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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-21-21 Meeting Minutes Downtown Oshkosh BID Board Minutes September 21, 2021 Present: Marlo Ambas, James Evans, Sandra Prunty, Jill Anderson, Chanda Anderson, David Krumplitsch, Barb Nelson, Megan Lang, Carrie Olson, Derek Mulloy, Aaron Armstrong, Andy Ratchman, Autumn Urban and Kris Larson. Excused: James Stapel. Staff: Jessica Meidl – BID Manager, Kelly Nieforth – Economic Development Services Manager, Sean Fitzgerald – Economic Development Specialist, Sgt. Kari Pettit – Oshkosh Police Department, and Jeff Nau – Associate Planner/GIS Specialist. Others: Amy Albright – Oshkosh Convention and Visitors Bureau and Jessica Graf. I. Call to Order Chairperson Lang called the meeting to order at 8:03 a.m. A quorum was declared present. II. Approve Minutes of the August 17, 2021 Meeting Chanda Anderson moved to approve the minutes of the August 17, 2021 meeting, second by Larson. Motion passed unanimously. III. Approve September 2021 Monthly Financial Report BID Manager Meidl provided the financial report as presented in the packet. Larson moved to accept the financial report, second by Olson. Motion passed unanimously. IV. Policing/Traffic/Parking/Enforcement Issues Sgt. Pettit reported 178 calls came in for the downtown area during August 2021. She provided an overview on a recent incident in the parking lot off the 500 block of North Main Street. Pettit reported additional enforcement by patrol officers has been focused on the 500 block of North Main near Fletch’s and Peabody’s between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. and it’s appeared to help mitigate disturbances. She said that presence will continue into the immediate future. Nieforth shared details of a recent internal city meeting and said an information campaign to inform drivers about the mid-block crosswalks has been discussed with the police department. Board members asked about the possibility of lowering the speed limit to 15 miles per hour on North Main Street. Sgt. Pettit responded it’s not likely because it isn’t a school zone. Members also asked about the visibility of the crosswalks and asked about various remedies to increase visibility. V. Approve Electrical Box Wrap Pilot Program Agreement with City of Oshkosh Meidl gave an update on the electrical box wrap program and presented design images for various electrical boxes near Opera House Square. The 12-month pilot program has been approved by the Common Council. Costs for the wraps themselves have increased beyond the original proposal. Meidl indicated the higher cost will lead to fewer electrical boxes being wrapped as part of this pilot program. VI. Approve BID Grant to Fund the Electrical Box Wrap Pilot Program Meidl proposed the BID fund the electrical box wrap pilot program with a $4,000 grant from its Retention Fund. Meidl indicated there will not be sponsorship opportunities available on the wraps themselves. Members of the board asked why the sponsorships would not be allowed. Nieforth indicated that city ordinance prohibits any manner of advertising within the public right of way, but she is working to have the ordinance modified by the Common Council in coming months. Board members discussed starting the pilot program with the electrical boxes around Opera House Square, then expanding it to the full 11 electrical boxes designated within the BID district after the ordinance regarding advertising in the right of way has been reconsidered. Other members pushed to have the project launched fully as soon as possible. Meidl indicated the revised cost of the pilot program is approaching $10,000. Motion by Larson to approve a $5,000 grant from the BID’s Retention Fund, second by Evans. Motion passed unanimously. VII. General Discussion About Code Enforcement Issues Downtown Nieforth provided a brief update indicating she and city staff are working to update various code changes to reflect some of the recommendations from Roger Brooks in his assessment of the community. The city council has asked that this initiative be part of its standing issues list of which it receives updates during regular meetings. VIII. Update on Maintenance of Parking Lot Stormwater Detention Basins Downtown Nieforth indicated the city’s public works department is developing a plan to improve and regularly maintain the stormwater detention basin going forward. The public works department has a contractor who has recently visited the 400 block parking lot to review the current status of the plantings and recommend changes to stabilize the structure of the basin this fall. IX. Update on Progress of Budget Committee Discussions Lang reported the budget committee held an initial meeting to review the 2022 proposed budget. She mentioned a variety of options are being considered for assisting Meidl with the organization’s workload in the coming fiscal year, including a possible partnership with Oshkosh Convention & Visitors Bureau. X. General Discussion About MemberCO Lang said budget committee discussions related to funding for MemberCO in the 2022 operating plan led to a larger discussion about the role of BID staff in managing MemberCO events. She said a growing amount of staff time has been devoted to MemberCO, which is a deviation from the original intent of the committee. Prunty acknowledged that MemberCO started as an initiative by downtown business owners to develop and manage smaller events outside the BID’s organizational scope of work and was not intended to generate additional work for staff. Event management had traditionally been undertaken by business owners volunteering time and resources. Board members discussed the lack of volunteers to help administer these events, and also acknowledged these events have absorbed more staff time during the past year or more. Lang indicated MemberCO members need to have an in-depth conversation during their next meeting to set an agenda for MemberCo and determine a strategic direction going forward. XI. BID Manager and BID Committee Reports  Events  MemberCO  Beautification  Marketing & Communications Meidl provided her management and committee report as presented in the packet and offered an update of her activities during the past month. She reported the Emma Daisy mural was installed in early September and has received a significant amount of local media attention. Meidl reported the Wine Walk event had sold out recently, netting the BID approximately $7,000 in income. She said ongoing planning is underway for upcoming holiday events downtown. XII. Other Business (Items not listed on the BID Board meeting agenda) Prunty indicated she’s investigating the possibility of a blade sign outside her business and had asked if the current pilot program afforded any manner of financial assistance. Meidl responded the BID’s retention grant program could provide up to $1,000 in funds to assist business owners considering a new blade sign on their store front. XIII. Identification of Agenda Items for the October 19, 2021 Meeting Board members asked to 1) resume the general discussion about the strategic direction of MemberCO and approval of its formal affiliation with the BID, 2) discuss and approve the operating budget for the 2022 fiscal year, and 3) receive an update on code enforcement issues in the downtown, including sign and mural placement issues. XIV. Adjournment Motion to adjourn by Larson at 9:32 a.m., second by Ambas. Motion carried unanimously. Respectfully Submitted, Sean Fitzgerald Economic Development Division Economic Development Specialist