Downtown Business Improvement District Minutes 01-19-2016

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      Downtown Muskegon Business Improvement District
                                       Meeting Minutes
                                      January 19, 2015
                   380 W. Western Ave., Suite 202 Muskegon, MI at 4 PM
1) Call to Order: 4:00 PM

2) Attendance:
       Doug Pollock (Chair), Mike Hennessy, Bob Tarrant, Gary Post and Frank Peterson

       Excused Absent(s): Justin Clark (VC), Bruce Lindstrom, John Riegler and Connie Taylor

       Guests: Dennis Lohman, Northwester Industrial sales, and Mohammed Al-Shatel,
       Muskegon DPW director.

3) Consent Agenda

   a) Approval of Agenda

       Motion: Frank Peterson
       Support: Mike Hennessy
       Vote: All voted in favor

   b) Approval of Minutes from the November 17, 2015 Meeting

       Motion: Frank Peterson
       Support: Mike Hennessy
       Vote: All voted in favor


4) Public Comment (on an agenda item) – None. The board chose to leave the floor open for
   the whole meeting allowing attendees to participate as they like.

5) Unfinished Business

   a) BID board meetings will be called for February, March and April to begin 2016 as the
      District begins operations and collection of assessments.
   b) Discussion of the one-year nature of the BID and the need to evaluate the first year. The
      board will have to approach the Muskegon City Commission for a decision on the
      second year and beyond. Those discussions and decisions will need to be made by the
      August-September timeframe for city action for 2017.
   c) Overall explanation of the Muskegon Business Improvement District final assessment
      approvals by the Muskegon City Commission and the authorization of a $45,000 loan
      from the city to the BID was given by Muskegon City Manager Frank Peterson and
      Downtown Muskegon Now Executive Director Dave Alexander.

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6) New Business

   a) Agreement between BID and Downtown Muskegon Now for DMN to manage the BID
      work plan and budget. Authorized DMN staff to spend the $45,000 city loan funds only
      for snow removal and spring-fall landscaping at this time. All other spending needs to be
      approved by the board.

      Motion: Frank Peterson
      Support: Bob Tarrant
      Vote: All voted in favor

   b) Accept the $45,000 loan and the city terms of an 18-month payback at no interest rate.

      Motion: Frank Peterson
      Support: Gary Post
      Vote: All in favor

   c) Authorize Chairman Doug Pollock to sign the city’s promissory note for $45,000 on
      behalf of the BID board.

      Motion: Frank Peterson
      Support: Bob Tarrant
      Vote: All in favor

   d) The DMN had sought through a Request for Proposals expanded BID sidewalk snow
      removal services at the end of October. Only one proposal was received from H&H
      Lawn Service & Snowplowing of North Muskegon. Due to the delay in approval of the
      BID assessments by Muskegon City Commission, the H&H proposal needed to be
      resubmitted.

      Authorize DMN Executive Director Dave Alexander to sign a BID snow removal contract
      with H&H from February 1, 2016 through April 15, 2016 not to exceed $24,000 with
      potential additional charges for salt and snow hauling with loader and dump truck.
      Discussion included a request to have at least holes cut into the snow banks at mid-
      blocks to allow clear access from the sidewalk to the street. Another suggestion was to
      remove snow from between the street and sidewalks when available and to coordinate
      that work with the city of Muskegon DPW.

      Motion: Frank Peterson
      Support: Mike Hennessy
      Vote: All in favor

   e) Appointment of a treasurer. Nomination was for Connie Taylor to serve as treasurer and
      that she be authorized to be signatory to any BID bank accounts.

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       Motion: Frank Peterson
       Support: Mike Hennessy
       Vote: All in favor

7) Other business
   Board members discussed the future inclusion of the Sidock Building parking lot being part
   of the snow removal contract in the future and as to whether it would be open to the public.
   BID staff will explore that issue for next winter’s snow removal contract.

8) Adjournment
   5:10 PM
   No Objection


Minutes produced and submitted by Dave Alexander, executive director of Downtown
Muskegon Now.




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