FIVE THINGS TO KNOW TODAY (9/12/2014) Your Post-Bulletin connection to late-breaking news, upcoming events and stories that will be talked about today: UMR PLAN A University of Minnesota Rochester plan that would transform part of the south side of downtown Rochester into a 10-acre pedestrian-only campus had its first hearing Thursday before a committee of University of Minnesota regents. And though most of the regents queries were practical in nature and even pointed at times, the overall tenor of the questions appeared to be supportive of the plan. Theres definitely a mood of support, said U of M regent Dean Johnson after the meeting. As a former DFL Senate Majority Leader, Johnson supported the citys aspirations for a branch campus when it was before the Legislature. You cant make a 100 percent prediction, but Id be very surprised next month that it wouldnt be approved. WELLNESS LAB If approved, a new product-testing WELL Living Lab for Rochester announced earlier this week by Delos will be located in the Minnesota Biobusiness Center, the Post-Bulletin has learned. Theyre going to be taking the space on the third floor that, until the end of the year, will be occupied by Titan (Development), said Rochester Assistant City Administrator Gary Neumann. The new laboratory will actively seek products and designs from companies for testing and validation at the Rochester laboratory. DMC The Destination Medical Center planners drew a preliminary boundary for the DMC development district, including most of downtown and Second Street past Highway 52, and presented it to the public on Thursday. DMC and Economic Development Agency officials want more feedback on the proposed boundaries, asking for public comments via email, social media and in person before ending the public feedback on Oct. 17. “It defines the area where private investment can be calculated,” said EDA project manager Amy Supple at Thursday night’s DMC public forum, the third event of its type designed to gather input from the community. CHARTER EXPANDS AT IBM Charter Communications is expanding its footprint in Rochester once again by taking over a third building on the IBM campus. Charter is renovating the 27,000-square-foot main level of Building 005 of IBMs sprawling complex in northwest Rochester. When the work is completed, it will house 130 Charter Business customer care employees, which will move out of its Bandel Road call center. The Bandel Road center, which will still have 500 employees after the move, will continue to operate as it has. HOSPITAL CEO In 2012, a year in which wages across most industries remained fairly flat, Mayo Clinic Chief Executive Officer John Noseworthy earned a $1.4 million salary, an increase of more than 10 percent over 2011. His salary falls on the lower end of other nonprofit hospital CEOs, but some industry critics say it’s still higher than any nonprofit executive should earn. Its not to say that hospital CEOs shouldnt be well paid, and that usually means six figures because the jobs are highly skilled, said Sandra Miniutti, vice president of Charity Navigator, a nonprofit that grades other nonprofits and provides guidance to potential donors. “Where we become concerned is when CEOs are becoming millionaires,” Miniutti said. “It really runs contrary to the whole concept of being a nonprofit. It should be about the mission.”
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 13:12:02 +0000