Downtown Business Improvement District Minutes 02-22-2021

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      Downtown Muskegon Business Improvement District
                                         Feb. 22, 2021
                                  Regular meeting minutes
                                     Muskegon City Hall
                                   933 Terrace Muskegon, MI 49440
                              Virtually on City of Muskegon Facebook Live


1) Call to Order: 8:01 AM

   Attendance: Bob Tarrant, Kathy Denison, John Riegler, Andy Maciejewski, Dan Castle,
   Jaime Charron and Frank Peterson.
    Excused Absent(s): Bruce Lindstrom
    Guests: Dave Alexander, city Business Development Manager; Phyllis Watson-Laudermill,
   awaiting reappointment to the BID board.
2) Introduction of new BID board members Andy Maciejewski, Dan Castle and Jaime Charron.


3) Consent agenda

       a) Approval of the agenda
       b) Approval of the Minutes of Oct. 26, 2020 meeting
       c) Acceptance of the financial statements as of Dec. 31, 2020

   Motion to approve the consent agenda: Kathy Denison
   Support: Frank Peterson
   All voted in favor

4) Public Comment (on an agenda item) – The board chose to leave the floor open for the
   whole meeting allowing attendees to participate as they like. No participants spoke.

5) New Business

                         a) Dave Alexander recommended approval of the summer
                            landscaping agreement with the city’s Department of Public
                            Works. The scope did not change from 2020. The cost of
                            $25,250 is a 5 percent increase.
    Motion to approve: Frank Peterson
   Support: John Riegler
   All voted in favor.
                         b) Dave Alexander recommended approval of the summer planter
                            contract for flowers and maintenance with Barry’s Flowers for

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                               72 planters downtown. The cost of $15,000 is an 11 percent
                               increase from 2020. The cost is due mainly to increased labor
                               costs. Bob Tarrant spoke with owner Dawn Berry and was
                               comfortable with the pricing for this year. All agreed that Barry’s
                               does an exceptional job in providing the service to the BID.

                         c) The Muskegon Social District will fully launch this spring and
                             has up front costs of about $25,000 with funds coming in on the
                             sale of social district cups/stickers over the course of the year.
                             The BID was asked to consider providing a $25,000 no-interest
                             loan as an initial funding option if needed by the city’s Finance
                             Department. The loan would be repaid from Social District
                             revenues. The BID fund balance was at $77,000. Bob Tarrant
                             pointed out this is not in the BID work plan. But others were
                             very supportive, John Riegler, Kathy Denison, Andy
                             Maciejewski, Dan Castle and Phyllis Watson-Laudermill.
                             Riegler said that “desperate times need desperate measures,”
                             as the BID should support downtown establishments as they
                             come back from COVID shut downs.
   Motion to support: John Riegler
   Support: Andy Maciejewski
   All voted in favor.

                            d) Dave Alexander reported on a corrected BID assessment for
                               297 W. Clay Unit 104 that was miscalculated and corrected.
                               For information only.
                            e) Dave Alexander updated the board on an assessment appeal
                               from 813-820-821 Pine and 66 W. Webster. The offer will be to
                               settle the appeal at the same amount the Michigan Tax
                               Tribunal ruled back in 2018. For information only.
6) Other Business

     a) The BID board decided to meet next on June 28 at 8 a.m. for an early summer update.


7) Adjournment
   8:46 AM
   No Objection
Minutes produced and submitted by Dave Alexander, city of Muskegon business development
manager




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