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CAN I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION?[Municipal Service District Meeting on May 25, 2023.]
GOOD EVENING.IT'S 5:30 PM MY NAME IS FOSTER HUGHES.
I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR COMING TONIGHT.
THIS MEETING IS ON THE MSD, THE MUNICIPAL SERVICE DISTRICT.
UM, WE'VE GOT ALDERMAN PRI AND ALDERMAN ROYAL, UH, HERE THIS EVENING.
SO THIS MEETING IS GONNA BE A DISCUSSION ON WHAT THE MUNICIPAL SERVICE DISTRICT IS.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT HOW MSDS ARE ESTABLISHED IN NORTH CAROLINA.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE MSDS HERE AND NEWBURN SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WERE COMPLETED.
THEN WE'RE GONNA GET YOUR FEEDBACK ON SOME THINGS.
SO THIS MEETING IS BEING BROADCAST ON FACEBOOK CITY, THREE TV ON OUR WEBSITE, AND ON ROKU.
IF YOU HAVE THAT, YOU CAN CLICK ON THE CITY OF NEWBURN CHANNEL.
WE'RE ALSO GOING TO HAVE THIS ON OUR WEBSITE LATER THIS EVENING.
AS A REMINDER, RESTROOMS ARE AVAILABLE DOWNSTAIRS IF YOU GO THROUGH THE DOUBLE GLASS DOORS.
UH, WE HOPE TO HAVE OUR ELEVATOR OPEN WITHIN THE NEXT SIX WEEKS, AND SO BRAND NEW RESTROOMS UPSTAIRS.
UM, SO TONIGHT'S TOPIC IS THE MUNICIPAL SERVICE DISTRICT.
THIS IS AN INFORMATIONAL MEETING.
THERE ARE NO DECISIONS THAT ARE GONNA BE MADE TONIGHT.
UH, WE ARE ASKING FOR YOUR INPUT ON SEVERAL THINGS.
THE INFORMATION RECEIVED WILL BE COMPILED.
OUR GOVERNING BOARD WILL RECEIVE THIS INFORMATION.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SURVEY ON THIS AS WELL.
ANY FINAL DISCUSSION WILL BE BROUGHT BEFORE THE GOVERNING BOARD, AND WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE A, A HEARING, UH, AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
THIS IS NOT GONNA BE A A, A QUICK PROCESS.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING TONIGHT.
WE'RE GONNA COME BACK IN A FEW WEEKS FOR A FOLLOW UP MEETING.
THEN WE'LL END UP GOING TO THE GOVERNING BOARD MAYBE A FEW WEEKS AFTER THAT.
SO JUST WANNA GIVE YOU AN IDEA ON, ON HOW THAT'S GONNA GO.
SO WE'VE GOT A POWERPOINT THAT YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG.
WE DO HAVE AN MSD SITE ON OUR WEBSITE@NEWBRUNNC.GOV.
AND THE BE BEST WAY TO FIND THAT IS CLICK ON RESIDENCE TAB.
ABOUT A THIRD OF THE WAY DOWN, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THE MUNICIPAL SERVICE DISTRICT THAT YOU CAN CLICK ON HERE.
YOU'RE GONNA FIND INFORMATION ABOUT ANY MEETINGS THAT ARE GONNA COME UP.
YOU'LL HAVE THE HISTORY OF THE MSD, THE STATE STATUTE, ESTABLISHING AN MSDS, THE LOCAL ORDINANCE ON US ESTABLISHING AN MSD.
UM, THERE'LL BE SOME MINUTES FROM SOME MEETINGS.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO GONNA BE SOME INFORMATION ON SOME PROJECTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED PREVIOUSLY.
YOU WILL BE ABLE TO WATCH THIS MEETING IN ANY FUTURE MEETINGS REGARDING THE MSD ON THAT SITE AS WELL.
YOU'RE ALSO GONNA BE ABLE TO SIGN UP FOR EMAIL UPDATES ON THE MSD ON THERE.
YOU CAN CLICK A LINK, UH, AND WE CAN CAPTURE YOUR INFORMATION ON THERE.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS REGARDING THE MSD, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CLICK A LINK AND IT'S MSD NEWPORT MC.GOV.
WE'LL ALSO MAKE SURE THAT OUR GOVERNING BOARD RECEIVES THAT INFORMATION.
UM, AS A FOLLOW UP, THIS WILL ALSO BE ON VIDEO DEMAND ON ROKU AND YOUTUBE AS WELL.
UM, OUR FOLLOW UP MEETING AFTER WE COMPILE SOME INFORMATION WE RECEIVED FROM YOU.
IT IS GOING TO BE ON THURSDAY, JUNE 15TH, RIGHT HERE AT 5:30 PM UH, FOR THOSE THAT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND TONIGHT.
SO WE'RE GLAD YOU ARE ALL HERE.
WE'LL, WE'LL COVER A LOT OF THIS AGAIN, AND THEN SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE RECEIVED, UH, FROM YOU TONIGHT.
SO WHAT DOES A MUNICIPAL SERVICE DISTRICT, IT, IT'S BASICALLY A SPECIAL TAX DISTRICT.
IT'S A BOUNDARY THAT'S, THAT'S SET.
NORMALLY, THE GOVERNING BOARD WILL SET THAT.
AND IN THIS CASE, WE ORIGINALLY SET A SMALLER BOUNDARY AND THEN THAT EXPANDED.
AND SO, UM, THE GOVERNING BOARDS CAN, CAN DESIGNATE CERTAIN PROJECTS WITHIN THAT M MSD DISTRICT.
AND THOSE PROJECTS ARE, ARE ESTABLISHED BY NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL STATUTE.
AND THAT STATUTE WAS ESTABLISHED BACK IN 1973.
AND SO SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT YOU CAN DO WITH MSD TAX FUNDS INCLUDE ANY SERVICE FACILITY OR FUNCTION, WHICH THE MUNICIPALITY MAY PROVIDE IN THE CITY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PLACEMENT OF UNDERGROUND UTILITY WIRING, STREET LIGHTING, STREET SIGNS, STREET FURNITURE, LANDSCAPING, SPECIALIZED STREET AND SIDEWALK PAVING, AND IMPROVEMENTS TO RIGHTS OF WAY THAT PRESERVE THE CHARACTER OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION PROJECTS, URBAN AREA REVITALIZATION PROJECTS, TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, DRAINAGE PROJECTS, SEWAGE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL SYSTEMS OF ALL TYPES, ON AND OFF, STREETE PARKING FACILITIES, WATERSHED IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, AND CONVERSION OF PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL STREETS TO PUBLIC STREETS.
WE HAVE A, A REALLY GOOD VIDEO THAT WAS CREATED SEVERAL YEARS AGO ON THE MSD.
SUSAN MOFFITT THOMAS IS ON THERE.
AND SHE TALKS ABOUT A VARIETY OF THE PROJECTS THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN FUNDED WITH THE MSD.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE SHORTLY.
UM, IT TALKS ABOUT HOW THE MSD WAS SET UP AS WELL.
AND SO THAT IS ALSO ON OUR MSD SITE.
WE'RE NOT GONNA SHOW THAT TO YOU TONIGHT, BUT YOU CAN CLICK ON THAT LINK TO WATCH THAT.
SO BASICALLY, THE HISTORY OF IRM MSD IS IN THE LATE SEVENTIES AS THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES STARTED, UH, GRAVITATING
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OVER TO THE MLK CORRIDOR AND GOING INTO THE NEW MALL, THE CITIZENS HERE SAW A NEED.WE NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING TO THE DOWNTOWN.
SO IN 1978, UM, UH, AFTER A VARIETY OF CITIZENS AND BUSINESS OWNERS CAME TO THE GOVERNING BOARD, THEY REQUESTED THAT, THAT THE TAX DISTRICT BE SET UP.
THE ORIGINAL FOOTPRINT WAS BASICALLY FROM BROAD STREET TO WHAT AT THAT TIME WAS TRI ON PALACE DRIVE, WHICH IS NOW SOUTH FRONT STREET.
AND FROM HANCOCK STREET OVER TO CRAVE STREET IN 1985, AN INITIAL MSD ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS APPOINTED BY THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN, AND THEY WERE TASKED WITH STUDYING ISSUES AND POTENTIAL PROJECTS WITHIN THE MSD.
AND TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS IN 1986, AFTER PRESENTING THEIR FINDINGS, THE ADVISORY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE WAS NEVER RECONSTITUTED.
SO AFTER THAT TIME, BASICALLY A GROUP OF INTERESTED BUSINESS OWNERS, AND IT WAS NORMALLY THE WARD ONE ALDERMAN WOULD GET TOGETHER ON A REGULAR, UH, BASIS TO TALK ABOUT POTENTIAL PROJECTS, TO TALK ABOUT, WELL, OF COURSE, TO MY ATTORNEY, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING WITH TO TALK ABOUT POTENTIAL PROJECTS.
AND THEN THAT WOULD BE PRESENTED TO THE GOVERNING BOARD FOR APPROVAL.
SO THE CURRENT FOOTPRINT, AND THIS, THIS IS MOST AS OF 2014, THE MSD GOES FROM BASICALLY THE OTHER SIDE OF BROAD STREET ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE TRENT RIVER AND PORTIONS OF THE OTHER SIDE OF HANCOCK STREET ALL THE WAY OVER TO THE NU RIVER.
THAT'S BASICALLY THE FOOTPRINT.
AS YOU CAN SEE IN THAT CURRENT FOOTPRINT, 30% OF THOSE PROPERTIES ARE RESIDENTIAL, 70% ARE ARE COMMERCIAL.
AND THAT INCLUDES NONPROFIT CHURCHES, GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES AS WELL.
AND JUST FOR A REMINDER, NONPROFIT GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES DO NOT PAY THE M S D TAX.
SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FINANCES FOR FISCAL YEAR F Y 2024 BUDGET THAT WE'RE BUDGETING FOR RIGHT NOW, THE ANTICIPATED REVENUES WE'RE GONNA BE RECEIVING IS $421,200.
AND THOSE REVENUES COME FROM THE MSD TAX, WHICH ALL THE PROPERTY OWNERS PAY.
IT COMES FROM PROPERTY LEASES FROM THE FARMER'S MARKET AND THE PARKING LEASES.
SO WE HAVE THREE PARKING LOTS THAT WE HAVE BEEN LEASING TRADITIONALLY.
SO ALL THOSE REVENUES GO TO THE MSD.
THE EXPENSES FOR NEXT BUDGET YEAR ARE TRANSFERRED TO FUND BALANCE OF $242,152.
DEBT SERVICE ON, ON TWO OUTSTANDING LOANS IS $107,000.
AND THEN LIST MISCELLANEOUS OTHER SERVICES ABOUT 29,500.
AND THAT'S BASICALLY TO MAINTAIN THE CUB HOUSE, KEEP THAT CLEAN, MAINTAINING THE FOUNTAIN AT, UM, AT, UM, JAMES REED LANE, MAKING SURE THAT THE TRASH CANS ARE, ARE TREATED WITH THINGS TO PREVENT THE RODENTS FROM GETTING INTO 'EM AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
CURRENTLY, THE TAX RATE FOR THE MSD IS A POINT 1370 5 CENTS PER A HUNDRED DOLLARS EVALUATION.
THE EVALUATION IS OF APRIL 6TH WAS 183000000.51 83.5 MILLION.
SO THE REVENUE NEUTRAL TAX RATE CALCULATION IS PROJECTED TO BE BASICALLY 11 CENTS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE RECOMMENDED TO THE GOVERNING BOARD.
SO ONE PENNY ON THE MSD TAX RATE IS EQUIVALENT TO $18,350.
SO IN EARLY 23 DURING A WORK SESSION, OTTOMAN PRI MADE SOME COMMENTS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF BRINGING TOGETHER A COMMITTEE FOR THE MSD AGAIN, THAT, THAT THE BOARD APPOINTED.
IN OUR RESEARCH, WE SAW THAT CURRENTLY THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 74 MSDS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA.
AND WE SAW THAT THEY WERE MANAGED IN A A, A FEW DIFFERENT WAYS.
ONE OF THEM, UM, BY STATUTE IS ADVISORY BOARDS.
THE OTHER ONE IS NO ADVISORY BOARDS AT ALL, WHICH IS BASICALLY HOW WE HAVE BEEN OPERATING.
THE THIRD ONE IS TO CONTRACT OUT TO A MAIN STREET OR A DOWNTOWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP TO DO THAT.
SEVERAL CITIES HAVE DONE THAT.
SEVERAL HAVE ADVISORY COMMITTEES, AND SEVERAL HAVE NO COMMITTEES WHATSOEVER.
A LOT OF, UH, OF THE MSDS HAVE A VARIETY OF FORMULAS FOR HOW THEY APPOINT PEOPLE TO THESE BOARDS.
AND SOME OF THEM COULD BE THE LARGEST PROPERTY OWNER.
IT COULD BE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF, UH, RESTAURANT OWNERS, RETAIL OWNERS, UM, BAR LATE NIGHT ENTERTAINMENT.
UH, AND THERE'S ALSO A PERCENTAGE OF OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS THAT COULD BE APPOINTED.
THERE WAS REALLY NO RHYME OR REASON ON HOW MANY SERVED ON THE COMMITTEE WE SAW ANYWHERE FROM, FROM FIVE TO 16 OR 17.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT AND I'M DEFINITELY INTERESTED IN HEARING WHAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS TO SAY.
SO IN, IN OUR PROPOSED RECOMMENDATION TO THE GOVERNING BOARD AT THAT TIME, IT
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WAS, WE LOOK AT APPOINTING 30, WE'VE GOT 30% RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS.SO IF WE DID, IF WE DID 10 APPOINTMENTS, THREE PROPERTY OWNERS RESIDENTIAL, AND SEVEN FROM BUSINESSES, BROKEN DOWN INTO WHAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT, WHETHER IT WAS A HOTELIER, LARGEST PROPERTY OWNER, RETAIL AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN APPOINT EX OFFICIATE MEMBERS.
AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE THE CITY MANAGER, THE FINANCE DIRECTOR, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FROM SWISS BAYER, THE WAR.
I HONOR, THAT'S WHAT WE RECOMMENDED.
AND THEN WE HAD CONVERSATIONS THAT WE WANTED TO INVITE TAXPAYERS OF THE MSD TO COME.
AND WE REALLY WANTED TO GET IN THE WEEDS TO, TO SEE WHAT YOU HAD AN INTEREST IN AND GO FROM THERE.
SO THE FIRST THING WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT AND GET YOUR COMMENTS ON AND, AND COLLEEN IS COMPILING THE COMMENTS WE'RE GONNA HAVE ALL OF THESE COMMENTS ON, ON THE WEBSITE AS WELL, IS WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HOW AN MSD COMMITTEE COULD WORK? HOW MANY IS THE RIGHT NUMBER? AND GO FROM THERE.
SO THIS IS GONNA BE AN OPEN FORUM.
I AM GONNA ASK YOU, SINCE THIS IS RECORDED TO JUST COME UP, YOU CAN STAND RIGHT HERE AND FACE, FACE BACK THE CROWD AND HAVE YOUR CONVERSATION.
SO WHO WOULD LIKE TO STEP UP FIRST AND JUST GIVE US YOUR THOUGHTS.
I'VE LIVED IN DOWNTOWN NEWBURN FOR NEARLY 50 YEARS.
I HAVE A BUSINESS, UM, IN DOWNTOWN NEWBURN AS WELL.
AND I AM HERE TO, AT MY QUESTION IS, WHAT OTHER CITIES OF ABOUT THE SAME SIZE AS NEWBURN HAVE THESE MSDS? WHAT FORM HAVE THOSE MSDS TAKEN? BECAUSE YOU'VE MENTIONED THAT THERE COULD BE DIFFERENT KINDS OF FORMS. UM, SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT, KNOW MORE ABOUT THE MODELS FOR CITIES OF NEWBURN SIZE.
SO SALISBURY HAS ONE, HAS ONE.
UM, THE MODEL THAT EVERYONE REALLY LIKES IS WILMINGTON.
AND, AND THEY LOOK AT THE PROPERTY.
WILMINGTON'S A LOT BIGGER THAN US, RIGHT? BUT THEY'VE GOT A REALLY GOOD MODEL IN HOW THEY'VE DONE THAT.
SO, UM, NOW MARY HAS ONE, A LOT OF THE CITIES DO HAVE, UH, MUNICIPAL SERVICES.
BURLINGTON DOES NOT HAVE AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
SO WE SEE IT ALL ACROSS THE BOARD, THOSE THREE WAYS.
UM, I THINK THAT SALISBURY HAS THEIR, UM, MAIN STREET GROUP TO OPERATE THAT.
IS THAT, IS THAT CORRECT, LEON? NO, I'M NOT.
I'M HONESTLY NOT CERTAIN IF THAT'S THE CASE, THERE ARE SEVERAL MAIN STREET GROUPS THAT DO OPERATE.
THE CITY BASICALLY CONTRACTS OUT WITH THAT.
AND WE CAN HAVE SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT CITIES ARE ACTUALLY DOING.
SO YOU, THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
WHAT HAPPENED TO QUESTION BEFORE YOU SAY WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMMITTEE? THE GOVERNING BOARD, THE GOVERNING BOARD IS CITIZENS OF NEWTON FROM EACH WARD.
THIS COMMITTEE WOULD BE BASICALLY APPOINTED BY OUR DEPUTY WARD TO SERVE FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME, WHETHER THAT BE THREE YEARS, FIVE YEARS BOARD, UH, RICK RUSE, I LIVE HERE ON UH, P*****K STREET.
UH, MY BIGGEST CONCERN THROUGH ALL THIS, REGARDLESS OF WHICH WAY IT GOES, IS THAT'S ALL VISIBLE.
WHO'S ON THE COMMITTEE AGENDAS MINUTES? WHAT'S THE PROJECTS, THE MONEY BEING SPENT? ALL THAT SHOULD BE VISIBLE.
THAT'S MY BIGGEST, UH, COMMENT.
I WAS JUST, I WAS GONNA MENTION THAT, UM, CITIES THAT ARE CLOSE, CLOSE TO US, BUT UNEMPLOYMENT YOU ARE ASKING ABOUT ARE SMITH.
CAN YOU JUST EXPAND? SO WE'RE GOING TO MODEL, I THINK THEY HAD 15.
AND SO THE, THE LARGEST PROPERTY OWNER WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, THEY HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF, OF RESTAURANT OWNERS THAT ARE ON THIS COMMITTEE.
THEY HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF HOTEL OWNERS THAT ARE ON THAT COMMITTEE.
THEY HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS ON THAT COMMITTEE.
THEIR, THEIR RESIDENTIAL VERSUS COMMERCIALS NOT BROKEN DOWN LIKE WE HAVE PROPOSED.
SO IT, THE GOAL WAS TO GET A GOOD REPRESENTATIVE FOR WHO PAYS THE PROPERTY TAX.
THE BUSINESS OWNER HAVE TO PAY THE TAX.
SO IF A RESTAURANT JUST RENTED, THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE.
PROPERTY IS NOW WE'RE NOT RECOMMENDING EITHER OR.
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IF, SO YOU MAY OWN A RESTAURANT.SO IF YOU MAY RENT, RENT A BUSINESS FOR RETAILER WHATNOT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DEFINITELY TALK ABOUT.
CAUSE WE'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS ON THAT.
WELL ALSO IN WILLINGTON, UM, I BELIEVE THEY ARE, YOU CAN NOT ON THE PROPERTY, BUT OWN THE BUSINESS AND BE REPRESENTATIVE ON BOARD.
THAT'S, THAT'S PAID FULL-TIME.
THAT'S PAID FULL-TIME DIRECTOR.
A QUESTION, WOULD THIS COMMITTEE BE MAKING DECISIONS? ARE THE DECISIONS STILL GOING BACK? THEY HAVE THE CITY BUDGET AND THE BUDGET IS WITHIN THE REFERRED VIEW.
TRADITIONALLY, UH, ANY COMMITTEES MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERN BOARD? PURELY A RECOMMENDATION COME AN ODD NUMBER IS OFTEN BENEFICIAL ON TODAY.
SO THAT, UM, AND YOU DON'T THAT THE, IN TERMS OF THE VOTE ABSOLUTELY.
THE AUDITOR WOULD APPOINT THIS COMMITTEE.
SO WHAT THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR THAT? WHAT'S, WE HAVEN'T THAT YET.
WE'D LIKE TO GIVE YOUR COMMENTS ON, ON WHAT YOU THINK, WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
CAUSE ALL THE COMMENTS THAT YOU ALL MADE, WE'RE GONNA SHARE WITH OUR, AND OF COURSE, AS I SAID EARLIER, WE'RE GONNA COME BACK ON JUNE 15TH BASED ON WHAT WE'VE HEARD.
I THINK THIS MODEL ON THE SCREEN IS A GOOD ONE.
IT NEEDS TO BE FLESHED OUT IN MORE DETAIL.
AND, AND, AND IN TERMS OF MORE DETAIL, HOW OFTEN WOULD THAT COMMITTEE BE? WHAT WOULD BE A TERM OF SERVICE TO THE BOARD OF LAW? UM, HOW OFTEN WOULD THEY, THAT PROJECT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND ALSO HOW WOULD THEY CONDUCT PROJECTS? ABSOLUTELY PRIORITIZING WHO WOULD ACTUALLY, WHICH ONE OF THE WOULD BE TAKING MEMBERS OF THAT COMMITTEE.
CAUSE REALISTICALLY IT ONLY INVOLVES NOT WITH ANY WAS, YEAH.
SO THAT WOULD BE A DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THE GUARDIAN BOARD.
THEY WOULD ALL HAVE SOME INPUT ON HOW THEY WOULD LIKE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
AND IT COULD BE THAT EACH THEY WANT HAVE A FOR THAT COULD BE THAT THEY WOULD DEF REALLY DEPENDS ON CONVERSATION.
WELL, SHOULDN'T PAYING REPRESENT THEM.
THAT'S ONE SAYING THAT WE'RE RECORDING THAT MODEL.
UM, MY EXPERIENCE WITH COMMITTEES IS THAT ONCE THEY BECOME MOTION, SO, AND MY BELIEF SYSTEM SAYS THAT THE RESIDENTS WHO WITHIN THE MS D AREA HAVE BEEN PROFOUND REPRESENTATIVE AT THE, HAS NOTHING YOU THAT WE CANNOT HEAR BEHIND HERE.
MY WIFE AND I HAVE A BED AND BREAKFAST ON POLL STREET AND WE'VE BEEN THERE FOR 23 YEARS.
WE LIVED ON WOOD STREET BEFORE THAT FOR A COUPLE YEARS.
AND, UH, MY EXPERIENCE IS NUMBER ONE, THE MODEL IS A GOOD MODEL.
MEANING IF IT GETS TOO LARGE, THEN THE COMMITTEE DOESN'T GET ANYTHING DONE CUZ THEY JUST EACH EACH TOO MANY OPINIONS.
OKAY? THIS WOULD FOCUS IT BETTER.
UH, AND I LIKE THE IDEA THAT A LOT OF THIS WOULD FALL UNDER THE HEAD OF OUR CURRENT ALDERMAN BECAUSE I THINK HE'S A GOOD MAN WHO WANTS TO BE REPRESENTATIVE OF HIS DISTRICT.
UH, WITH REGARD TO MY CONCERN, MY CONCERN IS THAT IN, IN THE 25 YEARS I'VE LIVED DOWNTOWN, I DON'T THINK THE RESIDENTS HAVE GOTTEN VERY MUCH
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REPRESENTATION.AND OUR CURRENT GROWTH IS PROOF THAT THE RESIDENTS HAVE GOTTEN ALMOST NO REPRESENTATION.
I MEAN, IF WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE UNENFORCEABLE NOISE ORDINANCE, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THE PROLIFERATION NOW OF BARS AND RESTAURANTS AS OPPOSED TO WONDERFUL CURIOSITY SHOPS, THAT'S A CONCERN.
AND THAT, THAT'S A FORM OF GROWTH THAT I THINK IS GOING THROUGH IN THE LONG RUN.
CAUSES TROUBLE RATHER THAN CAUSES BENEFIT.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT TRIGGERED THIS MEETING TONIGHT.
FOR UNDER 20 YEARS I'VE BEEN PAYING TAXES AND NEVER RECEIVED ANYTHING BY MAIL.
NOW I SEE IT'S FOUR $21,000 GOING BE SPENT THE NEXT YEAR.
WHAT PROJECTS DO Y'ALL HAVE TO DEMANDING THAT, THAT, THAT THIS, THIS THING CONTINUE AND NOT SUNSET AT SOME POINT? SO WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT PROJECTS IN JUST A FEW MINUTES AFTER WE GET THROUGH THE COMMITTEE.
AND, AND THE TOPIC WAS BROUGHT UP EARLY, EARLIER THIS YEAR WHEN WE WERE HAVING A WORK SESSION WITH OUR GOVERNING BOARD.
THE MSD CAME UP THAT THAT'S HOW THIS THIS CAME TO BE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON, ON THE COMMITTEE OR COMPOSITION OR ANYTHING? THANKS, FOSTER.
I OWN A BUILDING ON, UH, 2 0 6 CRAVENS AT OVER AT 2 0 6 CRAVEN STREET.
UM, ONE THING, UH, TALKING ABOUT THE COMMITTEE FORMATION, PRIMARILY THE NOTES I TOOK DOWN IN MY OPINION OF HOW YOU'D WANNA LOOK AT THIS.
FIRST OFF, I THINK YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LARGEST TWO OR THREE TAXPAYERS ARE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ON, ON A COMMITTEE SHOULD THEY WISH TO.
CUZ THEY'RE PUTTING A LOT OF SKIN IN THE GAME.
AND IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO THEY'RE, THEY'RE A LARGE PORT PIECE OF THAT PIE.
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THAT WOULD BE PERCENTAGE WISE OF YOUR REVENUE FOR THE TWO OR THREE BIGGEST? I CANNOT, WELL, WE CAN PROVIDE IT WITH, OKAY, IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA.
AND I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT LLCS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO IT WOULD BE WISE TO, FOR THEM TO HAVE REPRESENTATION SHOULD THEY WISH.
AND SOME PEOPLE MAY WANT, MAY NOT WANNA DO ANYTHING.
ANOTHER THING IS, I I AGREE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU DON'T NEED TO HAVE TOO MANY IDEAS, OTHERWISE IT STARTS TO BECOME COUNTERPRODUCTIVE AND NOTHING GETS DONE.
THE NUMBER I HAD ON HERE WAS SEVEN PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, NINE, 10.
AND I THINK PERSONALLY, I DON'T THINK THE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE SHOULD BE ON THERE BECAUSE ULTIMATELY YOU GUYS ARE THE JUDGE, JURY, AND EXECUTIONER WHEN IT COMES BACK TO THE BOARD.
SO MR. PER MS. ROYAL, YOU'VE GOT TO SAY SO TO WHAT HAPPENS EVENTUALLY.
SO YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE A POSITION ON THAT COMMITTEE.
NOW, ARE YOU WELCOME TO COME TO THE MEETINGS? ABSOLUTELY.
BUT I JUST DON'T THINK THAT'S, IT'S NOT WORTH OCCUPYING A SEAT WITH GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.
AND I ALSO FEEL LIKE THE NONPROFITS, CHURCHES, IF YOU'RE NOT PAYING INTO THE SYSTEM, I DON'T THINK THAT SHOULD BE A SEAT.
WHAT ELSE DID I SAY? AND I THINK ALSO THE LESS FORMAL YOU CAN MAKE THIS ORGANIZATION, THE BETTER.
UM, BECAUSE IT, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, ULTIMATELY THESE FINE PEOPLE BEHIND US THAT ELECT, THEY'RE ELECTED.
THEY'RE THE JUDGE, JURY AND EXECUTION ON WHAT HAPPENS.
THIS IS A COMMITTEE, IT'S A RECOMMENDATION.
AND LET'S SEE HERE, WHAT ELSE DID I SAY? THAT'S REALLY A BRAINSTORMING COMMITTEE.
THAT'S MY LAST NOTE I'VE GOT ON THAT, UH, PURPOSE.
SO IF YOU COME UP WITH IDEAS, DO YOU SHOW IT TO THEM? IF THEY LIKE IT, THEY DO IT.
THEY DON'T LIKE IT, THEY SEND IT BACK.
AND IF YOU STILL HAVE LEGAL OBLIGATIONS, THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO TALK ABOUT HISTORY.
I'M LOOKING AROUND ERNIE RICHARDSON.
WE ARE THE LONGEST SERVING PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH M S D.
I GOT INVOLVED WITH M S D IN THE EARLY NINETIES.
UH, STEVE AND I HAVE OWNED PROPERTY IN DOWNTOWN NEWBURN SINCE 1983, AND WE'VE BEEN PAYING THE TAX SINCE THEN.
UM, AND THROUGHOUT ALL THE YEARS, THIS WAS REALLY BROUGHT TOGETHER AT SWISS BAYER'S REQUEST.
IT WAS PROPERTY OWNERS WHEN SWISS BAYER WAS FORMED COMING TOGETHER BECAUSE THE CITY FATHERS KEPT SAYING, WE HAVE NO MONEY TO INVEST IN DOWNTOWN.
SO FROM THERE, THE MSD WAS FORMED AND IT WAS A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY AT THE TIME.
AND MR. HARTMAN, WHO WAS OUR MANAGER THREE OR FOUR TIMES AGO, HE, UM, HE WAS A GENIUS ABOUT LEVERAGING
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MONEY.SO WHAT HE DID WAS FIGURE OUT HOW WE COULD TAKE THE MONEY AND BORROW MONEY TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
SO SWISS BEAR WAS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND MSD.
SUSAN MOFFITT CALLED THE MEETINGS.
SHE, I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT THE ALDERMAN, YOU KNOW, BEING THERE, BUT THE ALDERMAN WASN'T ALWAYS THERE.
IT WAS REALLY THE CITY MANAGER ALWAYS CAME.
YOU HAD THE, UH, PLANNING DIRECTOR AND, AND SUSAN RAN THE MEETING AND SHE HAD A CHAIR.
IT USUALLY WAS THE CHAIR OF SWISS BAYER.
AND THE MEETINGS WERE BROUGHT TOGETHER TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE COULD DO TO IMPROVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN DOWNTOWN NEWBERG.
AND SO WHAT HAPPENED FROM THAT CAME THE URBAN DESIGN PLAN AND THE, SOME OF THE FUNDING FOR THE URBAN DESIGN PLAN CAME OUTTA THE MSD FUNDS.
AND THAT GAVE US THE FOOTPRINT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO IN DOWNTOWN.
AND THAT WAS THE STREET SCAPES, THE UTILITIES UNDERGROUND.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE ARE STILL PAYING OFF TODAY.
THE, THE FUNDING THAT YOU SAW UP THERE, THE AMOUNTS OF MONEY WERE FOR TO RETIRE THAT DEBT.
WE'VE BEEN RETIRING THAT DEBT FOR THE LAST 20 PLUS YEARS.
AND WE HAD TO DO IT BY BLOCKS.
WE STARTED, YOU KNOW, ONE BLOCK AND THEN TWO YEARS LATER, THREE YEARS LATER, WE GOT TO ANOTHER BLOCK BECAUSE WE HAD TO WAIT TILL WE HAD ENOUGH MONEY IN THE FUND TO LEVERAGE IT.
SO THAT'S HOW THESE PROJECTS HAVE WORKED THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
NOW WE'RE GETTING, WE'RE GETTING TO THE END.
THE LAST TWO PROJECTS THAT WE'RE PAYING OFF ARE HANCOCK STREET IN FRONT OF THE CIVIC THEATER, EXCUSE ME, UH, P*****K STREET IN FRONT OF THE CIVIC, CIVIC THEATER.
AND I GUESS THAT'S THE 200 BLOCK OF HANCOCK STREET.
THOSE WERE THE LAST TWO PROJECTS THAT WE DID.
AND SO THAT DEBT IS BEING PAID, BUT THERE'S STILL MANY PROJECTS TO DO.
I THINK THAT THE MSD HAS BEEN SPENT VERY WISELY.
I CAN ANYBODY HERE NAME ONE THING THAT'S HAPPENED IN DOWNTOWN INFRASTRUCTURE WISE THAT THEY DON'T THINK IS SUCCESSFUL? I DON'T THINK SO, BECAUSE ALL OF OUR PROPERTIES HAVE BENEFIT FROM IT.
WE'VE BROUGHT PEOPLE INTO OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE OUR STREETSCAPE IS BEAUTIFUL.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO, WE'VE BOUGHT THE STREET BANNERS, THE BAXTER CLOCK BENCHES.
UM, I COULD GO ON AND ON WITH THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE WITH THE FUNDS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND I THINK IT HAS WORKED AND WORKED WELL.
I HAVE NO ISSUE WITH THE, WITH THE BREAKDOWN 70 30, I AGREE WITH MR. ROBINSON THAT IF THE CHURCH ISN'T GOVERNMENTAL, WHICH THEY TAKE UP A LARGE FOOTPRINT, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THEY DO HAVE A LARGE FOOTPRINT THAT THEY SHOULD NOT, UM, HAVE A VOICE IN IT.
I WOULD PREFER TO SEE IT UNDER SWISS BAY BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT DROVE THE PROJECTS.
THEY WERE THE ONES THAT CAME AND WORKED WITH MR. HARTMAN, PLANNING DIRECTOR, WHOMEVER, TO SAY, THIS MUST TAKE PLACE THROUGH A PLAN OR WHATEVER.
AND IF THE FUNDS ARE THERE, THEN WE CAN CERTAINLY USE THE FUNDS TO PAY SWISS BEAR.
THERE WAS A TIME IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS UP UNTIL ABOUT I THINK 2005, THAT THE CITY OF NEWBURN DID USE MS FU, MS D FUNDS TO PAY SWISS BAY.
MANY PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT, BUT IT HAPPENED.
THEY PAID, IT WAS $50,000 THAT WAS COMING OUTTA MS D GOING INTO THE SWISS BAY FUNDS.
SO THERE WAS A TIME THAT THAT DID HAPPEN.
I WOULD ALMOST LIKE TO SEE US GO BACK TO THAT METHOD.
BUT I HAVE, UM, YEARS OF INFORMATION I'M HAPPY TO SHARE WITH.
THERE WAS NEVER, WHEN WE DID THIS BACK WHEN SUSAN WAS RUNNING THE MEETINGS, THERE WERE NO NOTES.
THERE WAS NOT REALLY AN AGENDA.
WE, WE'D GET AN EMAIL AND SAY, MR. HARTMAN HAS A PROJECT HE WANTS US TO TALK ABOUT.
AND WE WOULD GATHER TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT.
AND HE WOULD THEN, MR. HARTMAN WOULD BRING IT TO THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN AND THEY WOULD DECIDE WHETHER THEY WANTED IT OR NOT.
AND THEN ERNIE WAS THE LAST CHAIRPERSON UNDER SUSAN WHEN SUSAN RETIRED.
AND THEN I STEPPED IN AND IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT I HAD THE HAT OF THE ALDERMAN WHEN I STEPPED IN.
SO IT WASN'T NECESSARY THAT THE ALDERMAN HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH MSD, IT WAS JUST, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.
I I WAS A MSD TAXPAYER, BUT AT THAT POINT I DID START DOING AN AGENDA AND NOTES AND I WOULD SEND THAT OUT TO ANYBODY WHO'S INTERESTED.
AND THEN AS PEOPLE WOULD SAY TO ME, HEY, I WANT, I WANNA KNOW MORE ABOUT MSD RICHARD, I SAW YOU ONE TIME AND YOU SAID THAT TO ME.
AND ANYBODY ELSE WHO, WHO ASKED ABOUT IT AND WOULD JUST COME ON.
THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN HAVE NEVER SPENT ONE DIME IN THE MSD THAT WASN'T PUT BEFORE THE PUBLIC AND WAS ON A PUBLIC AGENDA AND PEOPLE COULD SPEAK TO IT OR ASK ABOUT IT.
BUT IT, IT IS ALL THERE AND IT NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO BE THERE.
I, I DON'T WANNA SEE THE MSD MAKING THE FINAL DECISION.
I THINK THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN, IT IS A TAXING SITUATION.
WE ELECT OUR ALDERMAN AND OUR OUR MAYOR TO DO THAT AND I THINK THEY SHOULD VOTE ON IT.
AND I'M HAPPY AGAIN, IF ANYBODY HAS HISTORY
[00:30:01]
QUESTIONS, I'VE GOT A BOOK THIS DEEP AND I'M HAPPY TO SHARE ANY INFORMATION WITH ANYBODY WHO WANTS IT.MR. TO BRING THESE QUESTIONS YOU SAID USED TO BE UNDER SWISS, WASN'T JUST SWISS BEING REPRESENTED? NO.
THEY WOULD CALL MEANS, WOULD YOU SAY THAT'S, I WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M CORRECT.
SUSAN MOFF WOULD CALL THE MEETINGS, WORK WITH MR. HARTMAN AS FAR AS WHATEVER THE PROJECT WAS.
URBAN DESIGN PLANS, WE DID, TWO OF THEM FUNDS CAME OUT OF MSC FOR IT.
YOU KNOW, BANNERS, WHEN WE PUT THE BEAUTIFUL, UM, THE RED AND GOLD BANNERS WE HAVE, THOSE WERE PURCHASED WITH MSC DOLLARS.
SHE WOULD SAY, WE NEED TO HAVE A MEETING TO VOTE ON IF WE WANT TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS.
AND YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY IN ALL THE YEARS, WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT NOBODY DIDN'T WANT THAT WAS BROUGHT TO US? I DON'T THINK THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT WE EVER VOTE ON, YOU KNOW, SAID DON'T DO IT.
YOU KNOW, WE PURCHASED THE PROPERTY, THE TA FAMOUS TALBOT SLOT.
WE PURCHASED THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE WERE THREE BUILDINGS ON THAT PROPERTY.
AND WE WERE IN A HURRY GET PROPERTY CAUSE WE WERE GONNA DO SOMETHING WITH IT AND ACTUALLY BOUGHT SOMEBODY OUT OF THEIR LEASE FROM THAT PROPERTY AND, YOU KNOW, GOT THE BUILDINGS TORN DOWN.
AND THEN UNFORTUNATELY IT'S SAT THERE FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS.
BUT THOSE WERE THE KIND OF DISCUSSIONS THAT WE WOULD HAVE IN THE GROUP THAT SUSAN WOULD MODERATE THAT LEAD IT, BRING IT TO US, AND WE WOULD TALK ABOUT IT.
AND THEN MR. HARTMAN WHO ATTENDED ALL THE MEETINGS WOULD THEN BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD.
ULMAN, WE SOMETIMES HAVE AN ALDERMAN THAT WOULD ATTEND, BUT RARELY.
UM, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE IT, IT'S ACCURATE TO SAY THAT BELIEVE WAS A SUBCOMMITTEE OF SWISS, CORRECT? NOT IT WAS MEETINGS.
IT WAS NOT A MEETING, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS SUSAN AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SWISS BAY, CAME UP WITH THE PROJECTS, BROUGHT THEM TO US AND DID THAT.
THAT'S HOW IT, THAT'S HOW IT WORKED.
SO YOU CAN WORK NOW STILL HAVE OBVIOUSLY SWISS BENCH.
WELL THEY ARE THE DOWNTOWN, YOU KNOW, SWISS PERRY'S, THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, THAT'S WHO THEY ARE.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEIR MISSION HAS BEEN ALL THESE YEARS, IS TO REDEVELOP DOWNTOWN INTO A THRIVING PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY.
AND THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED OVER THESE LAST 25, 30, 40 YEARS ACCOMPLISHED THAT.
UM, BUT WE STILL HAVE MORE THINGS TO ACCOMPLISH.
JUST TERMS OF GETTING INPUT ON TERMS OF WHAT KINDA PRIVACY AND WHATNOT SHOULDN'T NECESSARILY COME FROM ONE INDIVIDUAL SPARE IT NEEDS.
WELL A LOT OF IT CAME FROM THE CITY MANAGER SAYING, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY.
THERE'S A GRANT OR WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS.
CAN WE USE MSC FUNDS? WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT MSC FUNDS BEING USED FOR? SO AGAIN, THOSE WERE THE, YOU KNOW, THE KIND OF IDEAS AND SWISS FAIR BEING THE LEADER FOR THE RENOVATION AND REDEVELOPMENT OF DOWNTOWN.
CAUSE THE CITY PLANNING DEPARTMENT AT THAT TIME DIDN'T HAVE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPER OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THAT WAS YOURS, LYNN, DID YOU I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY CITY'S WITHS.
IT IS AN OPTION TO, TO PUT IT OUT TO ANY ORGANIZATION CORRECT.
OR AN RFP TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE IT ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.
OFTENTIMES IT DOES GO TO MAINSTREAM ORGANIZATIONS, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO, IT DOESN'T BE AWARDED TO ORDERED TO A FOR ORGANIZATION.
THERE'S, THERE'S NO LIMITATIONS IN TERMS OF THE STATUTES WITH REGARD TO THAT.
DIDN'T NECESSARILY JUST, AND SOMETIMES BECOME, AND YOU GO SOMEWHERE SOMETIMES OF THE BOARD, THE FROM THE RESIDENT AND THE COMMERCIAL GOOD.
[00:35:08]
ALL THE BOARD, NOT THIS DISTRICT TOO MUCH.UM, IS THERE, HAS ANY DISCUSSION AMONGST THE BOARD AND CITY OFFICIALS ABOUT WHAT ARE RE REIMAGINED, WHAT THE CENTRAL BUSINESS ISSUE LOOKS LIKE POST FLORENCE POST PANDEMIC? I MEAN, THESE ARE ALL CRITICAL ISSUES THAT WE HAVEN'T DISCUSSED.
SO WE'RE LOOKING COURSE HISTORICALLY THAT THIS DEEPLY WORK.
BUT WHAT ARE WE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT IN THE FUTURE? RIGHT? WHAT IS, WHAT DOES ESSENTIAL BUSINESS DISTRICT NOW LOOK LIKE? RIGHT.
IT'S REALLY INTERESTING STUFF.
THE GOVERNING BOARD HAS GIVE US DIRECTION TO WORK ON A STRATEGIC PLAN AND LOOK AT SOME COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING CITYWIDE.
SO THAT IS GONNA BE COMING UP AND THAT WILL BE ADDRESSED.
ANY YES, THAT DISTRICT THAT'S CORRECT.
WITHIN THAT, WITHIN THAT BOUNDARY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE COMMITTEE ITSELF? ALL RIGHT.
FO FOSTER, COULD I FOSTER, COULD I JUMP IN REAL QUICK? YES.
BEFORE YOU MOVE ON TO THE, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL PROJECTS.
UM, AND, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR ATTENDING THE MEETING THIS EVENING.
UH, AS FOSTER INDICATED, UM, THERE WILL BE A FOLLOW UP MEETING SCHEDULED NEXT MONTH.
SO I WOULD EXPECT AND HOPE THAT, UM, ALL OF YOU AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL MSD TAXPAYERS WILL UM, ATTEND THAT MEETING.
I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION, UM, A QUICK SHOW OF HANDS OF HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SERVING ON AN ADVISORY BOARD? OKAY.
I I ANTICIPATED A LOT OF HANDS GOING UP.
SO IT IT'LL BE A PROCESS TO IDENTIFY THOSE INDIVIDUALS, UM, WHO ULTIMATELY WILL SERVE ON AN ADVISORY BOARD IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION THAT WE END UP GOING.
UM, SO I, I HOPE THAT YOU CAN APPRECIATE THAT WHOEVER IS CHOSEN, IT'S NOT A SLIGHT TO THOSE WHO ARE NOT CHOSEN TO SERVE INITIALLY, THERE WILL BE TERMS OF OFFICE TO ALLOW ROTATION TO TAKE PLACE ON THE BOARD, WHICH I THINK IS A HEALTHY THING.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN, IN BEING WILLING TO PARTICIPATE, UM, UH, AND LOOK FORWARD TO THIS, THIS BOARD, YOU KNOW, BEING SET UP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND, AND, UM, I THINK THE BOARD OF ALL IT ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS ON FUTURE PROJECTS.
LET'S SAY JOHN MODERATE WAS ON THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND UM, TODAY HE'S ON THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
SIX MONTHS MAY HAVE HIS CELL PHONES PROPERTY.
DOES HE STILL HAVE A STATEMENT? THE COMMITTEE? I THINK THERE OUGHT BE SOME KINDA TIME, WHICH YOU'RE NOT A COMMITTEE MEMBER MEETINGS 30 MEETING TO GET PLACED, REPLACED.
JUST IN SOME COMMITTEES THEY DO AND SOME THEY DON'T.
UH, TRADITIONALLY WHEN WE DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS, WE REALLY DON'T HAVE A, A VOTE.
WE'LL, WE MAKE COMMENTS, BUT WE'RE THERE TO LISTEN REALLY.
ANOTHER QUESTION WAS, UM, IMPORTANT POINT THAT THERE'S SEVERAL PROPERTY, LARGE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT ARE NOT CITIZENS OF NEWMAN DO NOT LIVE WITHIN OUR CITY LIMITS.
I DON'T WANT THEM TO BE RESTRICTED BECAUSE THEY HAVE INVESTED IN OUR DOWNTOWN.
JUST BECAUSE THEY DON'T LIVE IN OUR CITY, THEY SHOULDN'T BE PAYING US.
SO I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CONSIDERATION BECAUSE TYPICALLY OUR LAWYER ONLY INVITES FROM CITY OF NEWPORT.
AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE A, A GAME STOP.
AND, AND THAT'S GOTTA BE A CONSIDERATION SINCE THE PROPERTY OWNERS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE SUPPORTING THIS MSD.
JOHN, I WOULD TAKE EXCEPTION TO THE IDEA OF ROTATING TERMS. CAUSE I THINK THE LARGEST PROPERTY OWNERS HAVE THE LARGEST STATE AND MAY NOT NECESSARILY ROTATE OFF.
THERE WILL BE A NATURAL ROTATION IF PROPERTY CHANGES HANDS WHERE IT'S IMPROVED OR DEGRADED, WHATEVER.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED OR MAYBE, MAYBE A CERTAIN THRESHOLD,
[00:40:01]
SOMETHING A LOT OF UNIQUE THINGS WE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO REALLY WORK THROUGH.ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES, I JUST WANTED MAKE, ALTHOUGH NONPROFITS ARE NOT PAYING INTO THE DISTRICT, UM, THE, THE IN THE COMMUNITY DO SERVE, UM, PROVIDE A LOT OF VALUE.
SO I DON'T THINK THEY SHOULD BE RESTRICTED FOR THE REPRESENTATION.
UM, SO JUST, UH, I THINK ANOTHER CONSIDERATION THAT JUST EVALUATED IS IN TERMS OF AT, UM, RESIDENTIAL REPRESENTATION.
UM, OBVIOUSLY CAN LOOK AT IT AS INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY, JUST INDIVIDUAL UNIT PROPERTY OWNERS.
THERE IS ALSO, YOU KNOW, LARGE CONDOMINIUM COMPLEXES, UM, IN OUR DOWNTOWN WORTH OF EVALUATION.
SO I, I THINK THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERATION.
THIS JUST GONNA BE INDIVIDUAL UNITS OR INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY OWNERS OR WE BE ALSO CONSIDERING HAVE A COMPLETE COMPLEX.
SO JUST, JUST SOMETHING CONSIDER.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ALL LET'S YES.
ONE I PEOPLE WHO OWN THEIR PROPERTY LOT PRIDE IN HOW THE PROPERTY LOOKS AS OPPOSED SOMEBODY WHO LIVE, PEOPLE WHO HERE WHO ONE, I DUNNO.
IT'S SORT LIKE VERSUS WHO'S GONNA TAKE CARE OF THE PROPERTY.
ALL RIGHT, NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO PROJECTS.
SO, SO SABRINA AND SOME, SOME OF THE OTHER FOLKS IN THE IN THE GROUP HAVE TALKED ABOUT SOME PROJECTS.
THIS IS NOT ALL INCLUSIVE BY ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORMS. THE PAST PROJECTS THAT WE'RE AWARE OF, STREET SCAPE IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS WAYFINDING, SIGNAGE, IMPROVED STREET LIGHTING, UTILITY CONVERSIONS, SIDEWALK UPGRADES, IMPROVED FACILITIES AND MAINTENANCE, BEAR PLA BEAR PLAZA, CUB HOUSE PROJECT OPERATION MAINTENANCE.
JAMES RE LANE ENTERED FOR PARK, UH, PAVING IMPROVEMENTS, DEVELOPMENT OF ALLEYWAYS AND OFF STREET PARKING, INSTALLATION OF TRASH AND RECYCLING CONTAINERS, LANDSCAPING AND A LOT MORE.
UM, ALSO PROPERTY ACQUISITIONS.
SO THE TALBOT LOT WAS, WAS PURCHASED.
IT WAS ALSO SOLD, UH, RECENTLY.
AND THOSE FUNDS WENT BACK TO THE MSD, UM, THE SOUTH FRONT STREET AND HANCOCK STREET LOT.
THE OLD, IT WAS ACTUALLY THE OLD RAILROAD PROPERTY RIGHT ON THE CORNER.
YOU CAN SEE A PICTURE OF THAT.
PURCHASED THAT A FEW YEARS AGO.
MOST RECENT PROJECTS AND SERVICES INCLUDE PARKING CONTROL OFFICERS, OF COURSE THE CLUBHOUSE, OP CLUBHOUSE OPERATION, OPERATIONAL SUPPORT SUCH AS CLEANING THE DISINFECTION OF THE JAMES REED LANE FOUNTAIN AND SOME OTHER AREAS.
NEW TRASH RECEPTACLES TREE PRUNING, WHICH WE RECENTLY COMPLETED.
UH, OKAY, NOW WE'RE AT THE PROPOSED PROJECTS.
NOW WE HAVE GATHERED INFORMATION FROM SEVERAL FOLKS, VISITORS THAT HAVE STOPPED BY, UH, STAFF HAVE BROUGHT THIS UP.
SO IT IS NOT ALL INCLUSIVE AND WE REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING YOUR COMMENTS ON THESE PROJECTS AND SOME POTENTIAL PROJECTS THAT YOU MAY LIKE TO SEE.
SOME PROJECTS ARE SMALL, SOME MAY BE A LOT BIGGER.
SO LIGHTINGS ADDITIONAL LIGHTING FOR SIDEWALKS, PUBLIC PARKING LOTS AND L E D ENHANCED CROSSWALKS, CERTAIN LOCATIONS FOR SAFETY SECURITY CAMERAS, FOR EXAMPLE, AROUND THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE.
JAMES RE, LANE BEAR PLAZA, MIDLAND, P*****K STREETS, DEDICATED POLICE OFFICERS AT CERTAIN TIMES OF THE DAY FROM PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, DEDICATED TRASH PICKUP AT CERTAIN HOURS OF THE DAY TO PICK UP TRASH.
UH, THE CROSSWALK UP BRAIDS, THERMAL PLASTIC BRICK PATTERN.
SO ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE, AND THIS IS MINE REALLY CAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST PET PEEVES I'VE GOT FOR DOWNTOWN.
WE'VE GOT A A, A KIND OF A POOR PAINTING JOB AROUND OUR CROSSWALKS SINCE FOR SUCH A, A WONDERFUL COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE.
WE'D LIKE TO HAVE NICE CRISP LINES AND THINGS.
THE BRICK, THE BRICK CROSSWALKS ARE VERY NICE.
UM, AND AT THESE CROSSWALKS WE NEED TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF REFLECTIVITY TO HELP WITH THE SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS.
AND SO WE'VE LOOKED, YOU'LL SEE AN EXAMPLE OF, OF A THERMOPLASTIC CROSSWALK.
YOU MAY HAVE SEEN, UH, SOME STAMP PATTERNS IN SOME OTHER DOWNTOWN AREAS WHERE THEY PUT EPOXY PAINT ON IT THAT WEARS OFF AFTER TIME.
[00:45:01]
LIKE THERMOPLASTIC, IT'S GOT THE GLASS BEADS IN IT FOR REFLECTIVITY THAT STAYS ON FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.AND, AND IT CAN BE TONED TO ANY COLOR AND, AND, AND LOOKS GOOD.
LARGER STREET SIGNS ON TRAFFIC SIGNALS.
THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE BIGGEST COMPLAINT WE RECEIVE FROM FOLKS THAT VISIT US.
IT'S HARD FOR THEM TO FIND THE SMALLER SIGNS AND LOOKING AT PUTTING LARGER STREET SIGNS ON THE CROSSARMS WHERE THE STOP LIGHTS ARE ADDING SOME AMENITIES SUCH AS BIKE RACKS, PICKLEBALL COURTS.
I WILL SAY ON PICKLEBALL COURTS, WE ARE LOOKING AT INSTALLING PICKLEBALL ACROSS THE, THE STREET CEDAR GROVE CEMETERY.
UH, BESIDE THE SPLASH PADS, I THINK THEY'RE ABOUT SIX COURTS THAT WE GO IN OVER THERE.
AN EXERCISE TRAIL ALONG THE RIVERWALK BENCH SWINGS AT UNION POINT PARK, FLOWER PLANTERS ON SELECT CORN POST DOWNTOWN SOUND SYSTEM.
AND NOT BLARING LOUD MUSIC, BUT PROVIDING INFORMATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BENCH DIVIDERS ON OUR BENCHES, HAVING DIVIDERS.
SO YOU CAN'T LAY DOWN ON THOSE.
REPLACING THE HISTORIC DOWNTOWN BANNERS, AS YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF THE BANNERS DOWNTOWN RIGHT NOW ARE THE, THE GOLD AND, AND UH, AND BURGUNDY BANNERS.
IT'S TIME TO REPLACE THOSE AND THERE'S A COST FOR THAT.
MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR, REPAINTING OUR LIGHT POLES, RETRIP STOCK BARS, SANDBLASTING POWER COAT COAT, TRASH CANS THAT NEED TO BE, UH, TAKEN CARE OF.
REPAVING THE P*****K STREET LOT.
UM, SOME PROPERTY ENHANCEMENTS INCLUDE FARMER'S MARKET UPGRADES, REPLACING THE GARAGE DOORS, UPGRADING THE RESTROOMS, AND REPLACING THE CEILING FANS.
UH, THE FARMER'S MARKET PAYS THEIR MONTHLY RENT TO THE MSD.
SO WHILE THE FARMER'S MARKET ASSOCIATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THAT A AS A CITY, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE LOOK AT AT AT, AT THE INTEGRITY OF THAT BUILDING.
ALSO THE RAILROAD PROPERTY, WHICH IS BETWEEN THE, THE FARMER'S MARKET AND THE HISTORY MUSEUM.
THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN IN AN UNSIGHTLY AREA.
LOOKING AT POSSIBLY ENHANCING THAT, WHETHER IT BE WITH ADDITIONAL LANDSCAPING OR PLANNINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS RECENTLY WITH THE RAILROAD ON WHETHER OR NOT WE COULD REALISTICALLY ADD SOME PARKING.
THEIR LEGAL IS LOOKING TO SEE WHAT WE COULD AND COULD NOT DO.
SO THAT WOULD BE A, AN AREA THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT, CONSIDERING ALSO PARKING AND A PI ALONG EAST FRONT STREET.
SO WE'RE, WHERE BROAD STREET COMES FROM, THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE, THE CITY HAS PROPERTY THAT CONTINUES ON INTO THE RIVER AND SO DEVELOPING THAT TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE PARKING, ANOTHER GREEN SPACE A LITTLE BIT.
AND THEN ACCESS TO A PIER FOR FOLKS TO, TO FISH.
WE'VE BEEN EXPLORING THE CRAVEN PARKING LOT, DOING SOME UPGRADES ON THE INNER CORE.
UM, SWISS BEAR SEVERAL YEARS AGO WORKED ON SOME PLANS.
THE, THE INFORMAL COMMITTEE TALKED ABOUT THIS SEVERAL TIMES.
THERE'S AN EXPENSE FOR THAT, BUT WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THAT, HOW THAT INNER CORE PARKING WORKS.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR GOVERNING BOARD IS INTERESTED IN ADDRESSING.
AND IF YOU ARE A PROPERTY OWNER ADJACENT TO THAT, MAYBE YOU WOULD SUPPORT THAT.
WE DON'T KNOW DIGITAL WAYFINDING SIGNS DOWNTOWN.
HAVING THOSE IN CERTAIN AREAS OF, OF DOWNTOWN, WHETHER IT BE ON THE INNER BLOCK, WHETHER WE HAVE SOMETHING AT BEAR PLAZA, JAMES REED LANE AT THE, AT THE, AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE PARKING ON CRAVEN.
LOT, LOT A DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN.
SO AS IT WAS MENTIONED, FUNDS WERE USED TO, TO DO AN URBAN PLAN SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
WELL IT'S TIME TO DO AN UPGRADE ON THAT.
SO WE COULD LOOK AT DOING THAT.
ALSO REDUCING THE DEBT SERVICE ON THE EXISTING DECK.
CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, UH, WE HAVE A RIGHT UNDER $500,000 OF DEBT, UH, THAT'S SCHEDULED TO BE PAID OFF IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
UM, ALRIGHT, SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SOME POTENTIAL PROJECTS THERE.
NOW WHAT I'D LIKE TO HEAR IS POTENTIAL PROJECTS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE MSD OR IF THERE ARE ANY PROJECTS THAT I'VE MENTIONED THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE IMPLEMENTED, PLEASE LET US KNOW YOUR COMMENTS ON THAT AS WELL.
SO PLEASE COME UP AS A REMINDER, THIS IS BEING BROADCAST AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE THAT MAY BE LISTEN AS WELL CAN HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.
SO PLEASE COME UP IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK.
UM, I HAVE TWO IDEAS FOR PROJECTS.
SO, UM, IF ANYONE'S SEEN THE VISITORS GUIDE, IF YOU OPEN THE MAP UP, IT'S GOT THIS NICE LITTLE GREEN DOT THAT SHOWS WHERE YOU CAN WALK AS A TRAIL.
WELL THAT TRAIL'S NOT COMPLETE.
UM, WE HAVE LOTS OF PEOPLE, A LOT OF VISITORS WHO COME, THEY WANT TO WALK IN THE MORNING, THEY WANT TO JOG.
UM, THERE'S NO WAY TO GET OVER THE RAILROAD ON HANCOCK STREET, EVEN THOUGH THE LITTLE GREEN LINE SHOWS YOU CAN DO THAT.
UM, WE NEVER COMPLETED THE WALKWAY AROUND THE MARRIOTT AND DOWN, UM, DOWN BY PERSIMMONS.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT RIGHT AWAY WAS GRANTED.
AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT WAS TOLD THE YEARS AGO.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S STILL THERE, BUT IF WE COULD COMPLETE
[00:50:01]
THAT, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF OUR VISITORS, THEY LIKE TO DO.THAT'S ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE ALWAYS ASK.
UM, THE OTHER PROJECT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS, UH, WE'VE DONE ALL OF THE SIDEWALKS AND WHATNOT AROUND THE MSD.
UM, THE 200TH STREET OR THE 200 BLOCK OF P*****K STREET OR SIDEWALKS ARE THE OLD SIDEWALK.
IT MAKES IT LOOK MORE LIKE IT'S RESIDENTIAL.
I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT, UM, THAT 200 BLOCK NOW IS MOSTLY COMMERCIAL, UM, AND DOESN'T REALLY TIE IN WELL WHEN YOU COME TO THE END OF CRAVEN, YOU TURN THE BLOCK.
UM, OR IF YOU'RE WALKING FROM THE UM, UM, FROM CONVENTION CENTER AROUND, IT SEEMS AS IF WE'RE A DEAD ZONE.
UM, ALSO FOR GUESTS WHO ARE GETTING OUT OF THEIR CARS, THEY HAVE TO STEP OVER THE GRASS AREA, UM, WHERE THE PARKING IS TO GET TO, UM, THE BMBS OR TO THE OTHER BUSINESSES.
AND AGAIN, IF THAT WAS ALL PAVED SIDEWALK LIKE IT IS ON CRAVEN AND THE THROUGH STREET OF P*****K, I THINK THAT WOULD JUST ADD TO THE CONTINUITY OF THE MSB.
UM, I JUST HAD SOME NOTES BEFORE, BUT, UM, MARIA CHO 2 52 P*****K STREET.
SO, UM, AS I MENTIONED, IMPLEMENTING ECONOMIC AND URBAN PLANNING STUDIES, UM, IMPLEMENT AN AMBASSADOR PROGRAM.
WILMINGTON ALSO HAS THAT, THAT THEY USE WITH THEIR MSD MONIES TO INCREASE BEAUTIFICATION AND SAFETY IN OUR DOWNTOWN.
UM, AS WELL AS CONTINUING TO BUILD ON CREATING A UNIQUE SENSE OF PLACE FOR OUR VISITORS AND INVESTED IN EXISTING ASSETS LIKE NEWPOINT PARK, UM, AND OTHER PUBLIC SPACES.
WHAT OTHER PROJECTS? UM, SPIGOTS ALONG THE STREETS SO THAT STORE OWNERS COULD WASH THEIR STOREFRONTS,
SO, SO I, I THINK, I THINK WE MAY HAVE, DID WE HAVE THAT ON THAT LIST? I KNOW THAT LYNN HARRICK WILL CALLED ME ABOUT THAT TODAY.
UM, BASICALLY WATER SPIGOTS ON IN FRONT OF, IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE BLOCK.
SO, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE ARE COMING THROUGH TWICE A YEAR TO PRESSURE WASH ALL THE DOWNTOWN SIDEWALKS.
SO HAVING SPIGOTS WHERE THE, THE, THE BUSINESS OWNERS CAN BASICALLY HOSE OFF THE SIDEWALKS IN FRONT OF THEIR BUSINESS.
THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE REFERRING TO, RIGHT? SURE.
OR, OR WASH DOWN YOUR BUILDING OR YOU'RE AWNING IF YOU HAVE ONE.
WHAT OTHER PROJECTS? WELL YOU'VE SAID IT ON, ON YOUR LIST, BUT I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS I THINK ARE DOCKS CUZ THIS REALLY, IT IS A HARD TIME IF YOU'RE COMING DOWNTOWN, IF YOU WANNA COME BY A BOAT.
AND IT'S, WE'RE FORTUNATE WE LIVE ON TWO RIVERS.
I MEAN SOMEBODY FROM FAIRFIELD, SOMEBODY FROM TRENT WOODS, SOMEBODY FROM RIVER BEND, SOMEBODY FROM PCO COUNTY, SOMEBODY FROM MOREHEAD MIGHT WANT TO COME DOWN HERE AND COME BY A BOAT AND THERE'S NOT MANY PLACES TO, TO DOCK.
AND I THINK THE MORE YOU CAN SPEND IN THAT ASPECT, I THINK IT'S GONNA PAY BACK.
NOW IT'S ALSO ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE THINGS OUT THERE.
SO I MEAN AT THE END OF THE DAY, DOWNTOWN IS AN ECONOMIC DRIVER AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO TRY TO PROMOTE IS PEOPLE TO COME DOWNTOWN, SPEND MONEY AND THEN LEAVE.
AND ALONG THOSE LINES AT UNION POINT PARK, WE DO HAVE THREE THREE DOCKS THAT WE REPLACED FROM HURRICANE FLORENCE DAMAGE.
AND IN MOST DAYS THERE ARE SEVERAL BOATS THAT ARE TIED UP TO THOSE.
SO THAT DOES SHOW THAT THEY'RE BEING USED AND WE APPRECIATE THAT.
WHAT OTHER COMMENTS? OH COME ON.
WE'VE COME A LONG WAYS IN ALL OF THIS.
I THINK EVERYBODY RECOGNIZES THAT.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A STRUGGLE WITH IS REMINDING THE CITY OF NEWBURN THAT UH, OUR TEXTILES ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO SUPPORT.
OUR MSD MONEY IS NOT SUPPOSED TO DO ALL THESE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GET SOME HELP FROM THE CITY WITH ONLY DISTRICT IN THE CITY THAT HAS A SPECIAL TAX.
SO IN ALL OF THIS, WE NEED TO REMEMBER, WE NEED COOPERATION AND WE NEED TO WORK WITH THE ALMAN AND THEY HAVE TO SPEND SOME OF THAT MONEY ON THEIR PROJECTS.
CAUSE YOU CAN'T DO MOST OF THESE PROJECTS BY YOURSELF WITH WHAT WE PAY IN TAX, THE SPECIAL DISTRICT TAX.
SO ANY GROUPS THAT YOU APPOINT.
ANOTHER REASON I SAID ALMAN NEED TO APPOINT, GOTTA BE PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND THAT AND WHO HAVE THE ABILITY TO WORK WITH ALMAN TO REMIND THEM THAT THEY DO HAVE OBLIGATIONS TO DOWNTOWN NEW
[00:55:01]
AS WELL AS THE REST OF THE CITY.AND IT'S ALWAYS HARD TO DIVIDE THE DOLLARS UP AND THERE ARE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE MORE NEEDS THAN OTHERS AND, AND, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO COME IN THIS MORNING AND EVERYBODY NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND.
UM, THING LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO HAVE.
I WE'RE BUT REALLY AN MSD 1 0 1, LIKE A PRIMER.
I KNOW WE DID SOME THE HISTORY, UM, YOU KNOW, BUT WHAT IT MEANS, AND I THINK PEOPLE HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT IT THAT DON'T REALIZE WHEN THEY TAX WHAT IT MEANS FOR THEM GROUP HERE.
BUT I THINK WE, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT CAME IN CAUSE HOW COULD YOU DETERMINE PROJECTS AND WE DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW IT WORKS.
MAYBE WE NEED TO RE-BROADCAST.
I I THINK WE CAN AND I THINK WE CAN.
UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE WAS A GREAT VIDEO THAT WAS DONE BACK IN, IT WAS 20 20 17 AND SO THAT IS CURRENTLY ON OUR MSD SITE AND WE WILL BE UPDATING THAT AS WELL TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECAUSE I'VE TALKED TO SOME FOLKS THAT HAVE JUST PURCHASED PROPERTY DOWNTOWN, DIDN'T REALLY KNOW HOW THE MSD TAX WORKS.
AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE EXPAND ON THAT TO LET YOU KNOW EXACTLY HOW THAT DOES WORK AND WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THOSE FUNDS ARE.
I EVEN SAY THAT TAX, I MEAN WE GOT RIGHT, WHICH IS GREAT.
PAY IS ABOUT PERCENT ANNUAL AND I'M PRETTY SURE I MORE THAN 1% BACK.
UM, UH, THE, UH, PART ABOUT SOME OTHER PROJECTS I'VE WORKED SEVERAL CITIES.
THE POINT I'D LIKE TO MAKE IS NEWBURG IS VERY UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT THAN ALL THESE OTHER CITIES.
SO RUSH, YOU KNOW, GREENSBORO MAKES SENSE, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY HAVE UH, UM, IS LIKE 4 MILLION.
SO IT'S PART COMMITTEE OR THE GROUP OR WHATEVER SUGGESTING HOW THIS IS THAT THIS GROUP OR SOMEBODY, YOU'VE HAD A LIST OF OTHER TOWNS THAT HAVE MSD SERIOUSLY GO TO SOME OF THESE SIT NOT YOU, BUT I, REINVENTING THE WHEEL ISN'T ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO.
AND, UM, SO GREENSBORO, BUT GREENSBORO HAS THREE HISTORIC DISTRICTS ALL WITHIN BUSINESS PROJECTS.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD EXERCISE.
UM, SO, UM, SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE BIG NOW HERE CONSIDERING WHAT HAPPENED DURING, DURING THE, BUT UM, THE, UM, THERE'S AN ORGANIZATION CALLED ENVISION THAT HAS A FRAMEWORK FOR EVALUATING, UM, PROJECTS.
AND I WOULD RECOMMEND MAYBE RUNNING PROJECTS THROUGH THAT ENVISION FRAMEWORK AS A WAY OF POSSIBLY SCORING THEM.
CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S PROBABLY BE A LOT OF GOOD, GOOD IDEAS COMING FOR PROJECTS, BUT AS, AS WAY TO EVALUATE THEM, THAT MIGHT BE A, A SYSTEMATIC WAY TO, TO DO IT.
IT KEEPS ON GETTING KICKED DOWN THE ROAD CAUSE OF INVOLVED IN THAT, BUT WITH THE RESTAURANTS AND BARS OF THE ROOF UP TRASH THERE, IS THERE A BIGGER ISSUE? I'M JUST ASKING THAT PRIORITY VISION FOCUS ON THAT STILL TOP DISCUSSED AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT SOME WAY OF GETTING THAT WORK.
AND CONSIDER AS THAT PUTTING THE, UM, RECYCLING BINS OR THE GARBAGE UNDERGROUND THAT HAS COME UP SEVERAL TIMES.
WHAT OTHER COMMENTS DO YOU LIKE SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED AND DISCUSSED THIS AGING? ANY THAT YOU JUST ABSOLUTELY DID
[01:00:01]
NOT LIKE OR THOUGHT OF? OKAY.IT WILL BE PRIORITIZED THAT, THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
WOULD, AND THAT'S WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMMITTEE WOULD BE TO, TO PRIORITIZE, LOOK AT THE FUNDING THAT IS AVAILABLE AND DETERMINE WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND TO OUR GOVERNING BOARD ON THAT.
UH, SOMETHING THAT MR. COMMENT ON WAS, UM, WHAT I UNDERSTOOD TO ME, NOTING THIS BOARD WITH SO MANY PROJECTS THAT MAYBE COULD BE SPREAD OUT WITH OTHER THINGS.
I, I'M RELATIVELY NEW TO TOWN, UM, BUT WE CAME HERE FOR MANY OF THE REASON.
MANY OF THINGS THAT, I DON'T MEAN TO SAY WHY WE'RE HERE, BUT THAT MY UNDERSTANDING IS, AND I WOULD SAY THANK YOU, BUT, UM, POLICING IS ONE THING VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, SAFETY IS OF COURSE VERY IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US, BUT, UM, I DON'T WANT IMPORTANT THINGS TO BE STRAPPED WITH.
I'M SORRY, THIS STRAPPED WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT SEEMS LIKE SHOULD BE SPREAD OUT AND FUNDED IN OTHER WAYS.
UM, BUT, BUT I WOULD ALSO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT I BELIEVE THIS GENTLEMAN AND THIS GENTLEMAN SAID REGARDING HOW THE CITY IS CHANGING WITH, UM, THE ADDITION OF SOME OF THE NEW, UM, ESTABLISHMENTS THAT HAVE, UM, REALLY CHANGING.
AND I HOPE THAT SOME OF THOSE PROBLEMS WILL BE ADDRESSED MESSING UP.
ALL RIGHT, SO WE ARE GOING HAVE A SURVEY THAT'S GONNA GO UP AND I HOPE THAT ALL OF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO PUT YOUR NAME ON THE SIGN-IN SHEETS THAT WE HAD OUT HERE.
CAUSE IF YOU DID, YOU'RE GONNA BE ON OUR EMAIL LIST.
WE ARE GONNA HAVE ANOTHER MEETING ON JUNE 15TH, UH, TO, TO COME BACK AND REVISIT AND THEN HONE DOWN SOME, SOME OF YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, AS WELL.
AND WE HAVE SOME OTHER MSD PROPERTY OWNERS DO ATTEND SO WE CAN GET THEIR FEEDBACK AS WELL.
THEN WE'LL CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
UH, BUT HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH ALDERMAN PRILL AND THERE IS GOING TO BE AN AWARD, ONE TOWN HALL MEETING, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING THAT LATER IN THE MONTH OF JUNE.
AND AT THAT TIME, I'M SURE TOPICS ARE GONNA BE DISCUSSED.
SO SUCH AS NOISE, UM, TRASH SOCIAL DISTRICT, THAT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT CONTINUES TO ENSURE SMOKING.
ANY OTHER ISSUES THAT, THAT THE WARD ONE AND DOWNTOWN, UH, PROPERTY OWNERS OR RESIDENTS MAY HAVE WANNA HEAR WHAT FOLKS HAVE TO SAY.
SO THAT CAN ALSO HELP US PRIORITIZE HOW THE CITY WORKS WITH THE DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY.
UH, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING AGAIN.
THIS IS GOING TO BE ON, ON OUR WEBSITE.
THIS, THE, UH, THE VIDEO TONIGHT WILL BE ON THE WEBSITE.
WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO ADD SOME THINGS BASED ON WHAT, WHAT YOU ALL SAID, ANY OF THE FEEDBACK YOU HAVE, WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE THAT DOCUMENTATION AS WELL.
UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US, THE EASIEST WAY TO TO, TO REACH OUT OUR WEBSITE, UM, NC.GOV, YOU CAN SIGN UP THERE.
YOU CAN ALSO SEND AN EMAIL TO MSD NEW NC.GOV.
OUR CITY CLERK WILL, OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER WILL PUSH THAT INFORMATION OUT TO OUR GOVERNING BOARD MEMBERS SO THEY'RE AWARE OF SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT, THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
UH, AND WE'RE GLAD THAT WE HAD SUCH A GOOD TURNOUT TONIGHT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE AND WE WANT YOU TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS AND HAVE A SAY IN, IN HOW YOUR TAX DOLLARS ARE GONNA BE SPENT.
SO IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND ALDERMAN, ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO SAY? NO, JUST THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR, UH, FOR COMING TONIGHT.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN NEXT MONTH.
AND, UH, DON'T HESITATE TO REACH OUT TO THE CITY, UM, WITH SUGGESTIONS.