Harbor Springs DDA Meeting 1.7.20201

Detailed briefing

Harbor Springs DDA Meeting — January 7, 2021 • The DDA approved the December 3 minutes. It also approved keeping Kathy Breitner as chair and Tim Knapp as vice chair, along with the existing committee assignments. Tim Knapp, Nikki Law and Josh Baker had agreed to remain on the board for new three-year terms and were reappointed by Matt. • Ice Fest planning was reported as strong for an off-year format: 39 pre-carved sculpture commitments had been received, compared with a prior goal of 20. The preliminary budget at 38 sculptures showed a projected net of $7,145, before adding a newly reported $175 sponsorship. Some commitments still needed signed contracts for invoicing. • Members agreed in discussion that Rock on Ice should remove the sculptures and bases on its normal schedule rather than leaving bases downtown. They also noted the need to avoid heated sidewalks, roof-slide areas and other locations that could shorten sculpture life or create hazards. • The Promotions Committee was directed to quickly develop a restaurant-support giveaway that could use customer receipts and DDA-funded prizes. Members discussed keeping the program simple, possibly with multiple prize tiers, and running it for roughly three to four weeks. No final contest rules or prize structure were adopted at this meeting. • The board identified continuing work on downtown lighting, parking behind the Burley Building, outdoor dining/public-space options, and the tree-grate project. Members stressed that any City Council request on lighting should be specific, including likely cost and city contribution. Tree-grate rebidding with Benchmark is underway. • The DDA approved a 3% raise for Director Margo. Her budgeted workload was also described as 25 hours per week, up from 20, although hours vary with event and seasonal workload. The director reported 16 COVID grants totaling $3,195, leaving $1,805 available. Worth watching: • Whether the restaurant-support promotion is launched promptly and how recipients, receipts and prizes are handled. • Whether Ice Fest commitments are converted into signed contracts and invoices. • Whether Downtown Enhancement brings forward updated parking and lighting proposals, including a defined City Council request. Upcoming: Ice Fest and the Chamber’s Blue Chair drawing are planned for February 13, subject to applicable conditions and requirements. Why it matters: The board’s early-2021 work centers on maintaining downtown activity and business support while planning improvements and events amid changing COVID-19 conditions.

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