A special celebration is being planned by the Belleville Downtown Development Authority after the Main Street project is complete.
Although a Marketing subcommittee is being closed-mouthed about the plans, in the past community relations consultant Linda Davis Kirksey had talked about doing a Greek dance down the middle of Main Street once the project is over.
At the Aug. 18 meeting of the DDA, Kirksey said they are tentatively planning the celebration the first week in November.
Kirksey reported that more than 300 shopping bags and dining promotion cards were passed out during the Taste of Belleville. The DDA also will be continuing the co-op ads with businesses in local newspapers.
The DDA also discussed seasonal banners and holiday decorations. There is $15,000 in the budget for such purchases. After looking at pictures of possible banners, DDA member Gary Snarski asked about having American Flags to hang.
The DDA used to have flags, but apparently they wore out.
“You’d get a lot of use out of flags – and besides, I’m patriotic,” Snarski said.
DDA member Mike Colletta suggested they get banners with pictures of American flags on them to see if that cost less. The DDA decided to get prices on both.
“There’s a distinct difference between an American Flag and a banner of a flag,” said Councilwoman Kim Tindall from the audience, adding that it’s possible to get American Flags actually made in the U.S.A.
DDA Treasurer Sabrina Richardson-Williams asked administrative coordinator Carol Thompson to get prices on banner enhancers (lights that go on top of the banner hardware).
The DDA also agreed to ask Thompson to get prices on how much it would cost to get someone in to decorate the town, as suggested at a previous meeting.
Resident Ruth Kessel said the DDA had been discussing spending money to put in an expensive Welcome to Belleville sign. “We already have a Welcome to Belleville sign that looks fine,” she said, adding that others in the community agree.
In other business at the hour-long meeting, the DDA:
* Opened two sealed bids for the Village Park Walking Paths. Blue Ribbon bid $68,742.50 and Davenport Brothers bid $99,723.75. After Dave Vallier of Spicer Engineers reviewed the bids in the back office, he came back to the DDA meeting to recommend the low bid of Blue Ribbon, which was accepted unanimously by the DDA. Oct. 15 is the completion date set;
* Heard Ruth Kessel complain about the DDA’s spending priorities. She said while they are getting $350,000 less this year in tax capture, they are planning to spend money on an entryway sign that’s not needed, wayfinding signs and special arms for light poles. DDA chairman Kerreen Conley said the DDA is getting prices on these things to find out if they can be afforded from the DDA funds or the leftover bond funds as extra embellishments to the Main Street work. DDA member Ken Voigt said regardless of what the DDA decides to do it will not impact the city council budget because the DDA has its own sources of funding. Also, the DDA will not go into debt for anything more, he said. Kessel said she would like to see it in the paper when the DDA makes decisions on spending;
* Approved, by a roll-call vote, amending the bylaws to have the meetings officially start at 6 p.m. and to have the meeting times for the year set at the annual meeting in January;
* Heard DDA member John Hoops report that they have decided to send the broken aerator from the Victoria Commons pond out for repairs this year and table any new purchases until they can research what new infrastructure would be needed. There was some discussion in the past on whether the current aerator was large enough for the job;
* Heard businessman Ron Vesche ask about the façade program so he can redo the front of Main Street Flowers. He wanted to know if there was enough budget to cover all those who apply and are successful and Conley said, “Our intent is to encourage a lot of participation”; and
* Heard DDA member Jim Higgerson say he sent Thompson some information about a foam-cored sign that could cut the cost of a proposed new Welcome to Belleville sign. He asked that the information be sent to all board members for review.