Old Webster Business District Advisory Commission

Old Webster Special Business District Advisory Commission MEETING MINUTES APPROVED MEETING DATE: Tuesday, February 22, 2022 LOCATION: City Hall & Zoom CALLED TO ORDER: 8:05 AM MEETING ADJOURNED: 9:19 AM NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, March 22, 2022 NAME PRESENT ABSENT Ron Clipp, Chair X Joe Rath X Tim Delanty X Micki Hansel X Margaret Stevens X Bill Newhouse X Stacie Swederska X Vacancy Vacancy David Franklin, Council Liaison X Eric Peterson, City Liaison X Also, in attendance: Officer Ahmar Rasool – Webster Groves Police Department Dave Buck – Webster on Wheels Fran Sudekum – Administrative Support APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion to approve the January minutes was made by Joe Rath, seconded Tim Delanty, and unanimously approved. VISITOR COMMENTS Dave Buck, Webster on Wheels event organizer, has submitted a special activities permit for the Webster on Wheels biking event whose 5-mile route will start at Bristol Elementary and include parts of Old Webster. The event will take place on May 1st (See Appendix A). Members support this event and have no issues or concerns for the District. BUDGET Commission Members continued the budget discussion reviewing information and cost estimates for potential additional expenses. After discussion, all members agreed to the figures reflected in the budget sheet with discussion item changes included (See Appendix B-F). Discussion included such items as: • Holiday Garland – Members chose to order all new garland that will be enough to go up higher on the lampposts than the current garland and be used for the 2022 holiday season using funds from the current 22 budget. Since the Old Orchard Business District currently does not have any garland for their poles, the existing garland will be offered to them for their use if they want to use it. • Holiday Bows – Members chose to use the current bows one more season and have new bows for the 2023 holiday season which will be funded from the fiscal 23 budget and ordered in July when the fiscal 23 budget takes effect. 1 of 7 • Benches – The benches in the District are 15-18+ years old. They have composite wood slats and many of the slats are cracked and need to be replaced. Replacement costs are very high. Benches could be taken apart and the slats still in good condition could be reused to make “repaired” benches. An inventory of benches needs to take place to identify repair needs, ultimate bench placement sites, and how many new benches are needed after repairs are made. With this in mind, Members decided to add $10,000 to the budget for bench repair/replacement. • Digital Kiosk – Cost estimates for a digital kiosk are not included in the proposed 23 budget as adding a digital kiosk sign would require an ordinance action and the cost estimate would be included at that time; if approved the budget would be amended at that time. • District Plantings – The Parks Department proposed adding hanging baskets to the lampposts and move away from the pots sitting on the sidewalks. This was proposed last year and Members at that time opted to stay with ground-based pots and did not fund the hanging baskets. Members still would like to keep the ground-based pots. Perhaps a mixture could be done, add some hanging baskets in some areas, possibly where sidewalk passage is narrower than others. Members would like the opportunity to help determine where items are placed; pots vs. baskets. Could also possibly add baskets to the “ends” of the District. Members are not in favor of removing all the sidewalk pots. In addition, Members were concerned with the cost to purchase 48 baskets. Members decided to reduce the proposed figure to $7,000 for possible baskets. o NOTE: #1A and #1B on Appendix B is informational, those figures are included in the “Operating Transfer Out” figure on Appendix B (which still has to be finalized). • Parks Department Plantings Areas – Members reviewed and reinforced which actions to take place on four areas in the District: 1. The strip of trees and planting space in front of Straub’s was previously decided by the Commission to be reconfigured; Members still are in agreement for that to take place. 2. The concrete strip near Dewey’s Pizza was previously decided by the Commission to remove the concrete and turn the area into a more natural green space; Members still are in agreement for that to take place. 3. The triangle bedding area between Robust and Straub’s where an evergreen tree was removed was previously decided by the Commission to be replanted; Members still are in agreement for that to take place. 4. The area at the entrance to the parking deck next to McCaughen & Burr known as the “concrete park” is used extensively during District events; the concrete is not to be removed and the area is not to be turned into a natural space. The only possible change to that area would be to add access to electricity. OLD BUSINESS • Rooftop Lighting Update – Still working with Streib Electric to install at Olive + Oak. • Holiday Lighting in Additional Trees – The work order to put up the lights in the trees in front of 52 West Lockwood and 23 North Gore should take place shortly. • On-Street Parking – City staff is trying to determine what's the right way to permit the use of parking spots for dedicated functions, i.e. curb-side pickup. NEW BUSINESS Commission Vacancies – The Commission has two vacancies which make it hard to maintain a quorum. Members are encouraged to solicit fellow business and property owners to apply to be on the Commission. CITY UPDATE • Construction is moving forward with the coffee shop and a lawyer in the new building next to Regions Bank. • 55 West Moody is moving forward. 2 of 7 • Balance Act Software with possible ARP funding projects is available on the City’s website until tomorrow; results will be presented to City Council. • Balancing Act for the City’s budget will be launched soon. • The Business Survey will be launched today looking for needs and assessments of the business community. NEXT MEETING • Tuesday, March 22, 2022, at 8:00 AM APPENDIX A 3 of 7 APPENDIX B 4 of 7 APPENDIX C APPENDIX D 5 of 7 APPENDIX E 6 of 7 APPENDIX F 7 of 7