HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-06-28
DOWNTOWN ACTION & ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES
June 28, 2018 City of Kitchener
The Downtown Action & Advisory Committee met this date, commencing at 4:15 p.m.
Present: Melissa Bowman (Chair), David Harmes, Councillor Sarah Marsh, Robert
Nyman, Andrea Santi, Martin Timmerman
Staff: Hilary Abel, Sara Bingham, Chloe Howell
It has been noted that there were not enough members present to form a quorum.
Discussion Item 1: Digital Main Street
S. Bingham, coordinator of the Digital Main Street project, showed DAAC a promotional video
giving the committee an overview of what Digital Main Street is. They are currently running this
project for the third time and it involves assessing the digital assets of companies. Staff look at
the needs of individual businesses and do up a written plan; the “digital squad” then provides
ten hours of work on that plan. The digital squad is made up of five people, all graduates of the
DISC program.
To date, they have assessed 65 businesses and taught them to “use digital tools to put money
in the till.” The Digital Main Street team finds businesses interested in the program through BIA
contacts, word of mouth and flyer delivery. Some businesses don’t have internet, so they may
not be able to readily access this information. Word of mouth is by far the most successful
method of referral, with companies who have completed the program telling fellow business
owners.
The work plan drawn up from the assessment looks very different for every business. At the
end of the ten hours of work by the digital squad, businesses complete a survey which allows
the Digital Main Street staff to develop relevant workshops based on feedback. Workshops
include getting various people with different specialties to share their knowledge.
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DOWNTOWN ACTION & ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES
June 28, 2018 City of Kitchener
Updates
C. Howell gave a brief description of the Business Heritage Awards coming up in September,
2018. Asked the committee to keep an eye out for businesses that may qualify for recognition
this year.
H. Abel provided a brief update on some developments, namely:
Council approved Breithaupt Block phase three; and,
Drewlo east end development which includes 400+ units, ground floor retail, affordable
housing and a piece of public art.
Summer Report
DTK programming includes free options every week with a focus on community led
events.
Goudies Lane is “taking on a life of its own” with the new Edison bulb lighting feature.
There is a public consultation on July 11 regarding the Queen Street place-making
project. Staff are looking for as much feedback from as many people as possible.
Waste Management on King Street
The “waste management” program coordinated by the Downtown Kitchener BIA and the
Working Centre has resolved most issues around garbage on King Street. This means there
will be a good case for changing the Regional by-law to address garbage being left on the
street at 5:00 p.m.. This year, the program will run until the beginning of November; when
asked who paid for this program, H. Abel responded that it is accounted for in the BIA’s
budget.
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DOWNTOWN ACTION & ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES
June 28, 2018 City of Kitchener
Supervised Consumption Site
H. Abel went with a team of various people from Kitchener to South Riverdale in Toronto to
tour a medical centre that has been serving vulnerable community members over the last 25
years. She was struck with how knowledgeable and compassionate staff were and the team
hopes we can use some of their expertise to set up a supervised consumption site in
Kitchener. There was a huge negative backlash from the business community when the project
in South Riverdale was first announced, but now people either did not know it existed or were
supportive of the program. The example shown in the South Riverdale model indicates that
having this service gives users a lot of dignity.
There are a lot of unknowns regarding the future of this initiative, including whether or not the
project will receive provincial support. The supporters of the supervised consumption site are
considering offering many health care options to users, such as having a dental facility, a vein
clinic, nurse practisioners, mental health crisis workers etc. There might also be potential to
offer short term housing for people who want to get into a treatment program.
Next DAAC Meeting:
July – Cancelled
August – Off site meeting
Meeting adjourned at 4:55 p.m.
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