Downtown Development Authority

DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY MINUTES Monday, April 10, 2023 Council Assembly Room 5:00 PM 70 S. Clayton St, GA 30046 Call to Order Chairman Merritt called the meeting to order at 5:01 pm after recognizing a quorum. PRESENT Board Member Victoria Jones Board Member Bruce Johnson Board Member Joanie Perry Ward Board Member Chris Adams Board Member Jeremy Higginbotham Board Member Lee Merritt ABSENT Board Member Katrina Fellows Approval of Agenda Motion to add Supplemental Bond Resolution to Other Business made by Board Member Merritt, Seconded by Board Member Jones. Voting Yea: Board Member Jones, Board Member Johnson, Board Member Perry Ward, Board Member Adams, Board Member Higginbotham, Board Member Merritt Motion to approve the agenda with the addition approved earlier made by Board Member Merritt, Seconded by Board Member Jones. Voting Yea: Board Member Jones, Board Member Johnson, Board Member Perry Ward, Board Member Adams, Board Member Higginbotham, Board Member Merritt Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes 1. Approval of Regular Meeting Minutes for March 13, 2023 Motion to approve the Downtown Development Authority Minutes for the Regular Meeting on March 13, 2023 made by Board Member Higginbotham, Seconded by Board Member Perry Ward. Voting Yea: Board Member Jones, Board Member Johnson, Board Member Perry Ward, Board Member Adams, Board Member Higginbotham, Board Member Merritt 2. Approval of Executive Session Minutes for March 13, 2023 Motion to approve the Downtown Development Authority Minutes for the Executive Session on March 13, 2023 made by Board Member Higginbotham, Seconded by Board Member Perry Ward. Voting Yea: Board Member Jones, Board Member Johnson, Board Member Perry Ward, Board Member Adams, Board Member Higginbotham, Board Member Merritt Downtown Development Business 3. April 2023 Treasurer’s Report Chairman Merritt presented the April 2023 Treasurer's Report. Motion to approve the April 2023 Treasurer's Report made by Board Member Higginbotham, Seconded by Board Member Jones. Voting Yea: Board Member Jones, Board Member Johnson, Board Member Perry Ward, Board Member Adams, Board Member Higginbotham, Board Member Merritt 4. Downtown Development Authority Boundary Update Chairman Merritt updated the Board regarding the Downtown Development Authority boundary. The Lawrenceville City Council at their March 29, 2023 meeting enlarged the Downtown Development Authority boundary. The additions include two properties, 451 and 436 Huff Street, which include some apartment buildings that the City purchased. The City will transfer these properties to the DDA for redevelopment.  5. Downtown Development Authority Yearly Financial Report for the Georgia Department of Community Affairs Chairman Merritt updated the Board regarding the Downtown Development Authority Yearly Financial Report for the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. As a government entity the DDA must register every year and turn in financial reports to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA). The City Clerk’s Department and the Finance Department handle all of these details for us. It is a significant amount of work and it is quite complicated. We are now in compliance with this requirement. Chairman Merritt expressed appreciation to those departments for handling this on our behalf. The report includes the audit that is done each year. This report is based on our fiscal year not calendar year. 6. Proposal from Travis Pruitt & Associates, Inc. regarding 245 North Perry Street, Lawrenceville Chairman Merritt and Barry Mock requested a proposal for a survey of the parking lot next to The Laundry events (245 North Perry Street). This proposal was within Barry's authority to authorize, but we should as a Board ratify it in our meeting. The proposal is for $3,390 to provide a plat and to divide up the parking lot next to The Laundry events. Motion to ratify the payment made to Truitt Pruitt & Associates, Inc. for Minor Plat Services for 245 North Perry Street at the cost of $3,390 made by Board Member Merritt, Seconded by Board Member Johnson. Voting Yea: Board Member Jones, Board Member Johnson, Board Member Perry Ward, Board Member Adams, Board Member Higginbotham, Board Member Merritt Mainstreet Business Jasmine Billings, Community Development Manager and Mainstreet Manager gave the Mainstreet update to the Board. We received our Mainstreet accreditation, which is very exciting. The Planning and Development Department is currently working on the Lawrenceville Comprehensive Plan. DDA board members were invited to go to the City website and click on the link at the top to share thoughts on the future of Lawrenceville. There are 15 questions on the survey. Anyone can take this survey and have input in our Comprehensive Plan. A Kinetic Art Sculpture will be placed at the Gateway Park which is located between South Perry Street, Nash Street, and South Clayton Street. The sculpture will be placed close to the South Clayton Street side. Anthony Howe is the artist for this piece. Community Mural that has been proposed is to be painted on the wall on Jackson Street just down from the United States Post Office. Teresa Abboud is the artist. The Arts Council is waiting for the approval of City Council. Members of the community will be able to assist with painting the mural which makes it a wonderful community engagement project. Façade Update - Scrum-did-ly-ump-tious – did not replace the awning, but instead had it painted. Barry Mock questioned that they requested a new awning and their renderings and invoices showed a new awning. Chairman Merritt questioned what they used the $5,000 on if they did not purchase a new awning, and suggested an itemized list of the items purchased is needed. Board Member Jones asked about the dates of the application, etc. Jasmine said their application was submitted May 31, 2022 and they submitted their final invoice March 7, 2023. Jasmine will not supply the grant funds to the restaurant, but rather reach out to them and request a new invoice with more details. Board Member Perry Ward shared a question for the Board to consider, what happens if someone turns in an application and lists something they are planning on doing and that was the deciding factor in the Board choosing them to receive a grant? Chairman Merritt said this would be caught in the final receipts. Board Member Perry Ward said that maybe we need to be sure they understand that what they propose is what we expect. Board Member Jones mentioned that maybe we could add more specifics to the application. There is a June 30th deadline for the receipts, etc. from the companies that were selected to receive a Façade Grant. The City is accepting applications and nominations for Lawrenceville Legacy Leaders until April 21st. This is an eight-month long youth leadership program in partnership with Impact46. It is open to rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors in the five Lawrenceville high schools. Summer of Impact interns will begin in June. They are in the process of interviewing for some of these positions now. There are around 30 businesses that employ them. Family Promise Bed Race will be on Saturday, April 22nd at 10:30 am on the Lawrenceville Square. Other Business Chairman Merritt discussed the Supplemental Bond Resolution - in 2020 the DDA working with the City issued bonds in the amount of $18 million. Series A Bonds - $3M that went to refinance the previous bonds used to purchase and land-bank land at Georgia Gwinnett College. Series B Bonds - $15M to acquire specific property near Highway 316. These funds will allow DDA to purchase land not only in that geographic area, but to purchase land in the expanded DDA boundary at Huff Drive. This would include 436 Huff Drive and 451 Huff Drive. The DDA Board needed to approve of this and City Council will need to approve it at their next Council Meeting for this to move forward. There is a special bond attorney that drafted the first bond. The special attorney, Ken Pollock of Butler Snow and the City Attorney, Lee Thompson, drafted this resolution for us. Motion to approve and adopt the Supplemental Bond Resolution made by Board Member Merritt, Seconded by Board Member Jones. Voting Yea: Board Member Jones, Board Member Johnson, Board Member Perry Ward, Board Member Adams, Board Member Higginbotham, Board Member Merritt Citizen Comments No Citizen Comments Executive Session - Real Estate Motion to enter into Executive Session made by Board Member Merritt, Seconded by Board Member Johnson. Voting Yea: Board Member Jones, Board Member Johnson, Board Member Perry Ward, Board Member Adams, Board Member Higginbotham, Board Member Merritt Motion to exit Executive Session made by Board Member Merritt, Seconded by Board Member Johnson. Voting Yea: Board Member Jones, Board Member Johnson, Board Member Perry Ward, Board Member Adams, Board Member Higginbotham, Board Member Merritt 4 Real Estate Items Discussed: 1 Vote Taken to table an item Final Adjournment Motion to adjourn the meeting made by Board Member Jones, Seconded by Board Member Higginbotham. Voting Yea: Board Member Jones, Board Member Johnson, Board Member Perry Ward, Board Member Adams, Board Member Higginbotham, Board Member Merritt Minutes Signature _________________________ Lee Merritt, Chairman _________________________ Barry Mock, Secretary