HomeMy WebLinkAbout03.15.2022 Business Improvement District Minutes
Downtown Oshkosh BID Board Minutes
March 15, 2022
Present: James Evans, Sandra Prunty, David Krumplitsch, Autumn Urban, Kris Larson, Chanda
Anderson, Megan Lang, Marlo Ambas, Jill Anderson, Derek Mulloy and Barb Nelson.
Excused: James Stapel, Andy Ratchman, Carrie Olson and Aaron Armstrong.
Staff: Jessica Meidl – BID Manager, Sean Fitzgerald – Economic Development Specialist, and
Sgt. Kari Pettit – Oshkosh Police Department.
Others: Rob Kleman – Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, Dianna Stiefvater, Rob Ketter, Mike
Nelson and Jessica Graf.
I. Call to Order
Chairperson Lang called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. A quorum was declared present.
II. Approve Minutes of the February 15, 2022 Meeting
Prunty moved to approve the minutes of the February 15, 2022 meeting, second by Larson. Motion
passed unanimously.
III. Approve March 2022 Monthly Financial Report
BID Manager Meidl provided the financial report as presented in the packet.
Prunty asked why the balance of funds in the MemberCo checking account didn’t reflect the $4,500 in
net proceeds from February’s Chocolate Stroll event. Meidl explained that the funds are transferred
back into reserves after each event during the year.
Larson said that method of accounting for MemberCo funds was not what the board had agreed upon
when it approved the 2022 budget. He said MemberCo was allocated a total of $3,000 at the beginning
of the year, and each expense it makes for an event is subtracted from that amount, regardless of any
revenues generated from the event.
Lang clarified any revenues generated from an event put on by MemberCo would go toward the
reserves for the BID, and that ultimately the financial success of the event should brought more visitors
to the downtown during the event.
Mike Nelson suggested the policy language around the annual allocation to MemberCo should be
clarified. Jill Anderson said she believes the funds should come out of the MemberCo account, but
added the financial relationship between BID funds and MemberCo funds has been unclear.
Lang asked that Meidl and Fitzgerald work with the city’s finance department to iron out the
accounting by the next meeting so that $2,923.64 remains in the MemberCo checking account. Board
members asked if a separate line item in the budget could be added for each MemberCo event.
Larson moved to accept the financial report as presented, second by Jill Anderson. Motion passed
unanimously.
IV. Policing/Traffic/Parking/Enforcement Issues
Sgt. Pettit informed the board that the department will be implementing new reporting software in
coming weeks. She also indicated a special detail will be appointed during the evenings in early April
in preparation for the annual pub crawl event.
V. Review and Approve Modifications to BID Retention Grant Program
Meidl introduced a draft of revisions to the retention grant program as it was presented in the packet.
She said businesses are now able to apply for grant up to two times each year compared with the
current limitation of once every two years. Proposed revisions to the application process require just
one price quote rather than the current requirement of two quotes.
Larson moved to approve the modifications to the retention grant program as presented, second by
Evans. Motion passed unanimously.
VI. Discussion Regarding a Possible State of the BID Event
Prunty indicated it had been two years since a similar event was conducted. Various board members
offered consensus for holding some sort of event similar to those in the past, along with showing the
year-end summary video Ambas created. Chair Lang charged Meidl to proceed with arranging some
manner of an event in coming months.
VII. BID Manager and BID Committee Reports
Events
MemberCO
Beautification
Marketing & Communications
Meidl asked Barb Nelson to provide a report on the February 12 Chocolate Stroll event. Nelson said the
event sold out with 250 tickets well in advance. A total of 26 downtown stores participated by giving
away chocolates to those who registered.
Nelson indicated the event netted about $4,100 in income after expenses. Nelson reported a similar
event was held in Ripon the evening prior to Chocolate Stroll, as well as another similar event held on
the same day in downtown Appleton.
Nelson also reported the adult Easter egg hunt proposed for April will not occur because there isn’t
sufficient volunteers to help orchestrate the event.
Meidl provided her management and committee report as presented in the packet and offered an
update of her activities during the past month. She said street light post banners should be installed
soon. She’s also working to secure a location for a 2022 downtown mural. Meidl also reported the parks
department is still in the process of hiring its new landscape staff person.
VIII. Other Business (Items not listed on the BID Board meeting agenda)
Fitzgerald reported that previous board discussion about the delays in receiving paper agenda packets
by postal mail reintroduced the possibility of eliminating paper agendas to board members and simply
providing an exclusively digital agenda and packet.
Chair Lang asked if any board member still required a paper copy of the agenda. Members indicated
by consensus they would be willing to use just the digital copy of the agenda provided by email for
future meetings. Fitzgerald asked that any board member still requesting a paper copy of the agenda
and packet mailed to them each month to contact him following the meeting.
Meidl announced there would be a lunch event on Monday, March 28 to introduce the Wisconsin
Economic Development Corp. Main Street Connect Communities Program to downtown stakeholders.
The event will be held at noon at Oshkosh Convention Center. She said more information would be
forthcoming by email. Please respond to her with your reservation.
Evans asked if the condition of the parking lot near his building on the east side of the 400 block of
North Main Street would be improved. Meidl said she is currently working on a volunteer recruitment
effort focused on helping to clean up downtown.
IX. Identification of Agenda Items for the April 19, 2022 Meeting
No items were identified for the April 19, 2022 meeting agenda.
X. Adjournment
Motion to adjourn by Jill Anderson at 8:57 a.m., second by Chanda Anderson. Motion carried
unanimously.
Respectfully Submitted,
Sean Fitzgerald
Economic Development Division
Economic Development Specialist