousand uh that amount and that information can be found on page 106 of the ACFAR uh moving down to the repayments of the parking enterprise escrow and the amount of uh 629,064. Um the amount is still owed on that can be found on page 104 in your ACFER, and that is the amount of 1.9 million dollars being the 2029 has been paid off now at this time. We are recommending that the difference be put towards the parking enterprise uh to pay that down sooner rather than later.
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