The NDDC Board of Directors has decided to post summaries of their monthly meetings on the NDDC website.

Some stakeholders have expressed interest in the proceedings.

Thanks to Keith Covey (pictured here handing out “goodie bags” on Parents’ Weekend), Board Secretary, for this initial effort.

NORTHFIELD DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
SUMMARY OF ITEMS OF PUBLIC INTEREST

February 22, 2007

In it’s February meeting, the NDDC board focused on the joint NDDC-Chamber of Commerce retail strategies project, proposed Downtown Management District and NDDC Advocacy.

Ross Currier, executive director, reported that the Chamber of Commerce and NDDC have signed an agreement with the City to develop jointly a retail strategies program for the entire community. Each organization has appointed three members to a study committee and an initial meeting will be held in early March. The project is scheduled to be completed by mid-summer. Topics for consideration include how to integrate promotion of the downtown and Highway 3 retail districts, recruiting new businesses to fill local retail and service “gaps”, developing a wider array of business promotion activities and coordinating tourism and retail promotion efforts.

The board also discussed the NDDC’s efforts on establishing a Downtown District offering enhanced services.

It was reported that over 30 downtown property owners attended February meetings to explore creating a Downtown Management District which would use modest assessments on all commercial property in the district for to provide enhanced common services for the entire district. Those services may include sidewalk snow removal, warm season sidewalk cleaning and trash pickup, summer season downtown greeters and safety monitors and district promotion and advertising. These services are typical in shopping malls and are provided in this way in many downtowns. A committee is gathering feedback from property owners and will continue developing the concept.

The NDDC’s leadership followed up on the organization’s important role as advocate for Downtown’s interests.

The Board approved advocacy positions on the proposed relocation of the Municipal Liquor Store and expansion of the Public Library. The NDDC supports the City’s intention to keep the Liquor Store in the Downtown District. It also urges the City to keep the Library Downtown and to adopt the Library Board�s proposal to conduct a design study to determine the feasibility of expanding the Library on its current site.

President Dan Bergeson announced that Lynda Grady and Amy Gage have resigned from the Board for personal reasons. The Executive Committee, composed of Bergeson, vice president Joe Grundhoefer, treasurer David Shumway and secretary Keith Covey, working as a nominating committee, is recruiting new members to fill these vacancies.