Old Orchard Business District Advisory Commission

Old Orchard Special Business District Advisory Commission MEETING MINUTES APPROVED MEETING DATE: Tuesday, March 14, 2017 LOCATION: City Hall CALLED TO ORDER: 8:02 AM MEETING ADJOURNED: 9:04 AM NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, April 11, 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: Fran Sudekum – Administrative Support APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion to approve the February minutes as was made by Angel Venegoni, seconded by Steve Zielinski, motion was unanimously approved. BUDGET • District Landscaping – The $1,000 increase in Category #971 approved last month to address Parks & Recreation Department (P&R) staffing does not cover the needed amount. This staffing includes one part-time and one full-time P&R staff member handling district landscaping work for all the Webster business districts. Every year, they receive a 3% raise which has not been factored into the districts’ landscaping budgets previously. P&R is requesting all three business districts first catch up and going forward contribute an annual amount. Overtime over the weekends in the summer to address watering needs will not be added to the request made to the Districts. Each district’s share is based on their size/amount of landscaping needs. ▪ $3,980 from Old Webster ▪ $3,141 from Old Orchard ▪ $2,483 from Crossroads • Social Media – The BDC has engaged Creative Entourage Agency to handle ongoing social media activity focused on the business community. Creative Entourage is the same company that handled the 2016 holiday social media promotions. Since the BDC/City would not be able to fund the entire package, they are requesting the Districts kick in funding based the same percentage formula that was used to contribute to the holiday promotions package. They are requesting $11,000 broken down as follows: ▪ $5,830 from Old Webster ▪ $3,850 from Old Orchard ▪ $1,320 from Crossroads “Creative Entourage Agency State of Work 3. Estimated cost of the work to be performed (‘fees’), costs and payment terms: Service Cost Creation of Editorial Calendar $300 Professional Photography $750 Estimated cost for a professional photography Estimated session of business activity in Webster Groves $500 per Monthly Social Media Assistance month Minimum of three month retainer for ongoing 5 hours per month assistance with the implementation, execution and monitoring of the social media effort. Facebook Advertising $200 - $500 Creative Entourage will work with the Per month Commission to determine an appropriate ad paid directly to spend for each month depending on events, Facebook” activities, and social media goals • Motion – Angel Venegoni made a motion to approve the submitted budget figures with the following changes: Category #803 Professional Services = subtract $1,500, Category #857 Pay Other Agencies = subtract $5,000, Category #830 Advertising = add $5,000; earmarking $3,850 for the BDC social media outreach, Category #971 Operating Transfer Out add $3,141 to catch up P&R staffing salaries. Motion was seconded by John Barr and unanimously approved. 50/50 ROOFTOP LIGHT PROGRAM • Mara passed out a letter the Old Webster District sent to their building owners regarding the 50/50 Rooftop Lighting Program as an example of what Old Orchard could send to their building owners. In order to know the costs involved for the program in Old Orchard, Stribe Electric needs to look at the properties and give a detailed bid. In the meantime, Commission members felt it was prudent to send out an initial letter to the property owners to let them know about the coming new program. At the same time the letter is sent to property owners, Commission members also felt the tenants should be informed so they could encourage the landlords to participate. PARKING UPDATE • Discussion continued on Old Orchard’s parking woes recapping all the various issues involved in maintaining a good parking balance and reinforcing the parking priorities discussed in previous meetings: customers first, employees second, students third. All the various options were reviewed: area-specific restrictions on parking, permit parking, time limits on parking, potential metered parking, add support for parking ordinance enforcement/police parking patrolling. Still unresolved are issues with student parking in the District and their negative impact on keeping existing businesses and their customers as well as attracting new businesses and new customers. Even when the parking new garage is open, if a fee is charged by Nerinx Hall or Webster University, their students and staff will continue to park in the free parking areas of the District which takes away spots for customers and employees. Previously, two meetings had been scheduled with the president of Nerinx Hall which did not take place. It was decided that the Chair of the Commission, Joe Fichter, would contact the president of Nerinx Hall, John Gabriel and try to get a firm commitment for a meeting. After that meeting takes place, Commission members would have a better idea of the options to put in place and do so during the summer when school is out to work out the kinks when parking pressure on the District is less. CITY UPDATE • The Planning Commission is looking at a request to rezone the piece of property anchored by the former Natural Way location to planned commercial to allow the property owner to do construction; a full packet will be on the website. • Zoning for drinking establishments was approved. • Work continues on residential zoning changes. • Request to use the property at 8925 Watson Road for a church was denied • Request for two B&B’s was approved. • The second tenant in the Quonset Hut is doing construction. • Planning & Development: A new Planner has been hired and starts work on 3-15- 17; the department is still short a building inspector; a new “cloud-based” permit system went live on 3-13-17. NEXT MEETING • April 11, 2017 at 8:00 AM – City Hall. ADJOURNED Meeting adjourned at 9:04 A