Downtown Development Authority Meeting — 2025-06-11

Detailed briefing

DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY — JUNE 11, 2025 ATTENDEES: Tom Graham, Gail Brown, Cora Smith Weight, Sarah Asher Bunner, Chuck Kramers, Nikki Law, Margaret Tweeten, Maggie Lacy, Bob Toma and DDA Director Becky Goodman. • The board approved the consent agenda after correcting the spelling of Maggie Lacy’s last name. Members also welcomed Bob Toma as a new DDA board member. Raised hands indicated approval, but an exact vote count was not stated. • The board voted to have the DDA take over management of downtown sidewalk sales beginning in 2026. The Chamber will continue managing the event in 2025 and offered to transfer its existing signs. DDA duties will include merchant outreach, right-of-way permission, flyers, advertising and post-event surveys. The current $500 allocation has generally covered the Chamber’s costs, but the board may revisit the amount during budgeting. • Downtown parking enforcement began earlier in the week and will proceed section by section. The DDA plans to circulate the city’s municipal parking map and remind downtown employers and workers to preserve prime spaces for customers. After discussions with the church and police chief, staff said the DDA would not formally promote church parking or pursue the previously discussed permit arrangement. • The Promotions Committee has stopped pursuing a summer shuttle because a trial was considered too expensive. It is still working on possible fall-festival line dancing and donuts, Santa’s Workshop, and potential collaboration with the Chamber on the window-decorating contest. The committee’s next planning session is June 24 from 4 to 6 p.m. at City Hall. • Benches, bike racks and trash cans were expected during the week of June 26, although steel issues had affected the bike racks. Damage to a sign behind Gurney’s is being handled through insurance, with repair requested before July 4 if possible. Staff also recommended moving ahead with an approximately $11,000 lamp-post painting proposal already contemplated in the budget, likely in the fall. • Merchants Walkway improvements and downtown flower pots received favorable comments. Landscaping plans still need to be recovered or resubmitted, and a ribbon-cutting will wait until landscaping is complete. Leaking water fountains and possible utility-box coverings remain on staff’s maintenance list. Worth watching: • The 2026 sidewalk-sale budget, merchant date survey and transfer of Chamber materials. • Delivery and installation of street furnishings, plus sign and lamp-post work. • Follow-through on Merchants Walkway landscaping, water fountains and utility boxes. Upcoming: Night of the Arts is June 24 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.; Santa’s Workshop was announced for December 12, 13 and 20. The board will not meet in July and expects to meet again in August. Why it matters: The decisions affect downtown business promotion, customer parking and the appearance and maintenance of public spaces.

No open public follow-ups are linked to this meeting yet.