HRSR Information 01-07-08oR'M~°T~O~
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Rivers Edge Meeting Minutes for Wednesday, November 14, 2007
The meeting was called to order at 8AM in the Chamber of Commerce Meeting Room. In
attendance were: Cathy Mehelich, Kathy Rehfeldt, Donna Busch, Sandi Yeado, Marlys
Ellingson, Jeff Gongoll, Wendy Simenson, Fred McCoy Patti Hipsag
Treasurers Report: Jim reported that there is $2308.12 in the treasury.
Secretary's Report: Minutes were accepted (Jeff moved, Jim Seconded)
Old Business:
City Update: HRA is working on a 2 year lease agreement with the Elk River Area Arts
Alliance to lease the property at 716 Main Street. (Former Creative Genius Site).
Parking Permits: Parking Permits will be issued in the end of December for next year.
Permits will be $20 and there will be no limit on permits. When the employee parking
areas are full, overflow parking will be across highway 10 or on unrestricted street
parking(Lowell Ave west). Residents downtown prior to the new construction can get
parking permits. The King Ave lot will be enforced from 8AM to 6PM. Overnight
parking will be allowed in designated areas of the King Ave Lot.
Improvements are going to be made to N Highway l O lot. It will be repaved and it will
have lighting. No permits will be required to park in this lot. All posted street parking
will be changed to 3 hour parking.
Fall/Halloween Decorating & Events: There was a great turnout for trick or treating
downtown on Halloween. Trick or treaters started arriving at l OAM and continued until
5:30PM. Many adults with kids in tow had not been in businesses downtown before. Jeff
Gongoll judged the screaming contest in the park between 4:30 and 5:30. Daddy'os
donated gift certificates for prizes. John Babcock lent his Scream Decibel Meter to help
judge the noise. Next year should have pumpkin judging contest-display precarved
pumpkins in the park.
Open House/Santa Downtown December 15: We are co-sponsoring this event with ER
Park and Rec. The open house activities will run from 11AM to 3PM. Command
Performance Choir will be singing at Old Main at 11:30. Santa and the animals will be in
Rivers Edge Commons Park from 12 to 3. Ross Dimants, Donna, Fred and Wendy have
been coordinating activities. Many businesses will be offering special things that day -
discounts, treats, cookie decorating, holiday open houses. The reindeer, llama, white
tailed deer, sheep and Santa's Sleigh will cost $750. We will try to get sponsorship for
that. Last year MetroPlains paid for part of the event and The Bank of Elk River paid for
part. If we can't raise the funds, we voted to pay up to $750 out of our treasury to cover
the cost. Park and Rec are providing Santa this year at no cost so that should decrease our
costs. First National has paid for the red open house insert that goes in the paper the
Wednesday before the event. We will ask them if they will do this again. Individual
businesses will be having ads in the Weekender the weekend before Thanksgiving and
the weekend before December 15th. We are looking at printing a 2 color downtown
business shopping brochure for the holidays. We will pass out door signs advertising the
downtown open house. All interested downtown businesses can participate in the
promotions. Participation forms were passed out to all retail businesses on Main and
Jackson downtown. (if you know of anyone who was missed or who should be added to
our list please let Wendy know).
New Business:
Advertising together/Downtown Promotions: It was suggested that we look into banners
that could be hung from the street lights. Use BOB to advertise on the radio.
Lighting the Boulevard Trees: The power is currently not turned on to the trees. We will
work on replacing the bulbs and getting the lights turned on.
Initiative Foundation and Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber of Commerce will be
recognizing Chamber members who give 2% of their pretax profits to charity. The
Chamber offered classes put on by the Initiative Foundation to help businesses decide
how to allocate their business giving. Jeff is looking at the possibility of repeating the
classes and/or incorporating the topic at a Chamber Luncheon. For more information,
check with Jeff at the Elk River Chamber of Commerce.
The meeting was adjourned at 9AM