Old Orchard Business District Advisory Commission

Old Orchard Special Business District Advisory Commission MEETING MINUTES APPROVED MEETING DATE: Tuesday, March 8, 2022 LOCATION: Zoom CALLED TO ORDER 8:07 AM MEETING ADJOURNED: 8:45 AM NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, April 12, 2022 NAME PRESENT ABSENT Bob Weber, Chair X Holland Saltsman, Vice Chair X Angel Venegoni X John Barr X Steve Zielinski X Abby Culleton X Rick Gerger X Vacancy Vacancy Emerson Smith, Council Liaison X Eric Peterson, City Liaison X Also in attendance: Officer Ahmar Rasool – Webster Groves Police Department Fran Sudekum – Administrative Support Approval of Minutes – A motion to approve the February minutes was made by Angel Venegoni, seconded by Rick Gerger, and was unanimously approved. Budget – The budget Commission Members agreed to in February has been submitted; amendments can be made. Bob Weber requested one change, increasing the amount in Category #830 Advertising earmarked for the Gazebo Series consultant to $3,000. Holiday Decorations – The lamppost holiday decorations need to be replaced. Ordering to ensure delivery is received in time for the 2022 holiday season should take place now. Members need to pick what they would like to order; Eric Peterson will send options from the catalog. Gazebo Series – The dates are set for this year’s Gazebo Concert Series in Gazebo Park. They will be Friday evenings August 19th thru September 23rd. Currently, the organizers are securing the bands. The special activities permit has been submitted. Commission Members are asked to share their ideas for engaging District businesses to piggyback on the event and take advantage of patrons coming into the District to attend the performances. Page 1 of 2 Rooftop Lighting – Members discussed Stribe’s lack of responsiveness. Lights on the south side in the center of the District have been out for four months. No progress has been made since last month. Eric Peterson asked which buildings should be added for new installs. Adding another section to the Animal Hospital and the former cleaners building next door were discussed. The P.O. is still open and can be used for new installs. Parking Spaces – Discussion continued on options to address parking needs on the section of East Lockwood that runs next to Gazebo Park. The street fills up early in the morning and stays that way all day. The types of businesses in that section; three food- related businesses and two businesses with patrons that have mobility issues. Various types of parking might address the different types of need and help alleviate demand issues. Needs discussed included: curbside pick-up, 15-minute time limit, handicap access, and COVID testing. • Curbside pick-up spots vs. 15-minute spots. Additional input is needed; Steve Zielinski will get feedback from Boardwalk Café to gage their needs and report back at the next meeting. Depending on input, one or two 15-minute time limit spots could be added. • Add an additional handicap spot to the east of the existing handicap spot could be added. • Webster University is willing to designate one or two spots for COVID testing activated with a sandwich board in the nearby Webster University-owned parking lot. Commission Vacancies – There are two vacancies on the Commission. Members were asked to solicit their business neighbors to apply to be on the Commission. BDC Update • Business Community Survey is active and available on the City website on the Business Roundtable landing page. It is a 60-question survey; not all questions have to be answered. • Results of the Balancing Act software with ARP funding is posted on the City website. City Update • New Business Licenses include: o Kate and Company in Old Webster o Headcase Hairapy in Old Orchard o Casey Building Group home-based business • Prop U for an online use tax, will be on the April ballot. Educational information is available on the City website. • Prop W for convening a Charter Review Board will be on the April ballot. Educational information is available on the City website. • Idea shared from Council Member Emerson he learned from a town in California to increase foot traffic - a merchant punch card. Next Meeting – April 12, 2022 Adjournment – Meeting adjourned at 8:40 AM. Page 2 of 2