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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-24-2021 Members - Present Members - Absent Staff - Present Laura Oswald Jeff Canter Jennifer Frazier Josh Linville Lucas Bremer JT Crawford Craig Beavers Katie Axt – Main Street Director Melanie Reason – Staff Minutes from April 26th, 2021: approved. Director Report Out: Monthly Reinvestment Stats: Q2 2021: two new businesses so far: Focus Building (new event center in the old Perry Pest Control business), Broadway Nutrition (smoothie place) in the US Bank annex at 4th & Broadway. Since the last meeting, Patrick Humphries (Real Estate) in the Wallerstein Building and Home Paducah opened a second location. An additional million in investment so far in Q2. A large portion of the additional investment within the district was the floodwall infrastructure project. 48 volunteer hours, totaling over $1000. Paducah Bank sponsored the EDC fee on behalf of bars and restaurants for 2021. City Block Update: Design committee saw the design, as well as staff and commission. Comments have been forwarded to Weyland. Downtown Business Survey: The survey went out to the board, committees, and commission. Comments are being incorporated, with the final survey to be sent out in the coming weeks. Entertainment Destination Center: Local ordinance has passed. The license will be issued from the state. Bars and restaurants are procuring cups. Signs have been installed. Official kick off will be second week in June. Promotions for this event will center around all the ways a person may be entertained in Downtown as a district. Budget Report Out: See attached. Disbursements totaled $ 1113, leaving $9033.27. Upcoming expenses will clear the rest of the budget based on the work plan before the end of the fiscal year. Katie advocated for a larger program budget for the next fiscal year to support the next work plan. It is likely that Downtown grants and incentive programs will continue to be funded similarly in the next fiscal year. Discussion surrounded a budget workshop to understand in greater detail how the budget is allocated through the work plan. Member resignation: Discussion surrounded new appointees and the board agrees to be intentional about diversity, inclusion, and skills brought to the board. Members are asked to bring suggestions to the next meeting. Board of Directors May 24, 2021 3:00 p.m. Virtual Meeting Minutes Board Happy Hour: Jen will put together a Happy Hour event for the group in June after the mask mandate is officially lifted. 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: May’s meeting was rescheduled, but the committee was able to walk the district as part of the street furniture master plan. This committee reviewed the City Block design, updated the design guidelines, and is now mapping the master plan. Economic Vitality: May’s meeting will be rescheduled for June. Some members of the committee and staff attended a River Industry lunch with several large river boat companies to better understand the needs of these companies. Feedback from the company mainly centered around workforce. Discussion with the group included the connection between river industries and the work Main Street does in Downtown. River industry relations are important to the work of Main Street in relation to the shared spaces on the waterfront, like with Tennessee Riverline and the encouraging of recreational use of the river alongside industrial uses. Looking ahead: Work continues. Meeting Adjourned at 3:57 pm. Next meeting will be 06/28/21 at 3:00 pm.