2018 March DDP Board Minutes

DOWNTOWN DOVER PARTNERSHIP BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES March 28, 2018 in City Council Conference Room ATTENDANCE: Councilman David Anderson, Mayor Robin Christiansen, Robert Clark, Anita Evans, Lucy Findlay, Mike Harrington, Dave Hugg, Maxine Lewis, Councilman Fred Neil, Councilman or Council President Tim Slavin, Todd Stonesifer, Erin Thwaites, John Van Gorp, Wendie Vestfall STAFF: Maureen Feeney-Roser, Brynn Voshell OTHER ATTENDEES: Kirby Hudson, Thomas Smith, Jonathan Street, Bill Winters Agenda was approved: 1st Lucy Findlay 2nd Mike Harrington All approved/No Opposition, motion carried December Minutes were presented via previous email and hard copy at the meeting. Approve by: 1st- Mike Harrington 2nd- Lucy Findlay All approved/No Opposition, motion carried DDP Financial Report and Main Street Dover Maureen gave the financial report as Tina was away at the Main Street Conference. She informed the board that if they had any questions to please let her know and she will find the answers for you. Rent for February was paid at the end of January, so it did not show in the February statement. John Van Gorp asked if we are close to finalizing the budget. Anita stated that the budget will be a little more structured as the committees now have their work plans in place Motion to approval Financials as presented: 1st Mike Harrington 2nd Mitch May All Approved/No Opposition, Motion carried President Report Bill Winters was running late so the agenda is going to be out of order. Anita spoke about the retreat from last month and thanked everyone that attended. The consultant is breaking down all of the information obtained during that session. The next Strategic Plan meeting is scheduled for May 11, 2018 at 8:30 a.m. in the CenDel Building Conference room. Anita invited anyone that was interested in attending to please do so as everyone’s input is appreciated. If you plan to attend please let Maureen, Tina or Brynn know. We did a lot of bylaw work ahead of time with Diane, Greg, and Anita but it was put on hold to go through the Strategic Plan and we will work on that at the next meeting. The North Street lot now has a draft easement in place to remove ourselves from the lot. A conference all on Monday with Phil McGinnis, Bob Munion from Colonial, and Steve from DSHA to discuss how they will go forward after we are removed from that agreement. We have put in a request for the same budget as last year from the City of Dover. Councilman Anderson asked about the North Street Lot, asking about shuffling some of the spots and wanted clarification. Anita informed him that legally we have no choice as it is in the 5-year agreement. However, when that expires we will reconsider the parking situation. Lucy asked about the Loockerman Way spots. Bill Winters Mitten and Winters prepared the 990-tax form for the non-profit organization. Tina emailed a copy of the draft to all board members and copies were on hand for the board to view. It was reported to the IRS that the DDP had about $4,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017, expenses of $335,000 and revenue in excess of expenses that report for a nonprofit $50,000. The organization at the end of the fiscal year had 700,000 in cash, and had property (not

necessarily fair market value) with a value close to 7 million. Property that extends from State and Loockerman down past the Duncan Center. Also account with PNC of 2.4 million. Bill stated that one thing you have to be aware of as a board member is that you have a responsibility to look at these as a lot of detail goes in to these reports , they ask quite a bit of questions about the board members and if there are any conflicts of interests and if there are conflicts you have to disclose them if there are certain transactions over a certain amount. Example would be the North Street lot a few years back. People are under the impression that the DDP is a charitable nonprofit. It is not, it is a 501c6 which is a civic organization that is organized to promote the downtown area residential and commercial, through promotions assistance with some of the façade work that the organization does. However, the organization does have a 501c4 that they are not using as much as they can. That is the Main Street Organization, people can make a charitable donation and use that as a tax deduction. Question is how you get people to participate but we have been working on it. It is an avenue that this group is not taking advantage of it as much as they possibly could. Bill offered to come back at a later date to go into further discussions about that. He stated that the balance sheet looks very healthy. A lot of wonderful things are being done downtown. We don’t see a lot of detail from the city until about 4 or 5 months after the close of the fiscal year. Bill stated that he basically only handles the 990 portion as the City does all of the financial accounting portion. Only having 1 or 2 people in the office, is difficult for the agency to handle the accounting portion. Bill asked to step away from the financials to comment on another topic. He discussed parking. It seems that we don’t hear a lot of issues with parking when we have huge events. However, he would like to see if something could be done about the liquor store on Bradford as he believes that getting that area cleaned up would be a huge asset to the city. Mike Harrington agreed and stated that he had a potential client looking at leasing that office space above Driftwood and after their visit and encounter with the people out front, they decided that the space was not the best investment for them. Thomas Smith added that people have been complaining about this for years, but we should also see about getting a task force to address the issue of the loitering outside of that building. Executive Director Report Maureen gave her first report. She spoke about committee co-chair recommendations so that each committee have a vice chair to be able to attend in the absence of the chair as well as help with the work plans. So far 3 committees have made recommendations, Parking and Safety and Economic Vitality are still working on getting their nominations together. The following committees recommendations are: Design-Tricia Arndt M&P-Katrina Sullivan, Delaware State News Merchant-Theresa Owens, BLUvintage Board was asked if they had any objections and if a motion could be passed on the nominations. Motion to Approve 1st Mike Harrington 2nd Lucy Findlay All Approved/No Opposed Unlock The Block is an economic development initiative in partner with NCALL, Restoring Central Dover, The City, Kent County Chamber, State Division Small Business and Tourism, Downtown Delaware and First State Community Loan Funds. It is designed to reduce vacancies in downtown Dover by assisting small business owners in securing long term leases so that we can have more brick and mortar stores downtown and to engage and support those entrepreneurs not only to fill those spaces but to give them the technical assistance that they may need to be successful in that area. A press conference is scheduled for Monday to kick off the program and to get the information out to the public about this initiative and we currently have 6 property owners that are interested in participating in the program to get those spaces filled. Potential business owners will be given an opportunity to pitch their plans to a group of partners to determine who can fill those spaces and then to provide them the assistance to move ahead. It is a wonderful opportunity for downtown. We thank the state for selecting Dover as the pilot for this program. We are very excited about it and you will hear more about it in the upcoming weeks. The Governor plans to attend the press conference. . There is a rack card in your packet which was developed in collaboration with the Kent County Tourism and were unveiled at our March Tourism Talks meeting, and they will be placed on the Delaware’s Quaint Villages Mobile Villager.

We will also have an opportunity to be a paid sponsor and have our video playing on the screen of the Villager when it attends events as well as have the calendar of events on sandwich boards posted outside the villager. As far as Main Street accreditation, we have been making steady progress towards meeting the extensive reporting requirements for our continued participation in the State and National Main Street Programs as well as completing the letter of agreement with the state and the annual self-assessment which are also required for accreditation. We are now up to date on all the Main Street requirements and have been discussing how to keep track of all the information needed to maintain our Main Street accreditation in the future. Anita asked if anyone knows which cities in Delaware are National Main Street Accredited. There are 7 in the whole state. Delaware City, Dover, Middletown, Milford, Newark, Rehoboth and Wilmington. Being accredited gives you a lot of access to training and resources. Maureen updated about the St. Patrick’s Day parade. We had great representation from City Council, businesses reported being busy, 62 organizations participated in the parade, largest viewing crowd in years, and the West end was filled with viewers which has not happened in years. The parade also highlighted our new partnership with DART and Secretary Cohan from Del-DOT was our Grand Marshal. Brynn and Tina along with the support of the Parade Committee spent many hours getting things ready for this successful event. Mayor’s Update Mayor had to leave and was not able to give report. Legislative Update No Legislators available for this meeting. Planning Department Dave reminded the board that round 2 of State’s Downtown Development District funding for large projects has just opened/reopened. We reached out to the folks that were originally involved in the 2 large projects in Dover to remind them incase these projects have any life left or new ideas. If there is anyone that is thinking of a large project, it is a very competitive process. Small projects can be submitted throughout the year. Staff is available to help with the process. Planning side is actively kicking off the comprehensive plan update, a lot of background work underway, we have taken into consideration that the 2008 comp plan for Dover is a well written and still very relevant document, starting to rewrite it, update it and use as a scorecard as to how well we have done in each of these areas with meeting each of the adjectives. We want to approach the community involvement process a little differently to discuss what is going on in the greater community that can affect city the size of Dover. We also want to try to organize some subject matter experts to talk about what is happening in the economy and what is the driving force behind it. Tina and Dave have been working on the review process. There are a number of ordinance changes in the mill taking a bit longer to get there as they have been very busy with many projects. The air cargo terminal has gathered a lot of steam again and moving towards another agreement with the base forward and we are looking at proposing an amendment to council to create an IPM3 Zone around that handful of properties that are Aeronautically related maintenance. Kirby asked if anyone has looked into helicopter repair as a possibility for this location. Councilman Anderson asked about an evening happening in April with opening streets. Will Grimes stated that April 21st will be the 2nd Annual Harvest Festival and they will be collaborating with “Open Streets”. The event will close off the area around Wesley College. There will be a lot of health booths there, Wesley has a 5k that day. The event will be from noon to 3pm. Parking & Safety – Jonathan stated they that are putting together some wording for the metered parking and new signage for those spots. Still moving forward with the work plan. He was not able to attend the NBBF grant meeting, so he does not have an update on that. He spoke about looking into angled parking. After research he said that angled parking on Loockerman is just not able to be done unless you eliminate the sidewalks. As for Bradford Street, you would have to make it a one-way street and it would only add 1 additional parking space than what we currently have available. Other than building a structure there doesn’t seem to be much that can be done as far as adding spaces. There is only 1 parking agreement and that is with EZ Pass. All others must purchase permits for the lots or use metered or 2-hour parking. It is in agreement with many that a parking structure is what is needed, and it is being looked into extensively to come up with a plan and budget, but it is a few years out before a structure can be completed. The perception of parking in Downtown needs to be focused on. When we have big events such as 4th of July, there are

many more people parking Downtown but people do not seem to complain as much, probably because they feel safer with more people and are more willing to park in the lots that seem unsafe without the larger crowds. Councilman Neil spoke about the parking structure also about improving the signage for parking downtown. We should partner with tourism to discuss where signage should be placed. Erin agrees with everything that was said but questioned why the permit spots are all in prime locations which makes it harder for customers to park closer to their destinations. Customers having more prime parking spots and moving the permit spots would help bring more business to downtown. We need to look at changing the implemented parking situation for 2019. Organization- Anita informed everyone that she and Maureen are working together as this is major committee that needs to be filled. Fundraising, looking into our loan funds, etc. Anita asked the board to reach out anyone that would be interested in being a part of this committee. It is our goal to get this committee up and running. Economic Vitality – Mitch said they are working to finalize their workplan and should be finished up at the April meeting. Design Committee – Kristin spoke about the mural and informed everyone that Josh Nobling from Wesley is working on designs right now and with Delaware Tire to get that design in place. They should have finalization by August. Mike Harrington offered the wall behind the CenDel Building as it would be a beautiful addition to the city. Kirby asked what kind of design the mural will be. Kristin said that it would tie in with nature and the surrounding area then as they expand, each mural would be a unique design which would have to be approved before they are finalized. Marketing & Promotion - Tonda was not available. Maureen spoke on behalf of the committee. Their highest priority is to come up with a tourist map and guide to highlight the businesses in the district, places of interest and parking. We have been working hard on that gathering data and our hope is to have this ready in time for Dover Days. At this time, it will only include business that we believe that tourists need to know about. A second version will be done at a later date that will include all of the businesses. We are working on the design of it and will be working with the merchant committee as well to get their input. In addition, the committee is working on a partnership with DART and will be advertising on the buses that have routes connecting downtown. Merchants – Thomas spoke about the last merchant meeting on March 14 and discussions with the Mayor and the merchants about safety downtown and increasing the number of cadets. Increasing their presence and financing programs to help increase Dover PD Cadets will be discussed at future meetings. The group is also working on promoting downtown businesses during Dover Days. They are continuing to focus on the workplans and stated that they are working on new workplans. He thanked the DDP for a great turnout for the St. Patrick’s Day parade and was a success for many businesses. City Wide – Anita mentioned the new Kirkland’s store just opened. Dave stated that there are many projects in the works for new businesses in Dover (not downtown). Home Goods will be taking over the new HH Gregg, Target will be doing a renovation, old Barry Van Line site will be a restaurant and some new shops. New business to go near Del-State, initial construction to start at Capital Station. A lot of variable things going on in Dover and some new key retail projects. Wesley College – Dr. Clark spoke about the 21st and stated that they believe that it will be very beneficial to the college and that it also falls on Student Day. One of the issues they see when bringing new students in, is that depending on what side of the college they enter on, determines whether they find that it very favorable or that it is not the place for them. Having this event will hopefully show the support of the community. Governor Markell and Del State reached out to the college regarding the residents’ hall construction that they are doing as about 400 students have been displaced and asked if Wesley can help in housing some of these students. Wesley is not able to house 400 students but are working with Del State to see how they can assist with as many students as possible. Governor Carney reached out about the AmeriCorps partnership to allow students to continue their education as there are no colleges in Delaware that currently offer this program, so we are hoping to help with that program. Our Master of Occupational Therapy went through its final accreditation process last month. That entity continues to grow and next year the incoming class

was expected to have 40-50 and we currently have 300 applications. Healthcare is a very important aspect in the future of this community, and we are really focusing on being able to provide the healthcare workforce for this community. We are actively pursing grants, working with other various entities for support so that we can get the Old Library turned over to help expand the Occupational Therapy Program and some future programs. Not just expansion for the college but also opening a sliding scale from pro-bono to minimum pay for the community. We started last year off campus and the return on the human investment was huge. There was an article in the News Journal about a family that could not afford proper healthcare for their child and after 2 hours going through the clinic they had a diagnosis. Also, in talks with the Mayor and folks in the community about turning the Old Carriage House into a Dover Museum and would be a great tie-in to the walking tour. Commencement Ceremony and Pre-commencement festivities are May 11th and 12th. We are in the process of finishing up the plans for those events. Also continuing over the summer, we will be supporting community initiatives with on campus rentals and right now we are almost full so if you know of an organization in need of rental space for the summer please have them contact us. The Schwartz Center update, working with Del-State and the State on a few things that will be beneficial to bringing the Schwartz back to life. Finally, one of our students Matt Gomer had a Pro-Day, we had over 20 teams represented, and this is a first for a college of our size. John Van Gorp spoke up about opening positions at Bayhealth and how hard it is to fill the Occupational Therapy slots. Tourism – Wendie relayed that due to the forecasted weather forced the scheduled group “FAM” tour and will be rescheduled for the end of June. The first Certified Tourism Ambassador class will be held at Dover Downs. We offer classes for $30 per person. The Villager is scheduled to be out at 40 events this year and that number is expected to grow. There is rack card space and sponsorships are available. We will be giving away 8000 welcome bags at the hotels, and we need stuff to fill those bags with so if you have any coupons, etc., please take advantage of this. Dover Days and the Speedway have formed a partnership. We changed the parade a bit to encourage people to come downtown to enjoy the shops and restaurants. We have created posters for that weekend with our tagline for the Dover Days is “From horses to horsepower. All in one great weekend. Come celebrate the history and heritage of Dover.” Dover Downs is also giving away free tickets to the Sunday Race for businesses that would like to display the posters. Wendie suggested do a detailed business map for the map and guide project and take advantage of their new pad map and the information that tourism has to offer. Tourism is also doing banner ads that will be added to websites that will help link viewers to our site and lead them to visit our local attractions. Motion to Adjourn 1st: Todd Stonesifer 2nd: President Clark Executive Session-Real Estate/Property Management