Under previous LEDA policy, residential blight could be removed with financial support of up to $3,000 from the LEDA only if another home was moved to or built on the same lot.
Tuesday the LEDA decided to change that slightly. The maximum cost is the same, but the LEDA will now pay for half of the demolition costs as a blighted home is removed and pay the other half when another home replaces it. The landowner has two years to replace the home or relinquishes rights to collect the second half.
This will help the city get rid of substantial blight, and landowners have incentive to replace the torn-down home, yet are not required to do so immediately.
The new policy could also be used, Mayor Glen Gust said, in cases where an old home was on a small lot and new zoning regulations make it impossible to fit another home on the property. In these cases, owners would at least get reimbursed partially for the costs of demolition.
Netbriefings
The LEDA gave Gust, LEDA Secretary Matt Hylen and LEDA member Mike Engesser approval to continue developing an agreement with Netbriefings to locate in Luverne.
The LEDA has a new revolving loan fund that it can use to loan the firm $250,000 at a low interest rate.
Netbriefings is an Internet Webcasting services company that announced June 21 it intends to expand in Luverne. The expansion will be in the form of a new customer and product service center if the final deal goes through.
Gary Anderson, CEO of Netbriefings, is the son of Wayne and LaVonne Anderson, rural Luverne.
Netbriefings is working on raising money through local investors and reportedly has about $100,000 with more meetings scheduled this week.
Any LEDA members who want to invest must abstain from voting on the loan.
NxLeveL business class
The LEDA is once again sponsoring NxLeveL, a business class. LEDA Director Tony Chladek was co-teacher last year.
Steve Goedtke taught the class last year with Chladek and will again this year from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays Sept. 4 through Dec. 4.
Registration and payment deadline is Aug. 30 to receive course material on the first night of class, but the class will accept last-minute participants.
Last year, Goedtke said the class included 10 students, and he has already heard from 10 more who are interested this year. He said the class is special because it covers a variety of topics delivered by experts over a 12-week period.
The class is appropriate for people wanting to start a business, better manage or reorganize an existing business, market their business, get financials in order or get funding for the business. As part of the class, students must write a detailed business plan.
Mark and Annie Opitz, owners of Quality Printing, Luverne, had just opened their business when they signed up for the class. Although Mark had management experience, they wanted a better grasp on how to best operate their own company.
Mark said, "It was very valuable. We've never owned a business before and it was definitely full of information."