Board of Director’s Meeting – Minutes
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Location: Virtual via Zoom 6:30 p.m.
Attendees: Eric Chabot (EC), Monique Gaudet (MG), Colin Best (CB), Diana Lakich (DL), Eric Parris (EP), Kristina Tesser Derksen (KTD), Tom Dusmet (TD)
Regrets: Ian Campbell (IC)
DL called the meeting to order at 6:37 p.m.
EC 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 KTD. Motion passed.
Treasurer’s Report (MG)
- There is little to report to date, aside from salary and rent expenses, there haven’t been any significant expenditures so far.
- CB moved to accept the Treasurer’s Report. KTD seconded the motion. Motion passed.
Council Reports
Regional (CB)
- Two items from the CN report, two court decisions were passed, 1st referring it back to the federal cabinet regarding the environmental concern. 2nd working out the constitutionality of what can and cannot be done. We will receive an update at our next council meeting.
- Highlighting the changes in planning, The Region is out of planning and The Town is taking over the planning process. Next step is to look at the allocation of the 12,819 homes in Milton on top of the 13,000 that we already have that haven’t been occupied.
Local KTD
- Website survey for Milton Website Improvement is on The Town website and is part of our long-term strategic plan to modernize communication and our online presence. Visit https://www.letstalkmilton.ca/website-improvements
- Milton is going into a By-election as MP Parm Gill resigned, his seat is now open. Zeeshan Hamid is the current candidate. We do not know the candidates for The Liberal, NDP or Green party.
- Premiere Doug Ford was in Milton to announce the funding of $8.4 million from The Building Faster Fund.
- DL moved to accept the Council Report. EP seconded the motion. Motion passed.
Executive Director’s Report (MG)
- **Administration:
- A recommendation was received from the Executive Director at the Tillsonburg BIA, who mentioned that they use to utilize the Chamber Plan but weren’t satisfied with it. I heard this comment from many other BIA’s at the following OBIAA meeting. Instead, they suggested a broker to me, who then found a better option at a lower price. The details will be finalized by March 18th for benefits to begin April 1, 2024
- Awaiting a response from the Canada Summer Jobs grant. Once confirmation is received, I will publish the job posting.
- Top of Form
- **Operating Calendar for 2024
- Review 2024 Operating Calendar focusing on Events, Marketing & Promotions, Member Support, Strategic Plan, Advocacy, Sponsorship, Collaboration with The Town, Administration. Reference 2024 Operating Calendar attached.
EC asked for MG to send the operating calendar to the board for further review
- **Reviewing Board Policies
- No changes to suggest for Electronic Voting Policy or Conflict of Interest – approved at the March 2023 board meeting
- Purchasing Policy – Updated and motion approved at the March 2023 board meeting
- Board of Management Policy – Board to review, need motion to approve.
- Personnel Policy – Received updates from HR department, final draft will be provided at the April board meeting.
- Constitution – Will update the Constitution based on the final Board of Management and Personnel policies.
- Board of Management policy – Notes taken from the March 2023 Board Meeting
- Took elements from Municipal Act, our Constitution, our board orientation documents, OBIAA and other BIA policies. Covers purpose, term, membership eligibility, responsibilities, etc.
- Community member participation – Some BIAs have policies around board composition. Having a policy will help ensure we have a variety of strengths and opinions on the board and continue to maintain a strong voice from BIA members. Recommending a maximum of three people on the board that are not BIA members (don’t pay the levy), or councillors. They would need to be recommended by a BIA member and could hold their position for one term (unless the person is selected by the board as an officer). We get a lot of interest from residents wanting to join and need to have good representation from BIA members as well.
- Policy maintains some requirements we had in our board documents previously – board members must attend 75% of our board meetings in the year, and they must get involved in things outside of board meetings – ie events, projects, committees, expense approvals, etc
- MG to resend the following documents for approval Board of Management Policy, Personnel Policy, and Constitution
- KTD addition to the Board of Management Policy: The number of Community Members will not exceed the number of Downtown Milton BIA members. DMBIA members must form the majority.
- EC currently EP, TD, are community members. The DMBIA Board of Directors does have room for one more Community Member
- **Board Member Vote: Motion to Approve
- Moe Hartley has applied to join the DMBIA Board of Directors as a Director.
- Up to three community members (non-BIA members and non-councillors) may hold seats on the Board of Management at one time. These individuals must be recommended by a current DMBIA member and follow the same election process as other Board members. Community members can participate on the Board for a maximum of one term (four years). Their term may be extended at the discretion of the Board if the Board member agrees to be an Officer of the Board.
- CB Moe Hartley will be replacing Ian Campbell as the Community Member
*Motion to approve Moe Hartley to the DMBIA Board of Directors:
- CB moved to approve Moe Hartley to the DMBIA Board of Directors KTD seconded the motion. Motion passed.
ENHANCED PROMOTION ON THE DOWNTOWN MILTON COMMUNITY AND ITS BUSINESSES
- Social media and promotions – Key focus is the Downtown Milton BIA businesses and Taste of Downtown Milton
- We continue to increase our Instagram followers; currently at 9,736 followers.
Business updates
New:
- 295 Main Street – Origins Barber Shop opened in February
For Sale:
- 252 Main Street- Gong cha & Arirang for sale https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/26597531/252-main-e-milton
Closed:
- 207 Main Street- Muse Studio & Market closed at the end of February
- 157 Main Street- Square Co Work Space – Square has dissolved, Mike Streeter Photography remains at this location.
- **Sponsorship & Community Partnership
- So far, we have secured $18,450 in confirmed sponsorships for SummerFest. Sponsors include BMO, Lajy, Scotiabank, KalTire, Magin Window Innovations, and OLG.
- Attended the Power Panel breakfast hosted by the Milton Chambre of Commerce on Wednesday March 6th. It was an excellent opportunity for community building.’
- Farmers’ Market- We have reserved one booth this year. Last year we reserved two booths, however, one sat empty most weekends. Members have shown interest this year and dates are beginning to fill up.
- **Grants:
- My Main Street Program: Opens February 15, 2024: Meeting with STEPS regarding two potential projects. Ivy Arms Walkway and or the bridge overpass. More details to follow. The grant is due March 31, 2024
- MG The Town of Milton will be giving the Ivy Arms Walkway a facelift, see below notes.
- EC review the maintenance, useful life and capital expenditure cost to keep the bridge overpass with STEPS
- KTD have a line item on the budget for beautification maintenance
INCREASED FOCUS ON ATTRACTION OF NEW BUSINESSES
- We have completed two courses of the Facilitating Strategic Planning for Your Organization free training series for non-for profits. There are two more sessions left.
- 2024 Strategic Planning Committee – Seeking board approval to initiate the process of forming a committee.
*Motion to approve creating a Strategic Planning Committee to the DMBIA Board of Directors:
- KTD moved to accept the approval of creating a Strategic Planning Committee EC seconded the motion. Motion passed.
ENHANCED DOWNTOWN EXPERIENCE FOR BUSINESSES AND VISITORS THROUGH BEAUTIFICATION EFFORTS
- **Beautification
- Graffiti: Use the 12K from the 2023 grant to create a campaign to help our members remove graffiti from their buildings. Could make a visible difference downtown and be relatively easy to administer. Recommend just doing it for members (not for municipally owned infrastructure).
- Ivy Arms walkway facelift: Doug Sampano, Senior Director, Facilities, Operations & Environment
- Remove all pergola posts that run top to bottom of the Ivy stairs (All are either rotting or are being held into place by structural supports). We are going to need to remove these soon.
- Remove & replace all the top row sections of the flower boxes. Though covered mostly by potato vines through the grow season this would help a little with the off-season aesthetics while helping to secure the structural integrities. We would also repair and re secure the areas that are separating at the corner points, staining the flower boxes (tbc)
- Community Board be incorporating it in with a more decorative common flower planter (Not Sitting area) at the front of the top flower bed which faces Main St. This would create a more pleasing view face from Main St while shading the front top beds. The plastic cover off the community board will be replaced.
- Portable Self Watering Planters: Suggested by Doug Sampano, Senior Director, Facilities, Operations & Environment to replace the flower beds on the ground. These would be cleaned up by The Town.
Estimated cost $12K – would come from our budget. Suggested locations provided by The Town’s horticultural department.
South Side (10-12)
- 3 at the “T’ (Martin/Main) in-between Bullard’s in front of ohana / sleep factory
- Rockstar ice cream – there is a curve in the sidewalk or between benches.
- Near / in front of walkway Southside Church / Bergsmas
- Illusion hair / The Works
- Pizziolo – near bench
- 3 rectangular styles would look nice in front of KNOX church in-between benches / trees
- SG Hair Salon / Jays Ice Cream near Bench
North Side (8)
- Aiden & Co.
- Muse Studio
- Ivy Walkway / Old Service Canada Building (theirs a boulevard curve)
- Locanda
- La Toscana (by cross walk)
- Cheeky Monkey spa / Act Physio – by the bench
- End by Turnbull Thompson Law / Smoke Shop
MG: Find additional funding for the portable self-watering plants above.
- CB moved to accept the Executive Director Report. EP seconded the motion. Motion passed.
New Business:
CB inquired about the cost of renewing a business license, as he received an message from a current business owner.
MG did not have information regarding this.
Adjournment
- CB moved to adjourn. KTD seconded the motion. Motion passed.
- EC – Meeting adjourned at 7:40 pm.