Print VersionStay Informed
Minutes of the Grand Forks City Council/Finance-Development
Standby Committee Wednesday, September 18, 2007 - 12:00 Noon___

The Finance/Development Standby Committee met on Wednesday, September 18, 2007 at 12:00 noon in Room 101 in City Hall with Chairman Christensen presiding. Present at roll call: Christensen, Glassheim, Brooks.

Also present were Meredith Richards, Peggy Kurtz.

1. 2008 Special Events and Beautification Grant Program.
Meredith Richards, Urban Development, stated in the packet are several schedules for Special Events and that city council gives direction to the respective review committees and will get this on the city council agenda for the next cycle and review committees and applicants will have an idea of what the priorities are. She noted that Beautification Program pushed back as they have leadership turnover at the Chamber and are hoping to have our construction person hired, Curt Siewert's replacement, in time to take part in the beautification process. That the Finance/Development Comm. members may want to make a recommendation to council for guidance to the future review committee on priorities for the program; and that at the last meeting they talked about Holiday Decorations and that is a possibility; Salvage Yards will also take every nickel of this for the next several years if want to put brick pillars on it, etc. and Gateway Drive has been a priority item. The Beautification Program has been difficult to get too creative with it because when they provide the funds, our policy stated this is for public improvement and difficult to meet those guidelines if going to exclude taxing entities like the Park District or the Schools because don't have very many public properties to choose from but have done projects like Eagle sculpture at the police department, a lot of the downtown pocket parks and improvements have come from the Beautification Program, Town Square, and have a wide variety of stuff and usually public beautification landscaping, public art enhancement type. The funds are from 5996 for Beautification and 2163 for Special Events - Beautification comes from the sales tax and frozen at $100,000 plus 3% every year.

Glassheim asked he likes the general competitive process but if want to set aside some percentage or set aside 1/3 each for Gateway, Holiday and for competitive smaller projects for beautification. Brooks stated that if start to spread it all over, hardly makes an impact, but if wanted to prioritize for a specific area of town - either Gateway or South Washington and concentrate it, get a little more of a visual impact of what was done, but if small amount spread in wide area, but if prioritize an area and then next year another area, easier to point out the results of what the money did. He stated the Gateway Drive people are willing to get some things done there but until we can show them we can do something with the salvage yards they say you are never going to do anything. Christensen asked how much we were going to spend on Christmas lights and new plan - Ms. Richards stated '06 Beautification money spent about $37,900 and when met last time, discussed where are we going, start with extra $7500 to get to the point where we wanted to be with the banners and lights, but again the focus was downtown, and did try to convene a task force or somebody to look at, and if talk about holiday decorations city-wide start creating a plan with South Forks/S. Wash. merchants and Gateway Dr. committee and strong silence when asked for volunteers to sit on this committee but as a group thinks they would be interested in seeing something on Gateway in the northend rather than banners and lights on arms, and discussion among this group about focus areas, take group of trees and light them rather than lighting each street light.

Christensen stated he would like to focus - and if light up from November through January, change the feel of the area - when been other places those lights are on for a long period of time, and move it out there to see what the rest of the people think about it. Meredith stated she would rather see direction from council to concentrate on holiday decorations rather than all of the money must go to holiday decorations because is competitive process and if get great application that has nothing to do with holiday decorations, would be a shame to throw it out, and if only get holiday decoration applications that take 2/3rds of the money then have direction to allocate money that exceeds our request. Committee would entertain proposals and use the money - get ideas and implement the next year or two. Brooks would like to encourage us - that because of the two downtowns and want to concentrate and do something downtown, then would get EGF's mayor involved because he already has lights ordered for the trees and City Hall and would like to carry that across and have on both sides and tie them together. Christensen stated there is $180,000 and in 2009 have another $110,000 and have $350,000 for 2 years, could get lot done is lighting up community. Glassheim stated it disturbs him to totally remove the Chamber out and not have any other projects, that if gave 1/3 to the Chambers to do smaller projects slow everything down by a third, and projects have impact wherever they are, but also buys the idea of concentrating on one area. Christensen stated on 32nd Ave.S. several business do projects (Happy Harry's, Farm Credit, etc.) but where people don't throw lights up and not a lot on S. Wash. or Gateway Dr. and if focused on those two areas for the next couple years (from Bridge to I-29) and really make area festive, and as move forward to do something with Columbia Road, 42nd and make main thoroughfare very nice in next 2 to 3 years and today that would be his plan. Ms. Richards stated that would be a lot of competitive process and would be totally city dollars to spend as sees fit city-wide but then don't need a Chamber beautification committee to review aps if its going to be public works and that she and Mark Aubol come up with a task force in development a plan. Christensen stated they could do that and bring people in from the Chamber, from Gateway, and could still include the public as to their ideas; and could turn this into mayor/council work session, make impact with this amount of money. Richards stated she agrees but there has been discussion for quite sometime about holiday decorations but talking about a different process than before when look at the list of projects which was flower bed there, and ceasing to be competitive process other than going to put more lights on S. Wash. or on Gateway, but who is going to be responsible for managing the project- Glassheim stated under discussion cut out aps., we just dot it, bring to council for approval, and figure out lighting and cost. Christensen stated he sees city council moving toward being proactive to encourage commerce in this community, because of sales tax and when people come to community to shop, November - January, those lights would add a lot - and when have this amount of money we can make an impact that couldn't do before.

Brooks stated we have 2 thoroughfares - S. Wash. and Gateway Dr., and there is a group on S. Wash. but when ask people about it, they haven't met for several years - have Gateway Dr. committee and didn't know the committee had folded - concerns him that have 2 major thoroughfares and businesses aren't active and working together, and that if took that money and split it between them and ask them to get groups together and force them to get together and get active because trying to clean up Gateway Dr. where salvage yards are - Glassheim stated that if give smaller groups money, then they meet and if gave Gateway Dr. Assn. $60,000 to be set aside for lighting but they come with a plan, comment on it but theirs to design. Christensen stated what he is hearing is putting lights on street lights, and same with So. Forks and people in mall care less - and if can't get any interest in Gateway, do Columbia Road, basic streets are Columbia and S. Wash., busy streets, can understand inclusion theory but doesn't accomplish getting it done, - Brooks stated there is a lot that gets done downtown because of group that is there that the City put together and that we have an investment downtown, and that if Gateway Dr. comm.. folded and S. Wash. also folded, we need those businesses to work together and works as a group so get revitalized but need to get people participating there.

Glassheim moved that we set aside two-thirds of the amount available for Beautification Program for a lighting project to be operated by the City, that we concentrate on South Washington and Gateway and that one-third be a competitive process with the Chamber Beautification Committee. Brooks seconded the motion. Motion carried.

Christensen stated they have $37,900 from last motion for downtown and tree at the overpass, and now have another $120,000 to focus on S. Washington and Gateway holiday lighting; and asked if they could get a plan as to what is being started and cost of finishing it out, then will have some direction for long term plan. Glassheim stated that perhaps they should hold the recommendation until know amount, pass it at committee but not send it to Committee of the Whole immediately until get some figures as to what it might cost. Richards stated that this year set aside 2/3rds for a long term and with codicil that in '08 when do this looking at '09 money, will do something similar, and that our 2/3rds of the amount this year includes creation of a plan and maybe hire - Christensen stated that if it came out that they needed $250,000 and only have $120,000 and have $350,000, could implement the plan and talk to city auditor about some of his reserves and pay it back with 2009 money, and wouldn't have to wait but would have the money.
Richards stated doesn't want to hold everything until they come up with a rough estimate because that is half of the planning process if going to be very useful, and thinks the way it was set up will probably have herself, Mark Aubol and Brad Hildebrand as the core group, and doesn't think that they need to do more than the motion, spend 2/3rds of the money on holiday lighting to develop a long term city-wide plan for the major corridors with the initial focus on South Washington and Gateway. Glassheim stated that when he suggested holding off, was thinking about 2 weeks for them to get some prices on lighting and make a rough estimate of what could be done for $120,000; and that if going to make it look nice it will take $400,000, should know that now, doesn't mean an intricate plan but do have some prices but if do trees, what is the cost per tree, mainly thinking of trees (want to wrap trees with color or white lights, outlined), and what cost to do realistically . Richards stated $120,000 and will have something worth doing and come back to committee.

Christensen stated that if going to give it some pizzazz have to understand - this money is going to last for 5 to 7 years, once starts citizens won't want it to go away.

Christensen asked what they want to do with Special Events, same program. Glassheim moved that we retain the same program in events, make it competitive, and do within the general guidelines, and will review when presented to them, with same committee structure for Special Events (incl. promotional people from Ralph, Alerus and CVB), and send forward to committee of the whole and to city council; seconded by Brooks. Motion carried.

The meeting adjourned.

Alice Fontaine
City Clerk