03. Minutes of August 26, 2025 EDA Meeting.City of Scandia
Economic Development Authority
Board of Commissioners
Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, August 26, 2025
Attendance: Council members Steve Kronmiller. Absent Jim Gribble.
Also in Attendance: Executive Director Kyle Morell, Treasurer Veronica Korby, and
Washington County CDA Executive Director Melissa Taphorn
Residents in Attendance: Carolyn Smith, Patricia Lange, and Dave Wilske. Absent: Patrick
Doyle, Jacqueline Chaves
Call to Order: President Kronmiller called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
Approval of Agenda: Motion by Wilske, seconded by Lange, to approve the agenda with the
addition of Minutes from the June 24, 2025, EDA Meeting. Motion carried unanimously.
Approval of Minutes: Minutes of the June 24, 2025, and July 22, 2025, EDA meetings were
approved on a motion by Wilske, seconded by Lange. Motion carried unanimously.
Housing Presentation from Washington County CDA Executive Director Melissa Taphorn.
The Washington County Community Development Agency operates independently from
Washington County, but the County still has oversight. The CDA has levy authority, but the
County must approve that levy. The CDA provides county-wide initiatives on housing. It also
added Economic Development to its responsibilities in 2015.
The CDA traditionally operates in affordable housing, focusing on providing housing for
residents and families with incomes under $75,000, which is 60% of the average household
income in Washington County, which is $124,000. The CDA offers 40 different programs
ranging from property management and housing assistance to community development grants
and economic development assistance.
Rental and housing trends were also discussed. The average rent within the County is $1,640,
but only $978 in Scandia, mainly due to the CDA property Scandia Cottages, a rental-controlled
senior living development. 82% of county families own their home, and 86.5% of Scandia
families own their home. The average housing price in Scandia is $471,000. There is very little
entry-level housing within Scandia. Taphorn also spoke on the numerous Home Improvement
Loan and Septic Repair and Replacement programs offered by the CDA.
The CDA has an ongoing goal of preserving existing affordable housing, expanding the supply
of affordable housing, increasing access to affordable housing, and increasing land supply for
affordable housing.
Business Questionnaire
Treasurer Korby presented an updated Business Questionnaire that will be emailed to a list of
local businesses provided by the Tourism Committee. The questionnaire inquires about general
business information, requests participation in an upcoming business expo, and asks whether the
business would like to participate in future welcome letters to new residents. Staff will report
back to the Board on the survey results at future meetings.
Other Updates
Staff will contact MnDOT regarding the Wayfinding Master Plan and its validity period. The
City needs to secure an attorney to assist with the trademarking of the City’s logo and will
introduce an online store in the near future. The Planning Commission is holding a public
hearing on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, on new dynamic display language for the city code.
Joint Meeting with Tourism Committee
A joint meeting will be held with the Tourism Committee in September to discuss the roles and
responsibilities of both committees. The joint meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m., with the regular
EDA meeting scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m.
Next meeting has been scheduled: Tuesday, September 23, at 7:00 PM.
Motion to adjourn made by Wilske and seconded by Smith. Motion carried unanimously.
Respectfully submitted by:
Kyle Morell, EDA Executive Director
Scandia Economic Development Authority Mission Statement:
The Scandia EDA strives to enhance Scandia’s long-term prosperity and enrich the quality of life of residents by retaining and
growing existing businesses, recruiting new businesses, and expanding life-cycle housing opportunities for residents.