HomeMy WebLinkAbout12.21.2021 Business Improvement District Full Agenda
TO: Downtown Oshkosh Business Improvement District Board
FROM: Megan Lang, Chair
DATE: December 14, 2021
PLEASE BE ADVISED that the Downtown Oshkosh Business Improvement District Board will hold a
regular meeting at 8:00 AM, Tuesday, December 21, 2021 in Room 404 at City Hall, 215 Church Ave.,
Oshkosh, WI to consider the following agenda:
AGENDA
I. Call to Order
II. Approve Minutes of the November 16, 2021 Meeting
III. Approve December 2021 Monthly Financial Report
IV. Policing/Traffic/Parking/Enforcement Issues
V. Discussion of MemberCo funds from fiscal year 2021
VI. BID Manager and BID Committee Reports
a. Events
b. MemberCo
c. Beautification
d. Marketing & Communications
VII. Other Business (Must address items not listed on the BID Board meeting agenda)
VIII. Identification of Agenda Items for the January 18, 2022 Meeting
IX. Adjournment
IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND THIS MEETING,
PLEASE CALL THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIVISION AT 920-236-5055.
Downtown Oshkosh BID Board Minutes
November 16, 2021
Present: Marlo Ambas, James Evans, Sandra Prunty, Jill Anderson, Chanda Anderson, David
Krumplitsch, Barb Nelson, Megan Lang, Carrie Olson, Autumn Urban, Kris Larson and
Andy Ratchman.
Excused: Derek Mulloy, Aaron Armstrong and James Stapel.
Staff: Jessica Meidl – BID Manager, Kelly Nieforth – Economic Development Services
Manager, Sean Fitzgerald – Economic Development Specialist, Jeff Nau – Associate
Planner/GIS Specialist, and Sgt. Kari Pettit – Oshkosh Police Department.
Others: Amy Albright – Oshkosh Convention and Visitors Bureau, Dianna Stiefvater, Rob
Ketter, Mike Nelson and Jessica Graf.
I. Call to Order
Chairperson Lang called the meeting to order at 8:02 a.m. A quorum was declared present.
II. Approve Minutes of the October 19, 2021 Meeting
Larson moved to approve the minutes of the October 19, 2021 meeting, second by Olson. Motion
passed unanimously.
III. Approve November 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 Prunty. Motion passed unanimously.
IV. Policing/Traffic/Parking/Enforcement Issues
Sgt. Pettit indicated a suicidal individual had forced the closure of North Main Street in the vicinity of
the 400 block on three occasions during the past few weeks. On each occasion the police have asked bar
and restaurant owners to lock their doors while law enforcement de-escalated each situation.
Members had asked about the city’s position on addressing homeless individuals living in the parks,
particularly referencing Opera House Square. Sgt. Pettit indicated she will bring the matter to the
attention of the police chief.
V. Discussion of MemberCo’s Proposed Event List for 2022
Barb Nelson reported that downtown business owners intend to conduct one event per quarter for the
coming year. In February the group is planning an admission-based event that involves chocolate, in
April it’s planning an adult Easter egg hunt, in June the group is planning a “crazy days” sale, and in
late November or early December it plans a bingo event.
MemberCo businesses indicated they would develop their own meeting agenda and minutes going
forward. They explained the resource of the BID manager would be helpful for event marketing and for
conducting communications to MemberCo businesses.
Larson asked why the registration for the admission-based events need to be administered and
collected by the BID manager. Board members discussed the history of the checking account associated
with MemberCo and the rationale of not tying MemberCo funds to an account associated with a single
individual or business.
Board members expressed concern about the amount of time the BID manager spends on MemberCo
initiatives, and would like MemberCo business owners to take on more responsibility related to its
events and initiatives.
Prunty asked how many hours per month would be an acceptable use of the BID manager’s time to
dedicate toward any MemberCo meeting or other initiative. She indicate that issue appears to be at the
center of this larger discussion regarding MemberCo.
Lang suggested the BID manager attend every other MemberCo monthly meeting to update business
owners on the progress of the BID and its board of directors, but would have no responsibility for the
meeting agenda or minutes. She also suggested the BID would retain the approximately $9,000 in the
MemberCo checking account and would grant $3,000 annually toward MemberCo as “seed money” for
its upfront event costs.
Jill Anderson said there needs to be resolution to the issue of the funds in the MemberCo checking
account and whether those should be retained by MemberCo or be absorbed into the BID’s budget.
Lang clarified that MemberCo would not retain the funds currently in its checking account, but could
make a decision about charging annual membership dues to generate additional revenue.
Board members offered a general consensus to move forward with Lang’s suggestions for MemberCo’s
use of the BID manager.
VI. Discussion of BID Financial Assistance Programs
BID Manager Meidl indicated there are a handful of grants programs available through the BID which
may be outdated. She discussed the board’s intention for a blade sign initiative and suggested the
existing retention grant program could help fund grants to business owners for blade signs.
The BID’s recruitment grant has received no applications in recent years and would-be applicants have
indicated the application is far too onerous for the amount of dollars received. Meidl suggested an ad-
hoc committee come together to review existing grant program guidelines, applications and evaluation
criteria and discuss how those might be updated.
Evans indicated he would be willing to review the applications for the grant programs and offer
suggestions for making the process more efficient.
Lang recommended Meidl come back to the board at its January meeting with a report on the review of
the BID’s existing grant programs.
VII. 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 also reported the BID was accepted into the Connect
Communities initiative through Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.’s Main Street Program.
Albright mentioned the visitor bureau’s “Shop Local” campaign for the coming year will provide
Oshkosh-themed socks to patrons of downtown businesses.
VIII. Other Business (Items not listed on the BID Board meeting agenda)
No other items of business were introduced.
IX. Identification of Agenda Items for the December 21, 2021 Meeting
No additional agenda items were identified for the December 21, 2021 meeting.
X. Adjournment
Motion to adjourn by Evans at 9:29 a.m., second by Larson. Motion carried unanimously.
Respectfully Submitted,
Sean Fitzgerald
Economic Development Division
Economic Development Specialist
Description Expenditure
Leadership Oshkosh Convention and Visitor's Bureau CVB Contract November 4,392.96$
Reimbursements:
Website Maintenance/Office Supplies D&K Rentals - December Rent 120.00$
Kitz & Pfeil Ace Hardware - Credit Card Reimbursement 12.59$
Mail Chimp - Credit Card Reimbursement 30.99$
Verizon Phone Charges 51.67$
Reimbursements:
Recruitment/Retention/Video Grants Recruitment/Retention Grant Program Art City Signs Utility Boxes 8,500.00$
Reimbursements:
Video Grant Program
Events Waterfest
Live at Lunch
unWINEd-Wine Walk 4Imprint - Wine Glasses 135.29$
Reimbursements:
Farmers Market
Reimbursements:
Holiday Parade All American DJ Service - Tree Lighting Ceremony 100.00$
Ray's Sanitation - Portable Restroom Rentals 180.00$
Reimbursements:Oshkosh Area Community Foundation - 27255 (1,000.00)$
Oshkosh Area Humane Society - 18834 (25.00)$
Fleet Farm - 66064 (50.00)$
Dimond Bros Insurance, LLC - 118959 (500.00)$
Rhyme - 112987 (500.00)$
West Side Association - 3164 (500.00)$
Glen Grothman - 6167 (50.00)$
Hometown Broadcasting LLC - 021400 (50.00)$
Oshkosh Area United Way - 14024 (25.00)$
Oshkosh Area Community Foundation - 27277 (1,000.00)$
Holiday Parade Children's Award Winner 250.00$
Noel Productions - Reindeer Display 2,000.00$
Gallery Walk
Other Events
Advertising Houck Transit Advertising - 10/1/21-10/31/21 400.00$
Oshkosh Herald - 1/4 Page Color - 4780 318.00$
Art City Signs Utility Boxes 534.00$
Canva - Credit Card Reimbursement 12.95$
Facebook - Credit Card Reimbursement 59.83$
Reimbursements:
Beautification Contracted Services The Grounds Guys - Monthly Maintenance Contract - 71715 1,650.00$
Holiday The Grounds Guys - Holiday Boughs Planting - 71843 3,250.00$
Reimbursements:
Planter and Bumpout Maintenance
Lakefly Sponsorship
Seagull Mitigation Project
Parking Parking Study Implementation
Reimbursements:
Storage Unit
Reserves / Capital Improvements
Reimbursements:
Gift Card Program CVB Transfer 1,000.00$
Total 19,298.28$
2021 Business Improvement District
November 5, 2021 through December 3, 2021
2021 Assessment 140,610.00
2020 Carry over 76,412.21
2020 Encumberance 1,000.00
TOTAL AVAILABLE 218,022.21
Funds Allocated 217,022.21
Balance Available 1,000.00
2021 Encumbered
Allocation Expenditures Receipt Transferred Balance Balance
Leadership
Oshkosh Convention and Visitor's Bureau 70,000.00$ 51,731.17 0.00 0.00 0.00 18,268.83
Website Maintenance/Office Supplies 4,000.00$ 3,697.38 0.00 0.00 0.00 302.62
Recruitment/Retention Grant Program -$ 13,500.00 3,500.00 10,000.00 0.00 0.00
Events
Waterfest 2,000.00$ 2,000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Live at Lunch 500.00$ 500.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
unWINEd-Wine Walk 750.00$ 4,935.18 11,322.88 0.00 0.00 7,137.70
Holiday Parade 750.00$ 5,591.00 12,885.00 0.00 0.00 8,044.00
Farmers Market 5,000.00$ 5,000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Other Events 2,500.00$ 2,425.06 0.00 0.00 0.00 74.94
Advertising -$ 13,546.22 1,210.00 15,000.00 0.00 2,663.78
Gift Card Program 1,000.00$ 1,000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Marketing Consortium
Membership Donations -$ 468.21 555.00 0.00 0.00 86.79
Additional Activities & Marketing Materials 850.00$ 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 850.00
Holiday 2,000.00$ 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2,000.00
Chalk Walk 150.00$ 475.40 425.00 0.00 0.00 99.60
Beautification
Contracted Services 25,000.00$ 23,400.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1,600.00
Holiday 8,500.00$ 3,250.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 5,250.00
Planter and Bumpout Maintenance 13,950.00$ 17,000.00 0.00 3,050.00 0.00 0.00
Seagull Mitigation Project 3,000.00$ 2,713.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 287.00
Parking -$ 0.00 0.00 15,000.00 0.00 15,000.00
Storage Unit 660.00$ 605.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 55.00
Reserves / Capital Improvements 76,412.21$ 0.00 0.00 (43,050.00)0.00 33,362.21
TOTAL OPERATING BUDGET 217,022.21$ 151,837.62$ 29,897.88$ -$ -$ 95,082.47
Postings through December 3, 2021
Downtown Oshkosh Business Improvement District - 2021 Operating Plan
BID Manager Report
November 2021
Priorities for the Month:
Post on social media 5+ times per week
Continue email template to be sent out to property/business owners
Change message on interchangeable sign
Continuous website updates
Participate in biweekly Community Partner Update with Oshkosh community leaders
Attend monthly Chamber EDAC meetings and give monthly BID update
Meet with Rob Kleman from the Chamber and Tricia Rathermal from GOEDC once per month for
downtown opportunity update
Reconcile gift card account and BID invoices every Friday
Develop and send community newsletter (I send these as I feel they are needed)
Create monthly Oshkosh Herald and Houck bus ads
Put on First Friday event every First Friday of each month
Committee Reports:
MemberCO
o Working with MemberCO for upcoming Chocolate Walk event
o Attend monthly meeting and give BID update
Beautification/Retention Grant/Mural Grant
o Beautification
o 2022 Banners
o 2021 Holiday Décor Final Report
o 2022 Plan for Flowers/Maintenance
o Retention Grant
o Upcoming: Tennie’s Jewelry, Olive & Rose
o Recruitment Grant
o No pending applications
o Mural Grant
o No pending applications
Marketing & Communications
No update
Events
No update
Other Highlights/Projects
CVB Destination Oshkosh committee
Holiday Parade final report
Holiday Event/Downtown for the Holidays Campaign final report
CVB/Love Oshkosh Support Local campaign report
Main Street Connect Communities Program – approved for 2022
New/updated BID Financial Assistance Programs for 2022
2022 Planning
Annual Report