Downtown Improvement Committee

Downtown Improvement Committee Meeting Minutes January 9, 2015 1. Call to Order and Welcome A regular meeting of the Nashua Downtown Improvement Committee was called to order at 7:33 a.m. on January 9, 2015 in Nashua City Hall Room 208 by Chairman Marylou Blaisdell. Present: Marylou Blaisdell, Rich Lannan, Alderman Brian McCarthy, Tom Galligani, John Koutsos, and Tia Philips Others Attending: Beth Hamilton 2. Approval of November 2014 Meeting Minutes MOTION MADE BY R LANNAN TO APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES FROM NOVEMBER, ACCEPTED UNANIMOUSLY. 3. Downtown Improvement Budget Submitted to Alderman T Galligani explained that the budget discussed and approved at the last Downtown Improvement Committee Meeting was presented as a letter to Alderman Deane. The letter explained each aspect of the budget and what the funds would be used for including the Downtown Art and Horticulture Program, Hanging Flowers, Decorative Pole Banners, Holiday Banners and Light Enhancers, and a Downtown Sign Package. 4. Downtown Business Survey T Galligani and B Hamilton examined the Downtown Business Survey from 2009 and adapted it, with new and updated questions, for 2015. As a group, the Downtown Improvement Committee read each question and offered suggestions for updated and new questions. The survey is to be distributed by email to downtown Nashua business owners and property owners. The results will be presented at a Downtown Forum later in the year. Some suggestions were to include a question about community policing, including an additional question regarding parking garage safety, to exclude information about business hours, add parades and city holiday celebrations as events, to keep the suggestion section more open-ended, and to include property owners as an audience for the survey. 5. Schedule of Upcoming Meetings B Hamilton passed out a bi-monthly meeting schedule. Downtown Improvement Committee to meet in January, March, May, July, September, and November. The full schedule is included at the end of the minutes. It was agreed that there was no need to meet on a monthly basis and fewer meetings may encourage more attendance. 6. Officer Election MOTION MADE BY R LANNAN TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENT OFFICERS FOR 2015 FOR THE DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE, ACCEPTED UNANIMOUSLY. 7. Downtown Forum – Schedule The Downtown Improvement Committee will be hosting a Downtown Forum to present the results from the Downtown Business Survey as well as create an open forum for discussion pertaining to the needs of the Downtown Nashua community. The hope is that the community will offer advice on what the priorities for spending money in 1  the downtown area. The committee agreed on the evening of Tuesday, March 10, 2015 from 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. in the 3rd Floor Auditorium in Nashua City Hall. 8. Other Business Parking revenue for 2014, as preliminary numbers, is about $100,000 less than 2013. R Lannan made announcement that the Planning Board approved the site plan of St. Patrick’s church in Downtown Nashua. The demolition and renovations are scheduled to begin in April 2015. There is a plan for a 10 foot easement to dedicate to a sidewalk. The final plan will create more green space and make downtown more desirable to spend time in. The CVS project is going to the planning board in February. Three metered spaces may be taken as a result of the project to create an extra, dedicated left turn lane. J Koutsos brought up that the crosswalks, though plowed in the road, do not seem to be maintained in the median in the middle of Main Street. There is an ice build-up in the center islands. Alderman McCarthy said he would pass along the information to get the middle islands and medians included in the winter maintenance plan for Main Street. T Philips brought to the attention of the Downtown Improvement Committee that Rebecca Dixon has put in her notice at Great American Downtown and is accepting an exciting, new job offer. Several are meeting up at 5:30 p.m. at Stella to give appreciation for her dedicated work and to wish her luck in her new endeavor. The meeting was adjourned at 8:31 a.m. The next general meeting is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. March 13, 2015 in City Hall Room 208. Motion to adjourn made by M Blaisdell. Minutes submitted by: B Hamilton 2  Downtown Improvement Committee 2015 Schedule of Meetings January 9, 2015 March 13, 2015 May 8, 2015 July 10, 2015 September 11, 2015 November 13, 2015 All meetings will take place at 7:30 a.m. in City Hall Room 208 3