Old Orchard Business District Advisory Commission

Old Orchard Special Business District Advisory Commission MEETING MINUTES APPROVED MEETING DATE: Tuesday, February 14, 2017 LOCATION: City Hall CALLED TO ORDER: 8:01 AM MEETING ADJOURNED: 9:14 AM NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, March 14, 2017 NAME PRESENT ABSENT Joe Fichter, Chair X Angel Venegoni X Claire Winkler X Mary Jane Armstrong X Steve Scheipeter X Holland Saltsman X Robert Weber X John Barr X Steve Zielinski X Frank Janoski, Council Liaison X Mara Perry, City Liaison X Also in attendance: Joan Jadali – Director of Finance/Assistant City Manager Fran Sudekum – Administrative Support APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion to approve the January minutes as was made by Angel Venegoni, seconded by Mary Jane Armstrong, motion was unanimously approved. BUDGET • Revenue Sources – Joan Jadali, the Director of Finance/Assistant City Manager provided an explanation of District revenues sources. Revenue sources for the Old Orchard Business District come from two areas: property taxes and business license fees. 1. Property Taxes – Many years ago, businesses within the boundaries of the District voted to levy a property tax on themselves based on St. Louis County’s valuation. 2. Business License Fee – For those businesses residing within the boundaries of the District, an additional fee is levied based on the gross receipts of their business. o 50% on gross receipts up to $500 o 25% on gross receipts over $500 o Gross sales are product sales, not services sales, so retail sales bring in more taxes to the District than services sales. o Certain professions are exempt from paying business license fees per Missouri Revised Statute 71.620.1. Those professions are as follows: lawyer, certified public accountant, dentist, chiropractor, optometrist, chiropodist, physician or surgeon, minister of the gospel, duly accredited Christian Science practitioner, teacher, professor in a college, and priest. Note: A business license for these professions is still needed for occupancy in Webster Groves, the fee is exempt however. • Expenses – Mara Perry provided a handout spreadsheet of the District’s expenses and budgeting items and reviewed. The Farmers’ Market is closing so that will reduce the figure in the #857 Pay Other Agencies category from $5,000 to zero. Category #803 Professionals Services included the funds for the Phase II fund grant writing, so that category will be reduced from to $5,000 to  $3,500. A discussion was held on Category #971 which includes salaries for the Parks staff that handle the District landscaping. Salary increases needs to be addressed by an additional amount of at least $1,000. • Holland Saltsman made a motion to approve the submitted budget with the following changes: #803 = subtract $1,500, #857 = subtract $5,000, #830 = add $5,000, #971 = add $1000. Angel Venegoni seconded the motion, motion was unanimously approved. 50/50 ROOFTOP LIGHT PROGRAM • Mara provided a handout showing a map of the District with potential rooftops indicated and an associated handout showing potential costs. Costs to purchase LED lights and install them are approximately $30,000 total (50/50 = $15,000 from the District). Mara feels this projection is low as additional equipment may be needed. Currently Category #851 Area Maintenance has a purchase order available that could be used for the program this year. To launch the program, all the building owners would need to be contacted and someone would need to handle the logistics of getting the lights installed. City staff can send out an initial letter to the business owners, but they currently do not have the staff to handle the activity involved after that. John Barr said he’s willing to talk to some of the property owners. Claire Winkler said Commerce Bank would handle their building on their own, they’d just need to be make sure they match the LED lights used. The life span of the LED’s is five years; the electricity they use is pennies. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION • Joe Fichter shared the latest from the last BDC meeting he attended. The BDC has set up a sub- committee to devise ways to promote businesses in Webster. They are looking to hire a marketing person to work on social media and a separate website targeting the businesses to which those businesses could tie in to. The funds would come from all the districts. However, the initiative would cover the entire City of Webster Groves, not just the three business districts; it would include for example Yorkshire Plaza. How business areas such as Yorkshire Plaza would contribute to the pot as well haven’t been worked out. Holland Saltsman would like to see a seamless Webster Groves; not individual messages from the three districts. She also felt that a seamless initiative needs to be more than a website, more than digital. A “Webster Groves” message needs to be in print, on banners, in the store-front windows, etc. However, digital vs. print is two different skills sets, two different people. • Joe invited Commission members to attend meetings of the BDC and its sub-committee; they need input from business owners. The next BDC meeting is on February 24th and the Sub- Committee meeting is on February 21st, both at 8:00 AM at City Hall. Holland Saltsman and Mary Jane Armstrong plan to attend the BDC Sub-Committee meeting. PARKING UPDATE • A date for the parking meeting with Nerinx Hall and Webster University has not been set. NEXT MEETING • March 14, 2017 at 8:00 AM – City Hall. ADJOURNED Meeting adjourned at 9:14 AM.