Old Webster Business District Advisory Commission

Old Webster Special Business District Advisory Commission MEETING MINUTES APPROVED MEETING DATE: Tuesday, July 23, 2019 LOCATION: City Hall CALLED TO ORDER: 8:01 AM MEETING ADJOURNED: 8:38 AM NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, August 27, 2019 NAME PRESENT ABSENT Ron Clipp, Chair X Joe Rath X Mark Hinkle X Tim Delanty X Micki Hansel X Gary Schoenberger X Margaret Stevens X Bill Newhouse X Vacancy Emerson Smith, Council Liaison X Mara Perry, City Liaison X Also, in attendance: Police Officer Ahmar Rasool – WGPD Traffic Unit Fran Sudekum – Administrative Support APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion to approve the June minutes was made by Joe Rath, seconded by Bill Newhouse, and unanimously approved. WELCOM NEW COUNCIL LIAISON • New Council Member Emerson Smith will now be the Council Liaison to the Commission. ROOFTOP LIGHTING • Mara Perry met with Stribe Electric to discuss options to fix maintenance issues of the older rooftop lighting; numerous lights are no longer working. Investigation revealed over time weathering has occurred and the sockets and bulbs are starting to corrode. Stribe has been cleaning off the corrosion with a wire brush; in most cases the lights then work, but it’s a temporary fix as moisture continues to affect the sockets. • Stribe recommended replacing the old strands with newer strands. The newer strands would be a different type of light bulbs. Replacing them will incur a cost. Mara Perry will contact the bulb supplier to get more information on the newer bulbs and what additional options there may be to help deter the weathering process. She will also talk with Stribe to gather any additional options they may suggest. • Members discussed the need to identify a revenue stream to address ongoing maintenance issues of the rooftop lights. • Members also discussed possibly changing to a different type of light string going forward, such as ribbon lighting. Perhaps ribbon lighting could be installed on one building in the next phase of installations as a test case to see if it is visually agreeable as well as able to withstand weathering better. MOTION: Joe Rath made a motion to pay Stribe Electric $1,000 for the maintenance work they have done so far. Bill Newhouse seconded the motion and it was unanimously approved. Page 1of 4 BUDGET Mara provided an updated budget spreadsheet (See Appendix A). NEW BUSINESS • Mara is looking for feedback from Members about the tree in front of Story Seven. It has grown at a slight angle and the building owner wants to remove. Members stated that the trees in the District are part of the overall design of the District. They are important to the visual appeal, they contribute shade which helps reduce the temperature on hot days, and they provide health benefits. Their placement is part of the plan for the District and needs to be continued and maintained. Members were open to replacing the tree with another variety if the current tree could not be salvaged, but they did not approve removing the tree and not replacing it. There are other nearby trees which have to be replaced on an ongoing basis due to bleach used by CJ Muggs when cleaning out the nearby trash receptacle area; those trees are always replaced as well. • Bill Newhouse shared several suggestions for consideration; add a blinking stop sign be added to the intersection at Gore and Lockwood, add a second recycling dumpster in a different area of the District, and remind District business owners and employees where the available parking areas are. CITY UPDATE • Story Seven in Old Webster has their business license. • Le Macaron French Pastries in Old Webster has been approved; they hope to be open in time for the Jazz Fest. • Faith Montessori Academy is leasing the space in the form Sugar Magnolia location just for the summer. • The Old Webster Brew Pub et al. in Old Webster has pulled permits; still working on parking study. • Construction permits have been picked up for Regions Bank in Old Webster. • Demolition work on the former YMCA building is complete; they have their construction permits. • The Home Occupation updated ordinance has been approved. • History Preservation updated ordinance has been approved. • A new Building Commissioner has been hired, Travis Ham. • Nothing new on the Rolling Ridge project. ADJOURNED Meeting adjourned at 8:38 AM. NEXT MEETING • The next meeting will be held at City Hall on Tuesday, August 27, 2019 from 8:00 AM. Page 2of 4 APPENDIX A Page 3of 4 Page 4of 4