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Home My WebLink About09-13-2018 Minutes • Ail Of BIA Committee of Rate Payers Meeting /\IJB1JR.1\J September 13, 2018— 1:00 PM WASSHINGTON Auburn City Hall Council Chambers MINUTES CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 1:03 pm by Chairman DiQuattro. Roll Call: Committee Members present: Chairman Giovanni DiQuattro; Members Kelly Gordon, Darren Jones, Bob Klontz, Ronnie Roberts Committee Members absent: Vice Chair William Cowart, Ruth Neil-Stover, Megan White City staff present: Doug Lein, Economic Development Manager; Josh Arndt, Economic Development Senior Officer; Holly Ferry, Committee Secretary ADA Board Members present: Brittiany Karlson, Vinifera; Jeremy Hubbell, Geaux Brewing 111 II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Committee Member Klontz moved and Member Gordon second to approve the August 9, 2018 minutes. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 5-0 III. FINANCIAL REPORT Manager Lein gave the financial report. He reminded the Committee that they would soon start to see income from business license renewals. Funds earmarked for the Auburn Downtown Association were discussed later in the meeting. IV. OLD BUSINESS A. Disbursement of BIA Funds This topic was addressed in the ADA Update. B. Marketing and Branding Manager Lein reported that the Auburn Buy Local program was launched in the first week of July. It includes all 4,876 current business licenses in the city and is being • pushed out on nine digital platforms and in print mediums such as the Auburn Magazine,which goes out four times a year to 45,000 households, and the Auburn • Symphony.The analytics report through the end of August shows 3.8 million impressions on the digital ads.The bounce rate is only around 78%, and the average time on the site is about one minute. Currently, it is being pushed out to five zip codes, but during the holiday shopping season the target area will widen. C. Heritage Fire Update There was discussion about the fence around the site. Manager Lein reported that Chase Bank covered their parking signs and the City's permit parking signs have also been covered and all those parking spots are now open for 3-hour parking.The property is currently in due diligence. D. BIA Newsletter Secretary Ferry will provide the numbers to the Committee on how many people are viewing the newsletter. E. Update on Priority Projects Presented to City Council 1. Additional Security Lighting Officer Arndt reported that he and Manager Lein went out to locate where additional lighting may be needed. He provided a map that showed the areas they identified.There was discussion about the use of directional flood lights that would be attached to existing poles to prevent people from loitering. There was also discussion about whether the BIA would want to fund attractive fencing or plants around the Heritage Building and B Street Plaza • construction area to help beautify the area until construction is complete. 2. Hanging plants and planters around the BIA Manager Lein reported that Parks currently has 200 planters. They are working on their 2019 budget and will do a count of how many planters they will add next year. He will provide more information at the next meeting. 3. Lights in trees Officer Arndt told the Committee that he would talk to City staff and also to a contractor about the cost and the timeline for installation of the decorative lights crossing the street. Manager Lein will try to have a proposal at the next meeting.There was then discussion about installing speakers down the street and also speaking to a contractor about that. 4. Added police patrols Chairman DiQuattro reported that he was told by Police that they are looking to hire more police officers to increase their patrols. 5. Christmas decorations ADA Secretary, Brittiany Karison, reported that the ADA Board has been talking about putting wreaths up where the flower baskets are currently hanging. In addition to the new purchase of decorative lights, Manager Lein • • suggested using the City's star decorations, reporting that they are only a couple years old. 6. Banners The banners have been delivered and will be installed after the Veterans Day Parade in November. One hundred fifty banners were ordered, which will broaden the area where they will be displayed. F. Update on 2018 Facade Grant Program There was no update. V. NEW BUSINESS Manager Lein reported on what is happening with parking in the downtown area. The building permits for the Teutch lot across the street from the transit station is are projected to be available by the end of October.The lot will be shut down by the end of October or first of November, taking away 147 parking spaces. The lot to the south of Sunbreak Café going to Division Street has an environmental issue that needs to be cleaned up.That lot will be shut down within three weeks. The gravel lot on Main Street will probably stay open until the end of the year.There is one lot on C Street that will reopen and will accommodate 38 cars.Around 80 spaces around downtown have been identified that could take monthly permits. There was IP discussion about running a shuttle from Emerald Downs, which already has the infrastructure in place. VI. BIA PARKING SUB-COMMITTEE UPDATE No update was given. VII. AUBURN DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION UPDATE Brittiany Karlson, ADA Secretary, reported that the ADA's website development is nearly complete. The first newsletter went out the beginning of this month. The Halloween events are coming up: Main Street Trick-or-Treat, Zombie Pub Crawl, and the Pumpkin Painting Fest. Secretary Karlson and Tourism Coordinator Lorraine Chachere will be contacting all the businesses to confirm who will be participating in the events and have also been working on the advertising for the Halloween events, which should be complete in the next week or two. The Board has been looking for a space for the Santa House. They haven't been able to pitch for volunteers yet since they haven't confirmed a space. The ADA will be involved more with Parks in the Santa Parade this year, where they will incorporate pets and dance groups.There will be volunteer carolers on different IIIcorners downtown who will be synced up to sing the same music at the same time. • They are trying to get the businesses more involved in a window display contest, a tree decorating contest, and a holiday treasure hunt. Everything is ready to go on the ice skating rink. They found out that there would be no cover provided for the rink so they voted to buy a tent to cover the rink that could also be used for other events.The rink will be located on the plaza across the street from City Hall. They are also working on advertising and staffing for it. There are a couple more available spots for new ADA board members. VIII. TOURISM BOARD UPDATE Manager Lein reported that the Tourism Board authorized a $70,000 media buy for the 4th quarter, aiming at the shoulder season of January through April, looking at the concerns of heads in beds. In ten days, that ad campaign will begin, focusing on the I-5 corridor and will run ads from Vancouver, B.C. to northern California. It is designed around the campaign title "Choose Your Own Adventure." All of the photos and video ads will enhance why they should stay in Auburn and enhance the branding of the word Auburn.Two of the larger businesses in town have committed to take $50,000 of their own media budgets and place it through our ad buy agency so that it can be a cohesive buy throughout the year. • IX. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Committee, the meeting adjourned at 2:14 pm. APPROVED this 11th day of October, 2018. 44,6, Giovanni DiQuattro, Chair Holly Ferry, Committee�ecretar rY Y •