MINUTES OF THE
REGULAR MEETING
OF THE DOWNTOWN PORT PERRY BIA
HELD TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2009 AT 6:00 P.M.
IN THE SCUGOG BUSINESS CENTRE
PRESENT:
Chair, Stewart Bennett Vice Chair,Terri Venner
Lana Crosbie Bill Minors
Susan Clearwater Amanda Jackson
Birgitta MacLeod Lynn Hodgson
ALSO PRESENT: General Manager - Kenna Kozak
Absent: Christy Stone - Curry
1. CALL TO ORDER
The Vice-Chair called the meeting to order at 6:08 pm.
2. DISCLOSURE OF PECUNIARY INTEREST
No member made a disclosure of pecuniary interest in any of the following matters.
3. DEPUTATIONS none
4. MINUTES OF THE JULY 14, 2009 MEETING
Kenna advised the Board that the minutes cannot go on to the BIA website until approved by Council.
5. BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
6. REPORTS
i. President’s Report: Stewart Bennett
Labour Day weekend was very busy. It appears people are starting their Christmas shopping already. With better news about the economy in the media we probably don’t have too much to worry about with regards to Christmas sales. Stewart suggested the BIA produce a bag-stuffer to promote and inform customers which stores are open late on Friday nights. A notice could be sent to local merchants for feedback.
ii. Treasurer’s Report
Current budget figures were presented. We don’t know yet how much money was raised for the hospital from Brits on the Lake.
RESOLUTION NO: 09-27
Moved by: Bill Minors
Seconded by: Lynn Hodgson
THAT the Treasurer’s report for Sept 2009 be received.
Carried
iii. Advertising Report: Lana Crosbie
Co-op advertising: there has been good participation on the CHEX program, with new members coming on board. The ads seem to be working as traffic is up.
Fall Harvest Festival:
The poster does not describe all the events taking place. Ads will run in local media.
Christmas:
The event will take place Friday evening and Saturday, November 20 & 21.
2010 Events:
The date for Moonlight Madness will be FRIDAY, June 25. We should consider a similar late night for July. Friday, July 23, 2010 was proposed for a Summer Madness event. Members will be polled for feedback.
iv. Area Development – Susan Clearwater
BRACKETS AND BANNERS
The brackets will be completed in the next few weeks and will be installed after the flower baskets have been removed in the fall. The deposit for the brackets was $1559.18 and the total cost will be $8795.92. Installation of the brackets is an additional cost of approximately $90 plus tax per pole.
Banners will be installed early next year after the Christmas decorations have been removed and they will be purchased with the funds from the 2010 budget. The design for the banner has currently not been approved but some comments have been received and will be communicated to the BIA Board members. When the banner design has been revised, it will be presented to the Heritage Committee and Council for approval.
FLOWER BASKETS
The flower basket at the corner of Perry and Queen on the “Books Galore” side of the street was crushed by a truck and has been removed. The new brackets in areas similar to this where they are close to the street will be turned sideways to avoid this problem.
DOWNTOWN PORT PERRY HERITAGE CONSERVATION DISTRICT STUDY
A meeting will be held on the Heritage Conservation District Study document in the next few weeks to go over outstanding issues and include descriptive photographs.
ECONOMIC COMMITTEE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING
The meeting of the Economic Advisory Committee has been cancelled for September 10th and rescheduled for October 15th.
THE INVOLVEMENT OF BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREAS IN TOURISM: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF ONTARIO BIAs
The above report written by Andrew Marc Giraldi identifies the need for the BIA to be involved in tourism. Currently Kenna attends Durham Tourism Conferences and BIA produced booklets are sent out for distribution to various tourism centres at a cost of shipping to the BIA. There is no extra money in the budget for additional tourism involvement at this time.
TOWNSHIP OF SCUGOG OFFICIAL PLAN REVIEW
Changes to the Draft – Official Plan that are of interest to the BIA:
4.2 MAIN CENTRAL AREA
The Port Perry Urban Area is now separated into three distinct districts – Historic Downtown Area, Water Street, and the Scugog Street (Highway 7A) Corridor. Previously it was separated into the Historic Downtown Area and Water Street. In Section 4.2 “Main Central Area”, page 55 the “two sub-designations, Historic Downtown Area and Water Street” still exist.
Revised Schedule A-1 “Port Perry Urban Area Land Use” identifies in red the “Main Central Area”. Since Water Street is a separate designation in this document it is not clear at this time how the designated “Heritage District” which includes Water Street to North Street and Water Street to Mary Street will be affected.
RESOLUTION NO: 09-28
Moved by: Bill Minors
Seconded by: Terry Venner
THAT the Area Development report for Sept be accepted.
Carried
v. Councillor’s Report – Lynn Hodgson
Proposed parking fees have been cancelled for the North Street lot for now. The new parking garage will now be one level, not two. Lynn will check to see that construction of the new bump-outs at Queen & Perry do not interfere with Harvest Day activities.
The BIA will write a letter to Council to commend them on the changes to parking fees.
7. CORRESPONDENCE none
8. HARVEST DAY EVENT:
The street closure has been approved.
The following businesses will participate in the Chilli Cook-off: Sobey’s, Vos’, Cassidy’s, Set the Table, Jester’s Court, Front Porch, Queen Bean, Nutty Chocolatier, Mexico Lindo, Harp & Wylies, Herrington’s. A few others have not confirmed. All will receive a letter outlining Health Dept. requirements.
Chilli tasting mugs will cost $5 each. Each person will get a punch card.
Neil Crone will be the celebrity judge. Amanda is trying to contact Kenneth Welsh also. Entertainment (Les Bad Guys and the high school band) is booked. If we can get a stage we will also have the Kick up a Fuss Cloggers. Activities at the park will include: pumpkin decorating (YMCA); mini-putt, a jumping castle & pony rides. On Queen St. there will be bacon on a bun (Chamber of Commerce); scarecrow building (Church of the Ascension), & facepainting (Unitarian Church) and other vendors (baked potatoes, Ocala). The Farmers Market will stay at the park. Signs will direct people to Queen Street.
It is the Township’s responsibility to put up and take down the barricades. This is part of the permit.
Next Harvest Festival meeting is September 16 at 6 pm.
9. NEW BUSINESS
Birgitta reported the Scugog Township booth at the CNE was already bringing customers to Port Perry who mentioned they had visited the booth.
The waterfront construction may be an issue for this year’s Santa Claus parade. The Chamber and Lions may have to change the route.
A previous BIA publication “authentic lakeside charm” is still popular. It was paid for from the BIA and we will try to put it in the budget for 2010.
The tentative date for the next Tourism Roundtable meeting is November 6.
Parking signage & maps will soon be available.
Lynn suggested we install banner signage on Simcoe directing people to the main shopping area. Although members favoured the idea, there is no money in the budget for this.
The Township is putting info banners at the corner of Queen & Perry to direct people to the municipal offices & other shopping. The cost for one spot on the banner is $50. The BIA agreed to take one spot and ask that the colour of the banners coordinate with our new banners. We will order 4 fewer banners. Kenna will ask the Chamber if they want to participate with the BIA and confirm the wording.
There are new event signs at the Latcham Centre & Joe Fowler Park. Lynn will find out how the BIA can make use of them.
The only Property Standard that would apply to the west end development is that the grass cannot be higher than 20 inches. Gene Chartier met with the owners to discuss tidying up the property or some partial landscaping.
Garbage clean up is still an issue, with bins overflowing after the weekend. Also some businesses have been using the public trash cans for their business garbage, which is not permitted.
9. ADJOURN 7:50 pm
