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Downtown Muskegon Business Improvement District
Meeting Minutes
Nov. 22, 2016
380 W. Western Ave., Suite 202 Muskegon, MI at 4 PM
1) Call to Order: 4:04 PM
2) Attendance:
Doug Pollock (Chair), Gary Post, John Riegler, Bruce Lindstrom, Mike Hennessy, Bob
Tarrant and Frank Peterson
Excused Absent(s): Connie Taylor and Justin Clark (VC)
Guests: Dave Alexander, Downtown Muskegon Now director; Ellen Berends, DMN
events and promotion; and Muskegon DPW Director Mohammed Al-Shatel.
3) Consent Agenda
a) Approval of Agenda, minutes from Sept. 27, 2016 meetings, acceptance of the
financial statements as of Nov. 15, 2016,
Motion: Gary Post
Support: John Riegler
Vote: All voted in favor
4) Public Comment (on an agenda item) – None. The board chose to leave the floor open for
the whole meeting allowing attendees to participate as they like.
5) Unfinished Business
a) The BID board had before it the final approval of a Letter of Understanding between
the BID and the city Department of Public Works for downtown sidewalk snow removal
for 2016-17. H&H continues to provide parking lot and alley snow removal per the BID
request for proposals. The topic generated many questions, comments and debate.
Doug Pollock wanted the letter to reflect the BID not paying for the entire month of
November since no snow removal services were needed. Bob Tarrant agreed. John
Riegler said that the beginning of the season has backed the BID board into a corner
on this issue. The proposed agreement results in a lot less service and a lot more cost
than last winter with a private contractor, Doug Pollock said. He wants to bid out the
service next year to determine what the best competitive cost is.
Gary Post pointed out the compromise of a 1.5 inch trigger to a 2 inch trigger for all
days of the week and weekends. Mohammed Al-Shatel said that the city and the
downtown BID property owners are all in this together. He suggested a $7,500 a
month December through March for downtown sidewalk snow removal as proposed.
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Gary Post said that is an arbitrary number because no really knows the exact costs of
sidewalk snow removal. Mohammed Al-Shatel said he’d like to try it the next four
months.
Doug Pollock said he is suspicious with government having a “pot of money” and that
the BID should be stingy with its resources. Mohammed Al-Shatel said this is “not a
money-making” proposition for the city. DPW wants to do the best job possible. BID
was sold on sidewalk clearing, Mike Hennessy said.
Mohammed Al-Shatel said that weekend coverage should be on the major downtown
arteries of Clay, Western, Morris and Third. He said DPW would handle Monday
through Saturday for a flat fee of $8,000 a month with Sunday be additional on a time
and materials basis. The weekend service would be Western from Terrace to
Seventh, Clay from Terrace to Third, Morris from Terrace to Third and Third from
Morris to Merrill.
Such a compromise with $8,000 a month flat fee for December through March for
Monday to Saturday service and Sundays on an as-needed basis for the cost of time
and materials. The weekday service map would be as proposed and the weekend
service map as outlined above by Mohammed Al-Shatel. This will be put into a letter of
understanding written by Dave Alexander and signed by the BID board and the city.
Motion: Mike Hennessy
Support: Frank Peterson
Vote: All voted in favor
6) New Business
a) Dave Alexander presented a 2017 BID budget and work plan that was from the
originals approved in the BID by the city commission. However, the $150,000
expenditure budget -- with revenues including fund balance from 2016 -- for city
accounting purposes was divided into two halves Jan. 1-June 30 and July 1-Dec. 31.
The budget was divided and the Jan. 1-June 30 was before the BID board for
approval.
Motion: Bruce Lindstrom
Support: Bob Tarrant
Vote: All voted in favor
b) The BID board discussed the assessment district going forward beyond 2017, which
already has been approved by the Muskegon City Commission. Chairman Doug
Pollock appointed himself, Bob Tarrant and Mike Hennessy to work with Dave
Alexander to arrive with a recommendation for the BID board for its March 28 meeting.
Subsequently, the BID board will need to make a recommendation to the Muskegon
City Commission.
7) Other Business
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a) Ellen Berends updated the BID board on events and decorations for the end of 2016.
DMN partnered with the city for a highly successful Halloween event Saturday Oct. 29.
The final First Friday event was Nov. 4 at the Lakeshore Museum of Art. First Fridays
will pick back up in February 2017 with the downtown Snowfest celebration of the
Muskegon Greater Jaycees. Plans are set for Holidays in the City and the Community
Christmas Tree Lighting Nov. 26. Christmas decorations this year are being provided
to the BID and the city for downtown by the Bailey Family company on a seasonal
rental arrangement. The BID will contribute its $2,500 budgeted for Christmas
decorations with the remainder paid for by the city of Muskegon.
b) The board discussed its chairmanship. The consensus was to remain with current
board leadership in 2017. A formal vote will be the first meeting in 2017.
c) The next meeting is Tuesday Jan. 24, 2016 4 p.m. in the chamber training room, 380
W. Western. The meeting schedule would follow every other month with 2017 meeting
dates March 28, May 23, July 25, September 26 and November 28.
8) Adjournment
5:15 PM
No Objection
Minutes produced and submitted by Dave Alexander, executive director of Downtown
Muskegon Now.
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