Downtown Development Authority

ROME DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY May 11, 2023 Carnegie 607 Broad Street MEETING MINUTES Brock called the meeting to order at 8:38am and welcomed members, city staff and guests. Members present: Kelli Duncan, Tayesha Lytle, Harry Brock, DJ Rickman, Elaine Abercrombie and Randy Quick. City staff present: Aundi Lesley, Megan Otwell, Jennifer Bailey, Doug Walker, Kelley Parker and Sammy Rich. Guests present: David Crowder (RN-T). ACTION Approve April 2023 Minutes – Abercrombie made a motion to approve. Duncan seconded. All were in favor. Approve BID Financials – Design account sits at $68,511. Promotions sits at $42,091. Duncan made a motion to approve. Lytle seconded. All were in favor. Board Member Recommendation – The board recommends Kevin Dillmon as the newest board member. Dillmon brings perspective as a restaurant owner with businesses on Broad Street and the River District. Lytle made a motion to move forward. Abercrombie seconded. All were in favor. The first reading at city commission will be May 22nd, followed by second reading on June 12th. DISCUSSION Mission and Vision Statement – Lesley briefly reviewed the current statement and asked board members to share action-based words that describe the DDA’s mission. Staff would like to revisit the mission and vision statements to ensure that they’re current and impactful. Parking Study Data – Lesley presented the data from the recent parking study. 1,036 3-hour limit violations for March 2023. 1,438 3-hour limit violations for April. Wednesday and Thursdays were the highest ticketed days, though Fridays and Saturdays were the most visited days. ParkMobile usage was up 12.3% over 2022. Kiosk usage was down 31% mainly due to multiple kiosks malfunctioning. Feedback from businesses was mixed and seemed to be half positive and half negative. The average length of stay did not increase but stayed the same. Lesley stated that there would be no immediate changes. Staff and the parking committee would like to reflect on the results before moving forward. Public perception of parking seems to be the biggest negative of the program. Quick stated that he’d like to see an educational campaign produced for locals. Sponsorship Opportunity – Parks and Rec is planning to bring an ice-skating rink to Bridge Pointe Plaza around the holidays. Dates would be from Black Friday to Martin Luther King Jr. Day. They will be providing limited concessions and porta potties. The rink will also be housed under a large tent. Lesley asked members what they thought of collaborating and sponsoring a portion with Parks and Rec. Duncan requested ecological information from the company bringing in the rink. Quick asked where funds would go. Per Lesley, they would go to Parks and Rec. Members would like a representative from Parks and Rec to come to the next meeting to answer questions before making a decision. Committee Update – • Design: Swerve’s sidewalk permit application was denied. They were asked several times to take down the wooden fencing that had not been approved but refused to comply. They were issued a notice of violation by Code Enforcement. • Business Development: o DDA will be holding a meeting with local realtors on May 19, 2023, to discuss building better partnerships. They will be given the new “Doing Business Downtown” guide, as well as the opportunity to become “Downtown Certified” realtors. o Marketing Grants will be going live June 1st. Applications will be presented to the board in July for final approval. Staff Reports – • Lesley shared that the DDA is hiring off-duty police officers on Fridays and Saturdays from 7pm-12am during the months of May, June, and July. Officers provide a detailed report of their shift. Brock suggested that the officers and DDA submit these reports to both City and County police so there is record of all incidents. Other/Adjourn – Rich asked for an update on the small business incubator. Per Lesley, DDA is waiting for purchasing to finalize the contracts that were issued in February 2023. Brock called to adjourn the meeting at 9:54am. Respectfully Submitted, Jennifer Bailey-Bowers Pg 1 of 1