Board of Director’s Meeting – Minutes

Wednesday, July 6, 2022
Location: Online, 6:30 p.m.

Attendees: Eric Chabot (EC), Sara Bergsma (SB), Margaret Lara (ML), Colin Best (CB), Miguel Gonsalves (MG), Eric Parris (EP), Julie Rock (JR), Rachel Shuttleworth (RS)

Regrets: Joe Taglieri (JT), Ian Campbell (IC), Kristina Tesser Derksen (KTD)

Guests: Nancy Cuttle

EC called the meeting to order at 6:34 p.m.

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

Review of previous minutes

  • CB moved to accept June minutes. ML seconded the motion. Motion passed.

Treasurer’s Report

  • Trending well for year to date. In May, expenses started ramping up for SummerFest ($21k), June expenses increased significantly due to SummerFest expenses and beautification ($45k)
  • Fundraising is $25k ahead of what we budgeted for
  • Still waiting for some final expenses for SummerFest
  • Audit fee was showing higher than expected last month but it has been corrected now
    • CB moved to accept the Treasurer’s Report. ML seconded the motion. Motion passed.

Council Report

CB (Local & Regional)

  • Some planning items on the local and regional council agendas for July.
  • Construction season underway – Bronte St construction underway, Ontario St construction should be done and repaved in the fall, Derry Road down to two lanes for construction in some parts.
  • Trafalgar Road and Britannia Road development proposals are coming up (40-50k people each, including some commercial areas).
  • CB just confirmed as President of Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
  • Municipal election coming on October 24.
    • ML moved to accept the Council Report. ML seconded the motion. Motion passed.

Executive Director’s Report

Administration

  • Second Canada Summer Jobs student position – He is focused on beautification, litter clean-up, small downtown activations.
  • Unfortunately, Alan Cooke has resigned from the board. Alan is a strong advocate for downtown business owners and his contributions will be missed.

Summer activity series

  • Currently putting together a weekly schedule for music series which includes music schools, musicians, etc. Our summer student will be on site each week to coordinate logistics. (Note, the Music Exchange is also hosting live music/jam at Victoria Park on Saturday afternoons).
  • CB – Downtown Oakville hosting live music in their square every Friday night in the summer.

Downtown Milton SummerFest

  • Event was successful, great turn-out. Approximately 70 vendors and BIA members, 20 sponsors
  • Currently wrapping up summary reports, compiling survey results, counting numbers of attendees, completing financial reporting, etc. Will have full wrap-up report next month.
  • Many members were very positive about the event. Positive impact on sales, great exposure, etc. Complaint from a retailer about loss of parking spaces for their customers. Comment that Carriage Square needed more activities.
  • CB – The businesses can help animate the area, set up a booth, etc. It is in the business’ best interest to have a booth and be where the people are.
  • Some businesses in Carriage Square like bouncy castles, some complain that the bouncy castles block their storefronts.
  • NC – MHS was pleased, had lots of people come by for the book sale and blacksmith demos.

Main Street closure for bollards

  • Town closing Main Street on a Monday to install new bollards at Main & Martin, 9am-3pm. We could do an activity to encourage people to come down. Several businesses closed on Mondays.
  • EC – Short timeline and several businesses closed. Best to communicate that road is closed and encourage people to visit the businesses, patios, enjoy the pedestrianized Main Street.

Town MOU

  • Recent meeting with Economic Development, discussed reviewing MOU between Town and BIA. Their recommendation is to review MOU and incorporate requests into 2023 budget planning. Have separate agreements for events and beautification.
  • CB – Council encouraging Town staff to develop formalized agreements with groups related to community events.

Flowers

  • Challenging to grow plants in the flower beds this year due to dry conditions, trees getting bigger and damage during SummerFest. Contractor had to bury some potted plants because initial plants were not surviving. Will likely need to take this approach going forward. Would work better if there was a ledge around the garden beds but there isn’t so water runs off the beds.

Public art mural project

  • Call for artists is closed, received some great applications from artists inside and outside Milton. Invited two artists to submit renderings of their proposed artwork. Mural working group will review and develop recommendation for the board in a couple weeks. Some negative feedback on social media about painting over existing mural. Concern about losing part of the past. Working group looking at best way to have a photo/print of existing mural installed nearby to continue to recognize it.
  • CB – This mural could be the start of many other murals. Unfortunately, it’s deteriorating, and these things need to be replaced over time due to weather and time damage.
  • NC – Outline the purposes of the project so they know we are dedicated to preserving the history.
  • SB – Do a statement later once we have the artwork sorted out and it’s further along.
  • ML – Is there a risk of graffiti happening on the new wall?
  • RS – Planning to have graffiti coating on the artwork.
  • EC – If we stop, could have a negative reaction to not doing the update. Need to stay on course with planning. If people don’t comment, may be because they are happy about it or don’t mind the change. 

Seasonal lighting

  • Received contract for Hamilton Halton Brant Tourism Relief Fund. $18k less then what we applied for. Two options are that the BIA covers the cost difference (this is what the funder proposed), or else we go back to them with a reduced budget to fit within their amount. Costs that funder is not covering are project administration, bracket removal/installation, disposal, contractor. Project administration costs are the biggest portion of what’s not covered. Project needs to be done by December 31.
  • MG – Around 20% of grant amount not approved. Hard to say no to an 80% funded project. What would it look like to retrofit the project into the approved amount?
  • RS – Created a reduced budget to see what that would look like. Concern that funder doesn’t want to fund any admin costs, so if we propose a lesser amount, they may reduce funded amount as well. Student currently assembling a list of potential decoration suppliers.
  • EC – Most of the project planning staff time is in the grant application process, so it’s been spent already. Remove project admin and staffing costs from the equation, and would be paying someone to do the wreaths and the string lights this year anyways. We would just be using those dollars to cover the cost difference on the new decorations. Volunteered to take wreaths to the dump and to join working group for this project. Could finish the additional decorations in the coming years.
  • CB – Trees along Main St are getting bigging and it’s getting darker, so would be great to have the LED decorations up. Could be supply chain issues, so would likely need to move quickly. Ensure a professional does the installation, removal, and it’s done safely.
  • ML – Could be some salvage value on the wreaths or could donate them to the Restore, etc.
  • RS – Could see if any other BIA wants wreaths.
    • Colin Best moved for:
      • the Downtown Milton Business Improvement Area to enter into the Hamilton Halton Brant Tourism Relief Fund agreement;
      • the DMBIA to cover the Downtown Lights project costs (as outlined in the project budget) that will not be covered through the Tourism Relief Fund program.
    • Eric Chabot seconded the motion.
    • Motion passed.

New business

  • CB – Graffiti downtown is increasing, have received complaints for businesses. Communicate to business and property owners about cleaning up graffiti as soon as possible. Report to police when tags are done.
  • JR – Some tags in the courtyard behind Towne Square recently too.

New board members

  • Three individuals submitted applications to join the board.
    • CB moved to have Eric Parris, Julie Rock and Ian Campbell join the board. EC seconded the motion. Motion passed.

Adjournment

    • CB moved to adjourn. ML seconded the motion. Motion passed.
    • Meeting adjourned at 7:38 pm.