Minutes of the City of Lincoln Special City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting held in the Council Chambers on Thursday, February 25, 2016. 

Mayor Neitzel called the Meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.  City Clerk Mrs. Gehlbach called the roll.  There were seven Aldermen present (Alderman Bauer, Alderman Hoefle, Alderman Hoinacki, Alderman Horn, Alderman Mourning, Alderman Parrott, and Alderman Welch) and one absent (Alderman Tibbs). Police Chief Adams was present.  Also present were Mayor Neitzel, City Treasurer Mr. Conzo, City Administrator Mr. Johnson, City Clerk Mrs. Gehlbach, and Recording Secretary Mrs. Riggs.

Mayor Neitzel led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Public Participation:

There was no public participation.

Brainstorming Session for Lincoln Branding Initiative:

Ms. Kara Demirjian Huss of DCC Marketing.  This session will be covering the opportunities that are here in Lincoln through Economic Development.  She said a great session was held earlier with stakeholders from the community.  She has seen things from a Park District to corporations of all sizes.  Her family has done a TIF District.  This is what the economic opportunity is all about in the community. The more that she finds out about the community the easier it will be to see where things can go. 

There are four different sectors (Entertainment, Retail, Specialty Housing and Health and Wellness, and Business).

Entertainment: Activity parks – amusement parks and sports complexes.  There was concern over amusement parks.  Sport complexes are popping up which could bring people into the community. 

Retail, they are bringing in premium outlets which are popping up (a new one is being built in Springfield).  Effingham has a conference center in the back of a hotel.  Premium outlets are expanding in different sized markets.  Thrift shop markets are popping up in different communities. There was talk about antiques, recycling/reclaiming, jewelry, homemade items but would be a more chic trend.  A place called the Perfect Pair in Warrensburg has a wide variety of things such as homemade items and reclaimed objects. 

Specialty housing: There is a new style “Agri hoods” which has housing with a farm, wineries, trails, etc.  ALMH is going to have an upscale farmers market.

Business: There are 3D printers that are coming into the market.  Incubators could be grown in the City of Lincoln.  Warehousing is an option.  Science – Engineering could be an option.     

There is a need for a sports commission in order to begin the process of starting a sports complex.  The City is located centrally where they could host conferences and sports tournaments.  The all sports complex seems to be important.  Job creation in the community is needed.  Premium outlets would be good for the community. Entrepreneur programs are new and have fresh ideas. The internet needs greater speeds than what the community currently has.

People that need to be involved:  Logan County Board, community involvement, social media, Facebook, City website, area (region) developers with vision, the youth, focus groups, young professionals, Lincoln Christian University, Logan County Alliance, Ard Doh, Precision Tools, Eaton, Sysco, Garland Gehrke, Hampton/Holiday Express, Sam Knox (Assistant Director IHSA), and Walt Landers (wrestling).

The goal today was to discover the different sectors to give Lincoln a better position from a marketing standpoint.  These will be examined to see what standpoint for a marketing point. 

Other Discussion:

There was no other discussion. 

Executive Session:    

There was no Executive Session held. 

Upcoming Meetings:

Council: Monday, March 7, 2016 – 7:00 p.m.     

Committee of Whole:     Tuesday, March 15, 2016 – 7:00 p.m.

Alderman Horn made a motion to adjourn the meeting and Alderman Hoinacki seconded it.  There were seven ayes (Alderman Bauer, Alderman Hoefle, Alderman Hoinacki, Alderman Horn, Alderman Mourning, Alderman Parrott, and Alderman Welch), zero nays, and one absent (Alderman Tibbs); motion carried.

The City of Lincoln Committee of the Whole Meeting adjourned at 8:09 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Risa Riggs

Recording Secretary