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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-05-06Historic Downtown Bowmanville Business Centre (BIA) Board of Management Meeting Minutes Tuesday May 6, 2025; 6:30pm Virtual Meeting 1. Attendance In Attendance: Ron Hooper, Chair Laura Holmes, Secretary Gerri Lucas, Treasurer Cathy Holmes, Director Edgar Lucas, Director Laura Knox, MOC Ec Dev representative Amber Ross, owner Pink Lemon Natalie Dookheran, owner Roam Coffee Sarah Gerdy, owner Markets Regrets: Erin Kemp, Director Lloyd Rang, Council Representative Bonnie Wrightman, CBOT Representative Delegations Absent: Marc Oosterholt, VP Sales and Marketing for Creative Outdoor Advertising 2. Call to Order The Chair called the meeting to order. 3. Land Acknowledgement The Chair read the land acknowledgement statement. 4. Presentation by Delegations The Chair recognized that Marc Oosterholt did not attend as scheduled. The Secretary will send a subsequent invitation for Mr. Oosterholt to attend the next meeting. 5. Updates from Community Partners (a) Economic Development L. Knox thanked the organizing committee of Maplefest. Has heard only positive remarks about the event. One seasonal patio application received and installed at Brewer's Pantry prior to Maplefest. One other business has indicated interest but no application submitted. Central Counties Tourism funding next intake is mid -June. There is a co -paid marketing program that may be of interest. OBIAA has a new President and Invest Clarington will reach out with an introduction. CBOT fire relief business fund has been distributed. Displaced businesses are still looking for new space. 6. Adoption of Minutes Moved by L. Holmes, seconded by G. Lucas Historic Downtown Bowmanville 2 MAY 2025 Business Centre (BIA) THAT the minutes of the meeting of April 8, 2025 be approved as circulated. CARRIED 7. Business Arising from Previous Minutes (a) Tree at BMO The Chair has been in contact with the arborist and they will come to look at the tree. Will follow up to see if the inspection is completed. E. Lucas has been in contact with the landscape manager from BMO head office. Preliminary discussions involved planting a new tree facing King Street and removing the large bush. Will source options and pricing. Plan to meet in very near future. (b) Recycling Regulations No update. The Chair will ask Councillor Rang to provide a report. 8. Consent Items - Correspondence Correspondence was received from i. Planning Department providing notice that Seasonal Patio Program applications were available ii. Planning Department regarding Notice of Public Meeting re: Soper Springs Secondary Plan iii. Regarding GG-085-25 re: Garbage receptacles in Municipality of Clarington Moved by E. Lucas, seconded by C. Holmes THAT the correspondence be received for information. THAT item 8.i. was distributed to members. CARRIED 9. Consent Items — Discussion Moved by L. Holmes, seconded by E. Lucas THAT item 8.iii. be pulled for discussion CARRIED Re: 8.iii. GG-085-25 re: Garbage receptacles in Municipality of Clarington Letter states that Council directed Deputy CAO to contract up to a 10 year lease for receptacles throughout Municipality of Clarington. Several questions raised about the decision and the details of the contract. Many questions may be able to be answered by the representative of the advertising company receiving the contract or by Councillor Rang at the next meeting. 10. Treasurer's Report Historic Downtown Bowmanville Business Centre (BIA) The Treasurer presented the following: i. Festival invoices are expected soon ii. $272 136 in current account Moved by G. Lucas, seconded by C. Holmes THAT the Treasurer's Report be adopted as presented. CARRIED 11. Directors' Reports (a) Council Liaison — No report. (b) Events — MAY 2025 C. Holmes reported that following the incident at the festival in Vancouver two weekends ago for Maplefest to be able to proceed additional safety and security measures needed to be implemented. Double layer barriers were installed, including addition of large vehicle blockers and more soil bags. There were a series of meetings in the days leading up to Maplefest that the BIA was not invited to participate in. Vendors were notified ahead of the event that due to additional safety measures more vendors would need to be placed in non-traditional areas including side streets since there was a loss of nearly half a block at the east end and half a block at the west end where vendor booths needed to be moved at the request of the Municipality. Overall, Maplefest was well attended despite the weather and there were no major issues. The next upcoming event is Twilight Tuesday in July, followed by Sidewalk Sale in August. The Chair expressed concern and displeasure that representatives from the BIA were not included in the meetings about the safety and security of the event since the BIA is the organizer of the event. (c) Membership Relations— G. Lucas reported that Rose & Jewel is moving down the street into Grounded. (d) Streetscape — E. Lucas reported that the summer hanging baskets will be ready for install sometime in June. Visited a loca welder about the proposed new brackets. Will meet sometime in June with flower vendor about a standard size basket. Winter baskets only 40 of 59 survived. Flower planting at bus shelter will be done by volunteers. Will find out if discount for flower planters will be offered to businesses again this year. (e) Communications— L. Holmes reported that notice about construction at intersections downtown was distributed to members. The Chair reported that he phoned the project manager and asked that all efforts be made to keep traffic flow open especially after downtown was affected by the fire. The project manager will be in contact directly with impacted businesses. (f) Website & Social Media — Historic Downtown Bowmanville 4 Business Centre (BIA) MAY 2025 L. Holmes reported that most recent promotions focused on Maplefest. Today marked the two -month anniversary of the downtown fire. Plan to celebrate the fundraising efforts of our downtown businesses. Post with the Shop Main Street Canada logo will be created. 12. New Business (a) Marketing flyer proposal The Chair was approached by the owner of the advertising company that produces the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce mailout. It is a folded flyer with individual advertisements that comes by direct mail to households in the area. The Chair does not have a formal proposal yet but would like to know whether to invite the owner to submit one. Consensus was that this advertising opportunity would be better suited to be presented to CBOT where it would be available to all Clarington business. This would allow for a larger pool to draw from. Concerns raised that there may not be enough interest in print advertising from downtown Bowmanville exclusively. The Chair will reach out to the owner. (b) Security Cameras downtown The Chair reported that a motion was brought forward at Clarington Committee yesterday. Clarington has been in contact with DRPS about cameras downtown. The Secretary reported that DRPS contacted the BIA by email yesterday to set up a meeting on this issue. The date of the June meeting was provided but no response received yet. Anticipate that they will attend as a delegation. 13. Date of Next Meeting The next meeting of the Board of Management is scheduled to be held on Tuesday June 10, 2025 commencing at 6:30pm, virtually. 14. Adiournment Moved by L. Holmes, seconded by E. Lucas THAT the meeting adjourn. CARRIED The meeting adjourned at 7:46pm.