BELLTOWN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MEETING OF 06/17/09

MINUTES

Date/Time: June 17, 2009, 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Place: Dahlia Lounge Meetig Room, 4th & Virginia
Attendance: Sara Wysocki, Tom English, Mack Waldron, Tom Graff, Tim Gaydos, Pamela Hinckley, Robert Eickof, Pam Anderson, Bob McKay, Barbara Hartley, Michael Lee, Greg Schuler Excused Absence: Cooper Mills, Andrea Schaloum Absent: Adrian Luevano Guests: John Miller, Millionaire Club; Doniella Boaz, Temenos Counseling Mark Bandy, WSDOT Eric Tweit, SDOT Richard Nordstrom, Belltown Community Council

1. President Tom English called the meeting to order at 8:07 AM. Pam
    Anderson introduced Jim Miller, the new Executive Director of
    the Millionair Club.

2. Tom introduced Mark Bandy, WSDOT, and Eric Tweit, SDOT, who
    gave a presentation on the north portal of the proposed new tunnel
     forthe Viaduct replacement. They are working on the
    Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which will be
    published in early 2010. Some of the subjects that they presented
    included the tying together of the street grid north of the tunnel
    and traffic flows, particularly the connections with the new 2-way
    provisions on Mercer Street, work on which is scheduled to start
    this Fall. They asked for citizen comments on the north portal
    planning. More information can be obtained from the project
    website: www.alaskanwayviaduct.org. Tom Graff is serving on
    the North End Working Group that is involve with the north
    portal planning.

3. Minutes for the meeting of May 20, 2009, were approved without
    revision. Many thanks to Tom English for writing up and
    publishing the minutes.

4. Interim Treasurer Pam Anderson provided the Treasurer's Report
    through 6/19/09. Year-to-date income is $13,405; expenses,
    $13,677.The current checkbook balance is $14,122. Significant
    expenditures since the last meeting include $10,018.84 for
    publication and distribution of the Walking Guide and $588.00
    to the City for support of the Belltown sidewalk cleanup brigade.

5. Marketing Report:

• (a) The June 19 opening event at the Moda condos/apartments was discussed. The BBA will have a table at the event, and several board members indicated interest in attending. Tom English will look into providing a banner for the BBA table at this event.


• (b) The Great City event scheduled for the evening of July 16 was discussed. The BBA will also have a table/presence at this event.


• (c) Chuck Stempler has provided ideas on how AlphaGraphics can help with the proposed BBA newsletter. Greg Schuler will discuss further with Chuck. Richard Nordstrom offered to publish BBA items on the BCC website.

6. Board Development:

• Greg Schuler reported. Adrian Luevano, formerly of the Warwick Hotel/Brasserie Margaux has resigned from his board position and has left the Warwick. Greg is working to identify an appropriate person from the Warwick to recommend for the board. Greg had a very positive meeting with Phil Fujii of Vulcan about board membership; however, Fujii later indicated that he would be unable to serve. Greg had a recent chat with Andrea Schaloum, who is still interested in BBA service, and he will be contacting Cooper Mills of the El Gaucho as well.

7. Downtown District Council:

• Sara Wysocki reported that WSDOT and SDOT made a similar north portal presentation at this month's DDC meeting. Sara also reported on the Bell Street "parkway" project. She noted that Gary Johnson, who had once served on the BBA Board, has organized a Center City interdepartmental planning team with regular meetings, and the thinking for the Belltown project originated in this meeting. She reported on the recent Open House conducted by the City at Second and Bell. About 70 people visited the open house and their comments were generally positive – public safety being the "overarching concern." Sara said that they have informed owners and businesses along Bell Street by both door-to-door visits and letters, and the response so far has been very good. The project is going before the City Council Committee next week. Construction is scheduled for next year.

8. Membership:

• Barbara Hartley reported that BBA membership stands at 136.

9. WPAC:

• Barbara Hartley reported that the proposed Bell Street Parkway was discussed at the last WPAC meeting. Issues discussed included lighting, hours of operation, and the nightclub situation in the vicinity of the park. SPD is also considering putting more beat cop emphasis on Belltown, particularly in the Bell, Battery, and Western areas.

10. MID:

• Tom English suggests that further discussion of MID be tabled until the board has had the opportunity to hear from Councilmember Burgiss.

11. Crime Issues:

• Greg distributed some statistical data on crime incidents that had been organized from the annual reports provided by Terrie Johnston of the SPD. The statistics showed that the total number of crime incidents in Belltown over the past several years has remained pretty flat. However, the per capita comparison with other Seattle business districts shows Belltown to be significantly higher – in some cases 3 times higher – in per capita incidents of crime; this seems to bear out the impressions of many residents and businesspeople that Belltown is a "high crime" area. Many feel that drugs are at the heart of much of the crime activity in Belltown. Greg has been talking with Richard Nordstrom about this, and there will be an effort by the BCC and BBA to work together to address the situation. Barbara said that there is a need for more cooperation from property owners to address the drug situation and that more resources for the SPD would help as well because police presence "drives crime to zero." Greg will continue to gather and refine statistics and will start working with the SPD to identify ordinance/legislative provisions that hamper effective law enforcement.

12. Administrative Assistant:

• Tom English is forming a committee to pursue the hiring of an administrative assistant. The first step will be to review the scope of services that has been developed to date. AlphaGraphics has sent the BBA a proposal to provide these services.

13. Street Cleaning:

• Greg reported that the Seattle Community Court has asked the BBA to continue to fund one of the Americorps positions that supervise the regular street cleanup operation in Belltown. The funding request is for $3,000. Greg suggested that this be an agenda item for our July meeting. He will arrange for Stephanie Tschida, who heads up this initiative for the City, to be present at the July meeting.

14. Lights Out:

• Richard Nordstrom reported on the BCC initiative to identify street lights that are in need of repair/replacement and communicate this information to the City. A walk-through of Belltown resulted in the identification of many streetlights that are "out" and the City is already fixing these.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:33 AM.
The next meeting of the Board of Directors will be on:

Wednesday, July 15, 2009
From 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM at the Dahlia Lounge (4th & Virgina, use entrance through bakery).

Respectfully submitted,

Greg Schuler
Secretary

The Belltown Business Association is a registered 501-c6 non profit corporation.