Board of Director’s Meeting – Minutes

Wednesday, December 10, 2025, 6:30 p.m.
Location: Virtual ZOOM

Attendees: Monique Gaudet (MG), Colin Best (CB), Tom Dusmet (TD), Eric Parris (EP), Diana Lakich (DL, Abhi Sarkar (AS), Moe Hartley (MH), Mira Nasser (MN), Alisha Bustamante (AB)

Regrets: Eric Chabot (EC)

Guest: Shelly Howe (SH), EXIT Realty, George Minakakis (GM), Town Councillor Ward 1 (North-West)

DL called the meeting to order at 6:33 p.m.

DL asked the board if there was any declaration of pecuniary interest or conflict of interest. None were made.

Motion to accept the previous meeting minutes by CB, seconded by TD. Motion passed.

Treasurer Report (TD):

  • November financials had several adjustments from October, which have now been corrected.
  • The October report is now accurate, and the November numbers are as correct as available at the time of reporting.
  • November spending was significantly less than last year because the Tiger Jeet Singh Foundation is currently covering costs for Miracle on Main; these expenses will be reimbursed and reflected in December’s financials.
  • A $3,850 credit from the Town was received for damaged receptacles due to snow plowing earlier in the year.
  • Overall, financials are accurate up to the reporting point, and significant variances in November compared to last year have been explained.
    • MH moved to accept the Treasurer Report. CB seconded the motion. Motion passed.

Council Report

Regional (CB)

  • The regional budget was approved, including notable police-related allocations: $4.6M for police net expenses and $8.2M for the police budget.
  • The police budget increased by $600,000 to fund a special operations unit trained to manage large crowds at events such as protests and Canada Day.
  • Planned capital projects include road widening (Steeles Avenue, Derry, Britannia, Tremaine to the 407) and continued work on James Snow Parkway to connect with Neyagawa and the 407 in Oakville.

Local (GM)

  • A motion was passed to lower the town budget increase from 7.94% to 6.94%, achieved through accounting adjustments without cuts to costs or services; however, this approach is not sustainable long-term.
  • It was noted that the police force receives 57% of the budget, with 104 new officers being added across the Halton Region.
  • Continued discussion on how to grow retail space without negatively impacting the downtown area.
  • A recent (non-town) report graded the Town of Milton at a C for current development, citing condo market decline but ongoing growth and relatively stable construction employment compared to other regions.
  • MH moved to accept the Council Report. TD seconded the motion. Motion passed.

Marketing Report (AB):

  • Instagram followers have increased to 14,500, with over 100% growth in reach and page visits.
  • The Instagram feed has shifted from repetitive and formal to a vibrant, lifestyle-focused look, featuring real community members and interactive elements like polls and stickers to boost engagement.
  • A broadcast channel has been launched for exclusive updates, and member engagement has been further supported by daily interactions and highlighting member posts.
  • The website’s events calendar has been enhanced with photos and more frequent events, blog posting increased, and newsletter sign-ups improved (2.3% rate, up from 1.1%).
  • New additions include a favicon for better branding and improved business directory listings with updated photos.
  • The recent fall culinary campaign with Destination Ontario was highly successful, achieving 7 million impressions.
  • Goals for the year include launching TikTok, reaching 15,000 Instagram followers by the start of Taste of Downtown Milton, cleaning up the email list, improving Instagram video retention, and increasing member visibility for promotional campaigns.
  • GM: Is, in the world of AI, because Black Friday brought in $14.6 billion, 75% of those transactions were generated because of interactions with AI. How is it? How is AI going to affect Instagram?
  • AB: Our current strength on Instagram is highlighting real people from our community to create authentic, engaging content, while using AI primarily for internal brainstorming rather than outward-facing social posts.
  • GM: Last question, search is changing to ask, right? And that is taking up a lot of momentum. Now, do you see how you’re going to shift that, too?
  • AB: We see future value in training AI tools like ChatGPT to recognize and promote our members’ offerings, with the potential to add a website chatbot that helps users discover local businesses and services.

Events Manager Report (MN):

  • The three main events this year were Summer Fest, the See You in September Car Show, and Tiny Tots Trick or Treat. They all remained highly popular and effective at bringing people downtown and supporting Main Street businesses.
  • Summer Fest continues to grow, now featuring 92 local vendors, 13 sponsors, and $30,000 in vendor revenue fees.
  • The car show was the busiest in three years, and Tiny Tots Trick or Treat remains a community favourite, although it places a cost burden on participating businesses.
  • Plans for 2026 include expanding these events, encouraging more business involvement, introducing new additions like a silent disco or business crawl, and enhancing winter activities such as the tree lighting and support local campaign.
  • AS: Recommended Tiny Tots as a marketing opportunity, e.g., offering free kids’ meals with adult meal purchase or attaching business cards/discounts to candy, which helps attract and retain customers.
  • MG: Efforts to secure candy donations from supermarkets for Tiny Tots have not been successful. Although the member survey on rescheduling saw limited participation, most respondents preferred to keep the event on Saturday, and while opinions about Tiny Tots vary, it remains a tradition in the community.
  • MN: If most members no longer see value in Tiny Tots, the event can be discontinued or replaced, as the priority is serving member interests.
  • SH: Recommended sharing information about store sales and loyalty programs that can significantly reduce the cost of candy for Tiny Tots, so all participating businesses can benefit from these savings.
  • MG: I will connect with local grocery stores and managers closer to the events for potential support or deals and to share any opportunities with Tiny Tots participants as the event approaches.

Executive Director Report:

  • **Administration:
    • Canada Summer Jobs application completed for two students, Special Events Intern, beginning April 28, 2026, for 8 weeks and in July for 8 weeks if we are approved.
    • A repayment from the Town of Milton for the receptacle damage due to snow transferred to the DBMIA this month for $3850.
    • The Town of Milton’s budget has been approved, and there were no objections to the SummerFest funding.
    • OBIAA membership is due to be paid in January 2026, $638.51.
    • OBIAA conference is in St. Catherines for 2026.

ENHANCED PROMOTION ON THE DOWNTOWN MILTON COMMUNITY AND ITS BUSINESSES

  • Miracle on Main Street in Downtown Milton was a success.
  • “Support Local to Win” holiday initiative was launched. The DMBIA did not provide any funds to AS for the building of the website or the installation of the initiative. Rules are live at
  • The first week, we had 35 participants.
  • Weekly Draw Periods:
    • Week 1: November 27 – December 3
    • Week 2: December 4 – December 10
    • Week 3: December 11 – December 17
    • Week 4: December 18 – December 24
  • January social media giveaway: Aiden & Co., Wildflour, Ludo, Thai House and Wildwood Bookstore all expressed interest in providing gift cards for a giveaway to encourage foot traffic. An email will be sent to invite other businesses to participate. The giveaways can continue monthly to promote downtown businesses and continue to grow our social media presence.
  • Taste of Downtown Milton will run from February 20th to March 15th. We will run our social media campaign with RTO3 from February 13th to March 15th. The video has been created and sent in.
  • 2026 Partnership opportunities will be the same as 2025; we will not increase rates this year.

INCREASED FOCUS ON ATTRACTION OF NEW BUSINESSES

  • **Member/business updates:
  • New
  • Wildwood Books and Market is open – 207 Main St East.
  • The Secret Garden grand opening December 13 @ 10:00 am-6:00 pm – 167 Main St East.

ENHANCED ADVOCACY WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT ON KEY ISSUES AFFECTING DOWNTOWN

  • Farmers’ Market MOU Renewal: Meeting with Jenna Patterson, Manager, Economic Development, and the Chamber of Commerce on Friday, December 12, to create an MOU.
  • I have reached out to Meaghen Reid, Director, Legislative & Legal Services/Town Clerk, on our behalf and George Minakakis, Town Councillor, Ward 1, to see if he will be appointed to the Downtown Milton BIA as our Local Councillor. We should receive a response in January after the first council meeting on January 26, 2026.

ENHANCED DOWNTOWN EXPERIENCE FOR BUSINESSES AND VISITORS THROUGH BEAUTIFICATION EFFORTS

  • **Beautification
  • Snowflake installation update: Power is out at poles 197, 216, 256, and 276. GFIs on 256 and 276 could not be changed. The town has been contacted to restore power and replace GFIs. Electrician cost: $2,505.26 to identify issues; working with the Town to cover power restoration and GFI replacement costs. Robert Gasper, Director, Facilities, Operations & Environment, is in contact with Traffic to see what can be done.
  • Receptacles: Trees will be marked with red burlap bows so the Town can locate our receptacles in the garden beds during sidewalk plowing.

ENHANCED ADVOCACY WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT ON KEY ISSUES AFFECTING DOWNTOWN

  • **Patio Rebranding Program
    • Working with Christina Romasz from the Town of Milton’s Economic Development and Marketing team on rebranding the Seasonal Patio Program into an Intentional Placemaking initiative aimed at enhancing public spaces and creating a more engaging, year-round downtown experience.
  • **Farmers’ Market MOU Renewal
    • Connected with Erin Caldwell, intern President at The Chamber of Commerce to confirm the market will remain on Main Street and to work on the revised MOU.
  • **2026 Strategic Planning Update
    • Currently developing the Strategic Plan for review. The plan is based on committee discussions, current survey results, and notes provided by Tom Dusmet and will outline key priorities and action items for the upcoming year.

Other Business:

  • Discussion Summary for a proposal to close Main Street East between Martin Street and James Street on select Saturdays in June and July 2026
  • Proposal for a summer road closure program to allow restaurants to extend patios onto the street in June and July
  • Liability, Compliance, and Scope: Concerns regarding liability, regulatory compliance, parking, traffic flow, and the distinction between this initiative and larger events. Emphasized the importance of consistent weekly operation, suggested a busker-style entertainment approach, and questioned the cost-effectiveness of paid police presence, proposing private security as an alternative.
  • Logistics and Coordination: Aligning with Farmers’ Market road closures, the need for clear member communications and traffic signage, and confirmed coordination with Town traffic, risk, and operations departments. Member feedback will be gathered before finalization, with the flexibility to discontinue the initiative if it does not benefit members.
  • Proposal Operations: Patios would be temporary and managed by individual businesses, including setup/ removal and their own furniture.
  • Programming and Scale: Keeping the initiative simple and business-focused, cautioned against additional programming due to logistical impacts, and supported ending music and activities by 10:00 p.m.
  • Risk, Safety, and Documentation: Noted, Town of Milton risk and safety concerns must be anticipated with clear plans. Identified documentation inconsistencies and stressed accuracy before submission, supporting continued refinement based on feedback.
  • Next Steps:
  • MG to coordinate with Town traffic, risk, and operations departments regarding permits, approvals, traffic management, and insurance requirements.
  • Revise proposal materials to correct inconsistencies (including hours of operation and traffic mapping) and ensure accuracy before Town submission.
  • Prepare Q&A materials and clear visual traffic signage.
  • Gather and review member feedback before finalizing procedures.
  • Develop clear operational, safety, and security plans.

Adjournment

  • DL moved to adjourn. MH seconded the motion. Motion passed.
  • DL Meeting adjourned at 7:53 pm.