News On The 501c3

This is very exciting. We are in the process of writing the by-laws for a 501c3. This is huge. We are kicking around the idea of calling the 501c3 part of the DMBA, the Downtown Meadville Business Alliance Foundation. This aspect of the DMBA will go after grants for different interests in the downtown. Will keep you updated as the 501c3 sub-committee comes together and works on all the bugs.

February 2014 Minuts

Great Meeting!

• ExperienceMeadville.com is now going live. Lou Baxter, from JET TV has sent a letter to his tech staff to work on linking the ExperienceMeadville.com calendar page to their YourErie.com web site. and we have linked YourErie.com weather to ours. This is very exciting. We will be promoting ExperienceMeadville.com to every outlet we can. It is our hope that this will also generate new members and expand our customer base.

• Isaac Pineo talked about what we need to do to get a 501c3 status. There are a lot of steps to go through. Some more complicated than others. Our main concern was by-laws. We are going to tackle this first. A sub-committee will look at different by-laws from other organizations and we will pick and choose what we like and don’t like about them.

• Second Saturday. This is very exciting. There were a lot of great ideas going around the room.
   -  Art being created each week by the students that go to Second Saturday and have it displayed in each store during the last Second Saturday. A Hay Ride that would take people around to each of the stores to show off the art.
   –  Closing off Chestnut between Market and Park to expand the festivities into the downtown.
   -  An Art Walk that would go along with each theme of Second Saturday.
   -  Creating Second Saturday Banners to be placed throughout the downtown.
   -  Creating Painted Rain Barrels to be placed throughout the downtown.

• We talked about the businesses that are moving in, out and around, in the downtown. The desire to have coffee and ice cream up by the Diamond, and what we can do to help fill the empty store fronts, like the Eldred Building.

• 15 Minute Free parking meters. The city has several parking meters that, if you give them a crank, you get 15 minutes of free parking. It cost $105.00 to switch out the guts on an existing meter to put in these special meters. We talked about the DMBA finding sponsors to fund the change to these meters, with a sticker placed along the top that would read. 15 Minutes Free Parking / Sponsored By: Name Of Business. The business would pay for 1 or more meters plus the cost of the sticker. Isaac Pineo will be presenting this to council along with several other parking issues. That date has yet to be determined.

• Park and Ride. Tim, from CATA, suggested two possibilities.  (1) A bus could be chartered at $40.00/hr.  If we chose to operated the bus one day/week for 6 hours that would be $12,480/year.  That, of course, would only work if a grant were provided.  The second option would be establishing it as a regular route.  A fare would have to be charged although seniors and handicapped persons would ride free.  The fare, for example, might be 50 cents each way.  The fares might also be handled by some kind of grant.  In any event, it is nothing we could do in the short term.  Tim is checking with PennDot.

Great Meeting Everyone!

After meeting developments:

• We are looking into a Food Drive for the end of May. ‘Comic Walk’. We are hoping to partner with the Chamber of Commerce for the Food Drives. This would expand our reach and give us an opportunity to work on a project together. We are also looking into the possibility of having a central location for all the organizations that need food, to be able to go. Our job would be to keep those shelves full.

• We are moving forward, with the Second Saturday leaders, to have a Second Saturday Art Walk throughout the downtown. We will be meeting with Steven Prince, an art professor from Allegheny, to enlist his help and also to involve Allegheny College.

January 2014 Minutes

• Parking - Customer Only Zone

• 'Experience Meadville' web site and the use of categories

• Membership drive

• Second Saturday

• DMBA as a 501C3

• Park & Ride utilizing a CATA Loop

• Setting up a Subcommittee on Business Development

We began the meeting by reviewing past issues we went over parking, the progress being made on the website and new efforts to increase our membership. Then we moved on to Second Saturday. Isaac Pineo was at the meeting, and his wife Becky, ran second Saturday last year.

I have been talking with one of the coordinators for Second Saturday, this year. Her name is Tracy. It is our hope and our goal to expand second Saturday to include the businesses in downtown Meadville. Our first initial concept was to create an art walk.

For stores like the Water Store that did not have art as a part of their business we could bring in local artists to display their art in those stores. We would have maps that would go along with each walk.

If you have anymore suggestions as to what we can do on Second Saturday, please let us know.

Joyce Farrell from Farrell’s Hook, Line and Stitches suggested we create a 50/50 drawing to help promote Second Saturday and the Meadville Art Walk.

There was a discussion about the 2 Million Dollar grant the the Redevelopment Authority of Conneaut Lake approved for it's downtown and that conversation lead to the suggestion that the DMBA apply for a 501C3. This is Non-Profit status so we can apply for grants to help improve our downtown.

Tom Collard suggested there be a Park & Ride set up in Meadville Meadville that utilized a CATA Loop from the mall across from the Baldwin Reynolds House.

Sandy Cheropovich brought up a concern that there wasn't enough support and local political response for businesses trying to locate to the downtown Meadville. She sighted several businesses that she knew of that wanted to move into the downtown and was having a hard time getting the information they needed from the powers that be. This topic has come up before under a different set of concerns. At that time it was suggested that Tom Collard work with the Chamber of Commerce in regards to the empty store fronts. This is a topic that can be expanded to a Subcommittee on Business Development. Where we are the first stop for businesses that want to move into Meadville’s downtown and 'we' are connecting those potential businesses with the people or organizations they need to meet with.

I had sent out the request for  information about your individual businesses and how the categories work. We will be going door to door to gather this information. The web site 'cannot' move forward without that information from each of you.

When the weather gets a little warmer, we will be working on getting more members. Right now our membership is mostly retail. It is the goal of the DMBA that we represent a cross section of the Meadville business community.

~~~

After meeting developments. Isaac Pineo wants to spearhead the DMBA's attempts to become a 501c3. This is nonprofit status that will allow us to apply for grants to improve our downtown.

experiencemeadville.com is up and in the review stages. If your business is not on experiencemeadville.com you need to contact Heather at Off Color Gallery.

The Second Saturday leaders have been contacted and are very  excited to work with the DMBA to help expand this event to include the entire downtown. Tracy will be at our meeting, this Tuesday evening.

November 12th Meeting Minutes

Minutes for the November 12th meeting.

We started our meeting by hearing from a representative from the area shopper. His name is Pete Mierke. He gave us an amazing quote for a full page ad for the Downtown Meadville Business Alliance. 2" x 3" ad black-and-white will be $40. This goes out to 38,000 people.

Heather Rachel presented draft on our website experiencemeadville.com. She showed how the website is interconnected with our own business websites or Facebook pages. She showed maps that she worked on and how they are integrated with each business. A parking map will show up with parking areas near each place of business. Heather has done an amazing job. The biggest challenge will be to now gather information. It will be up to each and every member to supply Heather information about our own businesses. Categories will be set up and if your business falls into one or more of these categories it is up to the businesses to supply that information to Heather.

Wlll done Heather!!!

We reviewed the Downtown Map that Tim Kirk is putting together for us. There was a lot of enthusiasm to advertise on the back of the map! The base of the map, that Tim created will be available for other organizations to utilize. He did a great job in drawing a ‘very’ accurate map of Downtown Meadville.

Next Andy Walker gave the talk about the Main Street program. It's history and how we, the downtown Meadville business alliance, can draw from that program.

The DMBA are using the same borders as the Main Street Program. The borders are defined by Walkablility, the Historic District, and it’s Charming. The areas along Park Avenue that are not in this Historic District, could be located in any city throughout the United States. Downtown Meadville is unique.

Christa Battin From the Meadville chamber of commerce spoke. She talked about the changes she is hoping to make in her new position. It is our intent for the DMBA to work closely with the Chamber of Commerce in the future.

We talked about Light-up night and the theme being White Christmas. The Academy Theater will be playing a free showing of White Christmas but you have to get tickets. Light-up night is December 6. She also is hoping to get fireworks and have a decorating contest.

The discussion moved on to Free Holiday Parking. This discussion lasted for a long time. Parking brings out a lot of emotions. Even though we all want to offer our customers free holiday parking, it is very difficult in the town where employees will take advantage of the free meters. In the end we all decided to try having free holiday parking with bags that clearly state Free Parking - Customers Only. We are hoping to have a temporary Customer Only Zone for the Holiday Season.

It was a great meeting. It showed the Downtown Meadville Business Alliance working well, with the City of Meadville and the Chamber of Commerce.

'Twas the Holiday Season in Downtown Meadville.

'Twas the Holiday season and all through the stores
We waited for people to come through the doors
The decorations were hung in the windows with care
In the hopes that the shoppers soon would be there

The downtown seemed quiet as we scanned all the streets
With big stores on the hill we struggled to compete
Watching in dismay as the cars drove on by
The mom and pop owners give out a slight sigh

When out from the sidewalk we heard a great sound
The jingle of coins as a quarter was found
The parking was paid by a customer so dear
We all held our breath as they started to near

Although we had asked the parking to be free
We were informed this year twas not to be
Our holiday shoppers would have to pay
And we were afraid this would keep them away

But to our delight they reach the front door
With hope in their eyes they enter the store
Searching for something special this year
For people in their lives they hold so dear

"For Jacob... For Sarah .... For Kathy and Milly"
Now Abby ... And Becky.... And Tommy and Billy"
To the back of the store, to the top of the shelves
Now shop away, shop away ...shop away elves

Finding treasures for the large and the small
We help our customers find gifts for them all
Our goal is quite simple as it is every year
Fill each shoppers heart with Holiday Cheer

Then in a twinkling I hear from the street
A second coin dropping and more people to greet
As I walk to the door to welcome the shoppers
I let them all know of my holiday offers

They are dressed all in coats with boots on their feet
Snowflakes in their hair and slush from the streets
A purchase is made and they are given a sack
We hope that one day they will come back

The lights in the store twinkled, a bit brighter then before
I wish them Merry Christmas as the walk out the door
More shoppers come and hope fills the air
I see that under my Christmas tree will not be bare

These shops are owned by your neighbors and friends
We smile and wave while doing our errands
We all try our best throughout the whole year
But each holiday season there is a Friday to fear

This day now passed taking the frenzy with it
The shops in town are alive with the spirit
Small extra touches and sales met with a smile
Inviting the shoppers to browse and stay a while

Remember us downtown for those unique gifts
We have things for the "hard to buy for" lists
Experience Meadville! we WANT you you to visit!!
For your shopping convenience many accept debit


From all of us -to you and to yours
We send Warm Holidays Wishes Galore!!!

By h.r.