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Alma DDA Meeting - March 1, 2007
Date: March 1, 2007
Alma Downtown Development Authority Alma, Michigan March 1, 2007 The regular meeting of the Alma Downtown Development Authority (ADDA) was called to order at 12:00 noon by Chairperson Shafley at The Book Shoppe 316 N State Street. PRESENT: Solomon, Shafley, Comer, Freed. ABSENT: Kolar, Lowe, Stacey, Kline, Dancer, Ahern. ALSO PRESENT: A. Ripley. There was not a quorum at this meeting so the minutes for the January 4, 2007 meeting will hold over until the April Meeting. Public Input & Discussion: • None. AAA meeting in February 2007 Items Discussed: • Tartan Day Committee – Events will take place on Saturday April 7th. Events- Shortbread Contest with prize money. Dress Your Petshow and parade, there will be prizes hopefully from the area pet stores. Will work with the Braveheart and the Seven Iron and a Kilt organizers. • Downtown Flower Planting – The city will not be providing water for the flowers, so there will be no planting this year. A letter will be sent to downtown businesses explaining the situation and inviting them to plant whatever flowers they would like and care for the flowerbox if they choose. • The AAA will have input in the new streetscape with choosing the new flowers boxes. The construction will be in 2008. • The AAA contributed $25 to the Fred Meijer Rails to Trails for membership in 2007. • The first tape of the Sesquicentennial orchestra in the park is available for sale. The symphony I selling raffle tickets for a fund raiser. • Rep. Paul Opsommer was in attendance and gave an update to the fiscal crisis in the State of Michigan. • Alma Highland Festival Spring Carnival needs a new location, which has a hard surface. Alma DDA Financials • Under Contractual Services is where the loan for Paul Ross’s low interest loan was accounted. Member Shafley asked if that shouldn’t be account for as an asset seeing that it is being paid back. Director will talk to the Controller. Director’s Report: Downtown Streetscape Funding • The City of Alma received word from MDOT in the form of a Conditional Letter of Commitment on February 1, 2007. This letter is not a funding award, but the design work has been approved to move forward. • This work will be done in conjunction with the mill and resurface of Superior Street from Pine Avenue to Wright Avenue. This work is tentatively set for construction in 2008. • The work will include stamped and colored concrete crosswalks, historically appropriate street lights, decorative pavers, planters, and tree grates. • Solomon – When will we know when the work will be done? The drawings are set to be completed sometime in April. After that time a meeting will be set with the merchants to help figure out the construction schedule. Building – 113 W Superior • The Democratic Party will be moving out of 113 W Superior the first week of March. The party can not afford the utilities. • Those board members in attendance review board member Kline’s letter that the building, should be appraised and sold for that price. Member Kline as stated in his letter he feels the DDA should sell the building at 113 W Superior and use the dollars for other projects in downtown • Board member Shafley said that some of his concern and that of member Kline’s is that the board would only sell the building if it were a women’s appeal store or a restaurant. • Director Ripley gave those two businesses as examples, because that is the two businesses that most individuals say they would like to see in the downtown. If they would be supported is another story. If after the building is rehabilitated the board is offered $60,000, the board should look at selling the building, either way it is the board’s decision. • The main issue for the DDA holding on to the building is the DDA can fix it up the way it should be since it was a gift. The money someone would use to building the building the DDA can put right into the rehab of the building. This building sat on the private market for over 3 years with not one taker and the building declined further. The DDA can set an example be rehabbing and keeping the historic nature of the building and then sell the building it is a win for the downtown, even if the DDA just breaks even. If private individual has to pay $35,000 to get the building and then put in another $40,000, like the DDA is looking at doing the building is now a $75,000 building, will someone actually fix it the way it should. Once the work is done it will be like that for a 20 or 30 years. This would be another chance lost in the downtown. Property and Businesses • Member Shafley feels that we shouldn’t limit ourselves to just the women’s clothing store or the restaurant, which the director mentioned in the newsletter. The director understands the point and other options will be looked at as well, DDA board will have final say what business would move into 113 W Superior. • Members in attendance discussed what type of restaurant would need to come to downtown to make it. Everyone was in agreement it would have to be an individual who wants to make a unique atmosphere and they would need to be a liquor license for the business. • There was some discussion on the 500’ rule for churches and schools. All new liquor licenses have to get approval from churches or schools within 500’ of the business. The board had some discussion on how you measure the 500’ and what the requirements are for the new liquor license law. Director will research and provide this information for the boards meeting in April. Local Façade Grant • The director presented an updated local façade grant application and guidelines. The new program presented would offer grants up to $500 each up to $3,000 a year. Member Shafley felt it may be more beneficial if the DDA were to do 2 or 3 grants a year at $2,000 -$3,000. It may make more of an impact. Director will put some materials together for the board’s consideration in April. • The director was informed by board member Kline of two Michigan DDAs that have new façade programs; Ionia and Portland. The Director made contact with these DDAs and the following is the information obtained. Ionia Downtown Development They have a façade program that is a 50/50 match up to $5,000 dollars. This is the first year for the program and they budgeted for $20,000 for the program. They gave out five grants this year and received 16 applications. They do have limits on what color the paint can be and other restrictions. Their DDA Director is sending me a copy of their application form to get the full picture. A suggestion that their director made that made sense was to have the property owners who are applying for the grant take pictures of the building and especially the areas of improvement. The Ionia DDA runs on a much different budget. The Ionia DDA has the 2 mills in the DDA District like here in Alma. In 1989 the DDA put together a Tax Increment Financing Fund and with that built the streetscape they have today, which is awesome. Currently they have around 1.3 million in their TIF, which allows them to run a budget each year of $250,000. I do not have the details on the budget to see what that includes. I will get that for next month if the board is interested. Portland Downtown Development The façade program in Portland is set up through their DDA. The program offers a 50/50 match for up to $5,000 on any façade work in the Main Street District. The DDA approved and set aside $20,000 for the project per fiscal year. The program is funded through the TIF dollars the downtown has collected. Each property/business owner must apply for the program and adhere to any SHPO guidelines and free design plan is offered by Kelly Larson, the Main Street architect. The services of the architect come with the Main Street program that you apply for through the State of Michigan. To get these façade dollars the property owner must follow guidelines set up by the DDA. Other Business: There will be two Gratiot County Forums on Livestock Production looking at CAFOs on March 20th and 27th from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Dow Science Building on the campus of Alma College. The board received and discussed member Kline’s letter requesting an extension to April 30, 2007 for the banner on the rear of his 307 E Superior location. Since there were only 4 DDA board members there was no official vote, but those who in attendance didn’t have a problem with allowing the sign to stay until April 30, 2007. The board has no authority over decision being made, so they said it should be left up to the zoning department. • Adjournment 1:15 pm YES: Solomon, Shafley, Comer, Freed. NO: None. ______________________________________ Aeric Ripley, DDA Director/Asst. City Manager
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