Agenda for 9-12-13 (May change a little)

September 12th Agenda.

Review the minutes of the previous meeting.

Old Business:

___  Review Parking issues.

___  Update everyone on the progress of the Blog and Facebook sites.

         -- These are members forums. Not meant for the general public. But the public is welcome.

___  Update everyone on the Dot Com progress.

         -- This is the general public site and can have it’s own Facebook page.

___  Discuss the names of the Dot Com.

         -- The advantages of using the name Make It Meadville and the short term disadvantages.

Between Meeting developments:

___  Tim Kirk creating a map for DMBA

         -- Advertising around the map

___  Tim Kirk creating a web site for DMBA

___  First Annual Zombie Walk

         -- Staggering events at the end of the walk.

___  Bring back the Annual Drop & Shop

New Business:

___  Discuss the need to have 2 meetings a month. The 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month.

___  Present Insurance information

___  Member ‘Static Stickers’ to display at our place of business. (Tim)

         -- With QRL Codes to direct people with smart phones directly to our web site.

___  Advertising. What avenues do we use and how do we fund it.

         -- For the events.

         -- For DMBA

Future Business:

___  Develop a year round calendar of events

         -- Bring back the Soap box derby around the Diamond

         -- An Ice Cream Socal inside the Mall where the girl scouts, boy scouts, cheer leaders etc.

            can raise money. Maybe in conjunction with the St. Patricks Day parade.

___  Create a list of local charities to match each event

___  Plan meeting to learn about business topics such as Square and Google Circle. (Dan)

___  Have guest speakers like Senator Robbins or Michael L. Batchelor, President of the 

            Erie Community Foundation.

___  Adopt a store front. Get permission from building owners to create displays in the windows

            of their empty stores. Getting the grade school art departments involved.

Questions regarding insurance.

To Andy Walker:
We did a lot of events with Make It Meadville. Do you know if those events needed to be covered by a private insurance policy?

The question of insurance has come up in regards to the things that DMBA is doing. Like the Quarter program that Tom implemented. And the Zombie Walk. This would have been no different than Johnny's Drive-In. Did Make It Meadville get private insurance for that?

Thanks
From Viki Allin



To Viki Allin
Good morning, Viki.
Make It Meadville did NOT have private insurance.  Any insurance guy or lawyer will tell you that you should.  The challenge, of course, is that Make It Meadville or now DMBA was never developed to a formal  organization with bylaws, officers, or legal status (501 c3, for example).
For Johnny’s Drive-In, one might argue that any liability claims that might have arises would have become the responsibility of the Market Grille (which they wouldn’t like) or the City (which pays for liability insurance there because they own it).  If an insurance company wanted to fight a claim, they would certainly look toward the policies of other responsible parties.
I don’t see any liability in the Meter Feeder program, but the Zombie Walk could be a different story.  Again, if there was a liability claim against any one participating business or the City, most likely their insurance company would attempt to deflect the claim.
I’m not sure it should be a deal breaker, but worthy of conversation.  I’ll be curious to learn what you hear back from the law and insurance guys.
From, Andy Walker
Assistant City Manager/City Clerk
City of Meadville
894 Diamond Park
Meadville, PA  16335

Ph: (814) 724-6000

Dot Com

I contacted Andy Walker who then contacted Jill Groves about the availability of the name, Make It Meadville.  They both said we could that name for our Dot Com site if we want.

So I am putting it out there.   www.makeitmeadville.com

According to Andy's email:
"I see no reason why the “Make It Meadville” name cannot be used as part of or in place of the Downtown Meadville Business Alliance.  Historically (mid-to-late 80’s), it was the name of the Main Street Program effort when Meadville was first funded by the Commonwealth of PA to employ a Main Street Manager."

This name has a history and it's associated with efforts to improve the downtown.

I just wanted to put this out there as an option. Tim is working on the design and content of our Dot Com web site. I am finding this all very exciting.

Viki

Zombie Walk & Dot Com

Hello DMBA members,

I would like to start working on our NEW Business Directory website. I would like you to look again at the websites we that we reviewed during our meeting.

Think Shadyside - http://thinkshadyside.com/

Nevada City Chamber - http://www.nevadacitychamber.com/

(Ours will not be that elaborate, because we will be using a FREE host with limited templates.)

This Dot Com will be an 'inclusive' site with ALL of the businesses in Meadville's Downtown listed. Member listings will have hotlinks to either their Dot Com or to a social media site of their choosing. Member listings will also include street addresses and phone numbers.

We need a name!

iMeadville

My Meadville

Our Town Meadville

______________ Meadville

Our next meeting will be the second Thursday in September at 6:00 pm. Please bring your ideas to the meeting.

~~~

Zombie Walk

This will be a fund raiser for the local food bank. Participants will dress up like Zombies and walk the streets of Meadville. Zombies will bring cans of food with them and drop them off at the starting point of the walk.

If you go to our blog you will see a post that describes the Zombie Walk and what is required. The path will need to be discussed. Maybe starting at the Mall, walking up Center to Walnut, up Walnut to the Diamond. Down Chestnut to Park. This is where it gets tricky. We want them to walk in front of the Movie Theater and in front of @ the bank then back down Chestnut to in front of Tattered Corners then down Market so it goes in front of the Whole Darn Thing and then back up Market to walk in front of Confections Of A Cake Lover. In front of the Market House, back down Chestnut, and back to the Mall.

That was a big run-on sentence! We will need to discuss it with a map at the next meeting.

I also want to bring back 'Drop & Shop'. On the Saturday before Thanksgiving, we want people to come to Downtown Meadville to start their Christmas Shopping before Black Friday. The Drop aspect of 'Drop & Shop' is that people would drop of coats and canned goods to go to the Center For Family Services.

I think you are seeing the pattern. We promote our businesses and at the same time, we are supporting the local 'Non-Profits'.

One more thing. Everyone on this list needs to recruit new members. Have any new members send an email to dmba16335@gmail.com.

~~~

On the topic of parking. Two ideas were brought to me this morning.

1)  Businesses like the Pampered Palette and Hagen's Business Supplies have a need for a 'Vendor Parking Pass'. These businesses would have to meet certain requirements and there would need to be a form for them to fill out with the city. The idea is a reasonable one and much needed by those businesses the make frequent deliveries in the downtown.

2) Participating businesses would offer their customers a reimbursement for the meter. 25 cents. This would work for certain businesses that are not high volume. Many businesses already do this and it would be a great idea to have that in participating store fronts with the DMBA logo incorporated into the design of the flyer.

Please print this email out and hand it out to any potential new member. It will show them what this organization is all about.

Thanks

Viki Allin

Creative Crust Bakery