Main Street Board Meeting

MINUTES MAIN STREET/DDA MONTHLY BOARD MEETING ● Date & Time: August 21, 2024, 4:00 pm ● Present: Kelly Swope, Charissa Murray, Tim Arnold, Michael Flores, Maggie Wright, Rachel Jones, Cassidi Kendrick, Ansley Howze, Dillon Patel (via phone), and Robbyn Childs (via phone) ● Absent: Sarah Bernzott, Ricardo Ochoa ● Observers: Ruthie Wilson (Forever Tybee) ● Location: Burke Day Public Safety Building, Conference Building, 78 Van Horne Ave Michael Flores resigned from the board at 4:01 p.m. Call to Order: Kelly Swope called the meeting to order at 4:02 p.m. Approval of Minutes: The minutes of the July 17, 2024, Main Street meeting were reviewed and confirmed as accurate. However, a vote could not be conducted due to the absence of a quorum. Administrative Update Upcoming Events: Labor Day Beach Bash- 8/29-9/1/24 Merchant Meeting- 9/10/2024: Ansley gave an overview of the Merchant Meeting and said that the Organization committee is working to get Treylor Park to cater light refreshments for the event. Kelly thanked everyone for attending Main Street 101 Training. Kelly reminded everyone that Cassidi, Maggie, and she will be at the Georgia Downtown Conference next week (August 26-29).  MINUTES MAIN STREET/DDA MONTHLY BOARD MEETING Cassidi said that there is now a vacancy on the board. She explained the process of getting a new board member in place. The board will choose a Nominating Committee at the September meeting, they will review the applications and present their recommendation to the Board, the Board will vote in December, and they will be in place in January 2025. Staff Report Cassidi reviewed the financial report and stated that Ricardo will be taking over in September. Cassidi also discussed the Georgia Downtown Conference silent auction basket. She asked if any of the board members could donate items to the basket, the proceeds from the auction items go towards a scholarship. Maggie stated that the Labor Day Beach Bash plans have been finalized. The lodging has been booked for the band. The drone show is expected to be completed by the end of the week. Maggie also reported that they have been getting several inquiries about the Holiday Market vendor application, and said that it is in the works and will be posted soon. Committee Reports Promotions: Cate Labor Day Beach Bash: The committee finalized the Labor Day Beach Bash plans. They discussed lodging options for the band and agreed to negotiate the contract to come up with solutions. The committee discussed the drone show. Cate stated a section of the beach will be roped off for the drones and that the show can be viewed from the pier. Cate stated that we are still waiting on the music for the drone show.  MINUTES MAIN STREET/DDA MONTHLY BOARD MEETING Holiday Market: The committee reviewed the updated site plan for the event and decided to move the cornhole tournament to the pier and move the children’s activities. Cate gave an overview of the cornhole tournament: Cate noted we need regulation-size cornhole boards. Since the tournament will be on the pier, Riptide Bar and Grill will also be open. Dillion suggested checking if the pier’s size works, and Cassidi mentioned that fire department changes to the site plan prompted the move to the pier. The committee decided to cap the number of teams and name the event the Robert Ridge Memorial Cornhole Tournament. They discussed board sponsors, and the Promotion Committee will set the participation cost. The committee discussed adding a pet parade and costume contest that Cassidi will chair. Design: Maggie The committee decided to replace the damaged Main Street banners with the correct size, ordering only orange ones and storing the old ones for future use. Maggie shared an update on the string lights and shared Daniel's $1,000 recommendation for hardware and lights, which the committee approved. The committee discussed available funds and potential future projects. Pressure washing: It’s done quarterly at $3,500, with the next cleaning set for Labor Day using an approved eco-friendly cleaner. The committee wants the 2 shark bike racks installed by Labor Day. Christmas tree wrapping: Ron and Solomon plan a dry run before giving a quote. Economic Vitality: Maggie  MINUTES MAIN STREET/DDA MONTHLY BOARD MEETING The committee discussed recycling and that they would like to bring it back to the island. Timeka spoke with ABC Waste and the compactor would be placed in the South End business district, but this is in the very infant stages. The committee would like to offer incentives to participate in recycling. Some feedback from business owners regarding what would make them recycle included: having it picked up and better receptacles. Timeka is working on a grant from EPA, the committee will be helping Timeka fill out the application. Tim is working on revamping the Turtle Friendly Program criteria to include more industries. Organization: Ansley The committee is preparing the presentation for the Holiday Lunch and Learn. Ansley noted that window painting doesn’t require a city permit, and Maggie is organizing a call for local artists to participate. Ansley shared that the committee is also planning a volunteer appreciation banquet after the holidays and wants to regularly recognize DPW crews with quarterly or biannual lunches or pizza parties. The goal is to revamp the Local’s Discount Card by November 1, potentially partnering with nonprofits to help recruit businesses, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting them. The committee aims to create a general annual calendar for the program and is reviewing updates to their bylaws, which will be discussed at the next meeting. Maggie and Ansley are also updating the New Resident Guide, with plans for both online and print versions.  MINUTES MAIN STREET/DDA MONTHLY BOARD MEETING Upcoming Events: ● Labor Day Beach Bash: August 30 - September 1 ● ICE Car Show: September 28 at the Lighthouse ● Forever Tybee Yard Sale: September 28 at Memorial Park ● Tybee Stops Traffic: September 29 ● Red Fish Tournament: October 11 - 12 ● Pirate Fest: October 10-13 ● Walk MADD: October 26 in the Tybrisa Parking Lot (17th Street) ● Tour de Art: November 16 ● Holiday Market: November 30 Adjournment: ● The meeting was adjourned at 4:46 pm