Downtown Development Authority Meeting - 2026-01-14

Detailed briefing

Downtown Development Authority — January 14, 2026 ATTENDEES: Mayor Tom Quinn, Gail Brown, Laura Smith, Sarah Eschelbrenner, Mark Creighton, Maggie Lacey, Bob Toma and Allison Larson were present at roll call. • The board kept its regular meeting schedule: the second Wednesday of each month at 8 a.m. Gail Brown was retained as chair and Cora Smith as vice chair. Both actions passed without recorded opposition; the transcript does not provide vote counts. • The DDA amended its policies so the Promotions Committee and Downtown Enhancement Committee must be chaired by DDA board members. Event subcommittees are exempt, allowing non-board volunteers to remain in leadership roles. Allison Larson was also officially added to the Promotions Committee after having attended meetings since her midyear board appointment. • Special-meeting procedures were revised. Notice must be posted at least 24 hours in advance rather than five days, and meetings may be called by the chair, three board members or City Council. The DDA also gave final approval to its 2026 budget following prior City Council approval. • Sidewalk snow removal remains unresolved. Members said the current city-code language is difficult to interpret and enforce, especially regarding when the removal deadline begins after a snowfall. Cora Smith said she would draft clearer language for the Enhancement Committee. The DDA can only recommend a code change; City Council must approve it. Participants were uncertain whether a revision could take effect this winter. • Enhancement projects include researching new historically based names for downtown parking lots, repairing utility boxes and planning lamppost painting. A new estimate was reported at $30,000 for 34 lampposts and 10 additional posts. The DDA budget includes a $15,000 contribution request. A full plan, including samples and public input, is expected to return to the board and City Council. • Ice Fest is scheduled for February 6-7. Jolie by the Bay and Rodrigo's are fully sponsoring a proposed drone show. The event application was still awaiting City Council consideration. Other plans discussed included warming stations, cocoa, museum activities, live ice carving and possible horse-drawn wagon tours extending activity beyond Zorn Park and farther along Main Street. Worth watching: • Whether City Council approves the Ice Fest and drone-show application. • Whether clearer snow-removal language advances before winter ends. • How the lamppost proposal and broader streetscape plan address costs, public input and missing trees. Upcoming: Ice Fest is planned for February 6-7; the drone-show application is expected at the next City Council meeting. Why it matters: The decisions set DDA governance for 2026 while major downtown maintenance, safety and event plans still require public review and City Council follow-through.

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