March 2010 Minutes

Hespeler Villiage BIA Board Minutes


Wednesday Mar 17/10



Board Present: Loris Manni, Ken Buller, Trevor McWilliams,

Deb van de Water, Greg Robbins, Lynn Craig

Board Absent: Rick Cowsill, Cliff Vanclief



Members Present: Tammy from Video 99, Bernie from Hespeler Village Winemaking, Tim Hilborn, Ken Boyle, Lary Turner, Sue from Monkey Around, Wendy
Guest: Wendy Hood Morris (Modern Urban Guide)

Meeting called to order at 6:30 pm, after the presentation.

1. Wendy Hood Morris presented on the Modern Urban Guide – a brochure that promotes independent businesses in downtown cores. Cambridge, K-W and Guelph will be in one guide. Brought examples of MUGs for Vancouver, Ottawa, Toronto. Has website and Facebook group also. 90% of businesses who sign up initially do so again. Estimates getting a minimum of 40 businesses for 1st year and growth of 50% per year after that. Guide will be available in tourist centres, chambers of commerce and libraries, hotels, and at businesses who advertise in guide. Looking at print date of end of May. Cost is $500 plus GST and can be paid in instalments. 30K copies will be distributed. Wendy is responsible for the artwork – send wording and artwork to her if interested.


2. Presentation by Winky – Winky was absent from the meeting.


3. Marketing Plan Update – Greg Robbins

• Committee wishes to ask Rick for final copy of Marketing Plan

• Lighting downtown – committee is concerned with lack of lighting on Queen St. Trevor suggests talking to Commissioner of Community Services

• Flagpoles – committee would like to see Hespeler (apparently Russell Bygrave made one) and Cambridge flags flown downtown. Says there are 4 flagpoles – at Library, Tannery and Adam, BMO and at KFC.

• September fall festival – report will be ready for May BIA meeting

• Goals of committee are to have 1 event per month throughout year

• Ken Boyle will have report ready for next meeting. Committee meets the second Tuesday of each month

• Suggest scavenger hunt during Forbes Festival to bring people downtown to search for clues

• Sue takes minutes and will forward them to Deb to put on the blog.


4. CARAC Update – Ken Buller

• Next meeting will be at Ernie’s Roadhouse on May 5th at 4 pm.

5. Review of Minutes – minutes from February 2010 meeting passed. Greg motioned to accept, Loris seconded. All in favour. Passed.


6. Marketing Plan Discussion – on MUG presentation: promote MUG on blog. Discussion about coming up with our own brochure to distribute.


7. Update from Chair - audit fees will be subsidized by City according to Rick Cowsill. Trevor suggested Loris speak with Steven Fairweather at the City to get more details on amount of subsidy.


• Loris received cheque from City for last year’s watering of baskets (approx. $3400).

• Levy writeoffs amount to only $250.00 this year.

• Hydro bill for Christmas lights was $147.21

• Christmas décor will all be stored @ the Sheffield St. location. Loris will call Al of Canlite to pick up Décor from Gifted dock.

• City has decided on only 1 company to plant and water baskets. This will be K&K.

• Everything is now ready to go to accountant. We will get final report by July.


8. New Business -

• Ken Boyle – is marketing strategy plan going to be guideline for marketing committee? Trevor suggests Board comes up with mandate for committee to follow: terms of reference and guidelines

• Rick wants full approval on everything this committee does as it is a subcommittee of the BIA

• Ken Boyle formed subcommittee prior to Board doing so, so not a subcommittee. Ken’s committee has 3 BIA Board members, 6 members in total.

• Loris suggests Ken continue to work on his committee, the Board needs to talk with Rick about Ken’s committee

• Ken Buller asked who is responsible for replacing the lights that are out on Christmas decorations? Al Falsetto of Canlight is supposed to do this. Three poles need repair and thus 3 wreaths did not go up. Trevor suggest sending digital photos of these to him, the City has a welder on staff who may be able to do repairs.

• Banners – when will spring/summer ones go up? Loris will get in touch with Andy to put up spring banners.

• Deb to email entire Board and Ken Boyle with update on Marketing Committee

Meeting adjourned at 7:21 pm.

9. Next meeting -

• Wednesday April 21st, 2010 at St. Andrew’s Church