Belleville DDA discusses partnerships, social media, economic dev.

In its regular meeting on Nov. 16, the Belleville Downtown Development Authority discussed many different proposals, but the only action taken was to approve the agenda and the minutes and to pay its bills.
First, under Citizen Comments on Agenda Items only, Councilwoman Kelly Bates and Tom Fielder spoke about a proposed Community Garden for the city that was on the agenda.
Bates said the Community Garden had been discussed in the past but never was implemented. She said since the public has to speak before she learns what the DDA is going to say on the subject, it is difficult.
Fielder said a site at Village Park and behind Citizen’s Bank were discussed as locations, but the project got bogged down because of finances and how to make people responsible.
He said people don’t understand how Village Park came to be. He said the property where Victoria Commons eventually was built was owned by a doctor. He wanted to put a hospital there, but it was too “mushy” and he couldn’t.
In the late ‘80s a developer came and the DDA was created in 1991 to take that on as a project. Eighteen acres was deeded to the city as a park. The developer also threw in money in six figures to put things in the park. They built a bathroom, gravel paths, two basketball areas, a volleyball court, but the ice rink wasn’t working. They also wanted to put in a bandshell in the back.
The walking and running paths 15’ wide around the ponds belonged to the city. The horseshoe pits never got done.
Fielder said they tried to find what could be put in that park that couldn’t be put in the other city parks because they were too small.
It was necessary to have a five-year master plan for parks and recreation to get grants. The grant applications were rejected for many reasons, he said. Three percent of the city needed to be in parks, but it was just one percent. With the new Village Park, the city had enough park property to apply for park grants.
He concluded saying the city is responsible for the park.
DDA chairperson Alicia McGovern thanked Fielder for the history.
The first item on the agenda was the official swearing in of new board member Ivan Ankwatsa of Pryde Athletics.
Then, Chairperson McGovern said the DDA’s Economic Development Committee met at 8 a.m. on Nov. 14 and will meet every Monday at 8 a.m.
Partnerships
The next item on the agenda was “Partnerships with Events and Other Entities.”
McGovern turned the meeting over to City Manager / Police Chief David Robinson, who has also been administrator for the DDA since the last one left.
Chief Robinson said the DDA needs to be a leading force in the community and a partnership with the Chamber, Central Business Community, Belleville Area Council for the Arts and others wanting events is important. He said putting a community calendar together was important with events from all the organizations on it.
He said the CBC was basically in charge of Booville this year.
“We have some really great events,” he said. “Wouldn’t it be great if everyone took part in each event? It would make great events even greater … with all working together … collaboration with different groups.” He said they could say, “You take first chair, well take second…”
“I would like to find a grant to get our own stage,” Robinson said. “Put it wherever we want. It could be on the Fourth Street Square all summer,” he said, noting they could have open mike night, high school band night, and other events.
He said when you go for a grant, it is better if more parties are involved and collaborating and that could be the city of Belleville, DDA, CBC, Chamber.
McGovern said collaborating would increase the capacity for these events and bring businesses to our community. She said all these events are held in the DDA district.
“We should be involved,” McGovern said.
“I had PTSD from all the Strawberry Festival things,” said DDA member Valerie Kelley Bonner. “Make sure it’s clear.”
“The city council has total override of everything that happens here,” Robinson said. “We could say, ‘Who wants to lead?’ The smaller organizations may not have the same assets. Are we going to take it over? No. Collaborations. Will there be bumps? Of course. If it’s straightforward and clear. It would be that person’s event and others supporting it.”
“To make this work, we need a committee formed,” McGovern said. “No contracts formed. That’s where Strawberry Festival began to unravel.”
“As long as we don’t lose sight of our goal,” Robinsons said.
“Everyone wants the same thing,” McGovern said.
“Sounds good,” said Kelley-Bonner. “That was the issue – money.”
“They ended up hiring somebody, because nobody has the time, energy to do this,” Robinson said. “If we can’t find somebody to do it, it shouldn’t be done.”
“I want to tell you, there will be money involved.”
Social Media, Economic Development
The next agenda item was on Social Media and Economic Development. McGovern said at a recent meeting DDA member Jennifer Winter suggested getting a student. She said the DDA knows what it wants and it just needs implementation.
Robinson said he would like to look at the city contract with the company that does its website. The contract is expiring soon. He said the city needs a new website and it needs somebody to go on the website and update it.
“We’ll need somebody who can do it. It takes a much more solid science to do that,” he said. “I want to have waiting lists of people who can’t wait for a building on Main Street. We have to decide what kinds of businesses we want here.”
“An economic development person could possibly fill this role?” McGovern wondered.
Mayor Kerreen Conley, who sits on the DDA, said you have to try finding somebody who does that for a living.
“We’re not in competition with another town,” Mayor Conley said. “We didn’t need a laundrymat on Main Street. We found the right fit for us, but there was a non-compete clause with Ypsilanti.”
Robinson said the companies who replied to the DDA’s request for proposals had suggested what the DDA already did and the implementation would be by the hour, which is expensive.
“We have to find someone who could do what we want,” McGovern said.
“The RFP we sent out was not specific,” Robinson said.
Kelley-Bonner said Washtenaw Community College will be having a meeting with interns where you sit at a table and pitch what you want and interns can say whether they are interested.
“I’d be willing to do that,” Kelley Bonner said, adding, “I’ll be there anyway.”
McGovern asked if the DDA is ready to go out for an economic development director, pointing out its almost a year from their strategic planning session.
Robinson said he would like to do some research. He said he has good consultants and he can get some sample RFPs as a template.
McGovern asked if he would reach out to Aerotropolis and Robinsons said, “Sure.” He said he also wants a new website and he talked to Van Buren Township about it.
“We have to paint a picture of what we want to have downtown,” Mayor Conley said. “They need to know that.”
She said social media doesn’t need to be done during the day and it could be a second job for someone.
McGovern asked if this should be brought back for the January agenda.
The newest board member Ivan Ankwatsa urged them to pick the best kind of website system. City Clerk Brianna Hootman said she has to send any website changes to the city’s website operator.
“We wanted to master it ourselves,” said Mayor Conley of the website. “We didn’t get that.”
Ankwatsa said his business has a host and is using Word Press now. “We can manage it ourselves… What is the purpose of the website? What do you want social media to do? I know people who can help.”
Village Park
Village Park was the next item of discussion and McGovern said the committee talked about Pickle Ball for that park.
Robinson said need to decide if the pad needs to be milled or if it can be used for that. He said the city is going out for bids to redo the roads in the cemetery. He said maybe they could draw the same contractor for the Pickleball court and the basketball court at Victory Park.
He thanked DDA treasurer Sabrina Richardson-Williams for the pictures of Village Park problems she sent to all the DDA members. “We’ve come a long way with that park,” he said.
He said they are trying to get a ballpark bid for the cemetery roads and asphalt has seen a 15% rise. The last estimate was $250,000 and now he is guessing $300,000.
“I’m seeking donors … whether they have loved ones there or not … I’d like to have ducks in a row for next summer,” Robinson said.
Richardson-Williams asked if they could get a grant like they did for Victory Park.
Mayor Conley said the federal ARPA funds were completely different. She suggested letting County Commissioner Al Haidous know the city’s needs and, “He’s never let us down.”
Secretary Denise Baker said there is $27,000 in the budget for park improvements and Robinson said that was for the matching funds for the ARPA grant.
Community Garden
Last on the agenda was discussion on a Community Garden.
Robinson said there was a great place in the city property behind the car wash on Main Street. He said they have to determine who will run it. He said he would like to deal with some of those who work with the Farmers’ Market. Maybe the Rotary, Kiwanis, and Masons could be asked to be in charge of it month by month.
DDA member Kelly McWilliams suggested asking the local garden club with Deb Green and Claudia Roullier to get involved.
Baker said in Ann Arbor they have Project Grow where you can rent a plot for the summer. Kelley-Bonner said in Inkster a portion of Community Garden is for kids to learn.
Robinson said they could get the schools involved.
McGovern said the Economic Development Committee will put something together.