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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08.16.2022 Business Improvement District Minutes Downtown Oshkosh BID Board Minutes August 16, 2022 Present: James Evans, Sandra Prunty, Chanda Anderson, Megan Lang, Marlo Ambas, Jill Anderson, Carrie Olson, Derek Mulloy, Andy Ratchman, Barb Nelson, James Stapel, Aaron Armstrong, Kris Larson Excused: Autumn Urban Staff: Jessica Meidl – BID Manager, Jeff Nau – Associate Planner, Anna Maier – Administrative Assistant, John Zarate – Economic Development Specialist Others: Amy Albright – Oshkosh Convention & Visitors Bureau, Mike Cooney – Oshkosh Farmers Market 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 July 19, 2022 Meeting The minutes of the July 19, 2022 were approved as written. (Larson, Anderson) III. Approve August 2022 Monthly Financial Report The August 2022 financial report was approved as presented. (Prunty, Olson) IV. Policing/Traffic/Parking/Enforcement Issues Sgt. Pettit was not in attendance. V. Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) Discussion Meidl stated they haven’t had any significant complaints. She gave out rolls of 1,000 stickers to most downtown bars and restaurants and some have gone through them already. There have been a lot of people on Thursday nights with live music in the square and Waterfest. DORA has provided more options for downtown with First Fridays as well. Everyone she has talked to has had positive interactions with police. She hasn’t noticed an increase in trash. Lang asked if Jazzfest will start earlier. Meidl replied no, adding that the Craft Beer Walk hours cannot be extended either. Larson replied there isn’t a willingness to change the hours at this point. They need to convene a group and discuss it in a proactive manner. Council is at fault for amending the work they put into it. Nau replied it’s a pilot program, so they can gather feedback and data for the next approval. Larson replied it’s more than a pilot program because it’s an ordinance change. Nelson asked how they’re going to explain it to their patrons. They won’t be able to walk store to store. They need to drink it or dump it in the store. Larson replied this is a good example of what they need to add for next time. Albright stated another thing to add is weddings. People were excited to walk around with a beverage and they’re missing that with the 5:00 start time. Larson replied Council was well aware of that, but they need to prove that they can do this successfully and bring it forward for next time. There were missed opportunities from others, but the rules are the same. They have to be by the book or they’ll get nowhere. Lang asked if they want to reintroduce DORA in spring or try to extend it now. Larson replied he would like to start the committee in November so it’s ready for spring. He doubts anything bad will happen, so they’ll have good data for next time. Stapel suggested extending it gradually every year. Anderson replied they should figure out if they want an earlier start time or a year round extension. She thinks the downtown will benefit more from an earlier start time for events. Larson replied at the next meeting they can identify things they’d like for next year like the Farmer’s Market, Wednesdays, and an earlier start time for weddings. They’re going to need a checklist and make sure that someone actually forms a committee to do this. It needs to be a joint effort. Nelson asked about non-alcohol licensed businesses. Larson replied he’s working on that side with legislators, but not making any progress. Nelson replied that from a business standpoint she does not see this as being to her advantage. Stapel asked what they’re supposed to do for Craft Beer Walk once its 5:00. Meidl replied they would follow the rules for the event. It’s a two ounce pour, so it likely won’t be an issue. Lang replied from a consistency standpoint that makes senses, but maybe that last hour of flexibility would promote people staying downtown longer. Nelson replied that’s adding more confusion for the consumer. Olson replied it’s going to be a non-issue with the amount of beer. VI. Approve Beautification Grant to Satori Imports, 411 North Main Street ($1,000.00) Meidl introduced the grant request as presented in the packet. The grant was approved as requested. (Anderson/Larson) Meidl stated the BID has approved ten applications, five have been paid out or are being processed, and four are waiting for the final work. There’s $1,000 remaining for the program. Lang replied they would need to talk about a transfer if they receive more applications. XI. 400 Block East Parking Lot Raingarden Update Nau stated that Public Works will be performing the work this fall. BID members requested to know what kind of work will be happening in fall, why it’s being delayed until fall, how many affected lots are in the BID, and what the plan is for all of those lots moving forward. Nau replied that staff are aware that a long term plan is needed to maintain the lots. Expenses need to be budgeted for the maintenance. He agreed to find out more information and provide an update at the next meeting. XII. BID Manager and BID Committee Reports  Events  MemberCO  Beautification Cooney reported that the Farmer’s Market is doing wonderful. Meidl stated the Chalk Walk was this past weekend. It rained suddenly on Saturday and people were upset they didn’t postpone until this weekend. They could use more volunteers for the event because Sandy is out there on her own. Prunty stated there were a record number of artists and votes. They made $2,000 after expenses. Nelson stated they are trying to attend galas and have been buying tickets to represent the downtown. It looks good that they’re doing that and they’re trying to attend fundraisers when possible. Meidl stated there’s been an increase in Instagram followers. Businesses can still apply for a small transit advertisement for $285. More people have been walking around downtown with DORA for events creating a livelier atmosphere. For Craft Beer Walk, she’s trying to have all Oshkosh breweries with three to four beers from each. For the annual BID event, she will pick a date between the Craft Beer Walk and the Holiday Parade that makes sense. The Holiday Parade is scheduled for November 17th, but there’s also a Packers game that night. She asked for feedback regarding rescheduling the event. BID members expressed a preference for December 1st with November 29th as a back-up. They also discussed moving the tree-lighting earlier. Meidl will check for conflicts for the proposed dates and send out final date(s) for the Holiday Parade and/or tree-lighting. Lang stated the Christmas tree is looking very sad. They need to make a decision about getting a temporary one or a new tree altogether. She asked suggestions be passed along to Meidl. Nelson asked if they can increase the maximum attendance for the beer and wine walks if the events sell out. Meidl replied attendance beyond 350 is considered a special event. It’s also a lot of work to put together the bags. It’s something they could consider it for the Holiday Wine Walk. Meidl shared photos of the new mural that’s being finished today. It is very impactful and there’s been a lot of traffic in the area. It includes the names of the local artists from the Oshkosh Art Collective who contributed, including Olson. Olson stated Molly also explained the business end of the process at the workshops, which will hopefully encourage more local artists to contribute in the future. Meidl stated Molly really enjoyed her time in Oshkosh and said it was the nicest place she ever stayed, which was kind of cool coming from someone living in Chicago. Meidl stated the Blade Sign Program was still in the works. Five checks have been sent out and three are still pending. It has made an impact on the 400 Block. Larson replied the amount of the fee is insane given the program includes pre-approved signage. He’s still waiting for a response on his application. Meidl replied that she met with staff and it doesn’t sound like they can reduce the permit fee. Larson replied that response defeats the purpose of the work they did putting the program together. Zarate explained that the applications staff received did not include the information they needed and actually ended up being more work than usual due to the amount of staff time involved following up. He recommended educating the sign contractor or whoever is coordinating the program to make the process easier. Larson replied that Meidl put together a packet of guidelines for the program to ensure the permits would be approved. Not everyone read the guidelines. Nau replied the application he received from Larson didn’t have any of the information. It just said “blade sign” and that was it. Larson replied he assumed that the work Meidl did meant that the blade signs applications would be pre-approved. Nau replied nothing was pre-approved, adding Reimer’s maxed out what they were allowed. Anderson asked if it’s a city ordinance. Nau replied affirmatively. Lang stated they pushed for similar types of signs in the past and it’s going to happen on other properties, so they need to figure something out. Anderson stated she didn’t mind paying the $140 fee because staff helped her though the process. She didn’t read the guidelines and staff needed to do all of the work measuring and figuring out square footage for her. Larson stated the whole point of the program was to make the process easier. If it’s not easier for the BID or for staff, then they need to make the process simpler. The code was written poorly and perpendicular signs should be counted differently so that it’s easier for everyone involved. Nau replied the code is in line with all other municipalities in the area. When they amended the zoning ordinance in 2017, they did so with the feedback that they allowed way too much signage. Lang stated they should form a smaller group to address this on the side. XIII. Form 2023 BID Budget Committee Lang, Larson, Olson, and Prunty, were identified as members of the 2023 BID Budget Committee. Meidl will reach out to Dr. Anderson to determine if she has an interest in serving again. XIV. Other Business No other items of business were identified. XV. Identification of Agenda Items for the September 20, 2022 Meeting Lang requested to review the operating plan at the next meeting. She suggested having a workshop with Council prior to the plan’s approval that could also serve as a wrap-up for DORA. Nau will follow up on the potential workshop. XVI. Adjournment There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:03am. (Prunty, Olson) Respectfully Submitted, Jeff Nau Associate Planner Planning Services Division