Board Meeting (2024-03-21 9:05 GMT - 4)
Present:
BOARD MEMBERS + ED: Eva Martens – Chair; Executive Director; Jim Foreman; Penny Pincher Costumes Inc. Entertainer Central; Stephanie Muir; Tosin Ikotun (Treasurer)
GUESTS: Sharla Armstrong; Sarah Farr; Todd Lepitre; + 10 undeclared/anonymous attendees
NOTES: minutes derived & edited from the meeting recording transcript
A: Welcome & Introductory remarks: Eva Martens, chair
All Welcome everybody. I'm going to share the agenda screen, Quorum present, meeting called to order at 9:03 a.m.
B: Review & Approval of March agenda with annotated addendum: Eva Martens, chair
MOTION TO ACCEPT AGENDA with ADDENDUM: Eva Martens;  Seconded: Jim Foreman; PASSED
C: Review & Approval of February minutes: Eva Martens, chair
MOTION TO ACCEPT FEBRUARY MINUTES: Eva Martens; Seconded: Jim Foreman; PASSED
 
D: Board Business:
 

1. GOVERNANCE

• Requesting a possible date/day change on the Board Meetings

     MOTION TO MOVE TO QUARTERLY MEETINGS: EVA MARTENS
    
 

1. BEAUTIFICATION/SAFETY COMMITTEE

 

• OLD BUSINESS:

 

• BUTT Blitz – April 26 (Beautification)
  • ED REPORT: due to City Hall cyberattack, BEAUTIFUL ALLEYS will step in and do a clean up April 20th
  • BIA stores are encouraged to participate

Coffee cans for butts, clean up litter in front of stores
ACTION: ED to notify membership of storefront clean up to speed things up in terms of garbage/butt collection

• Safety Audit (Safety/Beautification)
  • Need volunteers to do a night time safety audit
• Temporary Patio Program
  • On hold – City Hall Cyber attack
  • Townhall was looking into applying
• Planters – quote from City initiated
  • Jim Foreman: reported a burned garbage receptacle; city has picked up and replaced
• Gift Cards (Marketing)
  • EVA MARTENS REPORT: further studies needed in tandem with Board Treasurer Tosin O.  Financial implications vs needs and benefits to the BIA membership

 

• NEW BUSINESS:
  • Art Installation on West Wall of the Library has fallen & subsequently damaged, a replacement/repair necessary

ACTION: ED to follow up with original installer to repair and re-install

• Inventory of viable Planters are underway/repairs are being identified
  • EVA MARTENS REPORT: inventory was done in the fall, if we want new planters to replace the damaged planters, they will be a different style

1. MARKETING

• OLD BUSINESS:
• Mohawk College Co-op placement – starts: April 8
  • ED REPORT: these are tourism students looking to gain experience in special events
  • EVA MARTENS REPORT: not sure if the membership took advantage of the 2-week co-op students but the offer was sent to the membership

 

• NEW BUSINESS:

 

• BRANDING REPORT – Eva Martens
  • Landmarks/Infrastructure measurements – in play
  • Basic re-branding questionnaires – submitted

 

• TAKE IT TO THE VIEW (Marketing) – Doris/Eva
  • EVA MARTENS REPORT: further discussion with the restaurateur’s membership whether this is a good investment

 

• April 8th TOTAL ECLIPSE PARTY – 2pm – 5pm

 

• ED REPORT:
• BIA & Library providing Eclipse Viewers, Refreshments, music, staying within the footpath starting at the Wentworth Stairs

 

1. EVENTS COMMITTEE
   • OLD BUSINESS:
   • Family Day Townhall- Feb 19th at 3pm – success
     • EVA MARTENS: looking to make it a regular occurrence good attendance, positive input, volunteers signed up
     
     
     

 

• Coldest Night of the Week – February 24th
  • EVA MARTENS: Diane from Made You Look Optical joined in the walk; N2N has reached their target fundraising goals

 

• NOSH contest winners – announced, awarded
• Month-long coloring contest – ongoing
  • ED REPORT: good participation, enthusiasm is present
• March Break Rock n Roll – success
  • ED REPORT: a low cost, highly participatory project

 

• NEW BUSINESS:
• FARMERS MARKET REPORT – Doris
  • Exploring grants available, researching Insurance
  • ED REPORT: research in location, possible vendors and insurability is ongoing.  The Insurance cost will be prohibitive regardless of setting up on Private property or City Property

• EARTH DAY – ED REPORT
• April 20: Spring Clean-up: Beautiful Alleys
  • April 22: Earth Day, plant a seed kits give-away
  •  SIDEWALK SOUNDS: - Doris

                              ED REPORT: switching back to Friday nights

• Music/entertainment: 6pm – 9pm
• Vendors on sidewalk – free of charge
• First sidewalk sounds: Friday, May 17th ; entertainment in two locations, looking to have a soft landing on the date change, perhaps rotating locations for the remaining dates
• NO OBJECTIONS - passed

 
 

1. FINANCE/SECURITY

• OLD BUSINESS

• TREASURERS REPORT - presented
• 2023 Balance Sheet Review (Joel Newman)
• TREASURERS REPORT – input from Joel Newman

 

• NEW BUSINESS
  • ED REPORT: Joel Newman requested an in-person get together with the new treasurer – working out the scheduling
  • RBC EXPRESS (Finance) – Eva Martens/Tosin
    • Moving ahead; scheduled for Friday Mar 22nd

 

• The Generator social media will be renewed in May & June (month of April will be managed by Mohawk College Interns)
  • BRENDA E: motion to renew in May & June
  • STEPHANIE MUIR: second

 
MOTION TO AMEND AGENDA
EVA MARTENS: Motion
JIM FOREMAN: seconded, passed
 
 

• ADDENDUM – Cybersecurity Workshop for BIA members/small business owners.  Concession Library – towards the end of April
  • ED REPORT: confirmed with the Concession Library on April 23 at 2pm – Programming Room; BIA membership have been notified if they wish to sign up

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