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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-20-13 Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) Minutes/ Downtown Business Improvement District Board Meeting Minutes March 20, 2013 Attending: Mike Basile, Eric Bowman, Ileana Indreland, Steve Stinson, Eric Sutherland, Buck Taylor, Chris Naumann Absent: Dan Himsworth Public Comments None Disclosures None Minutes ACTION: Buck Taylor moved to approve the January minutes as presented. Mike Basile seconded the motion. All voted in favor. Finance Report Chris presented the Finance report reviewing the revenues and expenditures to date. He noted that all of the expenses were as anticipated and budgeted. The Board had no further questions regarding the finances. Program Director’s Report Executive Director’s Report Maintenance Program Update Below are the FY2013 year-to-date maintenance statistics with the comparable time period from FY2012. As the numbers show we are seeing a decrease in the amount of trash collected and a decline in the number of graffiti tags removed. The fall maintenance staff currently consists of just 1 PTE. FY2012 to date FY2013 to date Difference       Trash Emptied 2332 1817 -515       Graffiti Removed 57 47 -10   Downtown Construction Updates The Mendenhall Underground Utility project will start during the second half of May 2013 and will last 90 days or less. The project will extend from Broadway to 7th Avenues and involve the installation of new water and sewer lines. Only two or three blocks will be under construction at any given time. The contract stipulates that Mendenhall must be open to through traffic during all downtown events during the period of construction. Flower Basket Program Update I finalized the baskets for the upcoming season with Wagner Nursery. The program will be exactly the same as last year. We will have 230 baskets (162 18” and 68 14”) delivered and installed in early June. Wagner will prune twice over the course of the season. We will water 7 days a week and fertilize 5 days a week. Wagner’s quote is for a total of $17,524.60. I will account for $18,000 to $18,500 in the FY2014 budget. Downtown Parking Updates / / Discussion and Decision Items Recycling Program The board discussed the pending recycling program. Chris indicated that the TIF had not purchased the receptacles as previously discussed because the City of Bozeman was considering transitioning to single-source recycling. There was concern expressed about the size, color and quantity of the proposed receptacles. There was discussion about how many of the receptacles should be located on Main Street and if any could be located on the side streets instead. The board decided that black receptacles with green lids and the corresponding decals would look best. Summer Maintenance Plan Chris presented a plan to bolster the maintenance employee hours invested in downtown this summer. In essence, he plans to hire one employee to water the flowers Monday-Friday which would equate about 30-35 hours per week. A second employee would work 30 hours a week Monday-Friday to empty garbage, remove graffiti, remove posters/stickers, clean Soroptomist, etc. A third employee would work Saturday-Sunday watering flowers and emptying garbage. Chris said this would equate to approximately 375 more maintenance hours and an increase of $4,500 in payroll expenses. The FY2014 draft budget takes into account this increase cost. Eric Bowman proposed shifting the second employee to work over the weekend as that is when downtown is the busiest and needs the most maintenance attention. Chris agreed that having two employees working Saturday and Sunday was a better plan. The board concurred. DURT Project: Phase I Chris presented an overview of the plans to transform the Mendenhall corridor as follows: DURT Project Phase 1: Mendenhall Street The primary objective of the Downtown Urban Route Transformation (DURT) Project is to upgrade Mendenhall and Babcock Streets into “complete streets”. These urban routes which flank downtown’s historic Main Street need to be transformed into modern complete streets so as to better serve all modes of transportation. In current form, Mendenhall and Babcock lack the pedestrian amenities found along Main Street and many of the north-south side streets. There is also an opportunity to service the downtown district with bike lanes along Mendenhall and Babcock. Phase 1 of the DURT Project will focus on making strategic improvements along the Mendenhall corridor. Improving the Babcock corridor will be Phase 2 but is not scheduled at this time. PARTNERSHIPS and STAKEHOLDERS The City of Bozeman and the Downtown Bozeman Partnership have collaborated to organize and implement Phase 1 of the DURT Project. The City and Downtown Partnership will work in conjunction with the Montana Department of Transportation and the Transportation Coordinating Committee. The City and Downtown Partnership will work with the Downtown Business Improvement District, the Downtown Tax Increment Finance District, and the Downtown Bozeman Association. The City and Downtown Partnership will seek significant public involvement from downtown property owners, downtown business owners, downtown residents and Bozeman community members. PROJECT AREA The project area extends along Mendenhall Street from Broadway Avenue to 7th Avenue. The different components of the scope of work will be performed along specific stretches of this roadway corridor as designated below. / SCOPE of WORK The scope of work for the DURT Project will include the following components completed over the course of two years: Utility Upgrades The sewer and water lines located under Mendenhall Street will be replaced between Broadway and 7th Avenues. Roadway Resurfacing Mendenhall Street will be milled and resurfaced between Broadway and 7th Avenues. Restriping will include thermoplastic inlaid intersection crosswalk markings and a single, one-way bike lane between Rouse and 7th Avenues. Streetscape Replacement The streetscapes will be replaced between Rouse and Grand Avenues. The new streetscape design will replicate those in place along Main Street and many of downtown’s north-south side streets. Streetscape elements will include new concrete sidewalks; “historic” streetlamps; street or boulevard trees; pedestrian benches; trash receptacles; and bike racks. TIMELINE June-August 2013 Underground Utility Work May-July 2014 Streetscape Improvements July 2014 Pavement Resurfacing With no further new or old business, the meeting was adjourned.