Business Improvement District

Gallup Business Improvement District Meeting November 19, 2020, 3 PM Minutes Call to order – 3:06 PM Attendance – roll call: Present: A. Biava, A. Baca, J. Rich, L. Bonaguidi, M. Ustick. Approved absence: S. Gurley. M. Menapace, JM DeYoung Motion to Approve Agenda: J. Rich, 2nd: L. Bonaguidi. Roll Call: A. Biava-yes, A. Baca-yes, J. Rich-yes, L. Bonaguidi-yes. Approved Motion to Approve Minutes from October 15, 2020 meeting: L. Bonaguidi; 2nd: A. Baca. Roll Call: A. Biava-yes, A. Baca-yes, J. Rich-yes, L. Bonaguidi- yes. Approved Motion to Approve Monthly Financial Report: J. Rich; 2nd: L. Bonaguidi Roll call: A. Biava-yes, A. Baca-yes, J. Rich-yes, L. Bonaguidi-yes. Approved. Note: James Rich asked that a motion be placed on the agenda for the December regular Board meeting. The motion will ask City Council to approve a 50% reduction in the amount that the City of Gallup charges Gallup BID for managing the accounts receivable for the special property owners district assessment fees. Discussion: Alley Improvement project update – Maryann Ustick: Phase one - Alley between 1st & 2nd; Phase two – the alley between 2nd & 3rd. Phase one: Running the electric lines underground between 1st & 2nd is now underway. When that work is completed, City will go out for bids for the surface work including the pavers, drainage, in-ground trash receptacles (“herbie” replacements) Phase two: the alley between 2nd & 3rd. City has the funds to do the work from 2nd Street to the walkway. The electrical work being performed for the Coal Avenue Commons Project is tied into the walkway. This portion of the alley must be kept open and passable  because Coal Avenue between 2nd & 3rd is under reconstruction (torn – up). Hence the water and sewer pipe work in the alley is on hold until after the reopening of Coal Avenue. City will go out for bids for the water and sewer work in early 2021. After the water and sewer work is complete, City will go out for bids for the final phase of the work in this alley. At this time, The City has not yet secured funding for this portion of the work, which includes the in-grounding of the trash “herbies”, drainage, pavers and placing the electrical lines underground. City will seek funds for this work from NM Legislature during the coming session. A complication: there is a large drainage structure at the alley and 3rd, in addition to water and sewer lines, that the electrical line must go under. This particular electric phase of the project may cost as much as $1 million. Coal Avenue construction update: Maryann Ustick – work is proceeding on schedule. Note: included in the current phase one part of the Coal Avenue project are the walkway and the full intersection of Coal & 2nd Street. It was necessary to obtain a permit NM DOT to perform the work on 2nd Street, which is a state road. Hence, it will not be necessary to ask City Council for a change order to address the work in those areas (walkway and 2nd St. intersection) Discussion of the rationale for establishing the regional alliance, including the Agreement between the NWNM regional economic development partners: Gallup BID, GGEDC, NWNM COG, Cibola Communities Economic Development, City of Farmington Economic Development and 4 Corners Economic Development to work together; and the Agreement between the local partners and National Development Council. The partners agreed that Gallup BID should be the main coordinator and the fiscal agent for the MOU and the NDC Agreement. This process is very similar to process BID followed when it set up the Gallup Main Street organization. There will be a separate bank account for our local ED alliance. James Rich expressed reservations about Gallup BID being the fiscal agent (on the hook financially) of the alliance for the payment of the monthly fee to NDC. The portion of the MOU that obligates the members of the alliance to pay their share of the NDC to the BID on a monthly basis was discussed. There was a discussion of the services, including funding opportunities that each alliance partner will receive under the NDC agreement, including: advanced training, the potential to participate in NDC’s “Grow America Fund” in which NDC will provide $3 for every $1 invested by the local alliance, potential to participate with NDC’s low to middle income Housing Development unit and the NDC Tax credit syndication department. The goal is to become more professional, more efficient and more successful in our (BID) efforts to rehab buildings to get them back into active use, to attract new businesses to downtown Gallup and to help existing businesses expand. The NDC approach to working with the local alliance partners is referred to as “lean by doing”. They will train us in advanced methods and also work with us on our individual efforts…to coach us. In that way we will learn to perform the work at the highest level of accomplishment. Each member of the local alliance will have equal attention from NDC. Each of the local partner ED officers will have direct contact with NDC trainer/consultant/loan officer. BID will not manage any part of the work being done by the local alliance partners. The member EDOs of the alliance will have a virtual zoom meeting once a month. Increasing commerce, consumer spending, tax revenue, etc. is crucial at this time as our regional economy is suffering from closure of coal mines, coal fired power plants, marathon refinery. Improving the regional and local community economies is an imperative. It will increase consumer spending in the downtown BID District. BID ED F Bee will resend NDC literature to the Board. This will be a voting item on the December 17, 2020 BID Board meeting agenda Committee to create actionable programs for improving downtown safety and security. Gallup BID is a member of this committee. Mayor Bonaguidi described concepts under discussion, including having more Community Service officers on patrols. James Rich and Anna Biava asked that more police attention be paid to the problem of prostitution in Gallup. Other discussion Reports Oct 21 – Telephone discussion with Evan Williams, Executive Director NWNMCOG, to discuss participation levels of entities involved in the NW NM Regional Economic Development effort. Oct 23 – Monthly GEDA meeting – presentation by M> Ustick about City of Gallup initiatives. Oct 27 – Virtual meeting for progress update and clarification of elements of the Coal Avenue construction project and review of construction plans by George Radnovitch (Partner- architect at Sites Southwest), Murphy Builders, Wilson Engineering, Mayor, City Electric Department, City Planning Director, City Manager, Asst. City Manager, and Gallup Main Street ED for progress update and clarification of elements of the project. Oct 29 – Conference call meeting to discuss proposed improvement project at 223 West Coal Avenue. Participants: owners Dolph Barnhouse & Damon Maddox, CB Strain, M. Ustick, K. Smith, R. Bennett (architect) Oct 29 – Telephone meeting with Sheldon Bartel, NDC, to discuss NWNM COG CEDS document and its importance in our NWNM effort to work together as a regional economic development team. Oct 30 – Telephone meeting with GLD Partners consultant about the Gallup Mobility project Nov 6 – Meeting with Mayor Bonaguidi to review NDC consultant’s recommendations to improve NWNMCOG CEDS document. The CEDS is required by US EDA and is used by them when making decisions on grant applications. Nov 11 – Telephone meeting with Sherman McCorkle about the NM Mobility initiative Nov 11 – Meeting at Mayor’s office with Dolph Barnhouse and Damon Maddox of Barnhouse Holdings, to discuss the proposed renovation at 223 West Coal and the needed infrastructure improvements in the alley behind that building Nov 12 – Meeting of City of Gallup Safety & Security initiative committee at City Hall. Nov 12 - Telephone meeting with attorneys David Buchholtz and Peter Kelton at Rodey Law to discuss revisions to the MOU between the Northwest New Mexico Regional Economic Development partners. Date of next BID meeting – December 17, 2020, 3PM Motion to Adjourn: L. Bonaguidi; 2nd: J. Rich. Roll call: A. Biava-yes, A. Baca- yes, J. Rich-yes, L. Bonaguidi-yes. Approved