Sep 03, 2020 Economic Development Partnership Board on 2020-09-03 8:30 AM (Downtown Economic Development Committee)

>> Okay. I would like to call the meeting to order of the downtown economic development task force if I got that right. This is the Thursday, September 3rd, 2020. And we have a quorum. So the item for consideration, first item will be to consider approval of the minutes of the July 2nd, 2020 meeting. I'll entertain a motion. >> I make that motion. Bob Moses. >> Okay. We have a motion. Do I have a second? >> I'll second it. Beth Lewis. >> Motion and a second. Any discussion? All those in favor say aye. Or do we need to go? >> Alex, can you do a roll call through that? >> Sorry. I have to go around and do a roll call. Let me look at my screen. Hank, what say you? >> I'm here and I say yes. >> John? >> Aye. >> Melissa? >> Aye. >> Nick? >> Bill? >> Aye. >> Marty? >> Aye. >> Beth? >> Aye. >> Bob? >> Aye. >> And also an aye, so motion carries. The next item is to receive a report, hold a discussion and give staff direction regarding nominations for the annual business award. >> I'll be presenting that. >> Each year we have our annual business award. This year we're going to do things a little different. Instead of having an actual breakfast meeting, we're going to do things virtually. We asked for your nominations over the last couple of weeks. I included that in the back up. If you'd like to see it, I can pull it up on the screen and we can take a look at it, all your nominations. In the past couple of years, in 2017, it was Beth Marie's. 2018, it was Tim Beatty Builders. And in last year, we honored Jupiter House, Mini Figs and Bricks, Lottie Daw and the Martina Group and Frank Zangroo Building as owner. And we did that as a nod and appreciation for rebuilding after the minima fire. So if you'd like, I can pull up that spreadsheet and we can take a look at it together, or does everyone have a good feel for that list? Let me share my screen. >> It's like Melissa was very active in her nominations. >> I'll throw it all out there. >> You did. >> Glad someone did. >> Here we go. So first at the top of the list is Greenhouse. They led a call to safety first and they were really great about getting open early. They also participated in providing food for some for the homeless folks that were being housed. They helped lots of businesses downtown as they shifted to an online presence. They did several videos and online trainings for people. Next is Hannah's and they've always been seen as kind of off the square, but they've been very active in promoting a job shift and getting involved locally with the pandemic. I personally enjoyed several of his cooking demonstrations, so that was really fun. We also have from Melissa local banks. I'm not sure how you see that, Melissa. Maybe we can talk about that. How we would honor multiple banks. But most of our banks went above and beyond helping people get online and through all of the PPE and those types of things. More fun comics. Tim's done a lot running his business. He's actually expanding during this pandemic, so that's really great to see that. Norman Roscoe ran a give back program where a portion of their sales for t-shirts was donated back to local businesses. And I tried to confirm the most current amount in the number of different businesses that they donated to. But at the end of July, that total amount was $130,000. Palm Tree Boutique, they were really active on social media and is a different business to nominate instead of a restaurant or bar or other business that we have in the past. They are super active on social media. They don't just shoot things in their store. They go outside of their store and shoot in other areas downtown, kind of giving people a glimpse of what downtown looks like. 10-1 Cheese, they were really great in sharing and working with other businesses, partnering with them as far as doing cheese plates and doing packages to help bring more people to businesses downtown. And then the Chestnut Tree, they've done a great job pivoting during this time, going from a restaurant to an actual providing groceries. So it's kind of a brief overview of all those. Are there any that you want to talk about a little bit further or do you have something else you want to add to the list? Well, good job, Melissa and a few others that made nominations. I do like the theme if we're going to be virtual anyway. It makes sense that we in some way nominated business that has done a good job or helped others through a trying time for retail and for tourism. So I do like that. I like the idea of the bankers and I personally appreciate mine that have helped us and our businesses. I don't know how we may honor them or just recognize some of them. Maybe it's not through this specific award, but it would be nice to try and just say something, if nothing else, if that's not the selection we make, but just have someone make mention of all of them during this virtual event. So I'm just throwing out the discussion. I don't really have a specific one I'm thinking of. Excuse me. This is Bob. I personally think that Chestnut Tree led the way in a lot of ways of thinking outside the box for small companies of how to try and generate some kind of income to continue in operation. They certainly helped us to see what they were doing and I think it might have helped other folks too. So I just speak up for Chestnut Tree. Christina, the Norman Roscoe $130,000, who did that go to? That's what I was trying to get and I know there were several businesses they included in the downtown area as far as having options, but I don't have a complete list. I tried to get that, but I wasn't able to get it. I didn't get a response back from Eric. I like the idea of a couple of businesses. I don't think you can go wrong with this list. I wouldn't do bankers. I think I appreciate that, but I wouldn't. We've got plenty of other folks downtown and I think anybody we picked on here would be a good option. I do like the idea of the companies that have, to use an overused word, pivoted and I especially like the ones that have gone above and beyond to help the other businesses downtown. 10-1 and Norman Roscoe specifically, like 10-1 had when they were doing their cheese classes, they announced they were going to Mulberry Street Cantina or you name it. They were partnering with those groups and helping keep other businesses afloat. I personally like the idea of picking somebody who was doing that above and beyond. I didn't know about Norman Roscoe. It's kind of neat and we've got a number. It would be nice to know. I don't know that we need to know that $5,000 went to XYZ Business and had to announce that, but let's just know that that was happening because that's keeping the whole downtown afloat. Could be, I guess. About two cents. I wasn't aware of the involvement of what Chestnut Tree did, but they've done a great job just in recent years anyway, updating that, staying relevant as a concept. They've been a longstanding business down there and I bet you a lot of people still don't know about them. What I was referring to is that they actually kind of generated an online grocery store, if you will, early on, where there's completely outside the box of what they normally do and they set up an online thing and actually selling to other people downtown even to us, but to the community things that you couldn't get at stores or generating curbside pickup kind of opportunities. I think they led the way to a degree to other people to start thinking outside of our box, at Beth Marie's. They were one of our motivators and helped us actually set up online and do those kind of things of creating that. That's what they did. You convinced me, Bob. I love the idea and I think you should present the award to them. I'm not the presenter, but actually speaking from experience, I think it's well, actually, my partner, Ken Willis, is the person that saw that happening because he's more directly involved in our operations. I think everybody knows that Ken does operations. I do the branding promotion of the things, but I was involved on the sideline and I just saw that happening and thought it was very good. Ken would be a very short presenter. I say we go with that. John and Christine, do you all have an idea of how much work Gissotti did to allow the square around Main Street to help people pivot? I know that Gissotti helped Chestnut Tree with their marketplace. They helped a couple other businesses. They and Swash did immediately, right after the closing of announcements on March 23rd, I believe it was, Josh and Jason put together a webinar of sorts on a livestream on Facebook to talk about how businesses could immediately shift to their social media for sales and that is still living on our Facebook page as a livestream. That event helped businesses make that shift because it was free for anybody to watch and tune in. It was a big movement immediately right after COVID hit. I know that Gissotti did that for less than retail cost to them to help out their neighbors. Gissotti is just a superbly run organization. Jason does a fine job and I think I mentioned it during the nomination process. I like to, I think our history is kind of laden with a lot of restaurants and I think perhaps to recognize somebody in kind of the tech industry to focus on them and to highlight them would be maybe a good idea. I mean that way Jason, you know, the in the receipt. Melissa, we're losing you. Yeah, we're not having much luck. All right, we'll let someone else speak for a moment. I would just throw in there that Swash may have done some activity as well for other businesses. I'm not as familiar with that but I do know they are one of our major sponsors for downtown promotion, Swashes. They work very closely with Gissotti and our sponsorships. So, you know, we can always find out more but I do know that it was those two companies work pretty well together on a lot of things but I will say that Gissotti was, is, has been a big partner for a lot of time and people. Are they both involved with Main Street, Christine? Yes, both Swashes are platinum sponsors. No one nominated them but if they're, if they both equally provided similar services during that time and, you know, there were, if you had a testimonial from their clients that could almost, you know, not that they have to get up and speak but even it's something we could read from one of their clients maybe that just kind of attested to what they were able to do and saw it as a way in which they felt like they survived. I think that would be an effective story. Yes, and just a little tidbit for you if it helped. Go ahead. Norman Roscoe was featured in the Texas Downtown, or excuse me, Texas Main Street program did a little feature on Norman Roscoe and their pivot and what they did to help businesses in their monthly statewide newsletter. So it was recognized statewide. I feel like, if I'm not mistaken, I was trying to look back at our, at our prior awards. I'm having a lot of luck toggling between things today, have that right in front of me, what are you looking for. So like I feel like in 2016 maybe that I know it's a different business, but, you know, we awarded maybe Sparky Pearson but did Sparky get up and accept the award or was it, or was it Jason? I just feel like I've seen him up there to accept an award before and he's pretty good about getting a lot of attention brought to his businesses. So if, if we want to try and, try and nominate and recognize someone that we haven't or a type of business we haven't, I would, I would lean towards the Jasati or the Jasati slash Swash Labs combo, you know, to kind of promote tech and you, do you have any other thoughts or did Melissa come back on? Not yet. I don't see her. There, she's trying. There she is. At least Melissa's chair is on, it says. Yeah, there she is. Oh, I don't, do we have any, does anyone want to, well this is always tough because just a nomination by one, it may not be what everybody's thinking. So we feel like is anyone leaning towards a consensus? I'd like, I like Bob's idea and I like John's idea. I could be, I could go either way. So far we've narrowed it down to Norman Roscoe, 10-1 Cheese, Chestnut Tree and then the Jasati Swash Labs combo. Don't remember a lot of discussion about 10-1 Cheese but. This is about, well, can we say that, I mean, is the understanding that Jasati and Swash Labs were instrumental in promoting the differences or the, I guess the innovativeness of Norman Roscoe and the Chestnut Tree? In other words, is that would be a common denominator for them or we're looking at them individually as outstanding businesses? I know they helped JT Clodieres also get online and set that up. I don't know, yeah. But this is also just a culmination of their dedication and just like Christine said, they're platinum sponsors for downtown and they are heavily invested in the success of downtown and that really shined during the pandemic, during the quarantine. Well, without an online presence or a voice online, because we certainly wouldn't be where we are right now. I think it was significant and continues to be and will continue, especially in the near future. And I'll be honest, we keep trying about getting back to new normal, getting back to normal, but I actually want to come back better as a result of all that we've been through. And I do think that technology is going to have a huge role in that. I certainly respect anything John or Bob has to say about downtown, but I think because Chestnut Tree sits right there on the square, we sometimes lean towards those businesses that are right there on the four streets. I kind of like going with the online assistance this year, because it was really the only way you were going to make a dent and keep people afloat. So it sounds like we've got two very worthwhile providers in that sense. I think that's where I would lean. But I'd like to keep, like we always do, Chestnut Tree in mind, because we'll be having this discussion again next year and I would make them my 1A and go with Jasadi and the online assistance. And it'd be helpful if you don't do it already. Every year it seems like we have like one or two that we really would like to, but we say we'll do it next year. So like that list that you keep, it's like it just maybe next year we're saying, what were those ones we really wanted to honor? Not to say that we'll pick them, but you know, it would be nice. So I guess I'll voice, I think I'm leaning towards this, you know, if we're going to go combo, you know, a Swash and Jasadi nomination, or I'm not saying I'm nominated, but that's where I would lean. Well, this is John Cartwright. I'll go ahead and nominate the combo of Jasadi and Swash Labs to receive this year's award. Okay. We have a nomination. Any, do I have a second? I'll second that. Any further discussion? Okay. I guess I'll do it. I'll do a roll. Do you have a preferred language that you want? I mean, is there a key phrase or something that, how would you like their award to read? Oh, John, I think you can come up with that. I don't know that it has to be part of the nomination. We have to do it right now, or can we just do it offline? I think he can do that. We can do it offline to figure out the exact language of the award. Yeah. I think I think we know the spirit of it. So I think that the understanding is that it's helping other businesses move, transform their business, move online, using technology to help offset the pandemic. So we'll craft something that's a little good and we'll have John approve it. And I like what, just to throw that, I like what Hank said that they helped in the only way that business could do business through the online presence. And so I'd like to include that also. I think it'd be really nice to get maybe some quotes from the businesses they helped. Oh, good idea. That would be awesome. Okay. Good discussion. All right. So we have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? I'll go around the roll call. Hank? Aye. Christine, are you a voting member? No. Okay. John? Aye. Nick? I think I saw aye, but you're on mute. Hi. Okay. Marty? Same thing. Aye. Beth? Aye. Bob? Aye. Melissa? Aye. Michael? Aye. Okay. Motion carries. I believe unless there's any, are you an aye? Yes, I'm an aye. Sorry. I think that is it as far as discussion besides staff report. Okay. For staff reports, for openings, we have TB WINS. They moved over into the space that was vacated by Amex Jewelers. It's over there at 222 West Hickory. Then we have a new business downtown called Mashed Up Market. They're at 318 East Oak. Mashed Up Market, they're a vegan grocery store. So something a little different. We don't have anything like that downtown yet. They are known to have an extensive product range from vegan items to other things like bacon bits and vegan cheeses. Closings, we have an announcement from Circus 77 that they're going to close. They haven't officially closed yet, but they're in the process of reducing their inventory so that they can close. Coming soon, we still have H2Oak, Caskeys. We have a hair salon going in at 110 West Oak, which is the former Wine Squared. Then More Fun Comics is working on the Mad World Records location. Our status of the downtown reinvestment grants, Chai Dow on 104 West McKinney is still under construction. Then we have completed the grant and issued the payment for H2O for their sign grant. I think Jessica is going to give us a brief update on the downtown tourist study. Yes. So many of you have been participating in our ongoing stakeholder meetings that we've held throughout August and early September. Our goal is to wrap up the report or the preliminary report and data collection phases over the next week or so. And then we'll be presenting to the TURS board the preliminary report on September 23rd. And that's been a very long process. I can't believe it. It's actually been a year since we contracted for that study. But like many other things, we had about a six-month break during that process. Yeah. All right. Can, I don't know. Hold on. Can everyone, can anyone hear us? I hear you. I can hear you. Okay. Sorry. Our feed is cutting in and out. Okay. You're on. Okay. Back on. Okay. Thank you. So like I said, preliminary study moving forward to the TURS board on September 23rd. And we're excited to keep that project moving and get some feedback. And then eventually we'll get to city council after the TURS board discussion. And so we'll send out data to this board as we move forward through that process. And then while I'm speaking, I'll go ahead and introduce the face that you see on your screen that you probably have not met yet. And that's our new analyst, Dan Rosenfield. So Dan joined our team this week. So he got to have his first week of work remotely and in the office. And so we're happy to have him join the team. Okay. I keep getting messages that my internet's unstable. So if I freeze up again, I just want to apologize. I wanted to give you all an update on the committee member terms. Today is our fifth meeting to hold this year. And I would like to congratulate Beth on your perfect attendance, but I don't, I've seemed to have lost her on my screen, but gone through and checked all the minutes and checked everyone's attendance. I can send that to you if you're curious, but I didn't post it out yet. And then at our first meeting, this time last year, we drew straws. Our first meeting after being named a committee, we drew straws to see who would serve one-year terms or two-year terms. I reached out to everyone who was scheduled to have a one-year term and asked them if they would like to be reappointed. And luckily enough, everyone has said yes. So in the October meeting for the economic development committee, they were the economic development partnership board committee. They will go forward and reappoint or do reappointments. So the information I have, I'll share that with that group and that committee, and then we'll move forward from there. Does anyone have any questions about that? Christine, although I have a year left technically, but I will not be on the ED partnership board anymore and I'm a representative for that. So I'll need to roll off of this committee. Okay. I was assuming the partnership board get somebody else. So the partnership board appoints the chair of this committee, Marty. So that would be your seat. I believe that we'll be switching out. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Other than that, under staff reports, we have our next meeting scheduled for October 2nd. October 2nd or 1st? Oh, I'm sorry. You're right. You were first. That's why she has perfect attendance. Okay. Well, unless there are any other announcements from the room. Anyone have anything? Yeah. I've got an announcement. I wanted to talk about Medworld Records just for a moment since they're leaving the square and Tam with Atomic Comics and Candy are coming in at that location. They're not leaving because they were having business problems actually. Mark, that business was one of the top businesses and DFW for what they did. And they were very active during the last three, four, five months. But Mark realized that he was actually getting enough online sales and curb pickups and those kinds of things to allow him to move his operation, I'll just say back home. And they have a house next to them that they moved all of his collection into. And so he wanted to be around while they raise their 10-year-old son more. And so it was kind of a personal decision like that. And I was just thrilled that I was going to get someone coming into that slot that I felt like was really still good for the square. So just wanted to let folks know why Medworld Records moved off the square. Okay. Thank you. Anyone else? Nobody on this call just turned 50. That's 30 years ago for me. As I explained before, you start celebrating anniversaries of your 29th birthday. Welcome to the club. Thank you. We are lucky to have you. Just a reminder, there's only 76 college football programs playing and we're one of them. So Saturday at 630 against Houston Baptist, we're going to try to socially distance and get a win. 25% capacity and evidently we've sold out the 25% capacity. So there's a sellout. How about that? Okay. Okay. Well, if there's no other announcements or discussions, I'll entertain a motion to adjourn. So moved. All right. I'll second. Okay. I don't think I'll roll call, but thanks everybody. See you soon. Thanks. Have a great week.