BIA MEETING MINUTES June 19, 2025 at 8:59 am EDT
Meeting records derived from Google Meet Transcript 
 
Location: CAP Boardroom (555 Concession Street)
Attendees In person: Eva M (chair), Doris CONCESSION BIA ED, Alana Price (Urban Zoo), Jim F (CAP), Tosin I (Treasurer)
 
Attendees Online: Stephanie M (Lavandula Spa), Subbu S, Jinay S (connection problems, intermittently cutting out)
Regrets: Terry R, Brenda E
 
BOARD BUSINESS:

• Motion to activate Consent Agenda **
• Review & Approval of August Agenda (attached)
• Review & Approval of May 2025 Minutes (attached) **
• Seeking Board Member Secretary **

Motion to activate: Jim F; 2nd Subbu S
 
Seeking Motion to appoint: Alanna Price (Urban Zoo) as Vice Chair
Motion: Eva M; 2nd Tosin O; all agreed
 
 
Summary
Doris CONCESSION BIA ED called the meeting to order, and participants reviewed the financial report presented by Tosin O which indicated a positive financial trend. The board recognized the BIA's recognition at the “State of the City conference” and discussed beautification efforts, Street Fest finalization with feedback from Stephanie, and social media engagement. The participants also discussed new business regarding bench signs and received updates on businesses along Concession Street before adjourning.
 
Details

• Meeting Called to Order and Agenda Doris CONCESSION BIA ED officially called the meeting to order at 9:04 a.m. The June agenda and May minutes were to be reviewed, with a motion to activate the consent agenda including these items
• Appointment of Vice Chair and Secretary Position Eva M CONCESSION BIA Chair made a motion to appoint Alana Price as vice chair, which passed unanimously (00:02:45). The board is still seeking a secretary (00:00:59).
• Financial Report Overview Tosin O presented the financial report, highlighting its importance for monitoring the BIA's progress in beautification and event planning (00:03:39). The report indicated that the BIA is trending in the right financial direction (00:06:23).
• Tosin O reported: Recognition at State of the City Conference reported that the BIA's efforts were highly recognized at the State of the City conference, particularly regarding economic growth and beautification (00:07:50). The city's strong financial standing with a AAA credit rating was also mentioned (00:09:06).
• Tourism and Confidence in Financial Direction Doris CONCESSION BIA ED noted positive mentions of the BIA's street festivals in relation to tourism. As treasurer, Tosin expressed confidence in the current financial direction, acknowledging the seasonal nature of some expenditures (00:10:24).
• Acceptance of Treasurer's Report and Safety Audit Eva M made a motion to accept the financial report, this was seconded by Jim F
• SAFETY REPORT:  Jim reported on the daylight safety audit conducted with Jim F, Eva M and John Alexander (JT Pets), noting that most issues were related to public amenities like graffiti.  Safety Audit was conducted on May 26, 2025
• Beautification Efforts and Future Planning Doris CONCESSION BIA ED provided an update on beautification, including the replacement of dead cedars and the topping up of planters (00:16:15). She emphasized the need to plan beautification initiatives for next year with the city well in advance due to their procurement schedule (00:18:10).
• Street Fest Finalization and Improvements Doris CONCESSION BIA ED is finalizing details for Street Fest, which was budget-wise healthy with minimal incidents (00:19:11). Ideas for improvement, such as uniform tent colors and increased marketing visibility, were discussed (00:25:04).
• Feedback on Street Fest and Food Options Stephanie shared feedback on Street Fest, mentioning visibility challenges for her business and suggesting more food options directly on the street to enhance the festival atmosphere (00:29:56). Doris CONCESSION BIA ED acknowledged the challenges of encouraging existing restaurants to move outdoors (00:31:51).
• Encouraging Business Participation in Street Fest Strategies to encourage more food vendors and restaurants to participate actively in future Street Fests were discussed, including highlighting the success of those who did (00:33:28).
• Social Media Engagement and Upcoming Events Doris CONCESSION BIA ED reported high social media engagement for Street Fest in June and an increase in followers across platforms (00:36:55). Upcoming events include Sidewalk Sounds and potentially a fall festival (00:38:00).
• Acceptance of ED Report and New Business: Eva M made a motion and seconded by Alanna P to accept Doris CONCESSION BIA ED's report (00:39:00). New business included a proposal for bench advertising along Concession Street, which could be explored further by a marketing committee (00:40:43).
• Business Updates on Concession Street Doris CONCESSION BIA ED provided updates on various businesses, including new openings like Rosesburgers and Crisp Canabis, the temporary closure of Thai Delish, and the anticipated opening of Joe Dogs (00:43:32). Challenges related to food permits for new establishments were noted (00:45:41).
• Stagnant Businesses and Meeting Adjournment The status of Bloom Coffee was briefly discussed, noting some recent activity but ongoing kitchen upgrades (00:46:46). The meeting was adjourned at 9:52 a.m. with a motion and a second, with the next meeting anticipated in August .

Suggested next steps
 
Doris CONCESSION BIA ED will explore placing vinyl or metal frame signs along the street to advertise upcoming events.
 
The group will provide feedback on planter initiatives for next year to Doris CONCESSION BIA ED ASAP.
 
Eva - Chairperson Concession BIA and Doris CONCESSION BIA ED will set up a meeting to explore the bench advertising opportunity.
 
Adjourn at 9:52 am
Motion to Adjourn: Eva M; 2nd Jim F