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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-26-2021 Members - Present Members - Absent Staff - Present Laura Oswald Craig Beavers Jeff Canter JT Crawford Jennifer Frazier Lucas Bremer Josh Linville Jill Poimboeuf David Godfrey Katie Axt – Main Street Director Melanie Reason – Staff Minutes from March 29th, 2021: approved. Director Report Out: Member resignation: two members have resigned, David Godfrey and Jill Poimboeuf, which leave two appointees to be placed by the mayor. Potential candidates will be discussed at the next meeting. Downtown Updates: Riverboat cruises to Paducah have resumed, with two docked already in April. The Columbia Theatre announced a partnership with Paducah Bank to purchase historic tax credits totaling $38k. This amount does count toward our reinvestment stats. The CVB is offering a webinar on tourism and travel on Tuesday May 4th, and will send out details to the group for board members to join if interested. Monthly Reinvestment Stats: Q2 2021: two new businesses so far: new event center in the old Perry Pest Control business, and Broadway Nutrition (smoothie place) in the US Bank annex at 4th & Broadway. Q1 stats have been submitted to the state, with over $1mil in investment already. There is a new form in the agenda packet that shows the comprehensive metrics required from KY Main Street for accreditation. City Block Update: First design has been delivered to the city. The commission is working on a budget. More to come in April. Merchants have been continuously invited to feedback sessions. Some have declined invitations to participate in design feedback sessions, but will be invited to the final design charette. Downtown Business Survey: Mayor Bray and Commissioner Gault initiated a business survey for the Main Street program area to solicit feedback on the Main Street program and on doing business Downtown. They met with the Economic Vitality committee to understand expectations, outcomes, and to develop the survey. Commissioner Gault indicated that merchants may not know what the Main Street program does for them, so that is included on the survey. The survey draft will begin with the staff, and will go to the Board, and then each committee for insight. The Commission will actively help businesses participate in this survey. Board of Directors April 26, 2021 3:00 p.m. Virtual Meeting Minutes Entertainment Destination Center: The EDC will be read for a second time on Tuesday 4/27, where it is scheduled to be approved by the commission. After the EDC is approved, there is a one month waiting period before the EDC can be enacted. During this time, there will be additional work done on cups and signs, promotions, formal adoption of the boundaries, and executing user agreements with bars and restaurants. Budget Report Out: See attached. Disbursements totaled $ 762, leaving $10,147.00. Upcoming expenses will include $1500 for additional lighting at Market House Square, $1500 for direct mailers, $1000 for rack cards and displays, $1000 for paid advertising, and $500 for signage and promotional materials for summer programming, and $1000 Main Street Mile. The dates on the budget report state February, but are actually for March. This will be amended. National Main Street Conference: Virtual conference 4/12-4/14. Several board members were able to participate in the live conference. The content will be available online for one year. Discussion surrounded the differences between non-profit Main Street boards and city funded boards. There is quite a difference between the two, and that will influence how work plans are created and approved. Our board works alongside the commission as a city-funded entity, and will have to create a work plan according to Commission priorities. Board Happy Hour: Jen Frazier is putting together a board happy hour to be scheduled in May. Calendar invitation to follow. Committee Report Outs: Work plan will be reviewed a third time, to be adopted in April. Organization: The committee had a first meeting that included setting some parameters for the markers for the Main Street Mile. The committee will work with PSAD to get an initial design and then bring it to the board. The goal is to have this project completed by July, when the river boat tours resume at capacity. The board suggested an informational poster to be placed in empty shop windows to bring attention to the walking route, which could include some heart health information. Promotions: the committee met twice in the last month to discuss summer promotions, identifying verbiage for summer promotions, including mailers, rack cards, and signage. Additional ideas include expanding the lighting at MHS, improving seating options for outdoor dining, creating an anniversary program to recognize merchants, and merchants teaming up for promotions on their own. Design: Design committee is working on a street furniture master plan that will map current furniture locations and identify future locations with a comprehensive design. Currently, the group is researching established guidelines on street furniture (ie number of benches or waste receptacles per block). Design guidelines have been reviewed by contractors for insight, with more to come. The Design committee also review the design of the City Block project, with feedback going to Weyland. Economic Vitality: The economic vitality committee is working with Bree from the Board of Realtors and Heather Pierce at the GPED to obtain property listings for the Main Street website and to obtain more detailed reinvestment stats for the program. Looking ahead: Work continues. Meeting Adjourned at 4:14 pm. Next meeting will be 05/24/21 at 3:00 pm. (This is a week early due to Memorial Day).