Old Orchard Business District Advisory Commission

Old Orchard Special Business District Advisory Commission MEETING MINUTES APPROVED MEETING DATE: Tuesday, April 11, 2022 LOCATION: City Hall & Zoom CALLED TO ORDER 8:08 AM MEETING ADJOURNED: 8:56 AM NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, May 9, 2023 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 Sarah Richardson, Council Liaison X Eric Peterson, City Liaison X Also in attendance: Sgt. Jason Flanery – Webster Groves Police Department Fran Sudekum – Administrative Support Approval of Minutes – A motion to approve the March minutes was made by Angel Venegoni, seconded by Holland Saltsman, and unanimously approved. Pedestrian Traffic Calming Features – There is some funding dedicated to pedestrian calming and safety features that could be looked at for use in the District ahead of the “road diet” changes slated for Big Bend thru the District; staff could start a conversation with the Traffic Advisory Board and the Police Department to suss out options to address identified issues in the District. Commission Members feel anything that can be done to slow down vehicles is needed. Pedestrians crossing Big Bend at Murdoch and Log Cabin are of major concern; as well as further west. St. Louis County would need to be looped in on anything that is put in place. Rooftop Lighting – Three electrical companies (Hoffmann Brothers Electric, RJP Electrical, and Gershner Electric) have agreed to provide quotes for two new rooftop lighting installations in Old Webster, the Hagan properties in Old Orchard, and the fixes at Novel Neighbor’s building. 2023 Gazebo Series – Bands are being secured. Dates are set; August 18 and 25, September 1, 8, 15, and 22. Page 1 of 3 Old Orchard/Old Webster Collaboration – Bob Weber and John Barr met with Tim Delanty to discuss possible items, activities, events that Old Orchard and Old Webster could do jointly; taking advantage of economies of scale in advertising, purchasing, marketing, coordinated events, for example. Each would still keep their district identities. Next initial step is to look at the calendar of events planned for this year to determine possible opportunities; fall and holiday season for example. District Boundaries – As part of a conversation on what the direction should be for the Old Orchard District and its future, Eric Peterson shared information about the District to Commission Members. The 2023 Preliminary Tax Assessment from St. Louis County shows the size of the District in relation to other districts (See Appendix A). This information shows how tax revenues compare between the districts. Also, the map of Old Orchard shows the boundary lines; Mr. Peterson pointed out where the actual edges of the District exist. For example, Big Sky Café is not in the District. Beyond the eastern boundary there are multiple commercial properties that could be included if the boundaries were expanded; for example Grafica is not currently within the boundaries. If it is determined boundaries should be expanded, per the City Attorney, City Council can do so with a call for a hearing and notification of those involved. It is recommended to have conversations with the affected property owners in advance to address any issues. The Old Orchard District map can be found on the City’s website at - https://www.webstergrovesmo.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3232/Old-Orchard-LT?bidId= Business Development Commission (BDC) Update • Job Board – “Work in Webster Groves” job board continues to grow. It can be found on the City website https://www.webstergrovesmo.gov/673/Work-in-Webster- Groves The job board is free to use by both those looking for work and for those licensed Webster Groves businesses and non-profits looking to hire staff; full-time, part-time, interns, volunteers. • BDC Business Coffee – The Coffee is set for May 17th at the Rec Center. What’s the next step; a follow-up to the Roundtable. The coffee will be in an informal format with stations. The Sustainability Commission will also be represented talking about their Green Dining District Initiative. City/Council Update • Work on the City’s budget continues. The Balancing Act tool is available to gather public input. • No Mow April initiative championed by the Green Space and Sustainability Commissions. • Eco Events held at the Webster Groves Library championed by the Sustainability Commission. • City Council is slated to pass a change to the number of members on boards and commission; business districts will go down to seven from nine. Next Schedule – May 9, 2023 Adjournment – Meeting adjourned at 8:56 AM. Page 2 of 3  APPENDIX A St. Louis County 2023 Preliminary Tax Assessment Page 3 of 3