Belleville DDA considers Wednesday food trucks, live bands

How about adding a first-Wednesday-of-the-month food truck on Fourth Street in front of the library, along with a live band from June through September in the city of Belleville?
This was the proposal from Belleville Councilman Kenneth Voigt to the Belleville Downtown Development Authority at its April 21 meeting via zoom.
Councilman Voigt was representing the Belleville Area Council for the Arts. He asked for $3,000 to pay for the bands. The food trucks would come without charge.
DDA vice chairman Jason Mida said he didn’t want this to be perceived or real damage to the city’s restaurants.
DDA treasurer Sabrina Richardson-Williams said she didn’t want to see the food trucks in front of the restaurants.
Voigt said the plan was to put this on Fourth Street in front of the library.
DDA member Jennifer Winter of Egan’s Pub said because of the DORA (Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area), people could also get a drink at the restaurants.
Williams asked if they had talked to the library about this and Voigt said they hadn’t.
“We’d have to go to council,” said DDA chairperson Alicia McGovern, referring to the road closure that would be necessary.
Voigt said he could book the music and he has BACA’s two portables stages. He said he could put up a stage for the band.
“Wouldn’t hurt to have more fun in our downtown,” Mida said.
Voigt said they could try it this year as an experiment and see how it goes. Then expand it next year.
DDA member Valerie Kelley-Bonner said it would be good to change the genre of the music each month and Voigt said when they scheduled the music for Music Lakeside they vary the genre each week.
“We could pass it contingent on the council,” chairperson McGovern said and Voigt replied, “I know someone on the council.” Voigt is a councilman.
Winter made a motion, seconded by Bonner, to approve, contingent on the city council, the food truck and band on the first Wednesdays of the month at a cost not to exceed $3,000.
DDA secretary Denise Baker asked about promotion costs. DDA coordinator Carol Thompson said the DDA budget has a line item for promotion.
The motion was amended to read that the band and marketing costs would be determined, and then passed unanimously.
Acting City Manager/Police Chief Dave Robinson said there are special event forms to fill out.
“What you get from the city council will depend on what happens with COVID,” Manager/Chief Robinson said. “A lot of cities are nixing everything until August. … All has to be COVID-compliant.”
Robinson said someone would have to be in charge of the band placement and other details.
Voigt said the agreement he has with bands has a contingency clause that he used with COVID cancellations last year.
Voigt said he could volunteer the Music Lakeside stage crew for the event and McGovern and Bonner volunteered to help.
“We’ll get a complete lineup and finalization at the next DDA meeting,” McGovern said.
In other business at the one-hour-and-20-minute meeting on April 21, the DDA:
• Heard Thompson announce that the Fourth Street Place upgrades are almost done. She said the trees have been installed and the benches are in boxes and have to be assembled. Some concrete has to be finished;
• Heard Thompson report on the two estimates she got for café lighting on the Fourth Street Square and voted to take the quote of M&J Outdoor Lighting Enhancement at a cost up to $2,000, which approves “gently used” free lights for the trees. The other proposal would cost about $1,375 with no free lights;
• Heard treasurer Williams announce the committee proposed $2,000 each in Community Event Funding for Lake Fest, Central Business Community, Belleville Area Council for the Arts, and the Belleville Area Chamber of Commerce, contingent upon the events named being held. The DDA unanimously approved the grants and voted again to change the rules for application. The grants now have a January deadline to apply, instead of March, and others wishing last-minute grants must apply by the first of the month so the application can be considered at the DDA’s meeting on the third Wednesday;
• Discussed a subcommittee proposal to have the fire department hose down the sidewalks and then have the street sweeper come to clean it all up for a downtown spring cleanup effort. After discussion, Manager/Chief Robinson said he would call the fire chief and talk to him about it;
• Discussed the county’s recent work on the Belleville Bridge, deciding to keep watch on it to see what they do. If work needs to be done on the railings or decorative parts of the bridge, the DDA will keep tabs on that;
• Discussed banner programs approved by the city for high school graduates and veterans, and what other banners could be up. Thompson explained the DDA has seasonal banners that are changed quarterly, with hanging baskets and American flags. She said last year the DPW didn’t get good instruction on what to do when the veteran banners were down and didn’t do anything. McGovern said the DDA needs a schedule of who’s doing this and that on the poles and she said she talked to Robinson about that;
• Heard McGovern say in studying the Potential Projects list and the Follow-Up List, she thinks the lists can be merged. Robinson said the follow-up lists for the DDA and the city council are similar and he doesn’t like the city follow-up list. He said he will work with McGovern for a new template. He advised the DDA that the council has asked him to continue as city manager and chief. He said McGovern has agreed to help him find an assistant administrator that can be part of the DDA and work in economic development;
• Heard Thompson say it has been determined that the DPW water truck can remain in service and could be fixed without great cost. “We will keep going with what we have,” Thompson said of the truck. There had been a proposal to buy a used truck for the plant-watering truck; and
• Heard Robinson say there is a new kind of look in the city’s administration and it’s all about service. He said with the different stimulus funds from the federal government there is the opportunity to do some things and he welcomes any input. He also noted in the near future, “I have to put my emergency manager hat on” and make some decisions that could “make me the bad guy… I hope I have your support.” He spoke of the COVID rules from the state that he cannot ignore. He had set a May 25 date to consider whether Belleville Lake Fest can be held under the state rules at the time.