Downtown Development Authority Meeting

Detailed briefing

Downtown Development Authority — March 11, 2026 ATTENDEES: DDA board members, city staff, a planning consultant and members of the public; a quorum was confirmed. • The board approved the consent agenda without stated opposition. Staff said future minutes will use a shorter format because meeting recordings preserve additional detail. The city's audited financial report will remain the official money-tracking document, with separate project budgets supplied as needed. • The DDA approved a $3,000 contract with Fusion Digital to rebuild the downtown website, plus $59 per month for hosting, maintenance and support. The current site was described as difficult for volunteers to update. The goal is to have the replacement functioning before the summer season. Members also called for benchmarks that could help show whether online promotion supports downtown visitation and business activity. • The board approved merchant social-media training proposed as two sessions costing $500 each. The hands-on workshops would cover basic posting and tools such as Canva. Participation will be free for people who work or have a business in the central business district; participants from outside the district will be charged $50. Committee members acknowledged that attendance cannot be guaranteed and said personal outreach will be needed. • The board unanimously approved $1,000 toward a Cobalt Community Research geofencing study. City planning is expected to provide the other half of the approximately $2,000 cost. Staff said the first report would use data from April 1, 2025 through March 30, 2026 and should arrive in about six weeks. The intended analysis includes visitor and resident patterns, repeat visits and demographic information, although the precise deliverables were not read in full. • A streetscape input board will remain in the City Hall lobby until preliminary concepts arrive next month. Residents may add positive observations, problems and opportunities. The consultant said the comments will be documented and used in concept development and the final report. • The Promotions Committee reported $34,358 in Ice Fest sponsorship revenue. The DDA contributed $5,008, below its $6,000 budget. Businesses generally reported higher foot traffic, but the committee characterized much of the economic feedback as anecdotal. Planning for next year's event, including whether to reserve another drone show and pay a deposit, remains unresolved. Worth watching: 1. The city is researching the legal process and contract liabilities associated with any possible DDA dissolution. No dissolution vote was expected at the referenced Monday council meeting. 2. Streetscape open-house and later showcase dates were presented as tentative and were not to be publicized until confirmed. 3. Questions remain about locating and reviewing older utility-pole contracts and enforcing maintenance obligations. Upcoming: Bowling Down Main is scheduled for April 4; the first streetscape concept presentation is planned for the April 8 DDA meeting, subject to final confirmation of the planning schedule. Why it matters: The approved spending establishes new tools for downtown promotion and visitor measurement while major streetscape and governance questions remain open.

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