Downtown Development Authority Minutes

Present: DDA Members: Christopher Johnson, Greg Presley, Margene Buckhave, Lou LaChance, Dave Larsen, Jim DeHaan, Rick Shaffner, Jim Long. Others: City Manager Gary Word, DDA Director Lori Ward, DPW Director Jim Gallogly, School Board Representative Joan Wadsworth, Reporter Heather Connor, Recording Secretary Carol Kasprowicz

Absent: Lynda Heaton (excused)

Approval of Minutes: The minutes of the November 12, 2002 meeting were corrected to show Greg Presley as absent and excused (correction in italics). The minutes were approved as amended.

Director Ward gave a brief progress report on the implementation of the parking management plan. Several steps had been taken in implementing and enforcing the plan: warning tickets were issued for the first two months, signage was placed in each of the lots identifying the time restrictions, and maps were developed that indicated the location of all municipal parking. Letters have been received from shoppers who had received parking tickets for violating the new parking restrictions. It is proposed that a response letter be sent out to those shoppers and enclose a parking map and gift certificate from a variety of downtown businesses. A $200 budget for these efforts was requested.

Suggestions/discussion included:

- The suspension of strict parking enforcement during the holiday shopping season and possible problems.

- Have the parking ticket paid by businesses and then reimburse the business.

- Create a database of downtown employees and/or frequent violators to assist in focusing on habitual violators and not on the errant out-of-town shopper.

- Deal with the ticket in an immediate manner.

All suggestions will be placed before the Downtown Parking Committee at their next meeting.

Ward stated new temporary parking signs have been added to the entrances and in each parking lot of the City. The orange signs indicate where there is all day parking; the yellow signs indicate 3-hour parking. A proposal is forthcoming from Sue Dillon of Graphic Vision regarding permanent signage. The proposal is to be available for the January DDA meeting.

Aerial maps with appropriate topographical measurements have been received from McNeely & Lincoln and were reviewed by the Steering Committee. Presley stated he had a recent meeting with Bob Gibbs of the Gibbs/Green Report at which time Gibbs offered to revisit Northville (at his expense). The Steering Committee hopes to meet with Gibbs sometime in January and all DDA members are invited. Ward also reminded the DDA members of a joint Strategic Planning Meeting with the Planning Commission and City Council that will take place in January or February 2003.

The next meeting was tentatively scheduled for January 14, 2003. Meeting adjourned 8:40 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Carol T. Kasprowicz, Recording Secretary