March 2019 DDA Update

Quick Links: Kudos | Board Meeting | Marketing | Business Development | Building & Grounds | Fundraising


Kudos

Thank you to our St. Patrick’s Day event sponsors: Sportsman’s Restaurant, Ludington Bay Brewing Co., and Ludington Pub.

Thank you to our event volunteers: LHS Bowling Team for providing course support for our race, our race committee for the stellar job at race registration (Alisha, Angela, Erika and Heather), Mayor Steve Miller for assisting with parade line up, Detective JB Wells and Secret Service Agent Steve McMahon for the free counterfeit training presentation they held for our downtown businesses (with donuts!!).


DDA Board Meeting

Met March 4, 2019

The board heard a presentation from United Way called “Creating an Economic Sustainable Community For All”. The mission is to bridge the gaps between economic classes in our area. If you’d like more information, you can contact Lynne Russell.
View the slideshow here:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ssFnpbuiHrrENWBX16T47R5ukjXnFKQ9hR_dH5JirC0/edit?usp=sharing

The board heard an update from the Building & Grounds Committee regarding the street trees and the street planters. The committee was willing to forgo 4 of the 6 new bike racks they had planned for this year in order to put $1000 towards the purchase of large resin pots to be used as planters on the sidewalk. These planters would be filled with perennial grasses and bulbs that would bloom at different seasons. The pots would be removed in the winter by DPW to make plowing the sidewalks easier. DPW was involved in this discussion, as well as the Tree Advisory Committee. The committee also asked for $1400 out of fund balance to cover the remaining cost of 8 planters for 2019. The plan would be to purchase 8 per year until all blocks within the DDA had two pots per block. This request was approved.

The board also discussed the issue of short term rentals in the DDA. Here are links to the fact sheet and rental unit data.

Fact Sheet:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NgFFDnCqsZS9PTaH7igFUDRNLzIq78WO6laekJYHmwM/edit?usp=sharing

Current Analysis:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13bBfb8J-E_s1RehuPoswbsijAJkaRUEPSiKRUP7LrUw/edit?usp=sharing

View the full minutes here:
https://ludingtoncitymi.documents-on-demand.com/


Marketing

Meeting cancelled due to low attendance


Business Development

Meets: April (quarterly)


Building & Grounds

Met March 21st

  • Discussed pedestrian safety on Ludington Avenue including making N William one way north bound, re-striping crosswalks, looking into signage that alerts vehicle traffic of pedestrian crosswalks at intersections without lights, education
  • Report from Jen Tooman after she met with the Garden Club.
    They will help us with the planter arrangements and watering in the plaza. Requested access to a spigot. Jen will be contacting area businesses to see if the club can use their spigot. We will also ask DPW if adding a spigot on the restroom area near the water fountain could be done easily.
  • The order for bike racks will be placed this month after the placement area is measured. Looking at the north end of the grassy area in the plaza.
  • Moving forward with a canvas canopy for the plaza stage by getting quotes.
  • Discussed the alley paving on the south side of Ludington Avenue between Rath and James. Heather is going to get us on the schedule with the paving contractor.

Fundraising

New. Has not met.


Special Counterfeit Training

Held March 12th.

Detective JB Wells and Secret Service Agent Steve McMahon led a session on identifying counterfeit bills. This training was scheduled after several counterfeit bills have been used at several Ludington businesses. If you missed the meeting, you can find resources here:
https://www.uscurrency.gov/denominations