Archive for February, 2012
Member Profile: Chris Weirens
Chris grew up in Cottage Grove, Minnesota and graduated from Park High School in 2000. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Minnesota in 2004 majoring in Urban Studies. During his last year of study he interned with the City of Newport, Minnesota and after graduating was hired on full time as the Zoning and Planning Official. (more…)
Best Practices: Arvid Povilaitis
I have a number of direct reports throughout the country. Everyone is busy with their day-to-day activities managing issues as they arise. In an effort to stay focused on our goals and strategic in our thinking, I have a permanent time slot set aside with each person each week that is “sacred.” It sets aside a time to discuss anything we need to, as well as to catch up on the status of ongoing projects. These meetings are sometimes very brief, and sometimes quite lengthy, as warranted.
Inform your supervisor what you’re planning to do, when you’re going to get it done and then do it. No surprises.
Arvid Povilaitis, COO, Meritex Enterprises, Inc.
(651) 855-9708 | apovilaitis@meritex.com
Representative Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) confronts Pat Mascia, NAIOP Minnesota President and Senior VP, Duke Realty Corporation, testifying before the House Tax Committee about how businesses create jobs.
Rep. Hortman: “So I just … think that the term ‘job-creator’ to refer to a business is wrong and offensive and I think we should talk about the true job-creators, are the customers.”
Welcome new NAIOP members!
Jerry Anderson, Escom Properties Inc.
Timothy Becker, Iowa State University
Tanya Bell, Wellington Management Inc.
David Buelow, All American Commercial Title Inc.
Brian Busser, TCI Architects/Engineers/Contractor Inc.
Maura Carland, Welsh Companies/Colliers International | Minneapolis-St Paul
Amanda Christian, Founders Properties LLC
Jason Conway, The Opus Group
Andrew Donahue, Shenehon Company
Darin Ehrhardt, Associated Bank NA
Johanna Franzen, Fredrikson & Byron P.A.
Daniel Gilchrist, Lindquist & Vennum PLLP
Jay Helgren, Greystone Construction Company
Eric Johnson, Steiner Development Inc.
Steven Katz, Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Maria Kisielius, All American Commercial Title Inc.
Michael Landstad, Duke Realty Corporation
David Little, AECOM
Todd Lurie, Lurie Besikof Lapidus & Co. LLP
John McCarthy, NorthMarq Capital
Debra Page, Lindquist & Vennum PLLP
Nate Pearson, Mortenson Development Inc.
Kris Radford, ICC Restoration & Cleaning Services
Justin Reinholz, Associated Bank NA
Skye Schwing, Welsh Companies/Colliers International | Minneapolis-St Paul
Richard Student, United Properties
Mike Sturdivant, CSM Corporation
Sean Sweeney, Timberland Partners
Mary Taylor, Lindquist & Vennum PLLP
Tom Tracy, Cushman & Wakefield/NorthMarq
Alexander Verbeten, Travelers
Chris Walters, TCI Architects/Engineers/Contractor Inc.
Laura Wanger, Fredrikson & Byron P.A.
Help Minnesota residents see what drives public cost increases
The St. Paul Pioneer Press editorial board supports NAIOP Minnesota’s transparency initiative.
“A bill in the Minnesota House … helps understand better what’s driving costs higher and could change taxpayers’ ‘why bother’ attitudes.”
This supportive editorial is based on interviews with Paul Reinke, Senior Director – Development at Haugland Company, Oakdale City Council Member and NAIOP member; Rep. Keith Downey of Edina, chief author in the House; and Kaye Rakow, Director of Public Policy – NAIOP Minnesota.
Some highlights from the editorial:
- Rep. Downey: “We need to understand the spending behind tax increases to understand what can be done.”
- Paul Reinke: “With good information, ‘citizens can plug in constructively and help us’ serve the needs of the community.”
- “Property taxes are an issue of deep concern for local businesses, and we appreciate the work done by the Minnesota chapter of the commercial real estate organization NAIOP and the Minnesota Taxpayers Association.”
The GOP and the DFL have declared job creation as their number one priority of the 2012 session.
While they share that goal, they differ in their approaches.
- DFL Leaders: Our Minnesota Agenda
By Sen. Tom Bakk & Rep. Paul Thissen
Star Tribune, January 22, 2012 - GOP leaders: Our Minnesota Agenda
By Rep. Kurt Zellers & Rep. Matt Dean
Star Tribune, January 22, 2012
Senate Tax committee chair Julianne Ortman and House Tax committee chair Greg Davids are united behind a push to phase out the State general property tax in the 2012 session.
Read the Finance & Commerce article, “GOP seeks phase-out of business property tax”
Finance & Commerce, January 18, 2012
Bills to phase out the state general property tax were introduced last week. NAIOP will be offering testimony in favor of the bill in front of the Senate Jobs and Economic Growth Committee.
NAIOP Minnesota’s transparency initiative
Developed by the Nexus Task Force, NAIOP Minnesota’s transparency initiative requires local units of government to report certain cost drivers in their budgets, and has been adopted and made a part of the House majority Reform 2.0 initiative.
Read the Reform 2.0 highlights.
A separate bill, HF 1954, has been introduced on NAIOP’s transparency initiative. This bill requires counties and certain cities to report additional budgetary information.
With all of the energy and information available, shouldn’t it be easier to understand the who, what and why of property taxes?
According to Jim Mulder, retired executive director of the Association of Minnesota Counties, and the Independence Party’s candidate for lieutenant governor in 2010, the entire tax system needs to be redesigned.
Your property-tax calculation is here
Star Tribune, January 14, 2012
